West Midlands leaders have launched a new "blueprint" for the region to tell Government what needs to happen to make "levelling up" a reality - with a focus on high growth sectors and on achieving net zero.
The ‘Levelling Up Growth Prospectus’ was launched by the West Midlands Combined Authority at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham.
The report suggests the region needs more powers and more flexibility over funding and investment to support a "green industrial revolution", attract private investment and to encourage the building of more homes.
Its suggestions include:
- More flexible funding to build affordable, zero carbon homes and unlock stalled investment through new Investment Zones
- New ways to encourage people onto public transport through mobility credit schemes, new e-mobility powers, and a dynamic role in Great British Railways
- Powers to help key growth sectors for the region flourish and drive innovation in low carbon businesses such as electric car manufacturing; battery production; low carbon, modular homes; and utilities such as wind and solar power.
- Greater control and influence over investment into the region’s energy system so it is more resilient to price hike shocks and able to speed up the decarbonisation of infrastructure and industry
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA Chair, said: “Levelling Up remains mission critical for our region and indeed the whole country. As we seek to supercharge our economic recovery, we must embrace the coming green industrial revolution and draw in private sector investment in order to bounce back.
“We have already made great strides here in the West Midlands - developing our public transport system, upskilling local residents, building thousands of new homes and unlocking hundreds of acres of derelict industrial land for development. We continue to rise to our #WM2041 net zero commitment – including via our pioneering retrofit schemes.
“But to build on this progress, we need the Government to give us the tools to go further and faster. This Prospectus sets out what we need to tackle the challenges we face in the weeks, months and years ahead. As the Prime Minister said, ‘When the West Midlands succeeds, the country succeeds’ so I urge the Government to back us all the way.”
Cllr Cllr Brigid Jones, WMCA portfolio lead for levelling up and deputy leader of Birmingham City Council, added: “We are facing a cost-of-living crisis, driven by high inflation and soaring energy prices and the direct and indirect consequences of this crisis for the region’s residents and businesses could be profound.
“But this Prospectus isn’t just about tackling the challenges of today - it’s also about our shared hopes for the future. We want the West Midlands to be the home of a new, green industrial revolution. This document calls upon government to match our ambitions with their support, with proposals around local area energy systems to help reduce energy bills and support for innovation in areas such as battery technology.
“The Government must lay solid foundations for real recovery with sustainable and fair funding for local government. Through 'double devolution' we can unlock a whole system approach to level up the nation. This Prospectus is a blueprint for how to do that.”
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