Bristol’s strength in innovation and its high quality of life has been put on the map in Westminster at a high-powered gathering of MPs and key Government figures aimed at challenging the so-called Northern Powerhouse.
A giant map charting some of the area’s success stories and future opportunities was unveiled at the event. Drafted by the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) it will serve, along with an accompanying policy document, as a reference tool for regional business champions and national politicians.
And with the starting gun about to be sounded on the General Election campaign, the event was also timed to get the attention of ministers, MPs and advisors ahead of canvassing.
Speaking at the event were the LEP’s chair and deputy chair, Colin Skellett and Cllr Paul Crossley, along with Nick Davies, founding chief executive of Neighbourly, the highly-successful Bristol and Bath-based social network firm that is transforming the way companies contribute to community causes.
The map, entitled West of England – home of Knowledge, Innovation and Quality of Life, also outlines the opportunities and the LEP’s role in delivering economic growth in the area which covers Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
It highlights Bristol’s potential as a world-class centre for innovation with hubs such as the Engine Shed, Pervasive Media Studios and the Bristol & Bath Science Park along with the huge potential in the Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone.
In the past year, the LEP has secured a total of £230.7m from the Government in Growth Deal funding for key projects in transport, infrastructure and business support to support its Strategic Economic Plan for 2015-2030. The LEP has also created a robust governance framework to ensure it is in the best position to deliver funding in the region: it has created a West of England Investment Board, which provides a ‘one front door’ approach to managing all funding sources coming in and out of the LEP.
Cllr Paul Crossley, who is also leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council, said: “This sets out just what a compelling case we have here in the West of England. We have a workforce educated way above the national average, leading universities, world-leading industry sectors, excellent connectivity in every sense and an un-paralleled quality of life. The LEP has provided strong governance and guidance for the region, and we look forward to delivering further on our ambitious plans.”
Mr Skellett said the event allowed the West of England to balance the attention that is being placed on the so-called Northern Powerhouse – the grouping of cities in the North led by Manchester which has gained a high profile in political circles.
He said: “The West of England contributes more to the UK’s GDP than any region outside of London and the South East. As a LEP we’ve broken new ground in the way industry, the public sector and academia work together and we have created a dynamic partnership with solid governance in place to deliver sustainable economic growth. This new map is a clear, visual representation of just what makes the West of England such a great place to live and work and the future opportunities the region offers for UK plc.”
Key messages were the region’s connectivity – with rail electrification about to bring down travel times to London to well under 90 minutes – and its innovation in areas such as technology, creativity and sustainability.
Yet despite its world-class businesses in forward-looking sectors, operating in the region is much cheaper than being based in the capital, with accommodation costs around 70% lower.
The Westminster event was hosted by Kingswood MP Chris Skidmore, who said: “Within my own constituency of Kingswood, the Bristol & Bath Science Park stands as a shining example of the great things that are being achieved through collaboration, with three leading universities coming together with public and private sectors to deliver a facility that showcases the strength and potential of the West of England’s knowledge economy.”
Nick Davies, who runs Neighbourly from the SETsquared facilities in Bristol in Bath – recognised as Europe’s leading business incubator – speak at the event about his firm’s success and the value of collaboration to deliver it.
Launched in July 2014, Neighbourly has already helped raise £760,502, more than 6,900 days pledged and backing for 200-plus projects.
The event was supported by First Great Western, which provided travel for the West of England LEP team from Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington and onto Westminster by low-carbon bus.
