Supplementary memorandum by Our City Region
Partnership (RG 31(a))
How did you define the extent of your city-region?
The Birmingham, Coventry and Black Country City
Region is polycentric, and is comprised of a number of complementary
yet distinct areas of economic geography. Despite its polycentric
nature it exhibits strong shared characteristics, which supports
our commitment to delivering shared objectives. This explains
our decision to bring Telford into the city region after the submission
of the initial business case, demonstrating as it does our urban
focus.
Our city region policies and interventions will
not be framed and delivered in isolation of existing regional
strategies nor surrounding cities, towns and rural areas. Transport,
economic development and housing in particular will demonstrate
a high degree of working with neighbours and regional partners
across our city region boundaries in order to reflect the realities
of economic geography across the whole of the West Midlands region.
For example, measures to relieve traffic congestion in the city
region will be of benefit to the surrounding areas too.
Our City Region Partnership's memorandum notes
(paragraph 30) that it is easier to engage the private the private
sector at the city-region level than it is at regional level.
What does the private sector bring to the table?
The private sector brings a commercial and competitiveness
focus to discussions at the shadow city region Growth and Prosperity
Board.
What are the sector's concerns about working at
the regional level?
A response to this question is more appropriate
from a representative of the business community.
Are there ways in which it could be made easier
for you to work in partnership with the private sector? What would
need to change?
The private sector is engaged as an equal partner
at the shadow city region Growth and Prosperity Board. Mechanisms
also exist through business representation organisations, and
through consultation mechanisms that are being constructed for
businesses comment on the development of city region working and
policies.
What delivery mechanisms are already in place,
and what others are needed in order to deliver your city-regional
strategies effectively?
Delivery will be through the existing structures
of the eight local authorities, the West Midlands Regional Assembly,
the Regional Development Agency and the regional Learning and
Skills Council.
Who will decide what constitutes success in delivery,
and how will it be measured?
The city region Growth and Prosperity Board,
and the constituent organisations that it represents, will be
decide on success in delivery.
The shadow city region Growth and Prosperity
Board has commissioned the West Midlands Regional Observatory
and Cambridge Econometrics to conduct a baseline economic assessment
of our current position against a wide ranging set of indicators
and criteria. Success will in part be measured through an assessment
of progress against these indicators and criteria.
Neither of you has opted to seek an elected Mayor.
Why, when the London experience is generally seen as successful?
All 38 West Midlands local authorities conducted
enquiries into the desirability of adopting one of the mayoral
models several years ago. The city of Stoke-on-Trent was the only
local authority to adopt this approach.
What makes the alternative models you have proposed
better suited to the circumstances of your city region?
There is already a well established record of
cooperation and collaboration between local authorities, and between
the public and private sectors, in the city region area. This
is evidenced by the development of Birmingham International Airport,
the Midland Metro, and more recently by the commissioning of a
feasibility study into options to tackle congestion and traffic
management.
City region working does not require the introduction
of a new form of governance, such as the election of a Mayor,
for delivery to occur. For example, the local authorities of Birmingham,
Coventry and Wolverhampton recently declined a Department of Work
and Pensions invitation to individually and in competition bid
for City Strategy status. Instead they submitted a single joint
bid with the other five city region local authorities and the
Learning and Skills Council.
Our City Region Partnership's memorandum notes
that city-regions work because "partners understand the importance
of improving strategic infrastructure in the urban area"
(para 30). What assurances can you give that communities outside
of the city-region will benefit from the approach you advocate?
City region activities and interventions will
be firmly rooted in the frameworks provided by existing regional
strategies, especially the Regional Spatial Strategy and the Regional
Economic Strategy. We seek to increase the GVA of the whole West
Midlands region through increasing the competitiveness of the
city region area. We will continue to build upon the strong working
relationships that we have with regional and local partners as
we develop our city region approach. Transport, economic development
and housing in particular will demonstrate a high degree of working
with neighbours and regional partners across our city region boundaries
in order to reflect the realities of economic geography across
the whole of the West Midlands region.
How will this happen in practice?
The Chairs of the West Midlands Regional Assembly,
Advantage West Midlands (the Regional Development Agency) and
the regional Learning and Skills Council are all members of the
city region shadow Growth and Prosperity Board. The business representative
on the Board was elected by the West Midlands Business Council.
The West Midlands Regional Assembly will be
responsible for a scrutiny function in respect of our city region
policies and interventions, especially where these involve the
delivery of existing regional strategies.
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