Memorandum submitted by Birmingham, Coventry
and Black Country City Region
The Sub-National Review of Economic Development
and Regeneration (SNR) highlights the importance of decisions
being taken at the right geographic level. Often these will be
sub-regional rather than regional. Most important amongst the
sub regions are the core city regions—the main economic
drivers of the nation's prosperity.
As such, the City Region is a significant sub-regional
partnership. The other eleven member organisations of the City
Region will continue to work with AWM to ensure that funding is
delegated to the most appropriate groupings in line with agreed
regional, sub-regional and local priorities. The City Region provides
a forum for the urban local authorities of the West Midlands to
discuss directly with AWM how to best direct our collective resources
to achieve these outcomes and to secure value for money.
The RDA here in the West Midlands has played
a significant and valuable role in supporting the emergence and
development of our City Region partnership.[53]
We value its expertise and it's inclusive, team player approach.
The Chairman of AWM is one of the 12 members of the City Region
Board. His commitment and experience is of great value to the
Board. As an organisation AWM has consistently challenged the
City Region to adopt an ambitious and proactive programme of work
designed to improve the levels of business and personal prosperity
in the urban core of the West Midlands. AWM has played a leading
role in developing a strategy and plan to increase the levels
of foreign direct investment in the City Region, and their new
Regional Economic Strategy (Connecting Success) captures
the challenges that Birmingham and the City Region faces.
Over time we envisage the core city regions
becoming increasingly independent and well resourced as they take
a lead role in delivering economic development in the regions.
This will be an evolutionary approach and the RDAs will clearly
be a vital part of taking our ambitions forward.
1 October 2008
53 The City Region is a partnership comprised of the
local authorities of Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull,
Telford and Wrekin, Walsall and Wolverhampton, the West Midlands
Regional Assembly, AWM, the West Midlands Learning and Skills
Council and the Business Community. Key partners for the City
Region are JobCentre Plus and our Universities. Back
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