26/02/20

A new economic partnership across south Wales and western England which aims to boost local economies by working together launches a new website and prospectus today. The Western Gateway, launched by Cabinet Ministers in November 2019, is the UK's third powerhouse after the Northern Powerhouse and the Midlands Engine.

The Western Gateway is a partnership of eight strong cities alongside rural communities in a wide economic area.The Western Gateway, however, goes one step further than the ‘regional' powerhouses formed to date. The Western Gateway stretches across south Wales as well as western England so is cross-border.

All partners intend to focus on inclusive and clean economic growth, where scale and collaboration can achieve more for the people and the wider economies of countries involved than our constituent parts could achieve alone.

A new prospectus for the Western Gateway outlines the emerging vision and the key ambitions for the economic partnership.  The prospectus has been developed through discussions between the partnership's local authorities, businesses, LEPs and city regions. It sets out the scale of the Western Gateway's ambitions and identifies the emerging strategic priorities of:

- connectivity
- innovation; and
- a co-ordinated international approach to trade and investment.

Delivering this vision will add more than £56bn to the UK economy by 2030 and help us achieve a net zero future.

Chair of the Western Gateway, Katherine Bennett CBE, said:"The proposal we've put on the table is one that will deliver the economic boost the region requires to maximise its potential. Our prospectus provides an insight into the journey we are undertaking together as a partnership of businesses and authorities, determined to deliver growth from Swansea to Swindon and Cheltenham to Weston."

Leader of Cardiff Council, Cllr Huw Thomas said:"Cardiff is a capital city with links across Wales and the world. But perhaps our most important partners are just across the Severn. We are coming together to win the international investment and the government infrastructure funding that we in South Wales and the West need so we can lead a net-zero industrial revolution and help deliver a cleaner, fairer Britain."

The Western Gateway prospectus comes ahead of a full vision document for the partnership, following the completion of an Independent Economic Review later in 2020 that will provide an evidence base across the countries, area and regions of the partnership.Across Britain the economic map is being reshaped by devolution and regional powerhouses.

Visit and read our prospectus at:www.western-gateway.co.uk