We’re committed to ensuring your voice is heard in your region. And that real, practical change can be driven to boost productivity and prosperity. That’s why the CBI sits on business groups across Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) in the regions, making sure that business’s voice is central to their plans to drive growth across all English regions.
This monthly update gives the latest news from across the regions focused on the CBI Seize the Moment priorities – to achieve net zero, drive innovation, put business at the heart of UK trade policy, shape a more agile skills system, and instil a culture of valuing health more as a nation.
Latest headlines
- As part of the chancellor's budget, the government is considering withdrawing support for local enterprise partnerships by 2024 and transferring their responsibilities to local authorities. This would affect England's 38 LEPs responsible for local economic development. The CBI is concerned that this could leave the business community without a voice over decisions made to boost the economy in their regions.
- The government has announced a new multi-billion-pound plan to boost Britain's longer energy security through clean and affordable energy. Power up Britain Energy Security Plan will consist of 12 measures to push down bills for businesses and households. Plans will include support for offshore wind, a boost to roll out EV charging points, and a commitment to carbon capture and storage.
Decarbonisation
- Yorkshire and Humber: enfinium and Navigator Terminals have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate in developing Britain's first carbon capture rail corridor. CO2 captured at enfinium's Ferrybridge facilities will be transported by rail to Navigator's storage facilities in Teesside. Bechtel will support the feasibility underpinning the concept.
- North West: Electricity North West announced they would invest more than £2bn into the North West's power network. The operator intends to reduce customers' time without power by 20%.
- London: Transport for London has announced that more than 50 per cent of its bus shelters are now converted to LED lighting, reducing energy consumption by 57 per cent – as part of the transport authority's journey to net zero.
Innovation
- South West: Forefront RF, a Bristol University Spin-Out that designs semiconductors, has secured £6.7m in their latest round of funding. This follows an initial £1.5m of financing used to recruit a team of experts and accelerate its product launch.
- London:The Mayor of London unveiled a significant expansion of the outer London bus network, named the Superloop. This would be made up of over four million kilometres of express bus services circling outer London.
- East of England:Cambridge Filmworks and The Cambridge Festival look to space with a live discussion from Houston with Astronaut Kayla Barron.
- Midlands: The property provider Bruntwood has signed an agreement with Aston University to see them support the university with its plans for growth within Birmingham's Knowledge Quarter.
Trade
- North East: Positive news from the North East manufacturing sector as the UK/BDO Q1 Manufacturing Outlook Survey shows a marked pick up in the final quarter of 2022. The survey suggests this could result from an improvement in the mechanical equipment sector, alongside the last few months of the super deduction tax scheme.
- South East: Aerospace firm Boeing and Oxford Airport-based Airbus have joined in bidding for a UK government contract to provide the Royal Air Force and British Army with helicopters.
- East of England: The Thames Freeport has officially been given the go-ahead to start operations and formally constitute its board. This follows the approval of the final business case by the UK government and will see over £4.6 bn in investment and the creation of over 21,000 jobs.
- Midlands: Derby-based Rolls Royce is set to create thousands of new jobs after securing the contract to provide Australia with reactors for its first nuclear submarines.
Workforce
- London: Boroughs in London have launched a Housing Development Academy. Backed by the Mayor of London, this academy aims to boost council housebuilding and help tackle the capital's homelessness crisis.
- North East: Fast-growing Teesside firm, EnAppSys, has launched a new skills academy. The aim is to address many identified skills shortages in key disciplines across the energy sector and provide students with the skills needed to forge a successful career in the evolving industry.
- North West:The North West business confidence rose to 35% during March, a four-point rise, according to Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking Business Barometer. Businesses identified their top target areas for growth over the next six months as an investment in their team (36%), investment in sustainability (30%), and diversifying into new markets (29%).
Health
- Yorkshire and Humber: Construction begins on the new Daphne Steele building (part of Huddersfield's national health innovation campus). This ground-breaking site, which aims to work across the region to address health and wellbeing issues, will bring together private-public partnerships to service the broader health economy and will be complete by 2024.
- South West: North Bristol NHS Trust has won the Space for Nature award at the West of England Combined Authority Be Bold Awards. This comes after being one of the first hospital sites in the UK to employ a Nature Recovery Ranger, whose role is to create wildlife-friendly habitats and help staff.
- North West: Pharmaron, a Liverpool operation of a Chinese pharma company, was awarded 151m in investment in capital and people to grow operations in Liverpool substantially. This is alongside Ipsen, who received £75m investment to grow the manufacturing of innovative medicines for neurological conditions.
How you can get involved
- The CBI wants your views on driving growth and levelling up our rural and coastal communities. We want to understand the opportunities and barriers to growth, and how legislative reform could make a positive difference. Contact Nicky Williamsfor more information and to share your views.
- If you would like further information regarding our Humber Cluster, please get in touch with our Humber Cluster policy Advisor, Alistair Craig, at [email protected]
- If you would like further information regarding Cyber Tech West, please get in touch with our Cluster Lead, Devon Geary, at [email protected].
Contact the Regional Growth Team
- Mark Goldstone – Head of Regional Policy
- Jake Morris – North East and Yorkshire and Humber
- Alex Guest - North West
- Fleur Geernaert– South East and East of England
- Nicky Williams – South West
- Josh Male – Midlands
- Simon Dishman – London