March update: regional growth and recovery

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. To do this, the CBI sits on business groups across Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) who are working on the longer-term economic recovery. 

In this monthly update, you’ll find insights from these MCAs and LEPs, with a specific focus on how to kick start demand and unleash competitiveness on people and skills for growth and how to build back better for a more sustainable future. Discover a region-by-region breakdown of the latest developments and understand how you can get involved.   

Latest headlines 

• The Plan for Growth (replacing the Industrial Strategy) was published alongside Budget, a distinguishing element of the Plan for Growth is the focus on levelling up, and therefore the importance of local collaboration in achieving success. Though there is no mention of Local Enterprise Partnerships or local industrial strategies.  
• The government provided an update on the Levelling Up Fund, which provides £4.8bn, to be allocated in pots of £20-50m, to local areas to invest in local improvements. Some experts and politicians have criticised the prioritisation methodology for not incorporating social deprivation measures and giving a large weight to factors more common in rural areas. 
• In the Spring Budget, eight English Freeports were announced. These included East Midlands Airport, Felixstowe and Harwich, the Humber, Liverpool City Region, Plymouth, Solent, Thames and Teesside. The Chancellor also announced the location of the new National Infrastructure Bank, in Leeds, and the new Treasury regional campus in Darlington, Teesside.  

Kickstarting demand and competitiveness  

• Greater Manchester Combined Authority, working with leading innovators from business, science, academia and local government have developed the Innovation Greater Manchester Partnership as the basis of a formal collaboration deal with government, that could create as many as 100,000 jobs and boost the economy by £7bn. 

• In 2022 a Centre for Food and Fresh Produce Logistics will form part of the Lincolnshire Food knowledge cluster around the South Lincolnshire Food Enterprise Zone in Holbeach.   

Building vibrant labour markets  

• Work has begun on the £4.8million Gloucestershire Applied Digital Skills Centre at Cirencester College. The development is aimed at delivering the skills needed in the cyber and digital sectors and was funded through the Getting Building Fund. 

• North East LEP have launched their North East Health, Life Sciences and Medicines Manufacturing Strategy aimed at doubling the number of jobs in the sector from 12 to 24 thousand by 2030 and double the number of businesses in this sector within the region from 150 to 300.  

Creating well connected, accessible places  

• Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority have taken a step closer in rolling out electric charging points across the region, considering the different requirements of city, market town and rural community locations with the approval of a new Alternative Vehicle Fuel Strategy to support its updated Local Transport Plan.  
• Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has launched a £30m partnership aimed at making the region the most digitally connected area in the UK, delivering a 212km full-fibre, gigabit-capable network, leading to a £1bn boost to the local economy.  

Regional insights 

• North West: Following a best value inspection, Secretary of State Robert Jenrick has appointed commissioners to Liverpool City Council to oversee an improvement plan and carry out “limited functions” for at least three years. All executive functions for highways, regeneration and property management will be transferred. 

• North East: Off the back of the government’s industrial decarbonisation strategy, BP has announced plans to create the largest ‘blue’ hydrogen production facility in the Tees Valley. This involves producing hydrogen from natural gas, with the carbon dioxide captured and permanently stored. 
• Yorkshire and Humber: York and North Yorkshire LEP have launched a £1m project aimed to boost women in the workforce. The project is aimed at SMEs, offering leadership and entrepreneurial training, return to work support and networking opportunities.  
• West Midlands: West Midlands Combined Authority has set out the ambition to become the country’s first Net Zero Pathfinder region to establish clean energy systems ahead of COP26.  
• East Midlands: Derby’s £300m SmartParc food production campus, which aims to bring 5000 jobs to the region, is seeking an additional £5.5m on top of already allocated £12m of the Government’s Getting Building Fund.  
• South West: The West of England Combined Authority has announced that it will invest £3.6m to expand its free career coaching and support service following a successful pilot.  

• South East: EM3 LEP (covering the M3 corridor) Space and Clean Growth Sectors have collaborated on Carbon Net-Zero Innovation to expand the region’s economy and support the UK’s move to carbon net zero in Satellite Applications.  
• East of England: Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, is supporting a proposal for up to 7,000 new houses on land east of Linton, in South Cambridgeshire. 

How you can get involved 

The CBI is developing three-point regional action plans for England based upon the three key themes from Reviving Regions: 

• Build vibrant local labour markets 

• Transform local infrastructure to facilitate new ways of working 
• Inspire world-class, innovative businesses to invest in all regions 

These will shape our regional policy for the months ahead. If you would like more information, or to get involved please contact: 

• Hannah Richmond – North 
• Helena Coe – South East and East of England 

• Nicky Williams – South West 
• Matthew Lowe – Midlands