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) in the regions, making sure that business' 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
- Michael Gove has said that the government will need to “look again at devolution” after the next election. The levelling up secretary admitted that while he is a “big fan” of the mayoral model he recognizes that this model does not work for all areas and that different approaches may be required.
- A coalition of 30 organisations has urged the government to abandon plans for a new infrastructure levy because it could reduce the number of affordable homes built. In a letter to levelling up secretary Michael Gove local authorities, housebuilders, planners and social landlords warn the proposed system could make it “harder, not easier, for local leaders and communities to secure the benefits of new development”.
- New figures published by HMRC show that the number of companies raising money through the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) grew to a record high of 4,480 in 2021/22, a 19 per cent rise compared to the previous year. The figures show that usage of the EIS bounced back following the pandemic and even surpassed the levels prior to the pandemic.
- Homes England is facing review. The government's housing and regeneration agency is one of 40 government arm’s length bodies chosen for a routine review as part of the Cabinet Office’s public bodies review programme. The review will examine Homes England’s current ways of working, focusing on its structure, compliance and outcomes for stakeholders and customers.
Decarbonisation
- Wales and the South West: The Crown Estate has signed new contracts for surveys to be conducted in the Celtic Sea as part of work towards the development of the new floating wind farms. The geophysical surveys are part of a multi-million pound programme by the authority to collate information and better understand the physical and environmental properties in the Celtic Sea.
- London: London Councils has published a report which outlines a pipeline of strategic infrastructure projects for the capital, with pan-London cross-party support. It sets out the role of infrastructure in building a more inclusive, sustainable and prosperous London. The report highlights the need for new partnership and financing models for the capital’s infrastructure and regeneration projects,
- Yorkshire and the Humber: A vision of a greener and more prosperous Humber has been promoted to attendees of the Innovation Zero Congress which attracted more than 12,000 visitors to the London Olympia. The Humber 2030 Vision prospectus showcased a potential £15bn of investment opportunities in the Energy Estuary.
- Midlands: Over 100 businesses have now committed to taking steps to cut their emissions and help the West Midlands become net zero by 2041. The West Midlands Net Zero Business Pledge is a partnership between the WMCA and Sustainability West Midlands (SWM). It provides businesses and other institutions with the practical support and guidance they need to begin or continue their journey to net zero.
Innovation
- North West: The University of Liverpool has joined the Cheshire Science Corridor in a move which will add "significant value to the region's science and technology offering". Made up of 1,300 advanced manufacturing businesses and about 160 life science companies –– the corridor has a focus on life sciences, Net Zero, nuclear and high-value manufacturing.
- Midlands: New plans have been revealed to create a huge innovation cluster in Birmingham city centre, bringing together academia with the business world. Property group Bruntwood SciTech has teamed up with Aston University and Birmingham City Council to outline plans for a 49-acre site focused on land around the university’s campus and the neighbouring Innovation Birmingham Campus.
- East of England Over 100,000 more homes and businesses across Cambridgeshire are set to benefit from a major broadband boost thanks to a £30m1 investment by Openreach. It builds on previous work between Openreach and. the Connecting Cambridgeshire programme – hosted by Cambridgeshire County Council and led by Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority.
- South East: Approval has been given for an additional 274,000 sq ft of research and development space at ARC Oxford. It is anticipated that approximately 715 jobs would be created during the 29-month construction period with 850-975 jobs created on-site once operational.
Trade
- North East An organisation that aims to boost trade between the North East and Saudi Arabia has been formed following the takeover of Newcastle United by a Saudi-led consortium. The Saudi-North East England Trade and Investment Dialogue has been launched by the North East Economic Forum (NEEF), a body that has aimed to promote opportunities in the region’s economy on a national and international level for almost 20 years.
- North West: The North West was the UK’s third-best performing region for foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in 2022, up from fifth in 2021, according to a new report by EY. The firm's latest UK Attractiveness Survey found the North West attracted 88 FDI projects in 2022, up 19 per cent from a total of 74 the year before. Only London (299) and Scotland (126) attracted more FDI projects than the North West in 2022.
- Yorkshire and the Humber: West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin is spearheading efforts to establish a new tourism body for her region. It comes after ambitions to set up a pan-Yorkshire tourism body this year to replace the failed Welcome to Yorkshire agency were put on the back burner.
- East of England: Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Dr Nik Johnson has welcomed a trade mission from the US state of Utah. Speakers from Cambridge and the region gave them insight into what made the local economy unique, how innovation is commercialised, a briefing on the local AI sector, the investor and financial landscape, and how talent is attracted and developed.
Workforce
- London: The Mayor of London has announced a £135 million package to help thousands more Londoners access learning and get into good jobs. The package aims to support more than 100,000 Londoners as they retrain, learn or upskill and help them get into work in key sectors.
- North West: A first-of-its-kind ‘green academy’ has been opened by Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram. HybridTec is making a £1m investment into upskilling tradespeople in the latest sustainable technologies and preparing a future workforce in line with the Government’s mission of reducing carbon emissions by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050.
- Yorkshire and the Humber: Leeds Trinity University has become a centre for the government's Knowledge Transfer Partnership programme (KTP), which provides academic expertise to aid business innovation. As a centre base for KTPs, Leeds Trinity University can access funding to help partner businesses and organisations across the country.
- South West: A new training programme has been launched to help small businesses in the region improve their digital capabilities. The training is available for senior leaders of SME organisations, operating in either Devon, Plymouth, Somerset or Torbay. The programme aims to help businesses integrate digital technologies to gain a competitive advantage, streamline processes and enhance productivity.
Health
- London: On the first day of London Climate Week, Michael R. Bloomberg, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions and London Mayor and C40 Chair Sadiq Khan announced the launch of Breathe Cities to break down barriers to action and ensure communities around the world have access to clean air. The initiative makes a commitment of $30 million to turbocharge cities to reduce air pollution, cut carbon emissions, and improve public health.
- Midlands: A vision for a mentally healthier West Midlands has been set out in the final report of the region’s second Mental Health Commission. In an immediate response to the findings and recommendations, the WMCA has made a series of new funding commitments including £3 million from the Commonwealth Games Legacy Enhancement Fund’sCommunity Grant programme, £2 million to help grow the region’s social economy and £900,000 to expand the Thrive mental health and wellbeing programme.
- North West: A new £15m fund to improve the quality of up to 1,500 social homes and tackle health hazards is set to open for applications. Social housing providers in Greater Manchester, including registered providers and local authorities or arms-length management organisations, will be able to apply for funding to remediate issues such as damp and mould in their properties, and in doing so improving the physical quality of housing. Grants will be match-funded by at least 25 per cent by successful applicants.
- North East: Metro Mayor, Jamie Driscoll, has called on businesses to get better at supporting people with neurodivergent conditions such as autism and ADHD. He warned that employers are risking their own growth by not hiring a diverse workforce. He spoke following a visit to DiversityNE which is funded directly by the North of Tyne Combined Authority and the European Social Fund and works closely with employers and provides specialist support to neurodivergent people who are trying to find and stay in employment.
Contact the Regional Growth Team
· Mark Goldstone – Head of Regional Policy, and Yorkshire and the Humber
- Alex Guest - North West and North East
- Nicky Williams – South West
- Josh Male – Midlands and East of England
- Simon Dishman – London and the South East
