The future of the cross-border Western Gateway Partnership, established to champion the economies and investment potential of south Wales and the west of England, is in serious doubt after a 海角视频 Government decision to pull its 拢1m core funding.
The partnership supported by local authorities, city regions, businesses, and universities from Pembrokeshire to Swindon, was set up four years ago, partly in response to the growing influence of the Northern Powerhouse, which advocates for greater investment in the north of England.
However, after Chancellor Rachel Reeves first announced plans to end funding for trans-regional partnerships across the 海角视频, subject to public consultation, in her Budget last autumn, the Westminster Government has now confirmed it is ending its 拢1m annual commitment to the Western Gateway Partnership, which will cease to operate in its current form from June 6th.
The 海角视频 Government鈥檚 rationale is that the five pan-regional partnerships impacted have English mayoral combined authorities within their borders that can now take on their roles. However, the Western Gateway Partnership said this failed to take account of its unique cross-border remit and where in south Wales there is no mayoral combined authority.
It said it had attempted to engage with the 海角视频 Government and Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution, Jim McMahon, on numerous occasions, but had been denied a meeting.
Alongside its core funding from the 海角视频 Government, the partnership has secured around 拢700,000 in investment and in-kind support in its last year from the private sector and local authorities. It hasn鈥檛 received funding from the Welsh Government.
The secretariat of the partnership employs 10. All have received redundancy letters, with a few staff expected to remain until June..
Last week the partnership鈥檚 Severn Estuary Commission, which was set up last year to look at how to commercialise clean energy from the Severn Estuary, concluded that the most viable route for harnessing one of the world鈥檚 highest tidal ranges in the world, is through a lagoon approach and not a tidal barrage.
It is unclear what form what cross-border collaboration, particularly in advocating for tidal power investment in the Severn Estuary, will now take going forward.
Successes achieved by the partnership included securing 拢100m from the 海角视频 Government and private sector for the development of new nuclear technology under the Severn Edge initiative.
Additionally, it has established a 鈥榮uper cluster鈥 to explore the use of hydrogen to decarbonise industry. It has also outlined a series of rail enhancement projects necessary to address decades of under investment by both Tory and Labour 海角视频 governments on both sides of the border.
While it will cease to operate in its current form after June 6th, the partnership said it is committed to providing a platform for the 28 local authorities its covers by taking part at the 2025 the 海角视频鈥檚 Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum, from May 20-22.
The partnership said the event will provide an opportunity for all the local authorities to come together to drive investment and discuss future options for continuing cross border collaboration.
Chair of the Western Gateway Partnership, Sarah Williams-Gardener, said: 鈥淭his is a hugely disappointing decision from the 海角视频 Government. Despite representation from Welsh Government calling for talks on how both governments can work together on this, requests to meet from business and locally elected leaders and MPs, they have refused to engage with any of us from our area on this decision.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a great journey we鈥檝e been on having delivered hundreds of millions of pounds of investment into key sites across the area; putting together a credible, locally supported cross border economic plan for growth which recognises our natural economic geography; and bringing together leaders from across the political spectrum to deliver for the 4.8 million people who live here.
鈥淲hilst the 海角视频 Government have decided to put the brakes on this massive economic opportunity, I and our board of local authority leaders are committed to ensuring we can still deliver on our area鈥檚 potential. The evidence our partnership has uncovered shows that our area can become the fastest growing economy outside of London and we will do what we can to achieve this, with or without the Government鈥檚 help.鈥
