Tens of thousands of jobs could be created across the Bristol and Bath region under new plans unveiled by the metro mayor.
The 10-year Growth Strategy outlines economic opportunities for the West Country, including attracting investment, harnessing AI and new technologies, and improving transport.
The mayor of the West of England, Helen Godwin, and local council chiefs were joined by business leaders and government ministers at the Bristol Digital Futures Institute to discuss the proposals, which will target 28% economic growth over the next decade.
The Growth Strategy, which includes South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and the Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) authority areas, highlights new work to tackle child poverty, deliver more affordable and accessible childcare, and generate 135 megawatts of clean energy.
It also sets out an ambition for a new £500m West of England Land Acquisition Fund to tackle the housing crisis and ensure high-quality development with the infrastructure that local people and businesses need.
“The future starts here," said Ms Godwin. "The West is the best place to invest.
“Our new Growth Strategy is about securing investment for our part of the world to make a difference that we can all can see and feel, including new jobs for local people and better transport to cut congestion and boost productivity.
“Growth must not be an intangible economic concept. It is about all of us – it is about our whole region working together for a brighter future in this new chapter for the West.”
With a growing population of more than 1.2 million people and an economy worth £53.7bn, the Bristol and Bath region has delivered 21% economic growth since 2015.
The 120-page strategy highlights sectors with the strongest job growth in the region during the last decade. In that time, the everyday economy (+17%), digital and tech (+52%), creative industries (+82%), and clean energy (+140%) saw the highest job growth of any region in the country, including London.
It also highlights so-called 'growth zones' for the next 10 years, which include the West Innovation Arc, Central Bristol and Bath, the Severn Estuary, the Somer Valley, and North Somerset Growth Gateway.
Councillor Kevin Guy, leader of BANES Council and deputy mayor of the West of England, said: “I warmly welcome this ambitious ten-year growth strategy which seizes on the amazing opportunities we have here in the West of England."
Councillor Tony Dyer, leader of Bristol City Council, added: “Spanning our entire city from its centre to the suburbs, Bristol’s strengths in creative industries, clean energy, and innovation make us a driving force in the region’s economy - attracting people and investment. By working together across the West, this strategy will help us deliver homes, jobs and opportunities for all our communities."
The announcement comes just days after West Country leaders pledged to “turn the tide” on nature’s decline as part of regional growth plans.
It also builds on recent news the regional authority has invested in Visit West to support the continued growth of the tourism sector, which contributes around £2.5bn each year to the West’s economy, employs some 45,000 people, and brings 32 million annual visitors to the region.
“The new regional Growth Strategy is an ambitious document, which clearly sets out the opportunities for the region," added councillor Maggie Tyrrell, leader of South Gloucestershire Council.
“We need to make sure the benefits of prosperity are felt by everyone, through more and better jobs for our residents; new education and skills opportunities; new and better homes in accessible locations; and transport network that meets their needs and those of businesses to travel across the region and connect to the rest of the country and world beyond."
The West of England Growth Strategy will be taken to Government next week at Labour Party Conference and the Mayor and council leaders’ next joint meeting on October 17.
