海角视频

The Government鈥檚 鈥渘ew deal鈥� to rescue the 海角视频 from economic disaster has been welcomed in the South West but there are concerns it won鈥檛 stretch far enough.

Prime Minister to help the economy cope with the aftershock of the coronavirus crisis grabbed the attention of business leaders in the West Country .

The Heart of the South West (HotSW) Local Enterprise Partnership has already sent to Government a 拢121million bid to fund a package of 63 鈥渟hovel ready鈥� projects that will boost the region's economy.

But the 拢900million, if shared equally among the country鈥檚 38 LEPs, would mean Devon and Somerset together would get only about 拢24million.

Tim Jones, chairman of the South West Business Council, said this would be 鈥渘ot a game changer鈥� .

HotSW projects focus on skills for the future, research and development, coastal towns and the visitor economy, and town centre regeneration. They include:

Future Skills Academy at the old Flybe Training Academy at Exeter Airport, to provide an enhanced range of advanced engineering, green jobs and business skills and training.

A Digital Innovation Centre.

A University of Plymouth enterprise zone health campus.

The 海角视频鈥檚 first National Marine Park centred on Plymouth Sound.

A鈥淕row Out鈥� building at Exeter Science Park.

Work hubs proposed across the region and a high tech centre at South Devon College in Torbay.

If all 63 were funded, that would unlock at least another 拢171million of investment and create more than 3,000 jobs, the LEP said.

Karl Tucker, chair of the HotSW LEP, said: 鈥淥ur 拢121million bid to Government will help the national campaign to build back better. We鈥檝e selected our list based on how much these projects can deliver in economic, social and environmental benefits in the short and long term.

鈥淭his is just the start of our Route Map to Recovery. We call on Government to back this and back the Great South West as part of its regional levelling up agenda.鈥�

Mr Jones, however, questioned how much of the 鈥渓evelling up鈥� would be delivered south of the M4 corridor.

鈥淲e are not going to be impressed if all of this is just a repeat of previous highways schemes,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e looking for projects that will have an instant impact on the economy.鈥�

He said the value of high-speed broadband during the lockdown had shown that there was more to connectivity than roads.

Kim Conchie, chief executive of Cornwall Chamber of Commerce, gave a 鈥渃autious welcome鈥�. He said: 鈥淔rom a Cornwall point of view we would like to know exactly how much and on what projects it will be spent.

鈥淲e will be scrutinising it very carefully to make sure it is not packaging up previously announced and agreed infrastructure projects in a 鈥榥ew deal鈥� package.

鈥淔or example, the 拢100million that has been promised to the Treliske hospital extension, the A30 extension, the St Austell link road, the stadium for Cornwall and the town deals, we hope will be in separate pots as they have already been approved. We would also like to see a complete rethink of the Cornwall bus network.

"The train now runs every half an hour from Plymouth to Penzance and back as a shuttle, and what we would like to see is a fleet of buses linking up with the stations on the main line to enable people to get to and from work and interviews, really creating social mobility around the spine of the train network.鈥�

Luke Pollard, Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, said: 鈥淲ith more people in Plymouth losing their jobs every single day we need a proper plan for protecting and creating jobs.

鈥淚 fear Plymouth is facing an unemployment crisis we have not seen since the 1980s. That is why I want next week鈥檚 Budget to focus on three things: jobs, jobs, jobs.

鈥淭he South West does not get our fair share of funding and a few flagship projects may attract headlines but do not make up for a decade of cuts and unfairness.

鈥淚 want to see a long-term plan for investing in our region鈥檚 infrastructure from road and rail to homes and hospitals and meaningful investment to deliver it.

鈥淭his Government is better at headlines than delivery and our country cannot afford more dither and delay and certainly not more cuts.鈥�

Mr Johnson鈥檚 speech, at a technical college in Dudley in the West Midlands, was watched by an audience of just 24 people.

The Budget in March had already planned for 拢640billion of spending over five years. Mr Johnson set out plans to speed up 拢5 billion of that including:

拢1.5billion this year for hospital maintenance.

拢100million on 29 road projects.

More than 拢1 billion over 10 years for a schools rebuilding programme.

拢560million for repairs to schools and 拢200 million for FE colleges.

拢142million for digital upgrades and maintenance for courts.

拢83million for prisons and youth offender facilities and 拢60million for temporary prison places.

拢900million for a range of local growth projects in England.

拢96million of investment in town centres and high streets.

拢10million will go to research and development to scale up manufacturing of the latest technology in batteries, motors, electronics and fuel cells and support 鈥済igafactories鈥� to mass produce components.

Some 75,000 acres of trees will be planted every year by 2025.

A 拢40 million green recovery challenge fund will help halt biodiversity loss and tackle climate change through local conservation projects, creating up to 5,000 jobs.

A 拢100 million fund will research technology to capture CO2 emissions.

From September, new regulations will make it easier for buildings in town centres to change use without planning permission and create new homes from the regeneration of vacant and redundant shops and other buildings.

A fast-track approval process will make it easier for property owners to extend upwards.

The Prime Minister acknowledged that jobs which existed at the start of the pandemic may be lost for ever but said the new guarantee would ensure placements or apprenticeships for young people. He promised his response would not be a return to the austerity that followed the financial crisis of 2008.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak will set out a plan to support the economy through the first phase of the recovery next week, Mr Johnson said.

John Sauven, executive director of Greenpeace 海角视频, called it 鈥渁 Poundland deal鈥� rather than a Rooseveltian New Deal. He called for support for cleaner, better transport, warmer homes and renewable energy.

And Friends of the Earth said the Prime Minister must put the environment at the heart of his economic recovery plans.