16 March 2010

Atlantic Gateway Strategy launched

An historic agreement has been made to unlock the global growth potential of the Northwest and create an economic zone of international significance.

The Atlantic Gateway is a vision for a sustainable economic zone including Merseyside through to north Cheshire, Chester, Halton and Warrington into Greater Manchester which will establish an area of economic growth second only to London within the UK.

Hosted by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) at Daresbury Science and Innovation Centre, representatives from Liverpool City Region, Manchester City Region and participating councils, agreed to work together with partners including the NWDA to turn the strategy into a reality.

The primary objective is to enhance the city region growth, to support city region strategies and to make it easier for businesses to grow and invest in the region.

The Gateway as a whole could deliver the area’s ambitions of 250,000 new jobs and 400,000 new homes by 2030.

Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of the NWDA, said:
“Atlantic Gateway is a bold and innovative collaboration across and between city regions to create a growth area which will rank among Europe’s strongest urban economies. 
“Through the framework agreed today the Atlantic Gateway partners can make it simpler and more enticing for businesses to invest in the area as a whole, by enhancing the offer of the cities in partnership with other key places.

“We all know the public purse is going to be constrained - it will be private investment which will characterise the next decade. Businesses need the right conditions for growth – this means an environment which is not constrained by infrastructure, connectivity and municipal competition. Our desire is simply to improve the environment for all businesses to invest in order to create stronger city regions and Northwest as a whole.”

The Framework recognises that future growth within the Atlantic Gateway will be less characterised by how the public sector is going to invest, and more influenced by private sector decisions.

Our consultation shows the private sector’s key concerns include the need for a stable and reliable source of energy, a good pool of available skills, help in meeting the forthcoming carbon targets and above all – a consistent administrative approach within which they can make decisions with a common objective for growth.

Atlantic Gateway is not about redistributing funding around the region. By ensuring better coordination and shared objectives in the Atlantic Gateway zone, the Northwest can benefit from a powerful case for higher levels of private sector investment and increased Government focus.

To achieve such a high scale of growth, the area will need to overcome significant challenges and four areas have been identified where partners can work better in collaboration.

These are:
1. Innovation in Key Sectors. Existing sectors such as Logistics will benefit from an Atlantic Gateway approach, and new areas such as energy generation will become increasingly important.

2. A Global Gateway. Firms need the right infrastructure to move freight in a sustainable way and they need the right technology.

3. Environmental Infrastructure. Sustainable ways need to be found to deal with both waste and energy.

4. Attracting and retaining talent. Growth depends on making sure we have the right people with the right skills to drive our industry.  High-quality jobs, exciting places to work and excellent connectivity are essential.

Cllr John Merry, leader of Salford City Council, said: "This framework of collaborative working between the city regions offers us a unique opportunity and reflects the changing role of the public sector. The Atlantic Gateway framework has the potential for finding more innovative solutions by working outside the traditional administrative boundaries of the individual local authorities."

The Government’s active support is crucial to fostering collaboration across the Gateway and Atlantic Gateway has two specific requests of Government.

These are for a lead department to work with the Government Office Northwest, NWDA and stakeholders to develop an Atlantic Gateway Engagement Group across Whitehall.
And for the Government to second a small group of civil service experts to work for a Sustainable Infrastructure Commission* to be set up by the Atlantic Gateway group. The commission will develop new solutions to the single most challenging issues facing the economy. 
 
Together, Liverpool, Manchester and the interconnected network of smaller cities and towns which make up Atlantic Gateway, offer the greatest potential for a sustainable economic growth zone outside of the South East. 

Both cities and the Cheshire and Warrington sub region already have well developed and robust plans which are vital for the area. Atlantic Gateway will support these plans and Manchester and Liverpool’s City Region strategies in the areas in which the levers lie outside the administrative boundaries, such as attracting and retaining talent.

Part of the Greater South East’s advantage over the North of England is due to the success in developing connections between economic centres and surrounding towns and cities.

Walter Menzies, Chief Executive of the Mersey Basin Campaign, said:
“Linked by the world famous River Mersey and the Ship Canal, the two great cities of Liverpool and Manchester span an area with a £50 billion economy and a population of six million people. They are linked, too, with a landscape damaged by industrialisation but with huge potential. Our work on "Adapting the Landscape" shows how it could become an outstanding asset for the 21st century - a better environment for business, living, recreation and local food production. Some of the very big challenges ahead - climate change, flooding and the security of renewable energy can only be tackled on this scale.”

The Framework outlines how partners will work together to resolve common barriers and challenges to growth faced across the Gateway area.

Leaders have agreed to take action together to:
- Make the case nationally for increased investment in the area.
- Collaborate and coordinate activity around vital infrastructure.
- Identify new policy and a focus within RS2010 that will help optimize growth.
- Support and prioritise projects within the area that will both enable and contribute to the growth of the city regions.
- Develop new actions and priorities as it becomes clearer where collaboration can make the most impact.

Councillor Flo Clucas, Deputy Leader of Liverpool City Council, said: “The Atlantic Gateway shows the way forward for the Liverpool and Manchester City regions. Rather than being seen as rivals this framework brings together these city regions with the potential for unrivalled and sustainable economic growth. Together we can become not only one of Europe’s leading economic regions but a global force.”

Leader of Halton Borough Council, Cllr Tony McDermott, said: "This is an exciting project which involves commitment by the area’s leaders to collaborate to secure economic growth and prosperity for our two city regions and the shared hinterland, which includes Halton."

The full Framework document is available at: www.nwda.co.uk

Ends

For further information please contact Sam Shale, Press Officer, on 01925 400264 or 07717 427872 or sam.shale@nwda.co.uk 

For urgent out of hours press enquiries please call 01925 400259.

For further information and to view all press releases visit us at www.nwda.co.uk/press

The Northwest Regional Development Agency works to deliver economic success in England’s Northwest by building the competitiveness of its businesses, people and places. Utilising our technical expertise and strategic influence, we help the region’s 250,000+ businesses to develop and grow, as well as supporting international trade and encouraging inward investment.