“All combined authorities are an experiment. They’re designed to give local leaders the powers to raise productivity by looking at issues which transcend traditional local authority boundaries. It’s the big picture, joined up, strategic thinking.”
In this article, we share the thoughts of Cllr Ryan Simpson (Shadow Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change, Coventry City Council) on what he feels the West Midlands Combined Authority has delivered for Coventry.
(February 2024)
What has the West Midlands Combined Authority ever done for us?
Well, if you want a house, in the right place, the Combined Authority established a £350 million fund to help bring forward Brownfield sites in the region, one example of which is at Abbotts Lane in my own Sherbourne ward. If you want an affordable home, out of the homes the Combined Authority has helped unlock, 33% are affordable, contributed to by schemes in Wood End and the Meggitt site in Holbrooks.
I’m sure it’s no coincidence then, that when it comes to actually building homes, the Combined Authority has helped ensure the West Midlands is the only English region set to meet its housing targets by 2031.
What has the West Midlands Combined Authority ever done for us?
Well, if you’ve ever tried getting around Coventry, you’ll have benefitted. There’s a lot more room to park and manoeuvre at Coventry Railway Station after a £29 million contribution to its expansion.
There could be more choice of railway stations, as business cases are launched for new stations at Binley and Foleshill. And the very way we move around could change after the Combined Authority helped win £54 million for the research, development and trial of Very Light Rail (VLR). But it’s not just trains, it’s on the roads too, with both Foleshill and Whitley receiving multi-million pound road safety and improvement packages.
What has the West Midlands Combined Authority ever done for us?
Well, if you’ve ever wanted a job, the Combined Authority has utilised its Plan for Growth to bring more jobs to the region, such as the region’s tech sector, which is now the fastest growing equivalent in England. Winning an Investment Zone, targeted right here in Coventry, to support our advanced manufacturing sector, securing highly skilled jobs of the future. That could represent 30,000 jobs across the region and be worth £5.5 billion of added value to the economy.
What has the West Midlands Combined Authority ever done for us?
On the environment, the Combined Authority has set an ambitious target to be net zero by 2041.
On skills, the Combined Authority has helped 150,000 people benefit from training schemes.
On regeneration, the Combined Authority is injecting £97 million into the redevelopment of Coventry City Centre.
So when we ask what the Combined Authority has done for us, it’s actually quite a lot.
All combined authorities are an experiment. They’re designed to give local leaders the powers to raise productivity by looking at issues which transcend traditional local authority boundaries. It’s the big picture, joined up, strategic thinking. Whereas our international competitors, like France, Germany and the US have powerful second-tier cities: we do not. It wouldn’t surprise me if regions and cities in China have more autonomy from the communist overlords in Beijing, than English regions do from the Treasury.
The West Midlands is a good example of what happens when you put money and the power to spend that money, in the hands of local leaders. And Coventry has certainly done well out of it.
ABOUT OUR AUTHOR:
Cllr Ryan Simpson is the Shadow Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change at Coventry City Council, joining the authority as its youngest elected member during his time studying at the University of Warwick.
Ryan also works as an engagement consultant at a planning consultancy in Birmingham.