The projects shown on the map are in various stages of development and Project showcase illustrate the diversity of initiatives the strategy for the Severn Regional Growth Zone will seek to support. By bringing organisations together to work The Severn Regional Growth Zone will integrate projects across traditionally collaboratively and efficiently, further projects and programmes will be identified, discrete sectors to transform the economy and create vibrant places for developed and delivered. people to enjoy and thrive in. A systems approach to water and environmental management is a fundamental enabler for the region, supporting investments in Projects Economy, People and Place.

˜ Economy ˜ People & Place ˜ Environment 1 City regeneration and 20 River based regional park 38 Stourport floodplain meadows resilience 21 agri-tech hive 39 Severn Thames Transfer 2 Vale of Evesham agri-tech water 22 riverside regeneration 40 World Heritage Site 2 security resilience 1 23 Worcester Riverside Quarter and 2 3 Town Deal resilience connectivity 41 Groundwater 4 Stourport marina Scheme 2 24 River based regional park 5 Kidderminster Future High Street 25 Telford Town Deal environmental 42 Shropshire natural flood 2 Ironbridge 2 Fund enhancements management Newtown Wolverhampton 6 A46 trade corridor resilience 26 Future growth (Strine catchment) 43 natural flood 7 Ironbridge power station smart water 27 Cross border transport route management Birmingham Coventry 5G test bed resilience 44 catchment 1 8 M54 growth corridor resilience 28 Hereford Town Deal environmental management River Teme Kidderminster 9 Shrewsbury integrated transport and enhancements 45 natural flood 1 River Avon water management 29 Ross on Wye Enterprise Zone management 1 10 Cyber Valley site and connectivity resilience 46 resilience Worcester 1 Stratford upon Avon resilience 30 Shropshire energy network 47 Severn Ham floodplain Leominster 2 1 11 Hereford Enterprise Zone upgrades meadows 1 Hereford 1 2 resilience 31 Hereford City Centre transport and 48 National Trust and estate owner 2 22 Hay-on-Wye 11 2 21 12 Wye Valley tourism water management wetland creation and woodland 12 planting 2 13 Worcester Parkway 32 Hereford Riverside Quarter 14 A4440 road improvements 33 market town growth and 49 Wye Catchment Partnership Ross-on-Wye Cheltenham resilience 50 Unlocking the Severn 2 1 15 A40 upgrade and resilience 1 1 16 growth and 34 market town growth and Gloucester resilience resilience 35 Shrewsbury Big Town Plan - Nurturing Economy 17 A38 connectivity and resilience

y Natural Shrewsbury People Place r 18 A417 connectivty and environmental a u Environment st net gain 36 Worcester City Heart n E ver Se 19 Herefordshire Destination Business 37 Worcester cultural development and Improvement District creative industries

15 | River Severn Partnership 16 | River Severn Partnership Projects Case Study 1

Supporting wider national growth Underpinning sector based growth Joint infrastructure delivery Severn Thames Water Transfer Gloucestershire agri-tech hive Shrewsbury North West Relief Road United Utilities, Severn Trent Water and Thames Gloucestershire aims to create an innovation cluster Water are collaborating to examine the option of a to support a food and agriculture sector valued at The Shrewsbury North West Relief water transfer from the Severn to the Thames. This nearly £1.5 billion. Harnessing the skills and ideas Road will provide a new, single could bring around £1.3 billion of water infrastructure generated through the agri-tech hive will create a carriageway road addressing a investment into the region, and facilitate wider circular economy in food and farming that is good for traffic bottleneck to enable the town economic, environmental and resilience benefits. the planet, sustains natural capital and to develop and grow. The road will improves health. include a new bridge over the River We will: align with Water Resources West, to Severn and its floodplain. develop strategic scale options for integrated water We will: identify ways that water management management infrastructure to deliver resilience in the infrastructure can underpin the resilience and growth We are exploring the potential of region and nationally. aspirations of the agri-tech sector. safely storing high flows upstream of the bridge.

This will enable us to protect existing homes and businesses, Improved Water Quality Unlocking riverside regeneration de-risk developments currently Herefordshire housing Worcester City Centre Masterplan proposed and open up new areas for development. Water quality within the River Wye catchment area This is an ambitious 20-year work programme to is a critical environmental issue. The area is a transform the Riverside Quarter in to a destination With the right level of investment, designated Special Area of Conservation and parts for leisure, living and work. An £11 million investment this intervention will also address of its catchment have phosphate levels which already will boost connectivity via a pedestrian cycle bridge issues of sustainable water supply µµ 121ha of urban and suburban land taken exceed the conservation targets required to allow across the River Severn and a new cycle / pedestrian for agriculture in Shropshire, Direct benefits out of flood risk development. connection from Worcester City Centre to Worcester and further down the river network. µµ 30ha of owned land Urban Extension. The broader Worcester City Centre taken out of flood risk We will: develop innovative solutions which improve Masterplan will deliver £385 million of additional GVA µµ 7 out of 37 publicly owned land parcels water quality and enable sustainable housing growth. per year once fully developed. protected

We will: identify and deliver the enabling water µµ 3 of the top Shropshire businesses protected (combined GVA of £37million) management infrastructure which will unlock new

opportunity zones. µµ Reduction in £4million annual loss of GVA across 291 business

17 | River Severn Partnership 18 | River Severn Partnership Case Study 2 Projects

Attracting Investment Net Zero Carbon Technology and Innovation Tewkesbury, Spring Gardens River Based Regional Parks 5G and AI test bed

Tewkesbury is a historic medieval Discussions are already underway around ambitions Conversations are already underway with private riverside town in Gloucestershire, for a shared regional park creating areas of mixed developers and academic institutions within the region located on two major rivers: The broad leaf woodland, offering the opportunity to to look at the opportunity for test beds and research Severn and the Avon. capture carbon at a rate of 270 tonnes per ha. centres along the river network to harness the power of advances in digital infrastructure, particularly 5G and Market perception in Tewkesbury This creates the potential to offset wider water artificial intelligence. around land values is lower than what infrastructure delivery so that our water management We will: should be expected given its historic work can itself be net zero. build a wider commercial case and a skills nature and location. trading opportunity. Partnership conversations have We will: promote systems based initiatives for already identified novel ideas such as water-based catchment management to reduce flood risk, secure This is due to the risk of flooding Enterprise Zones to help drive innovation forward. water resources, achieve net zero carbon, deliver creating a vulnerability to visual and recreational amenity, and enhance development, not only in the biodiversity. areas directly affected but in surrounding areas, too. This has been demonstrated through the marginal viability of the Spring Gardens project. Resilient Infrastructure Resilience for connectivity This mixed-use regenerative National Centre of Cyber Security Trans Midlands Trade Corridor opportunity in the heart of Tewkesbury Town Centre will secure The River Severn region is setting itself up as a hotbed The Trans Midlands Trade Corridor is one the country’s transformational community change, Direct benefits µµ £124.7 million of economic and social of innovation in nationally and internationally significant most important trade routes connecting major towns strengthen the High Street, provide value research fields, including Cyber Valley which is and cities including Tewkesbury, Stratford-upon-Avon, new jobs and opportunity, attract µµ £49 million NPV wider economic benefit focused on becoming the UK’s largest cluster of cyber- Coventry, Leicester, Nottingham, Lincoln, Grimsby families and young people to the (over 30 years) tech and digital activity outside London. and Hull. town and deliver major economic µµ 214 new jobs and apprenticeships benefit to Tewkesbury. We will: build flood resilience at key sites, such as the We will: continue conversations with Midlands created £9 million centre of excellence located at Hereford’s Connect around aligning work and building Skylon Park alongside the River Wye. climate resilience into strategic transport schemes, simultaneously meeting connectivity, flood risk and

wider climate adaptation agendas.

19 | River Severn Partnership 20 | River Severn Partnership River Severn Partnership Taking the Strategy Forward Our Plan

We have put in place the structures, tools and systems to develop a Our plan accelerates the delivery of key infrastructure to ensure our strategy comprehensive strategy and unlock economic potential. We need a truly provides immediate benefit. Integrated programmes of infrastructure will unlock collaborative approach with Government which enables us to build back better, efficiencies that enable rapid growth. to drive resilient and sustainable growth along Britain’s longest river network.

2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Checklist • Governance • Identification • Preferred options • Business case • Maintaining We have a structured and accountable body with the right partnership and governance arrangements framework of programme development finalisation accelerated and to support the development of a robust and adaptive strategy. Our partners have access to a number • Baselining elements • Finance and • Programme delivery agile programme of delivery frameworks presenting opportunities for savings through efficient procurement and delivery. (economy, health, • Option appraisal funding, approvals planning delivery energy, water, • Focus on innovation • Skills strategies

natural capital) clusters and skills Our partners have made an early capital financial commitment of £300,000 and invested extensive • Sustainability development resources to developing the strategic vision for the Severn Regional Growth Zone. Task appraisal • Finance and funding, approvals Government funding of £9.7 million, including an initial £1 million, is required to unlock this growth planning potential, to enable the Partnership to develop a comprehensive strategy, supported by a business case for its delivery. Our focus will be on diversifying sources of infrastructure investment by exploring how water management across the river network provides new financing leverage. • Initial business • Programme • Strategic • Programme • Programme delivery A Severn Regional Growth Zone business case will show how different opportunities have been case complete of accelerated programme delivery • Trading our • Existing asset projects, ready for of integrated • A focus on whole research and skills evaluated, set out how the preferred projects and priorities in this strategy will be delivered and funded, enhancement delivery infrastructure, of region, systems explain the outcomes they will deliver and detail how partners will be mobilised to achieve them. • A focus on key • Integrated delivery ready for delivery driven schemes projects for mechanisms With an immediate investment of £1 million, we have identified a programme that will see delivery of a acceleration with partner Strategic Outline Case in 2020. Our first task will be to finalise governance and agree the programmes implementation approach. We will then undertake a phased approach of collating baseline evidence Outcome that will be used to identify and compare delivery opportunities. This will inform the prioritised list of investments justified in a Strategic Outline Case. We will ensure ongoing engagement - working closely with communities, businesses, universities and other organisations - throughout the development of the Strategy.

21 | River Severn Partnership 22 | River Severn Partnership 3