FRONT COVER

FRONT COVER

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OneOne P Powerhouseowerhouse TowardsTowards a a spatial spatial blueprint MidlandsMidlands INSIDE FRONT COVER

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Important Note from Authors

You will have noticed that this report is dated 2020. Indeed, our view is that the likely negative effects of the lockdowns and social distancing, combined with the The delay in publishing has been brought about by the cross-party aspirations for levelling up, make our draft Coronavirus lockdowns. Spatial Plans even more relevant as a very practical and transparent road map to delivering an equitable, Any issues that might necessitate allusion to Coronavirus sustainable future for the Regions of England - in the do not, we feel, have a profound impact on the factors shortest possible time. that underpin the approach, findings, plans or recommendations contained in our reports. One Powerhouse Consortium Board and RSA January 2021

About the One About the RSA Powerhouse Consortium

The One Powerhouse The RSA (Royal Society Consortium, supported by for the encouragement The Sir Hugh and Lady Sykes of Arts Manufactures and Charitable Trust, believes that a Commerce) believes in a substantial part of the problem world where everyone is able to participate in creating a of regional inequality can be better future. Through our solved not just by money, but ideas, research and a 30,000 by the transformative potential strong Fellowship we are a of spatial planning. Working global community of proactive with recognised leaders in problem solvers. We unite people and ideas to resolve the creating draft spatial plans challenges of our time. for the ‘mega regions’ of England to sit alongside the existing spatial plans for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Barton Willmore is the UK’s largest independent, integrated

the very best advice. We are passionate about creating places that are not only commercially viable, but also sustainable, dynamic and progressive. By curating teams of Planners and Designers with a

Barton Willmore would like to thank everyone who contributed to the research behind the project, including East Midlands Councils, Futures Network West Midlands, Homes England and the UK2070 Commission.

the 21st November 2019. © The contents of this document must not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of The Barton Willmore Partnership. All plans are reproduced from the Ordnance Survey Map with the permission of the Controller of HMSO. Crown Copyright Reserved. License No. 100019279. Desk Top Publishing and Graphic Design by Barton Willmore Graphic Communication INSIDE FRONT COVER

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Contents

Fuelling the Engine 4 Our Midlands Manifesto for Prosperity: About the One About the RSA Strategic Priorities 6 Powerhouse Consortium A Vision for Britain. Planned. 8 The One Powerhouse The RSA (Royal Society Consortium, supported by for the encouragement The Importance of Spatial Planning 10 The Sir Hugh and Lady Sykes of Arts Manufactures and Charitable Trust, believes that a Commerce) believes in a Assumptions about the future 12 substantial part of the problem world where everyone is able of regional inequality can be to participate in creating a Introduction & Approach 16 solved not just by money, but better future. Through our by the transformative potential ideas, research and a 30,000 Analytical Frameworks 20 of spatial planning. Working strong Fellowship we are a with recognised leaders in global community of proactive Population & Place 20 the field, the consortium is problem solvers. Uniting creating draft spatial plans people and ideas to resolve Transport & Connectivity 30 for the ‘mega regions’ of the challenges of our time. England to sit alongside the Economy 38 existing spatial plans for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Energy 52

Summary of Challenges 56 Barton Willmore is the UK’s largest independent, integrated planning and design consultancy. From our 13 offices nationwide, Compelling Visions 58 we combine national influence with local knowledge to offer you the very best advice. We are passionate about creating places that The Midlands Regional Blueprint 58 are not only commercially viable, but also sustainable, dynamic and progressive. By curating teams of Planners and Designers with a A Prosperous Midlands 60 diverse range of skills and specialisms, we offer our clients a highly Place-Making For Tomorrow 66 efficient, informed and innovative service tailored to the challenges they face on projects of all different types. A Greener Midlands 74 Barton Willmore would like to thank everyone who contributed to the research behind the project, including East Infrastructure, The Enabler of Growth 80 Midlands Councils, Futures Network West Midlands, Homes England and the UK2070 Commission. Institutional Framework 90 The data and figures presented in the project are up-to-date as of the 21st November 2019. Infrastructure Programme 94 © The contents of this document must not be copied or reproduced Conclusion 102 in whole or in part without the written consent of The Barton Willmore Partnership. All plans are reproduced from the Ordnance Survey Map with the permission of the Controller of HMSO. Crown Copyright Reserved. License No. 100019279. Desk Top Publishing and Graphic Design by Barton Willmore Graphic Communication 4

Fuelling the Engine

The success of The Midlands will be dependent upon how we respond today to challenges facing the megaregion. The way that we plan for The Midlands and deliver its growth aspirations and infrastructure requirements is becoming increasingly complicated by macro-level processes. These include technological advancements, climate change, resource management, politics and societal shifts in our views on health and well-being. By 2070, it is reasonable to assume that planning will face more shocks, as generational priorities change, and environmental pressures increase. Planning provides a vehicle for the delivery of social inclusivity and equitable outcomes alongside the normal activities of balancing social, economic and environmental priorities.

Without structures in place to plan strategically and to the debate over the megaregion’s long-term future. holistically, we are failing to make the most of current The Spatial Blueprint could be taken forward to address infrastructure investments and future opportunities the challenges we consider are relevant to The Midlands which, in turn, means productivity is lower than it today and in the coming decades. It has identified The should be. If the megaregion is to continue to function Midland’s existing assets and networks and envisioned as the engine room, situated at the heart of the UK, a ‘what could be’ to unlock economic and social potential. new vision for the coming generation is required. This document sets out a Manifesto for Prosperity Barton Willmore has drawn upon its multidisciplinary comprising of 10 Strategic Priorities, that serve expertise and strategic knowledge of working within as a starting point for engagement between the the megaregion to develop a Spatial Blueprint that Government, local authorities, infrastructure providers, serves as a broad spatial framework. This will sit investors, developers and communities in ensuring The alongside work already undertaken by the Government Midland’s ongoing success in the 50 years ahead. as part of The Midlands Engine Strategy and will add 5

Infrastructure: A Prosperous the Enabler of Growth Midlands

FUELLING THE NATION’S ENGINE

A Greener Place-Making Midlands for Tomorrow 6

Our Midlands Manifesto for Prosperity: Strategic Priorities

A Prosperous Place-making Midlands for Tomorrow

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Establish Sector-specific Centres of Implement a Mixed Strategy for Excellence and Innovation Boards. Housing Growth.

2 5

Strengthening Key Investment Corridors and Delivering Adaptable Places. Identifying new Inclusive Growth Corridors.

3

Undertaking a Strategic Green Belt Review. 7

A Greener Infrastructure: Midlands the Enabler of Growth

6 8

 Establishing the Midlands Automotive Investing in the Midlands Motorway Arc (AA) and Eastern and Western Energy and Rail Hubs. Innovation Zones. 9 7 Using Development Corporations/Special  A holistic approach to Flood Defence and Purpose Vehicles to optimise Strategic Water Management to protect the UK’s Gateways. National Food Security. 10

Targeted Programme of investment in 5G to benefit key sectors. 8

A Vision for Britain. Planned.

The One Powerhouse Consortium, Regional inequality in the UK supported by The Sir Hugh and Lady Ruby Today, just under half of the UK population live in Sykes Charitable Trust, believes that a regions with a comparable productivity to the poorer substantial part of the problem of regional parts of former East Germany – and comparable living standards are worse. According to the recent UK2070 inequality in the UK can be solved not Commission, the UK today is more intraregionally just by money, but by the transformative unequal than Germany was in 1995. Since reunification, potential of spatial planning. Germany has since pulled itself together, through decisive investment programmes underpinned by Spatial planning is the ‘where’ of decisions. It looks at visionary spatial planning. During a similar period the a defined geographical area and makes an assessment UK, on the other hand, has fragmented. of everything contained in that area – towns, cities, housing, schools, universities, roads, rails, airports, The nature and extent of the so-called ‘North-South’ offices, factories, hospitals, energy sources, museums, divide can be presented in many forms. Maps showing parks and leisure activities - and makes a plan to economic productivity, educational attainment and develop those assets for the benefit of the people who poor health all present sharp disparities between live in that region, now and for the future. regions and nations. Current forecasts suggest the situation will only get worse and that in fact It is well understood that countries and regions around the economy of London and the South East is the world have used spatial planning to focus political ‘decoupling’ from the rest of the UK (McCann 2016). The will, economic activity and social reform to great effect. repercussions are stark and grow more evident all the Notable examples include Germany’s Rhine-Ruhr, time. Holland’s Randstad and New York City’s Regional Plan Association. While bemoaning the growth of regional inequality in the country, successive governments have extolled the virtues of spatially blind investment in the best performing sectors and projects. The adherence to current appraisal mechanisms, codified in the Treasury’s Green Book, has been to channel investment to the most prosperous places, reinforcing geographical divides.

Spatially-sensitive policy is not simply a matter of social justice and political prudence. Regional prosperity drives national prosperity and so regional imbalance constrains overall performance. Accommodating agglomeration in some places while servicing mounting welfare bills in others damages the UK’s fiscal balance and exacerbates the underlying problem. 9

The value of place and scale Draft blueprints

There is evidence that spatial planning has already The vision of the One Powerhouse Consortium has been begun to deliver results in the UK. We are not alone in to prepare a series of draft spatial blueprints that will recognising that the two ‘regional economies’ that have demonstrate the potential of regional planning in action the highest levels of productivity are those where there and show how it could lead to better decision-making are coherent regional economic plans: London and and prioritisation of investment across the country. Scotland. Our definition of a blueprint is that of ‘an early plan or design that explains how something might be achieved’ Indeed, in England, there is good work taking place (Cambridge dictionary). While based on thorough through some Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) analysis and evaluation, our draft blueprints are by and Combined Authorities and Mayoralties but not all. In no means the finished product but they point to what strategic planning and investment terms, these tend to could be achieved with better resourcing, co-ordination be rather small and the outcome is rather patchwork. and support.

Our Plan The technical work has been led by planning consultancies linked to the regions: Atkins in the North, The clear ‘gap’ in terms of economic planning in the Barton Willmore in the Midlands and the South West UK, therefore, is at the level of the English regions. and Aecom in the South East. The One Powerhouse Any spatial strategy needs to bring together the best Consortium has also worked hand-in-hand with the local industrial strategies and plans within a wider UK2070 Commission and drawn upon the support of the regional strategy framework. The foundations of how well-respected think tank the RSA. this can be achieved are already present. The regions This blueprint, along with those being developed in of England are already coming together: The Northern other English regions, identifies a series of challenges Powerhouse, The Midlands Engine, The Great South and opportunities facing the region but it also sets West and The Wider South East all exist as functional the context for a national conversation about the identities. transformative benefits of regional spatial planning. Our ambition is, in short, to work with these regional networks to prepare a series of draft spatial blueprints that will better enable decision-making and prioritisation of investment across the country and thus help the UK as a whole develop over the long term – creating opportunity for all, jobs for all and prosperity for all. 10

The Importance of Spatial Planning

Defining spatial planning

The One Powerhouse Consortium believes adopting Spatial planning tends to be multi-agency, long-term and implementing a broad notion of spatial planning is and strategic. It encompasses wide-ranging economic, critical to the future of the UK economy. For some, the political and environmental functions and incorporates discipline of planning involves a limited set of narrow projections for the future, aiming to proactively shape statutory functions regulating the use and development change and improve investor confidence. In many parts of land. Increasingly, however, planning is conceived of the world the discipline of planning spans the spatial more holistically, as a creative process of envisioning elements of multiple different policy streams. and delivering places and regions fit for the future. This broader conception often goes by the name of ‘spatial The UK government itself has previously defined spatial planning’. planning as something that “goes beyond traditional land use planning to bring together and integrate At its most basic, spatial planning is the ‘where’ of policies for the development and use of land with other decisions. A spatial plan is the visual illustration of the policies and programmes” – such as sustainability, potential future of an area. It maps out all the assets transport, economy and culture – “which influence the within a given area – the towns, cities, houses, schools, nature of places and how they function” (Taylor 2010). universities, roads, rails, airports, offices, factories, hospitals, energy sources, leisure activities – and, using the available evidence, suggests how best to arrange and develop them to achieve stated goals. Spatial planning is the practice of producing these maps and the associated coordination of different activities and decisions that influence spatial organisation. In its 2004 plan, the Welsh Government defined spatial planning simply as the “consideration of what can and should happen where” (WAG 2004). 11

Spatial planning in the UK

In the UK, spatial planning has been best embraced in Since then, the government has extolled the virtues the devolved nations. It has helped the newly devolved of ‘spatially-blind’ planning, making its investment nations to express their cohesiveness and their decisions according to the current performance of distinctiveness and to coordinate their different policy industries and sectors and deliberately ignoring place programmes in service of common aims. – while simultaneously bemoaning the stubbornness of spatial inequality and the poor productivity of large Alongside this, in the early 2000s the New Labour parts of the country. In 2012, a University of Manchester government oversaw the creation of 9 regional study for the RTPI showed that only 40% of surveyed development agencies in England tasked with UK government policy documents had an explicit developing Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS). These spatial dimension, despite all having manifest spatial helped to bridge the gap between local planning repercussions (Wong 2012). policy and national objectives, in many cases allowing for more effective development and infrastructure Perhaps the one place in England that does have a decisions. But after 2008, when there were signs comprehensive spatial plan is London. Unsurprisingly, of some of these improvements coming to fruition, this has supported it to become uniquely coordinated planning was widely blamed for harming the post-crash and productive. Elsewhere, there is insufficient recovery and some strategies were mired in debates focus on how policies and interventions interact and about housing numbers. In 2010, the new coalition sometimes contradict in a given place. Restrictive land government abolished the regional strategies as part of use planning at the local level remains the norm across its move towards localism in planning. much of the country, preventing the development of strategic responses to many future challenges. There has since been little or no spatial planning at the regional scale, leaving a patchwork and uncoordinated system of local planning at various scales. At the time, the all-party Commons Communities and Local Government Committee warned that “the intended abolition of regional spatial planning strategies leaves a vacuum at the heart of the English planning system which could have profound social, economic and environmental consequences set to last for many years”. (parliament.uk 2011). 12

Assumptions about the future

One Powerhouse technical partners were given a Energy ‘technical brief’ - an illustrative outline of the potential form and content of each megaregional plan. It Achieving net zero by 2050 will necessitate a suggests certain common components for the regional combination of local community solutions (such as blueprints: a) a rigorous analytical framework; b) a low carbon heat solutions in homes, electric vehicles, series of compelling visions; c) a strategic investment decentralised wind generation, micro-generation and framework; and d) an analysis of institutional capacity reduced energy demand) and large-scale centralised and strategic partnerships for delivery. solutions (such as offshore wind generation, hydrogen for heat, carbon capture and potentially new nuclear Given the long-term, visionary nature of these spatial energy production by the mid-2030s). Low levels plans, we have also made several assumptions about of: (i) policy support; (ii) GDP growth; (iii) consumer potential future scenarios based on the available engagement; or (iv) technology development might evidence. These are set out below: prevent us from achieving net zero by 2050 (FES 2019). Issues of energy poverty must be addressed, as must Urban life the potential increased demand on the energy system as a result of technological innovation. Short term: Congestion is due to get worse in the UK over the next 30 years. The degree of intensification Climate change will be determined by rates of population and economic growth, costs of driving, demand for freight and A changing climate is likely to bring significantly several other variables. High demand could lead to the increased risks of extreme weather events such as introduction of capacity management systems such flooding or droughts, which will impact transport as tolls and segmentation, as well as smart traffic infrastructure, agriculture and other vital economic management systems, such as driverless cars and the sectors. Without intervention, it is estimated that use of big data in transport systems. floods and droughts will become more severe. Kent, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and the Humber are high flood Longer term: Towards the end of this period, however, risk areas, while drought will likely hit hardest in the congestion might start to ease, as workers leave the South East. biggest cities, driven away by rising house prices, declining air quality and traffic. Digital substitution for travel will facilitate this shift and the robotisation of city-centre jobs will contribute to a reduction in the amount of people travelling to city centres. 13

Large-scale infrastructure projects

Despite delays and concerns about costs, HS2 will go ahead, connecting London and Birmingham by 2031. Notwithstanding current equivocation, One Powerhouse supports the extension of tracks to both Manchester and Leeds by 2040. This will boost rail capacity and ease road congestion. It is possible that by 2070, HS2 will have been extended to Glasgow and Edinburgh. By the end of this period, hyperloop might be used to transport freight and possibly passengers, most likely following existing motorways.

Greenbelt and agricultural land

Greenbelt policy will not be abandoned, but there will be a gradual and incremental loosening of restrictions as pressure for house building grows and more councils find ways to ease restrictions. In the short term, population increases will result in an increase of home- grown food production, but in the long-term changing diets and regenerative agricultural methods will change how land is used. 14

ABOUT US BARTON WILLMORE

Barton Willmore is the UK’s largest independent, integrated planning and design consultancy. From our 13 offices nationwide, we combine national influence with local knowledge to offer you the very best advice. We are passionate about creating places that are not only commercially viable, but also sustainable, dynamic and progressive. By curating teams of Planners and Designers with a diverse range of skills and specialisms, we offer our clients a highly efficient, informed and innovative service tailored to the challenges they face on projects of all different types.

As a national Practice, we use our size to make a difference. By pushing the standards of legislation, stakeholder engagement and sustainability ever higher, we aim to influence methods of practice and projects, for the good of the property industry, local communities and the environment.

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Introduction & Approach

The Midlands has huge economic potential. The Midlands Engine was established in 2016 and is a Government backed initiative that seeks to transform the megaregion into an economic powerhouse through a holistic vision. However, there is currently no overarching strategic spatial framework to drive forward its growth ambitions through the alignment and reconciliation of its industrial and spatial strategies.

The Midlands Engine Strategy (2017) announced plans Challenge 1: to invest £392 million across the Midlands through Lack of a Strategic Planning the Local Growth Fund and was supplemented by the Framework Midlands Connect Strategy (2017). Midlands Connect are responsible for taking forward and delivering The absence of a pan-Midlands strategic tier of transport connectivity across the megaregion. Whilst governance makes it difficult for the Midlands there are clearly shared spatial policies, there is no Engine’s growth potential to be realised and overarching collaborative regulatory mechanism to this has resulted in a disconnect between the draw spatial priorities together2 . level of growth being planned for by different bodies at differing administrative scales1. We are calling for a broad spatial framework that The Midlands comprises ten Local Enterprise provides a strategic and integrated multi-disciplinary Partnerships (LEPs) that can be broken down approach to managing growth and infrastructure into 69 local authorities; each with their investment that will seek to address regional local plans at different stages in the plan- inequalities, with aligned growth ambitions trickling making process and the Duty to Co-operate down to all scales. This will add a more ‘place-based’ functioning with varying degrees of success. focus to the work already undertaken by the National In combination, this creates highly complex Infrastructure Commission (NIC) and the Government political and administrative overlapping through its National Industrial Strategy. It will inform geographies that can result in un-coordinated, spending priorities and assist with the apportionment ad hoc and disjointed spatial outcomes. of need throughout the megaregion to provide consistency between local plans.

Approach

Barton Willmore’s approach to the blueprint is developed around four key themes that can be separated out into a number of strategic priorities.

1 The Midlands Engine Strategy highlights an ambition to create 300,000 jobs up to 2030, whilst the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Strategic Economic Plan (that occupies a smaller area and falls within the Midlands Engine geography) seeks to 2 UK2070 Commission (2019) Strategic Spatial Development in the create 504,000 jobs up to 2030. West Midlands—a Long View Perspective. 17

Barton Willmore Methodology and Strategic Approach 18

Complex Administrative Geography of the Midlands 19 20

Analytical Frameworks

Population & Place

The Midlands is home to over 10 million people3. The Midlands’ population is more dispersed compared to other megaregions, meaning it is more expensive for people, goods, and ideas to move around4. It comprises of a series of core cities, smaller cities, rural centres and villages, commuter towns, new towns and de- industrialised areas. The greatest concentration of people reside in its centre with Birmingham, the UK’s second largest city, being the most populous city followed by Coventry. Leicester is technically the largest city in the East Midlands, however this is a result of tight Green Belt boundaries restricting the outward expansion of Nottingham. The areas between urban settlements are predominantly rural, comprising of agricultural land, Green Belt and natural assets. The distribution of the megaregion’s population across these varied cities and settlements demonstrates its diverse urban structure. These areas serve different functions and spatial planning can support them to play different economic and community roles, to enable a network of successful places.

EAST MIDLANDS

The East Midlands has high population growth due to high inward migration5. It is characterised by polycentricity: a network of urban areas interspersed within a more rural environment. There are three main growth areas that are described below6.

Derby, Leicester and Nottingham are the three largest urban areas in the East Midlands and account for approximately half its economic output. The cities are major centres for work, shopping, education, health care, leisure and sport and perform differing but complementary roles. Nottingham has a service

3 House of Commons Library (2019) Regional and country economic indicators. 4 HM Government (2017) Midlands Engine Strategy. 5 House of Commons Library (2019) Regional and country economic indicators. 6 East Midlands Councils (2013) Investing in Opportunity: A prospectus for investment, infrastructure and growth in the East Midlands. Population & Place plan 21 22

sector focus, Derby has a rich manufacturing base and THE MIDLANDS’ NATURAL ASSETS Leicester contains a relatively high proportion of SMEs with associated high business formation rates. D2N2 The Peak District is the megaregion’s sole national is characterised by high self-containment with a high park. It is sparsely populated and a major tourist percentage of workers living in the D2N2 LEP area7. destination. Similarly, the Midlands contains six Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) (Shropshire The Eastern Diamond (Lincoln, Newark, Gainsborough Hills, Wye Valley, Malvern Hills, Cotswolds, Cannock and Grantham) benefits from good linkages with the Chase and Lincolnshire Wolds) that require protection, wider East Midlands via the A46, A1 and rail connections management and maintenance. and is in close proximity to the Humber Estuary that is a major trade gateway. As such, it has significant housing Demographic Trends and economic growth potential, heightened by Midlands Connect’s investment plans. Under the UK2070 Commission’s ‘Attacking the problem Scenario’, all UK regions are expected to see job The Northamptonshire Arc (Corby, Kettering, increases at a uniform rate, rising first in London and Wellingborough, Daventry, and Northampton) is the wider South East and then spreading outwards to forecasted to be one of the fastest growing areas in all core cities and low-growth areas. This will require England; benefitting from excellent cross-boundary enhanced connectivity between the core cities. As links to The Arc (Cambridge-Milton Keynes-Oxford such, there will be less pressure for housing in London (CAMKOX)) and the wider South-East. and the wider South East as the economy becomes more balanced. This will have an impact on migration WEST MIDLANDS and housing demand in the core cities outside of London, such as those in The Midlands. Under this Up to the 1970s, the West Midlands was labelled the growth scenario, the population of the Midlands is ‘engine room’ of the UK economy and growth was predicted to rise from 10.1million in 2011 to 14.7 million accommodated through new and expanded ‘overspill’ in 207110. The number of houses will increase from 4.3 towns beyond the Green Belt, including Redditch million in 2011 to 6 million in 2071 with net land take for and Telford. Urban and brownfield renewal schemes housing predicted to increase by 59% between 2011- followed; partly instigated by the loss of manufacturing 2071 (using a 2005 baseline). Birmingham is projected and traditional industry jobs leading to high to grow by an additional 150,000 people by 2031 unemployment8. meaning new homes and jobs will be required, as well Today, growth is focussed in and around the as the creation of quality environments for residents, 11 conurbation with Birmingham, Coventry and workers, and visitors to thrive . Elsewhere, Coventry Wolverhampton comprising approximately half of and Corby are expected to have the highest rates of its population. This means growth initiatives have population growth in the UK, between 28.4% and 40.5% more of an urban focus. A key feature of its structure to 2039. Conversely, other authorities will experience is its tightly drawn Green Belt and this urban-rural much lower growth, with Tamworth experiencing dichotomy is often reflected in different administrative population decline. arrangements and political perspectives9. Large-scale infrastructure projects, such as HS2, serve as a catalyst for growth in the conurbation.

7 D2N2 (2019) Vision 2030. 8 UK2070 Commission (2019) Strategic Spatial Development in the West Midlands—a Long View Perspective 10 UK2070 Commission (May 2019) Fairer and Stronger: Rebalancing the UK Economy. 9 UK2070 Commission (2019) ‘Strategic Spatial Development in the West Midlands—a Long View Perspective’ 11 Birmingham City Council (2017) Birmingham Development Plan. 23

Challenge 2: Tackling Unprecedented Growth

Unprecedented growth in the Midlands up to without its issues. It is notoriously slow to deliver 2070 will require additional development land as a result of barriers to redevelopment, such as for the large-scale provision of homes, jobs multiple ownerships, site size, the relocation of and infrastructure; increase demand for basic existing users, contaminated land, highways access, resources, such as food and water; necessitate issues over local amenity/neighbouring uses, and a the optimisation/maximisation of existing and new lack of buildings or social and physical infrastructure. infrastructure in waste management, transport, Indeed, many of these sites are simply not in the digital, energy, water and wastewater, flood risk and right locations meaning they are not commercially solid waste; place increasing pressure on public attractive. Each one of these issues can take years sector resources, utility provision and healthcare; to resolve and many of the solutions will not be viable but also create opportunities and innovation without major public sector investment/intervention. as demand for construction, teaching and law There are also long lead-in times associated with enforcement increases. the development of brownfield land so an effective, well-funded remediation programme cannot be The Government are rightly prioritising development solely relied upon to deliver the requisite residential on brownfield land and local planning authorities and employment land at the speed necessary to meet are relying on it to deliver, in some cases, large existing demand without developing greenfield sites proportions of their overall housing and employment as well. However, the Green Belt has a constraining growth targets. For example, the West Midlands influence on the delivery of strategic sites for Combined Authority is seeking to re-develop an housing13 and employment14 land, particularly within additional 1,600 hectares to provide high quality the West Midlands, where it has a ‘noose’ effect. industrial land12. Brownfield land is, however, not

Midlands population growth Modelling to 2070 Midlands job growth Modelling to 2070

6.8m 14.7m 5.7m 12.3m 4.6m 4.7m 10.1m 10.3m

2011 2031 2051 2071 2011 2031 2051 2071

13 GL Hearn Study (2018) Greater Birmingham HMA Strategic Growth Study. 12 West Midlands Combined Authority (2016) Strategic Economic 14 West Midlands Local Authority Chief Executives (2015) West Plan. Midlands Strategic Employment Sites Study. 24

In England and Wales as a whole, the gap in life expectancy between the most prosperous and Challenge 3: most deprived areas is approximately 19 years15. The Responding to an Ageing Population Midlands contains local authority areas with some of the lowest life expectancy figures in the UK. These As the ratio of the dependent population increases include Telford and Wrekin, Stoke, Wolverhampton, this can put a strain on public sector resources and Sandwell, Northampton, Corby, Leicester, Ashfield, have significant financial and societal implications. Nottingham and Lincoln. Conversely, Derbyshire Dales This will have a profound impact on the Midland’s and Stratford-on-Avon are in the highest quintile in economy: the public purse, health industry, terms of life expectancy. This demonstrates quality of housing market and transport system. This will be life inequalities throughout the region that could be more pronounced in those areas with the highest exacerbated without strategic intervention. ratio of dependents. Consequently, it is identified as a ‘grand challenge’ in the Government’s National Whilst birth rates have been levelling off, people are Industrial Strategy that looks to harness the living for longer and one in three children born in the power of innovation in care and personal services, UK today can now expect to live to 10016. In 50 years’, which is forecast to be one of the fastest growing there is projected to be an additional 8.2 million people occupations. aged 65 years and over in the UK – a population roughly the size of present-day London17. In comparison to the In terms of pay, productivity, skill levels and rest of the UK, the Midland’s core cities have a relatively occupational make-up there is a clear north-south young population whilst the suburban and rural divide between London and the south and the rest of counties are ageing rapidly. For example, by 2036, 1 in 3 the UK. Celebrated as the birthplace of the industrial people in Lincolnshire will be over the age of 65. revolution in the 18th century, The Midlands now suffers from low levels of productivity relative to the rest of the UK. This is, in part, due to the demise of manufacturing industries in certain areas and a lack of follow-up strategic intervention. The West Midlands has the lowest employment rate of any mayoral authority (71%), and an above average unemployment rate of 5.7%18. It is notable that The Midlands has no authority in the highest quartile for academic qualification attainment. The Midlands has authorities with the lowest attainment for working adults, with the Greater Lincolnshire LEP area one of the worst performing areas. Regions such as Greater Lincolnshire and Staffordshire are suffering from a lack of access to skilled, well-paid jobs.

15 ONS (2017) Health state life expectancies by national deprivation deciles, England and Wales: 2015 to 2017: https://bit.ly/2VV81bc 16 HM Government (2017) ‘Industrial Strategy: Building a Britain Fit for the Future’. 17 Office of National Statistics (2019) Overview of the UK population 18 HM Government (2019) West Midlands Local Industrial Strategy. 25

Population change from 2014-2039 by Local Authority

Years, quintiles of Local Authorities ranked by life expectancy 26

Pay, productivity, skill levels and occupational make-up in the UK, by region Residents aged 16 to 64 in employment with NVQ4 by Local Authority in 2017 Percentage (%)

Midlands Mega Region 41.6 - 64.5 Midlands Mega Region 41.6 - 64.5

13.8 - 30 64.6 - 91.1 13.8 - 30 64.6 - 91.1

30.1 - 41.5 30.1 - 41.5

N

Life Expectancy 2014 ONS

C Spatial Policy & Analysis Laboratory, Manchester Urban Institute C Spatial Policy & Analysis Laboratory, Manchester Urban Institute

Unemployment Rate UnemploymentResidents aged 16 rate to 64 (claimant in employment count) with by NVQ4 Local by Authority Local Authority in 2019 in 2017 Percentage (%) Inequalities in wellbeing and social mobility Midlands Mega Region 41.6 - 64.5

13.8 - 30 64.6 - 91.1

30.1 - 41.5

N

C Spatial Policy & Analysis Laboratory, Manchester Urban Institute 27

Residents aged 16 to 64 in employment with NVQ4+ by Local Authority in 2017

Sub-Regional Dynamics & Cross Staffordshire has functional links to Cheshire, with significant commuter flows from rural areas into Boundary Matters Greater Manchester where people work20, facilitated by connectivity along the M6 Corridor. Stafford, Stoke- According to the Government’s Industrial Strategy, on-Trent, Chesterfield and Crewe are linked together strong local economies tend to have some key through The Constellation Partnership, which is a attributes. They have a good supply of skilled labour, are partnership between two LEPs aimed at capturing well-connected, have land available for homes/offices/ growth opportunities21. Lincolnshire and Derby and factories and have a rich innovation eco-system19. The Nottingham (D2N2) both have functional links with importance of cross-boundary relationships should not Yorkshire and Humber22. North Northamptonshire has be underestimated as often the requisite homes, jobs links to the South East: so much so that the South and community facilities cannot be achieved within East Growth Area, comprising of Corby, Kettering one administrative boundary. For example, housing and and Wellingborough, is referred to as ‘London- employment sites often span across boundaries but still shire’. Gloucestershire is seeking stronger links to have a functional relationship with one-another. The Birmingham through the M5 spine23. economic geography of The Midlands is not constrained by its boundaries and it has a number of functional links to the surrounding megaregions.

20 Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership (2018) Strategic Economic Plan. 21 Constellation Partnership (2018) HS2 Growth Strategy. 22 D2N2 (2018) Vision 2020. 19 HM Government (2017) Industrial Strategy: Building a Britain Fit for the Future. 23 G First LEP (2019) Draft Local Industrial Strategy. 28

quality labour. The Midlands Engine is competing for Challenge 4: Government funding and overseas investment with Delivering Inter-Regional other ‘branded Powerhouses’, such as The Arc and The 26 Connectivity. Northern Powerhouse . It is important that, through the linking of its Local Industrial Strategies, it carves Transport and infrastructure planning also needs out a ‘placed-based’ comparative advantage that draws to recognise inter-regional connectivity and the upon its locational attributes, rich manufacturing base functional economic relationships with areas and goods-based exports (i.e. the whole equals more outside the Midlands. In the future, it is crucial the than the sum of the parts). Following the revocation megaregion capitalises on major infrastructure of Regional Spatial Strategies, this has proved to be projects, such as the transformational effect HS2 difficult to achieve through the ‘Localism’ agenda will have (noting that this also has the potential to and Duty-to-Co-operate. Local Industrial Strategies further accentuate the loss of skills and talent to (LISs) are the Government’s mechanism for achieving London and the wider south east). Whilst Midlands this and there are currently two published in The Connect are implementing improvements to the Midlands (The West Midlands LIS in May 2019 and Midlands Rail Hub, more needs to be done on a South East Midlands LIS in July 2019) with the others regional scale to reduce fragmentation24. currently under preparation. The South East Midlands LIS, however, has aligned itself with The Arc, despite overlap with The Midlands Engine geography with Historically, many of the functional relationships Northamptonshire having key commuter links between described above have been stronger that those Northampton and Milton Keynes along the M127. This between the West Midlands and East Midlands. This raises questions around whether The Arc represents a presents a challenge for The Midlands Engine as an barrier or steppingstone to greater linkages between overarching functional economic entity and vehicle The Midlands and London. For example, The Arc could for growth, with the A5 representing a rough dividing stifle The Midland’s ability to innovate by attracting line between the two. This is, in large part, due to young, talented and skilled individuals, diverting public intra-regional, east-west connectivity issues that and private investment away and limiting the potential have hampered the formation of these functional of development and investment choosing to move out relationships, and the fact the West Midlands of London and the South East28. is dominated by the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton, compared to the polycentricity of the Polycentric vs Monocentric Model East Midlands. This raises questions around whether there is adequate evidence around this functional relationship to justify the governance arrangement under the banner of The Midlands Engine. Drawing an unrepresentative administrative boundary could distort spatial policy by neglecting more important functional linkages elsewhere25. Monocentric Model Polycentric / Dispersed Model Population Density Given the functional links currently in place, there is a danger of talent and business leaking to areas Low High outside of the Midlands if it does not create the right environment for growth and prosperity to retain high- 26 Estates Gazette (20/07/2019) ‘Battle of the Engines: Arc is Most Active’. 27 The National Infrastructure Commission (2016) Cambridge, Milton 24 Midlands Connect (2019) Midlands Engine Rail. Keynes, Oxford, Northampton Growth Corridor 25 UK2070 Commission (2019) ‘Strategic Spatial Development in the 28 UK2070 Commission (2019) ‘Strategic Spatial Development in the West Midlands—a Long View Perspective’ West Midlands—a Long View Perspective’ 29

Cross Boundary Relationships and FEMAs Plan

Local Industrial Strategy (LIS) Plan 30

Transport & Connectivity

The Midlands megaregion has a strong economic geography sitting at the heart of the UK’s economy, harnessing growth potential via its strategic road, rail and aviation linkages. As a result, 92% of the UK’s population are within a 4-hour drive from the Midlands29. These strategic linkages enable the megaregion to import/export to national and international markets and provide excellent access to labour pools making it a highly attractive location for businesses and their headquarters.

Road » M6, M5, M1, M40, M42, M5 » A Roads (A38, A34, A46, A444, A5)

Rail » Existing network of railway connections » HS2 » Phase 1 stations (Birmingham Curzon Street Station, Solihull Interchange) » Phase 2a (Stafford) » Phase 2b (East Midlands Hub – Toton, Chesterfield)

Strategic » East Midlands Gateway (Derby) Rail Freight » Birch Coppice (Tamworth) Interchanges » Hams Hall (Lea Marston) » DIRFT (Rugby) » Northampton Gateway (Northampton)

Aviation » Birmingham International » East Midlands Airport

AVIATION

Birmingham Airport has grown by around 40% over the last five years to around 13 million passengers per annum. The airport contributes £1.5 billion GVA that is projected to rise to £2.1 billion by 2033. This level of growth has put pressure on the airport’s existing capacity and facilities. A £500 million programme of investment is planned over the next 15 years which will see the expansion and modernisation of the terminal building, airport services and facilities. There will be a connection with HS2 and a focus on long-haul routes to high growth economies, such as India, China and north Atlantic routes30.

29 HM Government (2017) Midlands Engine Strategy. 30 Birmingham Airport (2018) Masterplan 2018. Transport & Connectivity plan 31 Catchments served by 30 minute drivetime (off peak) increments from the Midlands Midlands Region Drivetime (30 min increments)

30 min

32 60 min

90 min

120 min

150 min

180 min

210 min

Catchments served by 30 minute drivetime (off peak) increments from the Midlands 240 min

Catchments served by 30 minute drivetime (off peak) increments from the Midlands Midlands Region Drivetime (30 min increments)

30 min

60 min

90 min

120 min

150 min

180 min

210 min

240 min 33

East Midlands Airport is the UK’s busiest pure cargo HS2 will serve over 25 stations nationwide, airport handling over 320,000 tonnes of flown cargo per connecting around 30 million people. Three new annum with approximately 7,000 people working on site. stations are planned within The Midlands and With its connectivity by road, rail (including a strategic will improve links to London and the north. The rail freight interchange (SRFI)) and air, it serves as an Interchange Station in Solihull will form part of the important hub for growth at both a regional and national UK Central Hub that will become one of the best- scale31. The new Nestle/XPO distribution centre at East connected places in the UK, whilst Curzon Street Midlands Gateway will accommodate cutting-edge Station will provide another key interchange: acting robotics that will ensure the continued growth of this as a catalyst for investment in Birmingham City transport and logistics ‘sweet spot’ at the tip of the Golden Centre linking to the Enterprise Zone. The new Triangle32. East Midlands Hub Station at Toton will enhance connectivity between the East Midlands and the rest of the UK resulting in 84,000 jobs and £4.8 billion GVA Challenge 5: by 204336. There are also proposals to harness growth Increasing International through the Stafford Station Gateway Masterplan and Trade and Exports. its associated regeneration proposals in Chesterfield. The rail freight industry in the UK brings an estimated The Midlands acts as a gateway to the global £1.6 billion per year in productivity gains for business, economy through the Birmingham and East Midlands reduced road congestion and environmental benefits. Airports33. Lincolnshire also has strong linkages Each tonne of freight transported by rail reduces with the Grimsby and Immingham Ports. In 2016, carbon emissions by 76% compared to road as it exported over £43 billion worth of goods and each freight train removes 43 to 76 lorries from the currently trades with 178 countries worldwide. In network37. SRFIs at East Midlands, Hams Hall, Birch fact, it is the only UK megaregion with an export Coppice and DIRFT have all resulted in agglomeration surplus to China34. There is a huge opportunity post- due to businesses recognising the strategic benefits Brexit that the Midlands must capitalise on. This is a of being located nearby. A further SRFI has recently key aspect of the Midlands Engine Strategy facilitated been approved at Northampton Gateway. through the Midlands Engine Trade and Investment Programme Board that will explore opportunities in The extension of the West Midlands Metro network international markets. Decisions in spatial planning will allow for the smoother flow of people through the must support this objective in the future. conurbation and the East/West extension to Dudley/ Brierley Hill has been secured through Transforming Cities Funding38. The Nottingham Express Transit RAIL (NET) has been similarly successful and Coventry’s new tram system is due to be operational by 202439. Birmingham’s New Street Station has been successfully re-developed and serves as a central hub. It is the sixth busiest railway station in the UK and the busiest outside London, with 43.7 million passenger entries and exits between April 2017 and March 2018 making it the busiest 36 East Midlands Councils (2017) East Midlands HS2 Growth 35 interchange station outside London . Strategy: World Class – Locally Driven. 37 Department for Transport (2016) Rail Freight Strategy – Moving 31 East Midlands Airport (2015) Sustainable Development Plan. Britain Ahead. 32 Property Week (10/05/2019) SEGRO’s Great Expectations. 38 HM Government (2019) West Midlands Local Industrial Strategy 33 HM Government (2017) Midlands Engine Strategy. (Page 60). 34 Midlands Engine (2017) The Midlands Engine Vision for Growth. 39 Coventry City Council (2019) First Look at Coventry’s innovative Light Rail Vehicle. 35 Office of Rain and Road (2018) Estimates of Station Usage 2017-18. 34

ROAD DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY

The UK economy depends on a resilient, reliable The Midlands has several digital connectivity assets Midlands Motorway Hub. The Midlands Motorway Hub including the Future Mobility Zone, Midlands Future spans key sections of the M42, M5 and M6 and lies at Mobility (MFM), located between Birmingham, Solihull the heart of the regional and national Strategic Road and Coventry; the Worcestershire 5G Consortium that Network (SRN). The Hub provides direct access to has been selected by Government as a 5G testbed; Birmingham Airport and facilitates access from the and Connected Autonomous Vehicle (CAV) trials are South and West to East Midlands Airport. The Hub currently taking place in Birmingham, Coventry and forms a critical part of national connectivity to ports Wolverhampton. The megaregion is also home to and airports including Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester, Westfield and RDM who are the leading specialist CAV Southampton and the South East40. vehicle manufacturers.

The Midlands has some of the most congested roads in the country, with four out of the top fifteen in Birmingham41. Mitigation measures, including the M6 Toll Road, have been introduced to alleviate congestion and deter car use. Midlands Connect has identified bottlenecks and congestion hotspots, such as the M6, M42 and A46, and is putting together plans to reduce congestion.

350,000 Live and Work in District

300,000 In-Commuters

Out-Commuters 250,000

200,000

ORKERS 150,000

100,000

50,000

0 Corby Derby Rugby Boston Lincoln Stafford Warwick Coventry Kettering Leicester County of County ewark ewark Sherwood Tamworth Worcester Shropshire ottingham Bromsgrove Birmingham Chesterfield orthampton Herefordshire Stoke-on-Trent Wellingborough South Kesteven Wolverhampton LOCAL AUTHORIT

Note: A net commute ratio of <1 indicates that District is a net importer of labour (i.e. greater number of jobs than resident labour force), 40 Midlands Connect (2018) Long Term Midlandswhilst a ratio of Motorway>1 indicates that District Hub is a net exporter of labour (i.e. fewer jobs within District that resident labour force) Study. 41 Inrix (2019) Congestion Costs U.K. Nearly £8 Billion in 2018.

South East Midlands

Worcestershire

The Marches

Stoke & Sta ordshire

Leicester & Leicestershire

Greater Lincolnshire

Greater Birmingham & Solihull

Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham & Nottinghamshire (D2N2)

Coventry & Warwickshire

Black Country 35

Midlands Connections Challenge 6: Addressing Poor East-West Midlands Connectivity Leicester to Coventry Poor connectivity, particularly between the east and west, is currently hindering the fulfilment of The Midlands’ growth potential. The East Midlands’ key urban areas of Nottingham, Derby 1% by train 99% by car and Leicester, whilst inter-connected, are Birmingham to Leicester poorly connected to the West Midlands. For example, there is no direct rail link between Leicester and Coventry, despite the cities’ sizes and close proximity to one another. Moreover, 13% by train 87% by car recent research concluded Leicester is the worst-connected big city in Britain in terms of Birmingham to Nottingham rail links42. Whilst HS2 will undoubtedly benefit The Midlands and create new investment opportunities, its overarching ambition is to help address the UK’s north-south divide through 18% by train 82% by car greater connectivity with other major cities. It will not solve the inherent east-west connectivity Birmingham to Derby issues in The Midlands.

22% by train 78% by car

Equivalent

Manchester to Sheffield

50% by train 50% by car

Manchester to Newcastle

46% by train 54% by car

Liverpool to York

42 The Independent (2019) Leicester is the worst-connected big city by rail in Britain. 51% by train 49% by car 36

Corridors

Better transport links generate productivity by widening labour markets and unlocking sites for investment, providing attractive new centres for business with benefits arising from high value growth clusters and agglomeration. Following a review of Midlands Connect’s publications and the evidence base documents of the constituent LEPs, the following strategic corridors and Inclusive Growth Corridors (IGCs) have been identified throughout the megaregion. 37 38

Economy

The Midland’s economy is worth £217.7 billion, which equates to 13% of the UK’s annual output. From a review of the evidence base of the constituent LEPs, it is considered that the sectors the Midlands is looking to promote through its Local Industrial Strategies can be grouped into six broad categories:

» Research, Professional, Creative and Digital » Advanced Manufacturing » Transport and Logistics » Tourism » Traditional Industries » Energy

Economy plan 39 40

Source Research, Professional, Advanced Man- Transport & Traditional Energy Visitor Creative & Digital ufacturing Logistics Industries Economy Midlands En- Digital Technology Agri-food and Automotive Ceramics Tourism gine Strategy Life Sciences and Medical Drink Process- Connected and Retail and Natural (March, 2017) Devices ing Autonomous Environ- Space Technol- Vehicles ment ogy West Midlands Business, Professional and Logistics and Construction Low Carbon Cultural Combined Au- Financial Services Transport Tech- (Building and Envi- Economy thority (2016) Digital and Creative nologies Technologies) ronmental (including Technologies sport) Life Sciences and Social Care Public sector (including education) West Midlands Low Carbon Technology Metals and Aerospace Construction Tourism Local Indus- Life Sciences Materials Logistics/Large Food and trial Strategy Professional Skills Automotive Manufacturing Drink (May, 2019) and Transport Creative Industry Rail Technology Digital Connectivity Aerospace R&D The Marches Cyber Security Agri-tech Food and Environment Tourism LEP (2019) Business and Professional Automotive drink Technology Services Metals and Innovative Health and Social machinery Care Worcester- Cyber Defence Security Automotive Food and Visitor and shire LEP Agri-tech drink Destination (2019) Economy Stoke-on- Medical Technologies Agri-tech Construction Smart Energy Visitor Trent and Digital Applied Mate- Ceramics Economy Staffordshire Business/Professional rials LEP (April Services Auto-Aero 2018) South East Life Sciences Automotive Autonomous Vehi- Food and Clean Growth Midlands R&D Aerospace cles/ Next Genera- Drink Local Indus- tion Transport Creative and Digital Construction trial Strategy Advanced logistics Artificial Intelligence and (July, 2019) Data Leicester and Space, Data and Digital Tech- Intelligent Auto- Logistics Food and Leicestershire nologies mation Engineering Drink LEP (July Life Sciences Textiles: 2018) Design and Manufactur- ing D2N2 LEP Life Sciences Transport Logistics Food and Natural En- (2019) Low Carbon Technologies Equipment Man- Drink vironment ufacturing Creative and Digital Industries Construction Knowledge Science and Textile Manu- Innovation facturing Greater Lin- Low Carbon Technologies Agri-tech Ports/Logistics Food Manu- Low Carbon Visitor colnshire LEP Social Work, Public Adminis- Metals & Mate- facturing Energy and Economy (2019) tration and Defence rials Water Waste and Waste Man- agement 41

Enterprise Zones (EZs) are dispersed across the to comprise of businesses operating within the megaregion with the aim of attracting private sector key sectors that The Midlands is seeking to grow/ investment through tax concessions, infrastructure strengthen, as identified above. incentives and reduced regulations. These tend

Enterprise Zone Plan

K

J

A B L

C

G D F E

H

I

Ref. Local Enterprise Partnership Area Enterprise Zone (EZ) Sector(s) A Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Ceramic Valley Ceramics, Advanced Manufacturing Derby, Derbyshire, No�ngham & Infinity Park Derby (incl. extension) / Advanced Manufacturing/Engineering, Crea�ve Industries, Energy, B No�nghamshire No�ngham Industrial Biotechnology, Pharmaceu�cals and Healthcare Loughborough and Leicester Science and Advanced Manufacturing, Bio-Medical and Pharmaceu�cals, Aerospace, C Leicester and Leicestershire Innova�on Enterprise Zone Automo�ve, Transport, Research, Professional, Crea�ve & Digital Advanced Manufacturing/Engineering/Automo�ve, ICT, Low Carbon D Leicester and Leicestershire MIRA Technology Park Industry & Transport Advanced Manufacturing/Engineering, Business Services, Financial E Greater Birmingham and Solihull Birmingham (includng Extension) Services, ICT, Pharmaceu�cals & Healthcare F Black Country Dudley Advanced Manufacturing Advanced Manufacturing/Engineering/Automo�ve, ICT, Low Carbon G Black Country Black Country Industry & Transport Advanced Manufacturing/Engineering, Automo�ve, Construc�on incl. H South East Midlands Northampton Waterside built environment, Financial Services, Retail & Logis�cs Advanced Manufacturing, Defence and Security, Foor and Drink & I The Marches Skylon Park, Hereford Sustainable Technologies Derby, Derbyshire, No�ngham & Advanced Manufacturing/Engineering, Aerospace, Crea�ve Industries & J Sheffield City Region (Site - Markham Vale) No�nghamshire Low Carbon K Greater Lincolnshire Central Lincolnshire FEZ (Proposed) Tradi�onal Industries; Food and Drink L Greater Lincolnshire FEZ Holbeach (Proposed) Tradi�onal Industries; Food and Drink 42

Clusters create a UK centre for innovation in health, beauty and wellness. It comprises of over 70 companies47. The megaregion’s clusters have been identified through a review of the constituent Local Enterprise Coventry and Warwickshire have a significant R&D Partnerships (LEPs), Local Industrial Strategies (LISs) cluster that includes Europe’s largest automotive R&D and Strategic Economic Plans (SEPs). Whilst these facility in the National Automotive Innovation Campus documents are relatively short-term in comparison at the University of Warwick. There are innovation with this long-term Regional Spatial Blueprint, they clusters in Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton 48 provide a framework for high quality, well paid jobs City Centres and around Birmingham Airport . Modern through investment in skills and industry. services are also clustered around the Warwick, Aston and Birmingham Business Schools that have more business students than any other location outside RESEARCH, PROFESSIONAL, CREATIVE AND DIGITAL London and the South East49. Nottingham’s ‘Creative The megaregion’s 20 universities serve as key drivers Quarter’ also has an emerging digital tech cluster. that encourage innovation and forward-thinking. The Birmingham City Centre Enterprise Zone (EZ) is They act as drivers in a number of areas ranging the largest City Centre EZ in the UK. Over its lifetime from civil engineering to a globally competitive (2019-2028) it will secure 1.3 million m2 of new floor space technology43. As such, these industries have a space, of which 700,000m2 is for business and financial predominantly urban focus with the Midland’s cities services, digital media, ICT and creative industries50. acting as a focus for activity within these sectors. With occupiers favouring ‘near shoring’ to ‘off shoring’, Some areas spend more as a percentage of their and looking to reduce operating costs alongside rental GDP on R&D than others with the eastern part of growth in London, Birmingham is attracting more inward the megaregion spending a relatively small amount investment than ever before. Key occupiers include compared to Derby, Nottingham and the Cyber Valley Beazley Insurance, HS2, RICS, HMRC and PWC. cluster in the south west. Longbridge ITEC Park in Birmingham is part of a wider There are approximately 585,400 people employed Regional Investment Site (RIS) and is a £100m Technology in life sciences across the megaregion44. The Greater Park that has attracted local, national and international Birmingham Life Sciences Cluster is one of the ICT-based businesses, Longbridge is quickly evolving largest in Europe and includes facilities located into a hub for progressive technologies and services51. around the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham Women’s Hospital and the University of Birmingham The University of Leicester houses one of the foremost 45 Campus and Institute of Translational Medicine . academic space science and instrumentation centres There is a nationally significant cluster of Life Science in Europe with links to a number of local high-tech businesses in the health and medical technology companies52. sub sectors in Loughborough, with the Charnwood Campus being the UK’s only designated Life Sciences 47 D2N2 (2019) Vision 2030 (Page 19). 46 Opportunity Zone . Nottingham has a growing life 48 HM Government (2019) West Midlands Local Industrial Strategy sciences cluster anchored by BioCity and MediCity (Page 45). at the 113-hectare Alliance Boots site that seeks to 49 HM Government (2019) West Midlands Local Industrial Strategy (Page 31). 50 https://businessbirmingham.com/about-birmingham-the-uk/ 43 HM Government (2017) Midlands Engine Strategy. enterprise-zones/ 44 Midlands Engine (2017) The Midlands Engine Vision for Growth. 51 https://businessbirmingham.com/about-birmingham-the-uk/ 45 HM Government (2019) West Midlands Local Industrial Strategy enterprise-zones/longbridge-itec-park/ (Page 27). 52 East Midlands Councils (2013) Investing in Opportunity: A 46 Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (2019) prospectus for investment, infrastructure and growth in the East Local Industrial Strategy Prospectus (Page 5). Midlands (Page 9). 43

Research, Professional, Creative & Digital Cluster plan

Estimated % of local GDP on R&D expenditure in 2016 44

Northampton forms part of ‘Motorsport Valley’. This is a Ansty Park is a 1.5 million ft2 technology park located £6 billion global cluster of automotive, motorsport and at Junction 2 of the M6. The London Taxi Company, advanced manufacturing companies comprising over FANUC (factory automation), Sainsburys Store Support 4,000 businesses that extends from Northamptonshire Centre and HTRC (High Temperature Research Centre) and Oxfordshire53. It includes internationally recognised are all located there. It also includes a £36 million engine builders Cosworth, Mercedes GP Petronas and Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre (AMTC) to Force India. Northampton also has a concentrated provide a flagship facility for advanced manufacturing creative and digital cluster54. apprenticeship programmes linked to intelligent automation, additive layer manufacture, robotics The wider area around Great Malvern (including parts metrology, CAD and computer aided machining59. of Herefordshire and Worcestershire) is referred to as ‘Cyber Valley’. This is one of the primary locations The Advanced Manufacturing Hub in Aston is an in the UK for the research, development and Regional Investment Site (RIS) and joint venture commercialisation of cyber security products and between Birmingham City Council and the Homes and services and comprises more than 80 cyber security Community Agency (HCA) that is aimed at the advanced businesses 55. Due to the presence of the Special manufacturing sector. Air Service, Herefordshire has 200 companies in the defence and security sector, many of which have been There is also a cluster of advanced manufacturing firms set up by ex-military personnel. The Hereford EZ at around Derby linked to Rolls Royce, JCB, Bombardier Skylon Park is a key employment site and the only EZ in and Toyota as well as a nationally significant rail the UK with a focus on defence and security56. engineering cluster. Derby Infinity Park will be home to a Science and Innovation Campus with specific support A cluster of gaming businesses is located around for advanced manufacturing60. Leamington Spa and is known as ‘Silicon Spa’. This represents 10% of the UK gaming industry57. There are further clusters of advanced manufacturing businesses to the south of Hereford (Elite Plastics, Claymore Plastics, Deyn Plastics, Cypher Co) and ADVANCED MANUFACTURING around Telford (Ricoh, BAE Systems, GKN)61. The Midlands has global significance in the advanced Building upon the success of the University of Lincoln’s manufacturing sector due to its rich heritage in the Holbeach Campus (home to the National Centre for automotive industry. The sector employs approximately Food Manufacturing), Lincolnshire has secured funding 246,100 people58 and is home to a number of globally for a specialist Centre of Excellence for the Agri-food significant assets. Industry and is looking to bolster its Food Hub further through the establishment of new Food EZs62.

53 HM Government (2019) South East Midlands Local Industrial Strategy (Page 19). 54 HM Government (2019) South East Midlands Local Industrial Strategy (Page 20). 55 Worcestershire LEP (2019) Local Industrial Strategy: A 59 HM Government (2019) West Midlands Local Industrial Strategy Consultation Prospectus (Page 19) (Page 52) 56 The Marches LEP (2018) SEP Evidence Base (Pages 39-40). 60 D2NS (2019) Strategic Economic Plan (Page 58). 57 HM Government (2019) West Midlands Local Industrial Strategy 61 The Marches LEP (2018) SEP Evidence Base (Pages 33-34). (Page 36). 62 https://www.greaterlincolnshirelep.co.uk/funding-and-projects/ 58 HM Government (2017) Midlands Engine Strategy. projects/agri-food-centre-of-excellence/ 45

Advanced Manufacturing Cluster plan

Challenge 7: Adapting to Technological Change (Increasing Automation and Robotisation)

The clustering of activity in prime areas with low The 4th Industrial Revolution will inevitably lead to unemployment rates, such as Leicestershire, unparalleled and incontrovertible change through means that competition for employees in skilled a restructuring of the megaregion’s economy by trades is intense. Indeed, existing shortages in 2070. By the 2030s, it has been predicted that warehouse operatives could be accentuated by around 52% of transport and storage jobs and Brexit given Eastern European workers make up 45% of manufacturing jobs could potentially be 15% of all warehouse staff. Some large strategic automated63. Given the Midlands accounts for a employment sites in the East Midlands are having quarter of all manufacturing jobs in the UK64, it is to resort to bussing in workers from nearby towns highly susceptible to rapid technological change as a response to labour shortages. (e.g. robotics, automation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), data analytics and 3D Printing). This, coupled The ‘4th Industrial Revolution’ is defined by new with advancements catalysed by the climate disruptive technologies (i.e. artificial intelligence) change agenda, mean diversification of The and represents a new era that builds and Midlands’ economic base and upskilling of its extends the impact of digitalisation in new and workforce will be crucial to avoid major economic unanticipated ways. It can be described as the shocks and mass unemployment, such as those advent of ’cyber physical systems’ involving entirely experienced in the 1970s. new capabilities for people and machines that

have implications for the economy, environment, 63 PWC (2018) Will Robots Really Steal Our Jobs. lifestyles and spatial distribution of economic 64 Midlands Connect (2017) Midlands Connect Strategy: Powering activity. the Midlands Engine. 46

TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS including Moog, Eurofins and International Security Printers68. In 2018, the Midlands accounted for 490 million ft2 of warehousing and logistics floorspace and 10,540 The MIRA Technology Park is Europe’s largest transport logistics properties65. The East Midlands alone technology R&D cluster (restricted to B1 and B2 uses) accounted for 31% of all Grade A space taken up in 2018 and is amongst the best performing EZs in the UK69. for dedicated e-fulfilment facilities66. This is because Peddimore is a 71-hectare site in Birmingham that The Midlands is highly accessible to all parts of the UK, was released from the Green Belt to attract leading which provides clear locational advantages for national national and international manufacturing and logistics and regional distribution centres associated with businesses. Magna Park, in Lutterworth, is a 550-acre ecommerce, as well as supply chains associated with site that represents the UK’s first and Europe’s largest the automotive industries. Occupier demand is driven dedicated distribution location. Its occupiers include by cost savings associated with efficient distribution, distribution centres for Asda, Britvic, Toyota and TNT. drive-time benefits, ready access to labour and raw materials and is heavily linked to the history of vehicle and aerospace-related manufacturing. It is the retail Challenge 8: sector that has dominated demand with e-commerce, ‘The Employment Land Crisis’. non-internet retail and third-party logistics all contributing significant shares of activity. The megaregion’s good track record of securing inward investment is in danger of being constrained The Midlands’ location relative to the strategic road by an impending shortage of large sites. The West network, namely the M1 and M6, means major cities Midlands Land Commission has already pointed to like Manchester and London are relatively easy to an ‘employment land crisis’ in the West Midlands reach. This strong economic geography has resulted whereby the ‘shortfall of land for employment space in a nationally significant cluster of warehouse and is at least as pressing as the shortage of land for logistics activity known as ‘The Golden Triangle’. The new homes, and possibly more so’70. Similarly, both Golden Triangle was originally drawn around Daventry published Local Industrial Strategies for the West and Lutterworth and included the far eastern fringe of and South East Midlands also highlight a shortage the West Midlands around Rugby. It has now expanded of employment land as a significant impediment to include the eastern half of Birmingham, the M42 to growth. Due to the Midlands’ economic Corridor, and the motorway-accessible parts of geography, it has a comparative advantage in 67 Coventry and encompasses some 550 square miles . terms of accommodating land hungry, large- The Midlands’ SRFIs are all significant assets that act as format distribution centres with specific locational drivers of growth. requirements: ideally large sites near to motorway junctions. This sector accounts for approximately There are some sizeable strategic sites that have 20% of the UK’s logistics jobs and Gross Value been removed from the Green Belt to facilitate Added (GVA)71. Logistics is a key ‘enabler’ that agglomeration. i54 has become a successful hub for allows other strongly performing sectors in the sector-leading firms within high-value manufacturing. Midlands, such as the automotive industry and i54 is also the country’s most successful EZ and is occupied by the new JLR Engine facility, which has already expanded, as well as a number of other 68 HM Government (2019) West Midlands Local Industrial Strategy advanced manufacturing and professional businesses (Page 78). 69 Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (2019) Local 65 British Property Federation (2019) What Warehousing Where? Industrial Strategy Economic Review (Page 40). 66 Property Week (01/02/2019) UK Buyers drive 12% leap in East 70 West Midlands Land Commission (2017) Final Report to the West Midlands industrial deals. Midlands Combined Authority Board. 67 Property Week (26/02/2019) The Golden Triangle: End of a Golden 71 Midlands Connect (2017) Midlands Connect Strategy: Powering the Era? Midlands Engine. 47

Transport and Logistics Cluster plan

e-commerce, to thrive. The average size of special circumstances). This has the potential to warehouses linked to online retail has increased by disincentivise investment through uncertainty. 41% from 197,000ft2 in 2009 to 276,000ft2 in 201872. This is most severe in the M42 belt to the east of Therefore, if the megaregion is going to capitalise Birmingham, areas south and east of Coventry on this sector, it will need to provide large strategic to Rugby and the Black Country and Southern employment sites that can accommodate these Staffordshire where demand is highest75. large-format, land hungry distribution and logistics Consequently, there have been differing degrees premises in accessible locations. Whilst there of success in the delivery of strategic employment are some sizeable sites available across the sites when making comparisons between the megaregion, they are being developed out quickly East and West Midlands76. This has resulted due to large unit sizes73. in otherwise highly attractive land remaining undevelopable with development pushed to Much of the most suitable development land falls outlying areas rather than adding to a critical mass within the Green Belt74. However, this presents a of existing services and infrastructure in existing planning risk associated with delivery. Delays, or urban areas. This does not represent a sustainable a failure to acknowledge ‘strategic needs’ in the pattern of development, resulting in increased plan-making process, mean these are increasingly commuter flows, as they are located away from the brought forward via an ‘application-led’ process labour pool and public transport availability. that is subject to onerous planning tests (i.e. very

72 Property Week (12/04/2019) Warehouse growth spurt fuelled by demands of online retailers. 73 This is evident from recent investments by Funko in Coventry (349,000ft2), JLR at Junction 11 of the M42 (2.94 million ft2), 75 West Midlands Local Authority Chief Executives (2015) West Panattoni’s Wolverhampton 450 (450,000ft2) and Exeter Property Midlands Strategic Employment Sites Study. Group’s M6DC Building in Cannock (375,000ft2). 76 Business Desk Article (20/02/2019) ‘Mixed Picture for Region’s 74 West Midlands Land Commission (2017) Final Report to the West industrial and logistics market as take-up halves’ and Logistics Midlands Combined Authority Board. Manager (April 2019) ‘Something has got to give’. 48

TOURISM Across Greater Lincolnshire, the visitor economy is worth more than £1 billion and employs around 39,000 There are a number of significant tourism assets in jobs. Its tourism product is built on the distinctive the Midlands that generate high visitor numbers. The features of Greater Lincolnshire, including its coastline, West Midlands alone welcomed 131 million visitors in cultural heritage (e.g. Lincoln Cathedral and Castle), 2018, whose spend generated £12.6 billion for the local market towns and attractive Victorian architecture. economy77. Skegness, home of Butlins, is the 4th most popular tourist holiday resort according to Visit England81. Birmingham is a leading international city with a commensurate cultural offer. It is hosting the In Staffordshire, the leisure industry is worth an Commonwealth Games in 2022, and contains iconic estimated £1.6 billion to the economy and includes the waterways, museums, the SeaLife Centre and is home UK’s number 1 short break destination: Alton Towers to the increasingly popular seasonal German Markets. Resort. This is one the biggest private sector employers Similarly, Coventry City includes Coventry Cathedral in Staffordshire and offers a wide variety of long-term and is the City of Culture 2021. careers, as well as fixed-term and summer jobs. In addition, Drayton Manor provides a further anchor The NEC, near to Birmingham Airport, is at the centre of destination. a network of region-wide international and UK business conference and leisure events facilities. It brings Silverstone, in Northampton, is the current home of the together business, science, knowledge, leisure, sport British Grand Prix and also offers driving experiences. and entertainment. TRADITIONAL INDUSTRIES In the Black Country, there is a tourism-related cluster comprising the Dudley Castle Quarter, Black Country The megaregion’s traditional manufacturing base Museum, Dudley Zoological Gardens and the emerging is resilient with 27,500 businesses falling within the Black Country Geopark78. traditional manufacturing sector. Traditional industries tend to be anchored to place-specific environmental Stratford-upon-Avon contains Shakespeare’s birthplace resources that have offered a historical competitive that is a key attraction. It is complemented by the advantage. Royal Shakespeare Company that delivers one of the best Shakespeare experiences in the world through its In Stoke and Staffordshire, there is a significant cluster innovative, contemporary interpretations of plays, with of ceramic businesses along the A500 corridor that has world-class performers, directors and producers79. resulted from the availability of its local reddish clay. The Ceramic Valley EZ comprises six sites totalling Sherwood Forest is a tourist attraction in 140 hectares and aims to become a world class centre Nottinghamshire that is made famous through Robin for advanced manufacturing and applied materials. It Hood. There is a Centre Parcs nearby that sits within includes Chatterley Valley East and West, Highgate/ 400 acres of pine forest. Other natural assets in the Ravensdale, Eturia Valley, Tunstall Arrow and Cliffe megaregion also represent tourist hotspots including Vale82. Cannock Chase, the National Forest, and the Peak District, which attracts 10 million visitors per annum80.

77 West Midlands Growth Company (2019) Regional Tourism Strategy 2019-2029. 78 HM Government (2019) West Midlands Local Industrial Strategy (Page 79). 79 West Midlands Growth Company (2019) Regional Tourism Strategy 81 http://www.research-lincs.org.uk/lep-priority-visitor.aspx 2019-2029. 82 Stoke on Trent & Staffordshire Enterprise Partnership (2018) 80 Sheffield City Region LEP (2014) Strategic Economic Plan. Strategic Economic Plan (Page 4). 49

Visitor Economy Cluster plan

Traditional Industries Cluster plan 50

In terms of food and drink, 132,000 people in There is a Food Hub at the former IMI Site in north the Midlands work in the sector, across 33,000 Birmingham that will provide the opportunity to companies83. Greater Lincolnshire is responsible for combine manufacturing, associated Research & growing 12% of England’s food and processing 70% Development (R&D), and distribution in a nationally of its fish. This includes Bakkavor Food Limited, that attractive location for companies looking to locate at forms part of a significant cluster worth £1 billion the heart of the UK’s food and drink sector. per annum, serving the major supermarket chains both in the UK and abroad. Lincolnshire is therefore The Wolverhampton Brownfield Construction Cluster strategically important to national food security and is a response to the strengthening construction has more Grade 1 agricultural land than any other LEP84. sector in the city and is driven by investment in the University’s Springfield Campus development. The former brewery site is being transformed into Europe’s Challenge 9: largest specialist construction and built environment Protecting Valuable campus87. Agricultural Land The Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham City Centre contains one of Europe’s largest concentrations of Climate change is causing more extreme manufacturing jewellers and is the product of rapid weather events that are becoming more volatile expansion associated with the industrial revolution. It and unpredictable. It is important developers, has over 800 businesses and 100 specialist retailers88. planners, insurance providers, the Environment Agency (EA) and Local Lead Flood Authorities The Leicester and Leicestershire LEP has the largest (LLFAs) work together to identify risk areas and concentration of textile manufacturing in the UK provide adequate mitigation to alleviate flood with 137 technical textiles firms making fabrics, dyes risk. Coastal flooding is a significant risk to prime and printing for safety, leisure and health products89. agricultural land in Lincolnshire85. Similarly, Northampton is famous for shoe making, with a heritage dating back almost 900 years.

There are further clusters of food and drink businesses to the north of Oswestry, Shrewsbury and Hereford (e.g. Cargill Meats, Avara Foods and Heineken)86, as well as food industries around Melton Mowbray (renowned for Stilton Cheese and Pork Pies) where employment in this sector is ten times the national average. Burton-on- Trent accounts for a quarter of the UK’s beer production and is home to Marston’s Brewery, The National Brewery Centre and Molson Coors Brewery. These seek to take advantage of its water through a process known as ‘Burtonisation’.

83 Midlands Connect (2018) Long Term Midlands Motorway Hub 84 East Midlands Councils (2013) Investing in Opportunity: A prospectus for investment, infrastructure and growth in the East Midlands (Page 9). 87 HM Government (2019) West Midlands Local Industrial Strategy (see Pages 59 & 78). 85 East Midlands Councils (2013) Investing in Opportunity: A prospectus for investment, infrastructure and growth in the East 88 https://www.birmingham-jewellery-quarter.net/ Midlands. 89 Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (2019) 86 The Marches LEP (2018) SEP Evidence Base (Pages 35-36). Sector Growth Plan Infographic. 51

Flood Zone plan

Agricultural Land Quality plan 52

Energy

Decarbonising energy is fundamental to creating a sustainable future. The Midlands has a strong energy sector that should be built upon in the next 50 years to assist the Government in achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2050. It has over 500 businesses in the core energy sector turning over £23.2 billion per annum and a £5 billion economic output to the national economy in 2015. The Midlands supports 30,000 jobs representing one-third of jobs nationally in the energy sector90.

The switch to renewable alternatives calls for adaptability and diversification and provides opportunities for different parts of the megaregion. For example, the East Midlands contains the majority of the Midlands’ renewable energy assets, including onshore wind farms (Bicker Fen and Heckington Fens), offshore wind farms (Humber Gateway and Lynn and Inner Dowsing Wind Farms) and solar farms (Wymeswold Airfield). The Sustainable Energy Association also has its headquarters in the megaregion and there is a wide range of existing skills that can be utilised to assist in overcoming the UK’s shortage of technical-level skills. Adapting to changing energy demands and production methods, and ensuring benefits are not felt solely in urban areas, is key to a thriving Midlands energy sector.

The Midlands is home to the Energy Research Accelerator (ERA) (a collaboration between Midlands Innovation universities and the British Geological Society) and the Energy Systems Catapult, whilst Rolls-Royce is leading a UK consortium looking at the potential application of nuclear energy from Small Modular Reactors. As such, despite energy facilities often being in rural parts of the Midlands, such as Lincolnshire, most jobs continue to be concentrated around the urban areas of Greater Birmingham, Leicester, Derby and Nottingham where there is greater availability of a skilled workforce and good proximity to university campuses that undertake beneficial research.

90 Regeneris (2017) Midlands Energy Sector Research: Powering A New Energy Future. Energy plan 53 54

The Midlands’ produces the majority of its energy from The Keele University Sustainability Hub continues coal and combined-cycle power plant (CCGT) sources. to act as a focus of research and teaching around The megaregion currently generates approximately sustainability, green-tech and energy generation. 12.2 GW of energy principally from these sources, This includes Siemens Research Centre that aims which include Ratcliffe on Soar and West Burton to significantly expand its capacity in energy/ A, both in Nottinghamshire. However, the gradual renewables research, particularly around wind, solar decommissioning of coal and powerplants presents and geothermal. Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire are development opportunities that can regenerate home to a strong cluster of companies operating within communities. These sites are well located, accessible the sector, including several renowned and international by multiple transport connections, and often in brands such as General Electric. The sector employs proximity to a labour pool, which may have been around 3,200 people in the LEP area and accounts for formerly dependent on the site for employment. For 4% of national employment in energy91. example, the former Rugeley Power Station site in Staffordshire, has been the subject of a recent mixed- The Loughborough Science and Enterprise Park use application for approximately 2,300 dwellings and 5 includes activity in fields such as energy and low hectares of employment land. Similarly, West Burton A carbon. There are around 75 companies specialising in in Nottinghamshire will close by the end of 2023 and will the field including Cenex, Centre for Renewable Energy provide another growth opportunity in the near future. Systems Technology (CREST) and Energy Simulation Solutions Limited92. The West Midlands spends over £2 billion each year on energy and £15 billion additional expenditure is In D2N2, key sustainable energy assets are located expected between now and 2030. It is home to a range along the River Derwent in Derbyshire. The river of major energy companies including National Grid, is utilised to generate clean energy in the form of Eon, Baxi and Cadent. It remains an innovation hot electricity. The Milford Site generates up to 150kW spot for the sector given the University of Birmingham, of electricity and up to 350kW can be generated in Aston University, Coventry University and Warwick Belper. There are also coal-fired power stations located University all specialise in research and development within Nottinghamshire; West Burton, Staythorpe and of low carbon technologies. Furthermore, the West Ratcliffe-on-Soar93. Only Ratcliffe and West Burton are Midlands is seeking to bring forward the UK Battery operational, the rest have been closed down. The UK Industrialisation Centre as part of the Faraday Battery plans to phase out coal fired power stations by 2025. Challenge which will see the creation of highly skilled These sites present good development opportunity jobs around Coventry and help tackle joblessness. The sites given they already have the infrastructure in place. West Midlands also hosts two of the UK’s strategically The Marches specialises in Anaerobic Digestion (AD), important High Value Manufacturing and Energy turning food and agricultural waste into clean energy. Systems Catapults. There are 53 anaerobic digestion facilities in The Marches that represents 13% of the UK’s total. Marches Biogas are known to operate 14 of these facilities. There are over 13,500 photovoltaics the majority of which are found in Shropshire94.

91 Stoke on Trent & Staffordshire Enterprise Partnership (2018) Strategic Economic Plan (Page 21) 92 Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (2019) Local Industrial Strategy Economic Review (Page 128) 93 D2N2 (2018) Vision 2020 (Page 19). 94 The Marches LEP (2018) SEP Evidence Base (Pages 37-38) 55

The energy sector in Greater Lincolnshire generates and consumer behaviours are all changing at £1.2 million per annum and employs over 12,000 unprecedented rates. Balancing climate change people95. There are major opportunities for growth in targets alongside population growth projections is offshore wind and for the megaregion to become the a nationwide challenge; reflected in the underlying UK capital of the offshore wind industry. This growth principles of green cities, garden cities and is critical as unemployment rates remain some of the sustainable urban extensions (SUEs). However, highest in the megaregion and there is a significant electricity capacity is constrained in parts of The reliance on the energy industry for employment, Midlands and can stymie strategic residential particularly around construction and assembly of sites. and commercial development. Given the growth ambitions across the megaregion, these network Challenge 10: capacity constraints are becoming increasingly problematic. Whilst capacity within the network Producing Adequate Amounts can accommodate incremental baseline growth in of ‘Clean’ and ‘Green’ Energy. most circumstances, it may not be able to deal with step changes in provision (i.e. new settlements or National Grid have identified several challenges SUEs), the on-set of an EV-dominated future nor and argue that the economic landscape, mass automation to mitigate labour shortages. technological developments, business models

Energy Cluster plan

95 https://www.greaterlincolnshirelep.co.uk/priorities-and-plans/ sectors/low-carbon/ 56

Summary of Challenges

A New Spatial Planning Approach

Today the Midlands megaregion lacks an overarching, In a period of unparalleled change, the megaregion strategic spatial framework across its entire geography requires a strategic spatial framework for growth that to guide sustainable growth and inform investment is not just inward looking but recognises its role within decisions. If its ambitions to be more productive and the wider national picture. As such, it should seek to prosperous are to be realised, it needs to align housing bolster sub-regional, cross boundary relationships provision, economic growth and infrastructure delivery with the other megaregions to effectively plug in to a in a co-ordinated manner. This needs to be place-based supra-regional framework of initiatives as part of a fully and acknowledge the differing roles that cities, towns, integrated economic strategy. counties and districts will play in driving forward the objectives of SEPs and LISs. This framework should not be seen as a return to planning structures of the past. This framework will tackle the challenges identified by recommending a series of strategic priorities that should operate at the meta policy level across the megaregion. 57

Challenge 1: Challenge 2: Lack Of A Strategic Planning Framework Tackling Unprecedented Growth

Challenge 3: Challenge 4: Responding to an Ageing Population Delivering Inter-Regional Connectivity

Challenge 5: Challenge 6: Increasing International Trade and Addressing Poor East-West Exports Connectivity

Challenge 7: Challenge 8: Adapting To Technological Change ‘The Employment Land Crisis’ (Increasing Automation and Robotisation)

Challenge 9: Challenge 10: Protecting Valuable Agricultural Land Producing Adequate Amounts of Clean Energy 58

Compelling Visions

The Midlands Regional Blueprint

This section describes a Spatial Blueprint for The 1: A Prosperous Midlands: sets out the Midlands that represents an early plan setting out economic priorities for the megaregion the megaregion’s long-term development. It is to enable key growth sectors to flourish. underpinned by the findings of the previous section and offers solutions that can assist in overcoming the key challenges it faces to 2070 based on the UK2070 2: Place-Making for Tomorrow: sets out Commission’s High Growth Scenario. The Blueprint will priorities for the delivery of new housing assist in driving forward The Midlands’ comparative and adaptable places. advantage in identified growth sectors, whilst seeking to re-balance the economy by setting the conditions to engender more equitable and inclusionary processes. 3: A Greener Midlands: sets out priorities It has sustainability at its very core and has considered to deal with environmental issues and the economic, social and environmental dimensions of calls for both climate change resilience long-term growth. and adaptability.

The Regional Blueprint embodies key opportunities for regeneration and mechanisms to deal with 4: Infr astructure: The Enabler of Growth: unprecedented growth. This includes a number of sets out priorities for inter-regional, strategic priorities and the identification of existing intra-regional and digital connectivity. and proposed critical assets that influence strategic decisions over the scale and location of future These workstreams form the long-term building blocks infrastructure investment opportunities. The focus, to ensure balanced economic, social and environmental therefore, is very much on strategic moves of national development to facilitate the sustainable management or megaregional importance, rather than local issues. of growth for the next 50 years. They should not, however, be considered in isolation but rather value Regional Spatial Planning is complex and requires is generated in recognising where they overlap and multi-disciplinary, lateral thought involving the are inter-connected, such that initiatives can be intertwinement of numerous variables: a blend of complementary and investment decisions optimised. inputs, data and skill sets. To provide the Blueprint with This approach means that a blueprint planned at the vigour and structure, it is predicated on four cross- megaregional scale is structurally more efficient and cutting themes under which strategic priorities have sustainable in tackling issues of socio-economic been formulated to 2070. inequality and climate change.

The Midlands Spatial Blueprint is intended to be purposeful, progressive and durable. This is crucial in the face of inevitable transformational changes in the way we live and work in the future as a result of technological advancements and a growing social consciousness arising from an awareness of the impacts of climate change. 59

UK2070 Ambition One Powerhouse Consortium Ambition

The UK is one of the most regionally unbalanced The One Powerhouse Consortium (OPC) is proposing countries in the industrialised world. These spatial to prepare a national spatial economic plan for the UK. disparities have an impact on productivity which means It considers that the best basis for a national spatial the UK is not taking advantage of its full economic economic plan is through the aggregation of 7 separate potential. There is a growing north-south divide in spatial frameworks or ‘blueprints’: the four ‘provinces’ wealth and opportunity, which places enormous or Mega Regions of England and the three devolved pressures in terms of population, housing affordability nations. Each would set out their assets (both actual and infrastructure in specific areas. The UK2070 and latent), their future networks, and their long-term Commission is an independent inquiry into these opportunities. spatial inequalities and its purpose is as follows. The ambition of OPC as it relates to the development “There are deep-rooted inequalities across the UK. of a Regional Blueprint for The Midlands megaregion These are not inevitable. However, we lack the long- commission is as follows. term thinking and spatial economic plan needed to tackle them. The UK2070 Commission will seek to fill “Develop a regional blueprint for the Midlands, setting this gap through a national inquiry and debate on the out the key socio-economic and environmental assets nature of the problems and set out the actions needed of the region and suggesting how these could be to address them”96. developed to support more balanced economic growth.”

To deliver change on the scale required and to tackle The blueprint identifies the structure of the inequalities in the UK, a long-term, cross-cutting megaregion in terms of assets and networks and transformational strategy is required. This report envisions opportunities to unlock economic and social identified four policy actions that should be taken potential. This is in response to the UK2070’s policy forward: action calling for the development of national and sub-national spatial frameworks. The Midlands Spatial 1) Devolution to rebalance powers and responsibilities; Blueprint aims to develop a series of compelling visions or cross-cutting themes, an institutional framework 2) Harnessing new and local economies to embrace and infrastructure programme to develop a prototype technological change and creating new place-based of what a sub-national spatial framework for The economic hubs; Midlands could focus on. This will assist in re-balancing the social and economic inequalities within the UK and 3) De velopment of national and sub-national spatial the megaregion itself. frameworks; and

4) Es tablishment of a 25-year UK Renewal Fund to ensure investment in new infrastructure97. Place-Making Infrastructure, For Tomorrow The Enabler of Growth

A Prosperous A Greener Midlands Midlands

96 UK2070 Commission (May 2019) Fairer and Stronger: Rebalancing the UK Economy. 97 UK2070 Commission (September 2019) Fairer and Stronger: Rebalancing the UK Economy. 60

A Prosperous Midlands

th A Prosperous Vision Harnessing the 4 Industrial Revolution

The Midlands megaregion will harness the ESTABLISH SECTOR-SPECIFIC CENTRES OF unparalleled and incontrovertible change brought EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION BOARDS about by the 4th Industrial Revolution to restructure and transform its key growth sectors through To remain market-leading, sectors in the Midlands innovation and cross-sector collaboration. This must ensure their operations are sufficiently will increase productivity and give rise to a future-proofed and adaptable. Where possible, it is resilient, inclusive and prosperous entrepreneurial important to anticipate the implications of change economy, characterised by dynamism. through a proactive, driven response rather than a reactive one. The Midlands automotive industry, for example, must ensure the energy, labour-supply, skills STRATEGIC PRIORITIES and infrastructure are in place to enable a smooth This Midlands Regional Blueprint aims to identify transition to the production of electric, hybrid and the policy areas which should be pursued to hydrogen-fuelled vehicles. This will involve new respond to and instigate positive economic production line strategies to fend off competition change. We propose the following strategic from international markets. This is demonstrated priorities to achieve this vision: through JLR’s announcement in July 2019 that it would be investing hundreds of millions of pounds to build a 1) Establish Sector-specific Centres of range of electric vehicles at its Castle Bromwich branch Excellence and Innovation Boards. in Birmingham98. 2) Strengthening Key Investment Corridors and The Midlands is well-placed to capitalise on the key Identifying new Inclusive Growth Corridors. sectors identified in the Government’s Industrial 3) Undertaking a Strategic Green Belt Review. Strategy White Paper, such as Future of Mobility, Clean Growth, AI and the Data Economy. Adaptability and resilience can be facilitated through continued investment in targeted, pioneering sector-specific Centres of Excellence, nestled within strategic clusters. Seeking to drive forward the comparative advantages identified through existing and future Local Industrial Strategies, these would facilitate the fusion of research and business: allowing the dissemination of ideas and knowledge capture through specialisation.

A targeted spatial approach to the delivery of Centres of Excellence across the megaregion can engender increased innovation. Evidence suggests that supply chain clusters should be located around big companies – where innovation tends to occur – rather than university-led clusters99. This is because the value that universities create needs to be captured and

98 BBC News (05/07/2019) Jaguar Land Rover announces electric car investment. 99 Localis (March 2017) The Making of an Industrial Strategy: Taking Back Control Locally. 61

developed, just not by universities whose skills are outreach. Applied research will develop skills, not suited to securing patents100. As such, we would education, training and professional qualifications endorse the establishment of Innovation Boards within in the logistics industry in response to global Centres of Excellence that seek to utilise technology in challenges and opportunities102. new fields and disciplines to generate transformative » Medical Technologies and Pharmaceuticals change through collaboration and mutually beneficial - Investment in Artificial Intelligence (AI), large partnerships. This approach will not only make sectors data techniques, Biotech and nanotechnology more resilient to change, but ensure they remain at would allow further integration and progression the cutting edge of innovation, creating a buoyant and in Life Sciences to secure productivity gains. dynamic entrepreneurial economy. As market leaders, The focus of investment should be the Greater they will be able to compete for investment and talent Birmingham Life Sciences cluster, MediCity and on both the national and international stage. BioCity in Nottingham, Loughborough’s Charwood Campus Life Sciences Opportunity Zone, Keele The Midlands Engine has already undertaken a Science University and the University of Worcester. All are and Innovation Audit (SIA) to target investment where well equipped to become centres for testing and it can reap the highest rewards. This has highlighted providing health innovation into the future and that businesses and universities should be at the centre targeted investment in 5G infrastructure would of Local Industrial Strategies. Market-driven priorities accelerate progress within this key sector. identified through the SIA were Next Generation Transport; Medical Technologies and Pharmaceuticals; » Future Food Processing – The Lincolnshire LEP is Future Food Processing; and Energy and Low Carbon101. developing a Specialist Centre of Excellence for the Agri-food Industry at the University of Lincoln’s » Next Generation Transport – An Advanced Logistics Holbeach campus (National Centre for Food Centre of Excellence should be provided within The Manufacturing). This will assist food manufacturing Midlands to allow the upskilling of the workforce businesses in gaining access to specialist research, in tandem with new technologies in the logistics innovation and higher-level skills. Lincolnshire is sector. It would offer local businesses knowledge, looking to expand and intensify its Food Hub through expertise and testing facilities to improve supply greater investment and developments in agri-tech chain processes and operations. This would include that will enable more intensive farming methods. advancements in predictive analytics and last mile It is proposing three unique and complementary delivery (including robotics, drone delivery and Food EZs (of which two, Central Lincolnshire and autonomous vehicles) building upon the facility Holbeach, fall within the megaregion) to deepen being developed at Cranfield University located its capabilities and bring together researchers, outside the megaregion in Bedford that is described farmers, manufacturers, distributers and retailers. in the South East Midlands LIS. A facility of this These inter-sectoral alliances, involving cross nature would complement the proposed Logistics fertilisation of ideas, should be supported as it Institute of Technology (LIT) at Magna Park in will enable the Midland’s agricultural clusters to Lutterworth that is being led by North Warwickshire capitalise on political changes associated with and South Leicestershire College in partnership the UK’s exit from Europe. As new trade linkages with Gazeley, Aston University and Holovis. The LIT are forged and others fall away, it can create will provide 400 FTE student places with business opportunities out of the UK’s need to be more self-sufficient through its close association 100 Localis (March 2017) The Making of an Industrial Strategy: Taking Back Control Locally. 101 Midlands Engine (2017) The Midlands Engine Vision for Growth. 102 Appeal Decision APP/F2415/W/18/3206289 62

with the Grimsby and Immingham Ports. More To ensure a smooth transition into the 4th Industrial intensive farming methods can also free up land for Revolution there will be a need for re-training; targeting development. areas that are heavily dependent on traditional industries going through rapid technological change » Energy and Low Carbon – The UK Battery as their primary source of employment. These areas Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) in Coventry is due tend to invest less in R&D than other parts of the for completion in 2020 and will develop its role as megaregion, have high unemployment and low skill a battery R&D and manufacturing hub. Further levels. This includes rural areas of Lincolnshire that investment in similar clean energy projects around are heavily reliant on agriculture, where farming the Coventry & Warwickshire and Derby automotive methods will become more intensive as pressure for clusters, Aston Advanced Manufacturing Hub, MIRA development land increases; the Potteries in Stoke-on- Technology Park, Peddimore, Ansty Park and i54 Trent, where manufacturing in ceramics is becoming will assist in building the optimum environment for more automated; and parts of the Black Country. additional foreign direct investment to accelerate Focussing opportunities in these areas of need can battery development, advancements in clean energy restore market confidence and encourage investment and next generation vehicles. in key locations; thereby building positive reinforcing patterns of socio-economic change. MODERNISING THE WORKFORCE Inclusive Growth Corridors (IGCs) are proposed through In the future, one solution to chronic labour shortages the West Midlands LIS (Wolverhampton to Walsall, in certain sectors will be the co-location of the right Sandwell to Dudley, Perry Barr and the A34, Greater housing types and jobs to remove the need to commute. Icknield to Smethwick) that put communities at the For example, at the Gaydon/Lighthorne Heath site in centre of investment decisions in transport, skills Stratford Upon Avon District, 3,000 new homes are and services. These allow integration with other planned alongside JLR and Aston Martin’s factories to programmes and use devolved powers to leverage house their future workforce. However, the longer- private investment to embed socially inclusive goals, term solution to labour shortages will be increasing derived through community involvement, as part of a robotization and automation. People and power will public-private social partnership. IGCs use the growth remain of great importance in investment decisions103 potential of the area to reimagine an underlying social albeit the future workforce will require a different skill infrastructure that can turn changes in the built and set compared to current employees. There will be a natural environment into changes in life chances that greater need for specialist roles in IT and engineering, are tangible and measurable104. and the creative, service, technology and research sectors are all expected to experience growth. IGCs should be extended to address inequalities elsewhere in the megaregion including Stoke-on-Trent, Corby and Leicester. This will require significant investment in the provision of skills and training which aligns with future employment demands of the businesses that locate within them. It is important that a nexus of opportunity is created whereby broader economic and social objectives percolate down into localised initiatives like ESPs that can be secured via Section 106 Agreements. ESPs can deliver local skills tailored to local circumstances.

103 Property Week (14/06/2019) ‘The Two Ps of industrial: people and 104 HM Government (2019) West Midlands Local Industrial Strategy power’. (Page 77). 63

Upskilling the workforce will inevitably require further Unlocking Development Land education system reform. Apprenticeship Degrees enable a full bachelor’s or master’s degree to be DELIVERING AND MAINTAINING A PIPELINE OF obtained as part of the apprenticeship. This enables STRATEGIC EMPLOYMENT SITES. the workforce to be exposed to career-based skills and ‘hands on learning’ much earlier than would otherwise A fundamental component of a successful Midlands have been the case. Skills can be channelled in a place- economy is ensuring an adequate pipeline of strategic based manner to respond to the sectoral strengths of employment sites to support its transitioning that particular area. There is also potential for such automotive and advanced manufacturing industries, programmes to be plugged into wider collaborative and their associated supply chains, as well as the wide skills networks. The formation of awareness campaigns range of parcel sortation depots linked to online retail. should ensure there is interaction with local schools The megaregion’s future prosperity will be reliant on and colleges to make them aware of technology-based creating the right conditions to attract businesses and career opportunities. allow them to adapt, grow and flourish.

Strategic Growth Sites plan 64

Whilst a number of strategic employment site The NIC has identified the advantages associated with studies105 have been published relating to select the clustering of businesses as this minimises the parts of The Midlands, there is no overarching study distance over which goods are moved and maximises encompassing the whole of its geography to quantify operational efficiency108. Opportunities to expand demand which, in turn, would serve as a prerequisite to existing employment sites through an assessment of identifying a network of strategic employment sites to adjacencies should be considered in line with recent accommodate future inward investment opportunities. BPF recommendations109 and planning policies should It is important that a new wave of strategic align with this analysis110. There are already examples employments sites are delivered to attract nationally of a number of extensions to existing strategic and internationally mobile business activity that would employment sites in the Midlands including i54, Magna not otherwise come forward through the local planning Park and DIRFT. This should be encouraged to plug in system due to their large size and greenfield locations. to an existing critical mass of knowledge, labour, energy The typology of Regional Investment Sites (RISs), Major and infrastructure. Investment Sites (MISs) and Regional Logistics Sites (RLSs) used previously could be resurrected as an There are a number of successful EZs located approach to appeal to a wider spectrum of businesses throughout The Midlands, including Infinity Park and to diversify the economic base106. and MIRA Technology Park. We would encourage optimisation of existing EZs (such as Waterside EZ Investments in the last 3 years made by JLR, Aston in Northampton) and the establishment of new EZs. Martin and component suppliers, such as Grupo Antolin, This will increase flexibility, certainty, speed and demonstrate the continuing strength of automotive marketability to encourage economic growth along Key industries in the megaregion and it should create the Investment Corridors (KICs). KICs include the M1, M6, right conditions to capture this growth. Furthermore, M40, M42, M5, M54, A46, A444, A5 and A38. Providing e-commerce goods expenditure in The Midlands is EZs at key junctions along KICs will create a ‘pearl estimated to increase by 115% between 2018-2028107. necklace’ effect that would ensure the alignment of The BPF has recently highlighted the link between supply chain and real estate strategies111. housing growth and warehouse space, advising that for every home in the Midlands there is 100ft2 of warehouse In terms of monitoring going forward, we would floorspace, reflecting the national distribution role of recommend that an accessible, online pan-Midlands The Golden Triangle and the number and size of units employment land database is established with in the area. Applying this figure to the high growth a barometer of availability (perhaps measured scenario, would mean a total requirement of 170 against a similar metric to the five-year housing land million ft2 between 2011 and 2070. This places further supply noting that large units can skew the supply- pressure on the megaregion to provide employment side figures). This would provide a trigger for the land in suitable locations. But how can the megaregion identification of new employment sites when supply is achieve this? dwindling. It could also be used as a marketing tool

108 National Infrastructure Commission (2019) Better Delivery: The Challenge for Freight.

105 East Midlands Strategic Distribution Study (2006), Leicester and 109 British Property Federation (2019) What Warehousing Where? Leicestershire Strategic Distribution Study (2014) and West Midlands 110 See Solihull Local Plan Policy P17 (Countryside and Green Strategic Employment Sites Study (2015). Belt) and Coventry City Council Policy JE1 as examples of making 106 West Midlands Local Authority Chief Executives (2015) West allowances for development to support JLR as an exception in the Midlands Strategic Employment Sites Study. Green Belt (subject to further justification). 107 British Property Federation (2019) What Warehousing Where? 111 Savills (17/10/2019) Why Your Supply Chain is essential when making logistics real estate decisions. 65

to highlight available site opportunities to potential to be revisited and extended to cover the whole investors. of The Midlands’ geography. This will facilitate the identification of strategic employment sites along the UNDERTAKE A STRATEGIC MIDLANDS-WIDE GREEN KICs at suitable market-facing locations as well as BELT REVIEW strategic housing sites with good infrastructure that are well connected to adjoining urban-areas. In line Specialist expertise from Wolverhampton’s Brownfield with national planning policy guidance, prioritisation Cluster should be rolled out across the megaregion to should be given to previously developed land and facilitate unlocking brownfield sites. The Brownfield those sites located around transport hubs to facilitate Research and Innovation Centre is a Centre of densification. Excellence and is home to a team of specialist researchers, consultants and industry professionals In the longer term, The Midlands needs to take a that deal with a range of issues from contaminated land ‘best-use, multi-functional’ approach in respect to repurposing of buildings and sites112. Advice can be of how it plans the urban fringes of its existing or sought by developers in respect of remediation and new settlements; balancing population growth with provision of infrastructure (e.g. Housing Infrastructure ecological, recreational and environmental capacity Fund (HIF) and Black Country Land and Property to ensure urban resilience, accessibility to green Investment Fund (LPIF)) as well as encouraging local infrastructure and quality of life. Consideration could authorities to exercise their planning powers (e.g. be given to a corridor approach with green wedges compulsory purchase) to enable site assembly. Given linked with narrower green corridors to provide an the limited size and urban location of many vacant interconnected network of accessible, managed green brownfield sites throughout The Midlands, regeneration space across urban areas. This is an approach that was 115 may be limited to housing, smaller traditional industrial implemented in Leicester in 1988 . uses and last mile facilities, but not the ‘big box’ market or accommodating large scale housing requirements. A Critical Assets well-funded remediation programme is therefore only part of the solution and will not provide the requisite 1) Invest in Key Clusters: catalyse innovation and amount of land to meet the needs of The Midland’s key collaboration in priority sectors, such as Greater growth sectors. Birmingham Life Sciences Cluster, Lincolnshire’s Food Enterprise Zones and Advanced A Midlands-wide strategic Green Belt review is required Manufacturing in Derbyshire. to provide additional development land and to avoid the piecemeal and unsustainable chipping away of the 2) Invest in Key Investment Corridors including the designation113. There are, of course, environmental and M1, M6, M42, M5, M54, M40, A444, A46, A5 and A38. social costs associated with people commuting over the Green Belt. Noting that some work has already 3) Maximising strategic growth sites, such as been undertaken in the West Midlands114, where the Peddimore, i54, Magna Park, UK Central and MIRA Green Belt has more of a constraining influence (it Technology Park. contains approximately 900 square miles), this needs 4) Strategic Green Belt Review – identifying new developable land to realise The Midland’s growth 112 HM Government (2019) West Midlands Local Industrial Strategy. ambitions. 113 West Midlands Land Commission (2017) Final Report to the West Midlands Combined Authority Board. 114 GL Hearn (2018) Greater Birmingham HMA Strategic Growth Study. 115 Landscape Institute (30/01/2017) Green Belt vs. Green Wedge. 66

Place-Making For Tomorrow

Tackling the Housing Crisis A Place-Based Vision

Ensuring an improvement in the quantity and DENSIFICATION AND ESTATE RENEWAL PROGRAMMES quality of housing will be important to attract The Midlands megaregion consists of a hierarchy and retain skilled workers to drive forward the of different settlements. The dispersal of these economic growth targets of the megaregion. settlements across the megaregion is varied and so Broadening the range of new housing to ensure the are their functions. This means there is not a ‘one size widest possible offering to buyers and renters (e.g. fits all’ approach to the delivery of housing growth and affordable housing, private and rented housing, a mixed delivery strategy is required to reflect this accessible housing, assisted-living housing, HMOs) diversity. Around 90% of the housing choices made should be a key objective noting the potential each year are from the turnover of existing stock for societal shifts away from both home and car meaning there is a need to ensure continual investment ownership in the future. in repair, adaptation and modernisation, where necessary116. STRATEGIC PRIORITIES The megaregion should seek to create compact, This Midlands Regional Blueprint proposes the liveable cities through the efficient and effective use following strategic priorities to achieve this vision: of land. Birmingham City Centre is accommodating numerous tall residential buildings, including The 4) Implement a Mixed Strategy for Housing Mercian (132m), The Bank (Tower 2) (102m) and Growth. Exchange Square (81m). These are complemented by 5) Delivering Adaptable Places. tall office buildings linked to its professional services, such as 103 Colmore Row (108m) and Three Snowhill (90m). This ‘vertical solution’ to the delivery of its housing and economic needs will dramatically change the City’s skyline as well as reducing land-take and the need to travel through co-location of homes and jobs that should continue to be supported.

Estate Renewal Programmes should be focussed in deprived areas of the Midlands’ cities, including Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Coventry, Stoke and Leicester. The merits of Estate Renewal Programmes should be considered on a case by case basis against the twin goals of delivering additional housing (through increased densities) and social benefits. This needs to be balanced carefully against the social impacts of such initiatives, including disruption to existing populations in deprived areas. These programmes can be delivered as part of the holistic approach to IGCs.

116 UK2070 Commission (2019) ‘Strategic Spatial Development in the West Midlands—a Long View Perspective’. 67

Green Belt Sites plan

Well-connected suburbs, especially those that are Existing New Towns, such as Corby, Dawley, Redditch, tightly bound by Green Belt, should be intensified. A Northampton and Telford, can be strengthened and key tenet of successful high-density development intensified through infrastructure investment and is efficient transport infrastructure. Higher density improved community facilities. Some areas need development should therefore be encouraged on adaptation to address emerging economic, social sites linked to significant transport investment with and environmental issues, such as reducing car good connections to existing settlements. A good dependency and greener/smarter living. New Towns example of this would be development along the Camp tend to be well located and well connected, as well Hill Line in South Birmingham, which will utilise the as being employment centres in their own right, thus new train stations brought in alongside the funding providing a logical solution to growth pressures. package to deliver the Commonwealth Games117. Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council is also targeting housing growth in its suburbs118. This allows for housing to be brought forward without the need for large-scale infrastructure and significant land-take.

117 Midlands Connect (2019) Midlands Rail Hub: The Case for Transformational Investment in the Regions Rail Network. 118 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (2013) Solihull Local Plan. 68

NEW SETTLEMENTS AND URBAN EXTENSIONS such as Throckmorton, highlighted as a potential new settlement by the South Worcestershire authorities. A network of new settlements, predicated on Furthermore, the UK’s decision to phase out coal fired strong place-making principles, should be delivered power stations by 2025, to reduce carbon emissions, throughout the megaregion to coincide with KICs. presents opportunities for new housing growth areas. They should be underpinned by best practice119 and Decommissioned power stations, such as Rugeley deliver a range of housing types and tenures to respond and Cottam, provide large, well-connected brownfield to changing demographics. These new settlements sites, usually on the edge of population centres, which provide a blank canvas upon which world-class places are prime locations for large-scale, residential-led can be developed: offering a plethora of sustainable regeneration. transport options to existing and new places of work within the Midlands and further afield to reduce Recent research confirms that there are 116 commuter reliance on the private car. This will avoid the creation stations within the Birmingham City Region providing of commuter towns and will foster vibrant communities services to central Birmingham within 45 minutes. with access to modern, flexible housing. Schemes, The total area of buildable land around these stations such as car clubs and community concierge, can was found to be 5,786 hectares, with 72% of this falling ensure these settlements minimise carbon emissions within the Green Belt. Allowing for 10 per cent of this and prioritise digital connectivity to facilitate home buildable land to be devoted to publicly accessible working. Each settlement would be underpinned by open space still leaves 5,207 hectares for housing a freight strategy devised from the very outset to development. Assuming a density of 40 houses per minimise congestion associated with delivery and hectare, this would enable the creation of 208,280 provide an opportunity to pilot new delivery methods to homes, generating some £8.1 billion in revenues120. town centres (e.g. hyperloop) along planned corridors Sustainable patterns of development, therefore, should that link to outlying consolidation centres as a response be encouraged in key movement corridors through an to the inevitable rise in ecommerce. analysis of these opportunity sites.

The Ministry of Housing and Local Government’s Due to the scale of the issue and long timescales (MHCLG’s) has recently announced Garden Towns associated with delivery, it is recommended that new at Meecebrook, Long Marston, Spitalgate Heath in settlements are delivered alongside Sustainable Urban Lincolnshire and Infinity Garden Village in South Extensions (SUEs), which, by their very nature, are likely Derbyshire that should be considered as an initial focus to require a review of the Green Belt. They will also for investment. These will have access to funding to require significant transport and social infrastructure pump prime infrastructure delivery and bring forward investment. There are numerous SUEs planned new homes. Planning for these areas should seek to around the megaregion that can make a significant utilise existing large-scale brownfield sites, based contribution to tackling the housing crisis. These are around former airfields and outdated infrastructure, to typically grouped in the centre of the megaregion and a minimise the loss of greenfield land. This is a strategy number are proposed within high growth areas, such as already seen within the Midlands with sites Corby and Coventry.

119 TCPA (2015) New Towns and Garden Cities – Lessons for Tomorrow. Stage 2: Lessons for Delivering a New Generation of Garden Cities 120 Centre for Cities (2019) Homes on the Right Tracks. 69 70

Adaptable Places

ACCELERATED DELIVERY METHODS Suburban and rural counties are also ageing rapidly. A third of people in Greater Lincolnshire will be over the Given the severity of the housing crisis in the age of 65 in 2036 and in the Districts of Bromsgrove, megaregion (and beyond), the focus should be on Solihull, Dudley and North Warwickshire 20% of the finding improved methods of delivering new homes at population will be over 65. This will be most severe, pace and scale. Modular construction is estimated to however, in Stratford-Upon-Avon where a quarter will be worth £2-3 billion per year in the UK, with modular be over 65 and Malvern Hills, where this is predicted to build growing by 25 per cent every year121. Warehouses be 36% by 2036123. These more remote areas present (known as factories) must be sizable both in terms planning issues as extra care provision should ideally of footprint, height and internal clearance. These be located near to integrated, demand responsive typically have the capacity to build 10,000 new homes public transport systems, health services, community per annum. There is an opportunity to support modular facilities and other amenities. Consequently, specialist construction as a growth sector in the Midlands. It has housing should be prioritised around transport hubs, a high level of housing demand, good access to the existing or proposed facilities and amenities. strategic road network and a skilled labour pool. As such, there may be opportunities to establish factories Technology will be deeply embedded within adaptable near high growth areas, such as Coventry, Leicester specialist housing in the future: combatting isolation and North Northamptonshire. Indeed, such methods and loneliness through smart home technologies, may deliver a significant proportion of new homes in wearable devices and tech-enabled health and care the proposed Garden Towns and SUEs. services. This will enable older people to lead fuller, more independent lives. In response to the Grand DELIVERING INTER-GENERATIONAL, ADAPTABLE Challenge identified in the National Industrial Strategy, HOMES the Midlands is well placed to capitalise on these new markets and can draw upon its pioneering research As older people move into specialist accommodation, institutions to drive forward innovation. The 5G test this frees up under-occupied, family-sized homes that beds in Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton and provide further options for accommodating population Worcester provide sensible locations for developing growth. The Midlands’ must ensure that places with new products and ideas aimed at this growing market. a disproportionately large ageing population deliver an adequate supply of extra care housing from both a quantitative and qualitative perspective. By 2036, there will be an increase in the percentage of the population that are over 65 in Birmingham (16%) and Nottingham and Leicester (21%) by 2036. Delivering a percentage of specialist care provision as part of SUEs and new settlements is one way to relieve these demographic pressures. The rapid growth area of North Northamptonshire, for example, has set out an aim to provide extra care housing options at scale as part of its affordable housing ambitions122.

121 HM Government (2019) West Midlands Local Industrial Strategy. 122 HM Government (2019) South East Midlands Local Industrial 123 Age UK (2018) How old is the UK? An Investigation into the Ageing Strategy. Population of Britain. 71

Re-imagining Town Centres plan

RE-IMAGINING TOWN CENTRES Again, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution to town centre regeneration as they have differing The Government recognises the importance of characteristics and composition. For example, protecting and enhancing town centres, with the Erdington in Birmingham is an inner-city area suffering High Streets Fund being increased to investment from deprivation, whilst Buxton is a relatively affluent exceeding £1billion to regenerate over 100 high market town in the Peak District. Although each town streets nationally124. These are aimed at a range of centre is unique, these can be broadly categorised improvement works, such as enhancing transport based on connectivity and location. The following connections and access, with the overarching goal of typology of places in the Midlands could be used as a reversing the ‘death of the high street’. This funding has framework for re-imagining poorly performing town been announced in waves, with several town centres in centres125: the Midlands identified for investment.

124 UK Government (August 2019) – ‘£1billion Future High Streets Fund expanded to 50 or more areas’ 125 IPPR North (June 2016) – City Systems 72

Typology Characteristics Acknowledging these differences in economic function, growth patterns, and local issues is essential to put Core Cities The largest urban centres in the together an appropriate placemaking strategy. By Midlands megaregion, with a large 2070, most town centres will be focussed on enhanced share of economic activity and jobs. Despite their size there are parts of consumer experience rather than retail. Vacant the Birmingham, Coventry, Leicester, premises will be replaced by a greater offering of Nottingham, Wolverhampton and restaurants, physical services, entertainment and Derby that require investment. Derby cultural events, which are accessible to all. City Centre, Nottingham City Centre and Wolverhampton City Centre are all Adaptable measures may include designing buildings identified for investment through the to be easily modified to accommodate alternative High Streets Fund. uses. For instance, with the recent boom of student Overshadowed In proximity to the core cities, these accommodation in Coventry, design proposals should Cities and Towns settlements are well-connected include consideration of how the accommodation with strong commuter links, but with could be easily adapted and converted into private economic and social independence as accommodation for instance, should the market in they are overshadowed by, and have lost higher-level functions to, larger Coventry change. The creation of extra care housing neighbouring settlements. These have within out-dated retail facilities can also serve to strong commuting flows to core cities. revitalise town centres as can the re-purposing of Walsall, Stafford and Chesterfield are buildings and spaces to provide last mile ‘click and examples of this (albeit the arrival of collect’ solutions. HS2 is expected to regenerate the latter two town centres). Delivering ‘Quality of Place’ plays a significant role in Freestanding These are settlements that are too small retaining talent as people want to live in high-quality Cities and Towns to be ‘core’ and are not overshadowed. places that are well connected, have access to high They tend to be located at a significant quality green spaces and economic opportunities. In distance from the largest conurbations. effect, such places attract a skilled workforce so place- It is considered that Shrewsbury, Newark-on-Trent, and Hereford are making should remain at the forefront of any spatial examples of this and any regeneration planning agenda. In the context of Design Review, in strategy may focus more on connectivity September 2019 it was announced that ‘OPUN’ (the in addition to focussing on attracting East Midlands region) and ‘MADE’ (the West Midlands and retaining young, skilled workers. region) would combine to create ‘Design: Midlands’126. Rural Areas Often in isolated areas with ageing This seeks a more holistic approach to design review populations and reducing public and guidance across the Midlands to ensure greater amenities, it is vital there are sufficient consistency in advice and sharing of resources. economic, housing and social opportunities to ensure these places can thrive and are not cut-off.

126 Announced at the Urban Design Summit as part of the National Urban Design Conference 2019 73

Critical Assets

1) Intensification and expansion of existing settlements: Delivering further growth at the Core Settlements and existing New Towns. Coventry and North Northamptonshire are identified as high growth areas.

2) Delivering new settlements (where justified) in sustainable locations to increase housing delivery at scale.

3) Invest in new techniques for accelerated housing delivery involving adaptable, environmentally-friendly construction methods, such as Modular Housing. 74

A Greener Midlands

Adapting to Climate Change A Greener Vision

The Midlands megaregion’s globally significant CHANGE IN THE MIDLANDS’ AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRIES automotive and rail industries and high levels of The UK is required to adhere to a 2050 net zero international trade mean it can make a significant emissions target, enshrined in law through the Climate contribution in tackling climate change and assist Change Act 2008. The global significance of the the UK in becoming zero carbon by 2050. As part Midlands’ automotive sector, and the sheer scale of its of this wider agenda, it is important that clean and exports, means it has a crucial role to play in tackling green forms of energy are used to fuel the Midlands climate change through the production of a new Engine’s transition into greater automation and generation of cleaner vehicles to generate widespread robotization. It can achieve this by building positive environmental change. This is demonstrated upon its existing energy assets and research by the announcement in July 2019 that JLR, the UK’s centres to position itself at the vanguard of the largest automotive exporter, will receive a £500m energy sector by creating the right conditions to Government-backed UK Export Finance (UKEF) loan for foster innovation in low/zero carbon and battery continued investment into research and development technology. of the design and manufacture of the next generation As well as reducing carbon emissions, The electric vehicles and future mobility solutions127. Midlands must also respond resiliently to the Demand for ‘greener vehicles’ is a significant economic effects of climate change and demonstrate driver for global investment in the megaregion. This will adaptability in the face of an increasingly volatile increase as more stringent climate change legislation climate that threatens a number of its key sectors. is enacted, including the imposition of Clean Air Zones (CAZs) to tackle air quality exceedances around STRATEGIC PRIORITIES congested urban areas. This presents a real opportunity for the megaregion, which has sectoral strengths in A number of strategic priorities are proposed research, design and manufacturing of electric and through The Midlands Blueprint that should be autonomous vehicles. Coventry University’s National prioritised as part of its green agenda, given the Transport Design Centre specialises in research in benefits will be felt beyond its boundaries: electric vehicle and powertrain technologies. Similarly, WMG’s new National Automotive Innovation Centre 6) Establishing the Midlands Automotive Arc (AA) at the University of Warwick is the largest of its kind and Eastern and Western Energy Innovation in Europe and the product of a partnership between Zones. JLR and Tata Motors. It seeks to reduce dependency 7) A holistic approach to Flood Defence and Water on fossil fuels and vehicle emissions by combining Management to protect the UK’s National Food expertise from industry, university academics and Security. supply chain companies.

The Midlands can become a global leader in battery technology that is considered to be one of the most transformational forms of energy innovation. The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), supported by Faraday Battery Challenge Funding, is based in Coventry. It is central to The Midlands’

127 https://www.jaguarlandrover.com/news/2019/07/jaguar-land- rover-welcomes-government-backed-export-credit-facility 75

Midlands Automotive Industry plan

This map includes major rail training centres/ innovation centres such as Coventry, Leicester and Derby.

ambition to become a global hub for battery research established that would link existing clusters via the and development that is fundamental to advancing KICs containing new strategic employment sites of low carbon technologies128. Andy Street, the West a sufficient size to accommodate these land hungry Midlands Mayor, recognises the importance of battery businesses. The AA would stretch from Derby and East technology to future industry and has signalled his Midlands Airport in the north, running along the east desire for the delivery of a giant ‘Gigafactory’ in the side of Birmingham past Warwick and Coventry down West Midlands: similar to the 1.9 million ft2 factory to Northampton. A key anchor in the AA would be a currently under construction in the Nevada Desert new strategically located Gigafactory that would have by Tesla. He considers it is key for the West Midlands key linkages to nearby universities, MIRA Technology to remain a global leader in the automotive industry Park, WMG, UKBIC, JLR’s new facility at Junction and a suitable location should be found within the 11 of the M42 Junction as well as other progressive megaregion (albeit this is currently constrained by a SMEs and supply chain firms located in the Eastern lack of large strategic sites). Energy Innovation Zone (see below). The advantages of this location would be access to the Strategic Given the need for high skills and knowledge transfer Road Network, rail and aviation networks (this sector to support these industries, it is considered that has a significant global reliance on supply chains for encouraging further agglomeration in the megaregion raw materials and exports), the proximity to existing would assist in accelerating the development of clusters of manufacturing and rail-related businesses autonomous vehicle production and battery research. and their associated supply chains, a skilled workforce, Accordingly, an ‘Automotive Arc’ (AA) should be R&D Facilities and containing the area of highest demand for large scale employment and logistics.

128 HM Government (2019) West Midlands Local Industrial Strategy. 76

DELIVERING CLEAN AND GREEN ENERGY INNOVATION To provide a more cohesive approach to clean and green energy, and in response to LEPs identifying Power is at the very heart of future competitiveness. growth in these clean energy sectors, we would As we move towards 2070, increasing robotization and propose the establishment of two ‘Energy Innovation automation will enhance efficiency whilst negating Zones’ (EIZs) in the megaregion. The purpose of EIZs labour shortages and costs. The global logistics will be to enable new demonstrators, showcasing automation market equated to around £33 billion cutting edge clean energy approaches, and in 2017 but this is expected to grow to £97 billion by subsequently transform these into markets involving 2026129. Automating all repetitive processes within the the large-scale commercialisation of integrated energy supply chain/production line to reduce costs involves systems. greater power consumption. However, insufficient capacity in the grid could be a severe limiting factor The A46 KIC could be the focus of the Eastern EIZ, that prevents The Midlands from achieving its targeting green energy, solar, wind, thermal, hydro- economic aspirations, productivity gains and growth energy and smart integrated energy systems. This in some of its key sectors. The added challenge is corridor benefits from close proximity to low carbon ensuring this power is generated from ‘clean’ sources. technology R&D establishments, such as Space Park in Leicester, the University of Nottingham and The most demand for energy comes from The Midlands’ Loughborough Science and Enterprise Park. The A46 urban areas and this is also where the majority of is also surrounded by large tracts of unconstrained research on renewables and low carbon technology land that could be used to accommodate businesses takes place. However, a lot of its renewable energy seeking the fusion of innovative thinking and the assets are located in the peripheral areas. This spatial market-based application. The EIZ would build upon the dislocation between supply and demand places a existing presence of energy assets in the megaregion, heavily reliance on good infrastructure to bridge the including opportunities around offshore (and onshore) gap and ensure it gets to where it is needed the most. wind turbines located in Greater Lincolnshire to In Greater Lincolnshire the low carbon economy offers potentially provide power for its growing manufacturing major opportunities for growth in offshore wind via and agri-tech industries. There are opportunities to the North Sea, as well as in biomass, biofuels and provide solar farms, exploit the high skills base from energy from waste. The Lincolnshire coastline at the the high concentration of energy sector employees eastern periphery is also part of an emerging £60 billion in Leicester and Nottingham, as well as providing offshore wind market130. Similarly, The Marches, located retraining in some of the more disadvantaged areas to at the western periphery of the megaregion, has a rebalance the megaregion’s economy. nationally significant cluster of anaerobic digestion facilities and a high number of solar panels131. The The Western EIZ would extend from Stoke-on-Trent former seeks to transform agricultural and food waste to encompass key existing assets at Keele University into fuel and renewable energy. This process embodies Sustainability Hub to the west of the West Midlands the principles of by-product synergy and the circular conurbation (utilising the proposed Western Strategic economy. Proximity to agricultural land is crucial for Route) and link to the south of Birmingham where anaerobic digestion, so it is something that could also there is a large concentration of employees in the be considered in Greater Lincolnshire, as well as more energy sector. The location of this EIZ would provide solar farms. innovation and new approaches that could be used in The Marches to augment its growing energy sectors. Again, this would capitalise on key existing assets in the

129 Avison Young (2019) The Rising Warehouse: Man and Machine. western parts of the megaregion, thereby providing a balanced spatial approach. 130 Greater Lincolnshire LEP (2016) Strategic Economic Plan 2014- 2030. 131 The Marches LEP (2018) SEP Evidence Base. 77

Delivering Environmental Resilience

PROTECTING THE UK’S FOOD INDUSTRY

Flood risk is a major issue along the Lincolnshire Coast and overcoming the impacts of climate change and sea level rise at this location is a key national infrastructure objective. Around 39% (2,761 km2) of Greater Lincolnshire lies within the floodplain and the area has been affected by a number of significant coastal (1953) and inland (2007, 2013) floods. Conversely, Greater Lincolnshire is also one of the driest areas in the country and is prone to drought132.

Flooding is not only a significant risk to coastal towns, such as Skegness and Mablethorpe, it also threatens 50% of some of the country’s most fertile agricultural land and important horticultural and food manufacturing businesses that are critical to the UK’s food security. Often businesses avoid locating to this part of the country due to uncertainty over insurance, which has meant parts of the Lincolnshire coast lack investment and are disadvantaged in comparison to other parts of the Mega -region. A lack of public sector funding means that partnership-based funding models are crucial to success. Councils, businesses develop water efficiency measures at their sites. There and the Environmental Agency must, therefore, work are also physical interventions such as the Boston collaboratively to take a more strategic approach to Barrier, Haven Banks Flood Scheme and Foss Bank flood defence and find innovative solutions. Flood Scheme.

The Greater Lincolnshire LEP is looking to establish There is potential for Greater Lincolnshire to replicate itself as a national exemplar for flood risk management techniques used in the Netherlands, where two thirds and water supply, and this will require joint working with of its land are susceptible to flooding. They use neighbouring LEP areas (Humber, New Anglia, Greater ‘Polders’ as a flood defence, where peat forms a low- Peterborough and Greater Cambridgeshire). A holistic lying tract of land that forms an artificial hydrological approach that links flood risk, drainage and water entity. These hold the excess water that is released resources is being developed with business inputs slowly back into the watercourse. This allows land to ensure an adequate water supply; embedded crop adjacent to the floodplain to be utilised for other irrigation strategies; recreation and tourism value, and purposes, such as agriculture (a key growth sector biodiversity gains to improve the competitiveness of identified by this LEP). The concept of Polders can the area. The strategy involves delegation of decision- be explored as a flood defence mechanism in the making powers on flood risk priorities from the national megaregion to be used alongside other flood defences to local level; tax incentives for agri-food businesses to along the east coast to ensure land that would otherwise be susceptible to flooding remains protected for other uses.

132 Greater Lincolnshire LEP (2016) Strategic Economic Plan 2014- 2030. 78

PRESERVING AND ENHANCING THE MIDLANDS GREEN Where amendments are made to the Green Belt AND BLUE INFRASTRUCTURE. following a strategic review, there is potential for compensatory qualitative enhancements to be The 25 Year Environment Plan set out by the delivered through Section 106 Agreements to protect Government in May 2019 seeks to strengthen our green and manage the megaregion’s key natural assets, and blue networks and natural capital. It states that including AONBs and National Parks. These are green and blue spaces in our built environment are essential for the health and happiness of those who essential to health and happiness. It makes towns live/work near these green assets. The positive impact and cities more attractive places to live and work, and of these natural assets can be further enhanced by brings about key long-term improvements in people’s improving accessibility to them and protecting them health, promotes local social interaction and helps from inappropriate development. to develop strong community networks. It also looks to improve and build on new green/blue corridors to promote biodiversity. Current policy is that the planning system should provide biodiversity net gain, where possible.

Protecting and Enhancing the Food Industry plan 79

Critical Assets

1) Bolstering the globally significant automotive clusters: Create the conditions for increased innovation in the sector using expertise at the National Automotive Innovation Centre and UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC).

2) Protecting Lincolnshire’s Grade 1 Agricultural Land that is critical to UK Food Security. 80

Infrastructure, The Enabler of Growth

An Infrastructure-Led Approach To A Connected Vision Spatial Planning The Midlands Transport Network will see transformational change up to 2070 that will GREATER RAIL INTEGRATION AND INTERCITY require key priorities and investment to ensure it CONNECTIVITY operates effectively and efficiently. A continuation of the holistic approach taken by Midlands Connect Midlands Connect has identified a series of priorities for is crucial to success to overcome issues around the Midland’s Rail Hub in the next 20 years. This could the deployment of funding and ensures the create space for 6 million more journeys per annum alignment of planning horizons, job and housing and shift the equivalent of 4,300 lorries a day from growth and transport priorities. This is especially the roads. It will also support an extra £649 million of important given the long termism of several of economic growth and investment annually by enabling its strategic priorities in unlocking growth and faster and more frequent journeys across The Midlands fostering sustainable patterns of development. with deeper integration with HS2 services. These improvements will allow 1.6 million more people in The Midlands to reach its biggest towns and cities within an STRATEGIC PRIORITIES hour and provide 85,000 more seats per day in and out of central Birmingham. East-West connectivity can be Enhanced connectivity and integration in the transformed by linking The Midlands’ primary economic Midlands megaregion will be dependent on centres and international gateways with regular direct implementing the following key priorities: services (24 extra trains every hour) that will support 133 8) Investing in the Midlands Motorway and Rail the growth of more than 100,000 planned new jobs . Hubs. Railway capacity must also meet demand from freight. 9) Using Development Corporations/Special Four of the UK’s five main freight routes pass through Purpose Vehicles to optimise Strategic the Midlands. The Rail Hub would create space for an Gateways. extra 36 freight paths a day, carrying £22 billion worth 10) Targeted Programme of investment in 5G to of goods every year and reducing the carbon footprint benefit key sectors. of transportation by 76%.

133 Midlands Connect (2019) Midlands Rail Hub: The Case for Transformational Investment in the Region. 81

The principal areas of focus in Midlands Connect’s costs and Midlands Connect should act as the driving strategy are: force behind this initiative. It is currently working with the Department for Transport, transport providers » New track and passing places - construction of two and local authorities to explore the feasibility of using chords at Bordesley: two viaducts creating new contactless travel cards, bank cards, mobile phones paths to the East Midlands and South West from and other smart devices. Birmingham Moor Street Station. By bringing dozens of additional services into Birmingham Moor Street In the long term, The Midlands should build upon HS2 Station each day, the Midlands Rail Hub will connect and play its part in the expansion of the UK’s High- Herefordshire, Worcestershire, South West England Speed Rail network that will come forward as a series and Wales to high speed services via Birmingham, of ‘waves’ to improve intercity connectivity. This would widening national access to the high-speed involve linking the Midlands to the South West and an network. The proposed re-development of Moor eastern route from the East Midlands via Cambridge to Street Station will include a direct link to Curzon Stratford and directly to HS1 and the Channel Tunnel134. Street Station.

» Longer and restored platforms (e.g. reinstating the Potential Future High-speed Rail Plan fourth platform at Snow Hill Station, remodelling Kings Norton and Water Orton, two more platforms and stabling facilities at Moor Street Station)

» The reinstatement of direct services between Coventry, Leicester and Nottingham, via a dive under, flyover or reversal at Nuneaton.

» Improved junctions and signalling to increase line speed, reduce journey times and avoid network congestion.

» New freight loops and extra track to create space for more freight.

» Some minor electrification.

The arrival of HS2 and the implementation of Midlands Connect’s strategy will improve services, stabilise fares and reduce congestion that will have benefits across the megaregion. One way of facilitating seamless travel through the Midlands is better integration through smart-ticketing initiatives, similar to London’s Oyster Card system. This would encourage multi-modal travel by reducing the number of transactions at ticket offices and the number of paper tickets, which is also environmentally sustainable. This will require co- operation between Transport for East Midlands (TfEM) and Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) on associated

134 AECOM (2018) London 2065. 82

BOLSTERING THE MIDLANDS MOTORWAY HUB agglomeration benefits; half of which relate to areas outside the Midlands135. Therefore, the strategic The Midlands’ key sectors, including the automotive investments it makes in ensuring a resilient and reliable sector, advanced manufacturing, agri-food and drink, Midland Motorway Hub will have far-reaching benefits and logistics (which has over 70 million road freight to commuters and supply chains not located within the movements a year) are all heavily dependent on the megaregion. Midlands Motorway Hub for operational efficiency. However, it has wider significance due to its location Midlands Connect and Highways England have at the heart of the UK. Motorists driving from Bristol identified 10 recommendations which seek to reduce to Newcastle, London to Manchester or Southampton congestion issues and prevent the build-up of to Liverpool often use at least two of the M5, M6, M6 bottlenecks. If successful and delivered over the next Toll and M42 to skirt around Birmingham. Moreover, 20 years, this could unlock up to 50,000 new jobs and it is estimated the Hub can generate £1.1 billion of 50,000 new homes, by improving business-to-business

Type of Components Improved Educing Providing Raising Supporting Intervention Journey Journey Time additional Resilience Economic Times Variability Capacity Growth

Making best » Further Smart use of existing Motorway networks » Use of M6 Toll as diversionary route » Improvements to M6 junctions.

Harnessing » Coordinated traffic Technology management. » Smart digital information. » Testing HGV and demand management strategies.

Creating » Strategic Park and Ride Modal Shift » New mass transit » Demand management.

Major » M42 widening and Investments junction enhancements in the Hub between Junctions 3a to 7.

Investing in » A46 to expressway Strategic standard Alternatives » Western Strategic to the Hub. Route – M5 to M6.

Darker shade shows higher strength of impact against the study objective

135 Midlands Connect (2018) Long Term Midlands Motorway Hub. 83

Intra and Inter Regional Infrastructure plan 84

relationships, reducing travel costs and delays, and Airport would enhance their competitiveness. Similarly, improving the productivity of Midlands businesses136. improvements to the operation of the M42 would In addition, a number of long-term strategic priorities support future growth at UK Central that includes have been identified through the Long-Term Midlands the proposed HS2 Interchange. Widening of the M42 Motorway Hub Study that should be supported given the to Junction 10 will also significantly support the scale of growth this can deliver across the megaregion. competitiveness of the area around Tamworth as a Key growth sites near the Hub have the potential to major logistics hub and the proposed Automotive Arc. deliver almost 200,000 new jobs that could be worth By enhancing connectivity, the package of measures over £10 billion to the economy in GVA137. will improve access to local labour markets, support clustering and significantly improve access to supply The A46 (including the M69) is a KIC that extends from chains and markets for businesses. Gloucestershire to Humberside. It is home to 5.5 million residents and is used by key businesses that generate The Western Strategic Route would potentially £115 billion for the UK economy each year. This includes have a transformational impact on the economic those located at Ansty Park and Whitley South. A performance of the Black Country. This would bypass disproportionate number of manufacturing, logistics the Black Country and ease traffic in the West Midlands and distribution, food production, construction and conurbation. This has the potential to create new agricultural businesses are based close to the A46 functional relationships with the North and South- and are heavily reliant on it. Whilst the A46 is already west. It would significantly improve connectivity being used as an alternative to the motorway network from areas that are currently less well connected, between the South West and East Midlands, it cannot including Stourbridge, Dudley and the southern parts currently cope with those traffic levels at all times. of Wolverhampton. It will support long distance freight Midlands Connect is working with these businesses, movements from the North West to the South West Highways England, LEPs and local authorities to through the Midlands. Wider impacts indicate it could identify existing bottlenecks and remedy these by change future growth dynamics in Worcestershire, upgrading it to expressway standard (up to two or Telford and Shropshire. Midlands connect estimate that three lanes with grade-separated junctions). Around around 20% of the traffic entering the Hub from either Leicester, a new southern/eastern bypass could unlock the M6 north or M5 south could shift to a strategic route up to 4,000 hectares of land and relieve congestion to the West139. on the A46, M69 and M1. The upgrade scheme has the potential to attract 1.5 million new residents and The A5 is another crucial East-West KIC that should 700,000 new jobs by 2050138. By potentially cutting be a focus for investment to support job and housing journey times between the M5 Junction 9 and M6 growth. Midlands Connect is working with partners Junction 2 by 20 minutes, it will support growth in the and businesses to find a solution to the issues freight industry around Coventry and deliver wider associated with the section between the M6 J12 and benefits for the M42 through decongestion. M1 J18. Furthermore, they are looking at the accrual of economic benefits arising from improvements to the Manufacturing, rail, motorsport and automotive A50 and A500 that offer essential links between the M1 industries are international in their reach. Global in the east and M6 in the west. business travel and trade is an essential component of their success. Improvements to the KICs (M42, M6, M1 and the M40) to improve access to Birmingham

136 Midlands Connect (2018) Our Routes to Growth. 137 Midlands Connect (2018) Long Term Midlands Motorway Hub. 138 Midlands Connect (2018) Our Routes to Growth. 139 Midlands Connect (2018) Long Term Midlands Motorway Hub. 85

In the western part of the megaregion, work is Maximising the Midlands Gateways being undertake on an outline business case for the Hereford Bypass with Midlands Connect supporting The Midlands is a gateway to the global economy. It Herefordshire Council and The Marches LEP to unlock contains Birmingham and East Midlands Airports; has housing and jobs around Hereford. Midlands Connect strong linkages to key ports nearby, such as Grimsby are also working with The Marches LEP and the Welsh and Immingham140; and will accommodate significant Government to look at better cross-border links. rail stations linked to other parts of the UK. These key trade links and gateways should serve as a focus To make the best use of the M6 Toll, there is an for growth by co-locating residential and commercial opportunity for more motorists to use it during development in KICs. Better transport links serve incidents as an alternative to congested routes. In economic growth by facilitating international trade and the longer term, there may be a case for this to be exports, widening labour markets and unlocking sites nationalised to alleviate some of the capacity issues on for development, providing attractive new centres for the network in the future. business with benefits arising from high value growth clusters and agglomeration.

Midlands Gateways plan

140 HM Government (2017) Midlands Engine Strategy. 86

Birmingham Airport is predominantly passenger Development Corporations and SPVs should be used to oriented and it could generate over 8,000 additional facilitate and accelerate growth around new strategic jobs by 2033141. In recent years, the runway has been gateways in the future to deliver positive socio- extended and plans for a second parallel runway, economic change. Careful consideration should be based on projected demand, were considered but given to the location of Future High-Speed Rail stations not progressed. There are potential development given their potential for transformational change opportunities to the east and west of the Airport, with through regeneration. This calls for a holistic approach rail and road connections. Alongside the new HS2 to capturing public and private sector funding to unlock Interchange Station and UK Central Hub, this is an area development potential. Development Corporations of opportunity on a national scale that can transform should seek to capitalise on the benefits High Speed the investment profile of the megaregion142. Future rail can bring in unlocking brownfield sites through development opportunities need to be considered comprehensive regeneration masterplans and plugging following infrastructure upgrades, including the in town centre strategies to spread the benefits. They feasibility of delivering a second runway by 2070. should ensure a high degree of flexibility for long-term, mixed-use projects and consider a delivery trajectory Historically, Urban Development Corporations that extends beyond a standard Local Plan period. have facilitated growth in Birmingham Heartlands, Sandwell and Walsall whereas New Town Development Despite having substantially less coastline compared Corporations have facilitated the delivery of New to the other megaregions, the importance of ports to Towns, such as Corby and Telford. More recently, the Midlands should not be underestimated. The Ports Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) are being used to of Immingham and Grimsby, on the UK’s busiest trading deliver significant growth aspirations around key estuary, are key gateways to the European market gateways. An East Midlands Development Corporation and are functionally linked to key sectors in Greater has been proposed to bring the East Midlands Hub, East Lincolnshire. Improvements to the road network, such Midlands Airport, and Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station as the A46, will improve the transportation of goods to sites together. It is being promoted with involvement and from these ports and widen the reach of growth from Midlands Engine; Midlands Connect; the D2N2 sectors, such as the food and agricultural industries LEP; East Midlands Chamber; East Midlands Airport; in Lincolnshire. The gradual influx of technology such city, county and borough councils from across the as hyperloop, successfully trialled outside the UK, region including Nottinghamshire County Council; HS2 could aid the movement of goods and freight along this Limited; Highways England; and universities. These Corridor. Likely to follow the current transport network, plans will create at least 84,000 jobs, 20,000 new it will alleviate pressure on roads and avoid the build-up homes, 180,000m2 of commercial space and add £4.8 of bottlenecks. billion to the regional economy. This follows on from a number of SPVs aimed at delivering growth around HS2 stations, such as the Urban Growth Company (UGC) at the Interchange Station.

141 Birmingham Airport (2018) Airport Masterplan 2018 142 Property Week (28/06/2019) Hub of activity boosts Solihull. 87

Embracing Digital Infrastructure For In addition to the above, up to £50m is being invested in 5G trials in Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton. Competitiveness & Inclusivity These involve safety drivers and are currently taking place within the UK Connected and Autonomous Smart Cities can broadly be defined as any city Vehicle (CAV) Testbed that comprises 80 kilometres that incorporates Information and Communication of urban roads in Birmingham and Coventry. CAV will Technology (ICT) to enhance the quality and provide huge social, and economic benefits to the UK performance of urban services. Next generation 5G by expanding the industrial base, improving safety Networks can be 100 times faster than 4G, with higher and congestion, tackling social exclusion, driving up data rates capable of transferring larger volumes of productivity and freeing up space usually devoted information. 5G can also deliver better connectivity via to vehicles in our urban areas. The megaregion will super-fast fibre optic broadband. Whilst 5G has the benefit disproportionately from this given how deeply potential to disrupt a huge number of industries, the ingrained the automotive industries are in its economy Government’s stance on it is clear: 5G will be good for and given it is home to the leading specialist CAV business, creating more commercial opportunities and vehicle manufacturers in Westfield and RDM. increasing productivity.

The Government is supporting further growth in 5G The Government is currently working in partnership through the Urban Connected Communities Project with the West Midlands to develop an innovative and that marks the next step in the national 5G Testbed and integrated transport network, including delivering Trials Programme. the UK’s first large-scale 5G testbed with hubs in Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Coventry. A Future They are encouraging greater collaboration and Mobility Zone between Birmingham, Solihull and integration with other 5G testbeds, including the Coventry, known as Midlands Future Mobility (MFM) has Worcestershire 5G Consortium, to deliver productivity been established using £20m of Government funding143. improvements for the wider supply chain. The MFM is focused at the heart of the UK’s automotive Government announced Worcestershire as one of innovation. With support from a consortium of delivery the winners of a £25 million competition to pave partners (WMG, Amey, AVL, Costain, Zenzic, Coventry the way for a future rollout of 5G technology in the University, MIRA, TfWM, Wireless Infrastructure UK. The Consortium will begin the country’s most Group, Highways England), it provides a real-world comprehensive industrial 5G Testbed trial with a team ecosystem for Connected and Automated Mobility of 5G specialists and business experts pioneering the (CAM) technology development. Acting as a springboard concept of ‘Industry 4.0’. This includes Worcestershire for scalable, future mobility technologies and services, County Council, 5GIC at the University of Surrey, AWTG, its digital services support businesses from research Huawei, O2, BT, and Malvern Hills Science Park145. As and development right through to cost-effective ‘right- part of this initiative, Heart of Worcestershire College first-time’ prototyping in CAM and communications (HoW) has been selected to launch a 5G academy at its solutions144. MFM will play a crucial role in accelerating Centre of Digital Engineering (CODE). The Worcester technological progress, establishing the UK’s presence 5G Consortium benefits from £41m of public and in the autonomous vehicle market and contributing to private sector funding, to explore new ‘fifth generation’ the UK’s Industrial Strategy. mobile communications technologies that use a high frequency spectrum to deliver internet speeds of over a gigabit per second146.

143 HM Government (2019) West Midlands Local Industrial Strategy 145 HM Government (2019) West Midlands Local Industrial Strategy 144 https://midlandsfuturemobility.co.uk/about-us/ 146 https://www.wlep.co.uk/current-projects/worcestershire-5g/ 88

Transport and Logistics Energy Clusters Advanced Manufacturing Clusters Clusters » Decentralised Smart Grid with » Factories of the future will be » Run and record demonstrations increased usage of protection, constructed by designers, data of connected and autonomous control and monitoring leading analysts and visualisation specialists, systems on real roads, across to improved power quality, powered by 5G connectivity and highways, urban, suburban and rural fewer power outages, smaller involve the rapid design, build and routes. The University of Warwick power outage areas, and easier deployment of virtual and physical campus has created a ‘mini city’ for grid deployments with less components. logistics and service development. environmental impact in urban » More flexibility for wireless factories areas. » Integrate vehicle or service with with network connected machines transport and commercial hubs. » Increased resilience that enable that can roam more freely; increasing Trucks will be able to drive in micro-grid solutions that are flexibility and productivity. networked convoys (so called important in black-out recovery as » Real-time predictive maintenance ‘platooning’) using driverless car the threat of cyber-attacks on the preventing delays on the production technology that can be used power network increases. line that can cost millions of pounds alongside a range of other possible (Worcester 5G Consortium have management strategies, such worked with Worcester Bosch and as freight only lanes, junction shown that implementing sensors that alterations and changing priorities catch breakdowns before they occur during major incidents. can increase productivity by 1%). » Tailored connectivity so speed, capacity, coverage and encryption Life Sciences Clusters can be tailored to the specific needs of different machines and operations, » Enables Ambulance Drones – a 5G can improve security and keep costs compact flying toolbox containing down. essential supplies for advanced life support and ability to deliver automated defibrillator. Research and Development » Ambulance crews will be able to (‘Cyber Valley’) scan patients on the move and then transmit the information to » Focused on the 5G commercial hospitals in advance of their arrival applications, QinetiQ, Worcester enabling the Realtime mobile Agri-tech Clusters Bosch and Yamazaki Mazak will be delivery of rich data sets. among the first users to enable » NHS Apps will change the delivery » Enables drones for livestock development in the cyber security of healthcare whereby the journey monitoring to detect when an industry applications, Industry 4.0. from GP to a specialist, to diagnosis animal is sick, trapped, injured or and sensor data management. then treatment could happen from missing and also to monitor, count your phone. and control crops and spot signs of disease or weeds. Professional Services Cluster » Livestock can wear 5G collars (Birmingham City Centre) Gaming Cluster (Silicon Spa’). to provide veterinarians or nutritionists information on their » Rapid expansion of cyber security and » Facilitates new “plug and play” diets and sleeping patterns. financial technology that will benefit 5G accelerator for rapid product » Autonomous tractors can sow one of UK’s largest financial services and process development access seeds and 5G Technology can be hubs, with a range of global financial for digital and creative firms and used to increase the precision and firms locating and expanding in the innovators. efficiency in crop spraying. area - including Deutsche Bank, KPMG, PwC and HSBC. 89

There is evidently an existing critical mass of To facilitate ubiquitous coverage, the Midlands must pioneering initiatives located in the West Midlands that ensure the infrastructure is put in place to support must be built upon and spread across the megaregion. the 4th Industrial Revolution. It is important that the Whilst 5G initiatives are currently focussed upon CAV Midlands provides suitable sites to accommodate and the automotive sector in urban areas, the aim Data Centres to cope with exponential increases in for comprehensive 5G coverage across the whole of data usage and demand. These data storage facilities the Midlands could assist deprived areas and bring require urban locations with availability of power (ability about significant socio-economic benefits for other to scale up power), full fibre, good site security and key sectors that the constituent LEPs, are prioritising proximity to urban areas with speed of connection through their Local Industrial Strategies. Roll out of (latency). new testbeds should begin with significant clusters in transport and logistics, manufacturing, life sciences, agri-tech and creative industries that will all benefit Critical Assets from greater 5G penetration in differing ways. 1) Midlands Motorway and Rail Hubs: 1. Deliver a Ensuring the Midlands rural and peripheral areas are long-term programme of investment, including not socially excluded as a result of a lack of digital investment in the A46, M42 Improvements and connectivity is key to avoiding widening socio- re-instatement of rail services between Coventry, economic inequalities. Arguably, it is rural areas Nottingham and Leicester. that could benefit most from increased 5G coverage. This will enable increased knowledge-intensive 2) High Speed Rail Infrastructure: A commitment homeworking in rural locations like the Peak District, to inter-city connectivity through investment in where broadband can have a significant GVA uplift HS2 and HS5. through business efficiencies, enhanced trade opportunities and less impactful travel behaviours. 3) Optimising Strategic Gateways: Maximising the Long, rural ambulance journeys to A&E could be potential of Birmingham & East Midlands Airports, transformed by paramedics being able to share High Speed Rail Stations and Strategic Rail Freight critical patient data with A&E staff in real time whilst Interchanges, as well as Immingham & Grimsby in transit, speeding up the triage process. This forms Ports that fall just outside the megaregion. a strong business case for 5G being targeted in the Birmingham Life Sciences cluster. In agriculture, 5G 4) Further investment in 5G infrastructure building collars facilitate the monitoring of livestock’s diets and upon Midlands Future Mobility & Worcestershire 5G sleeping patterns, drones can be used to identify signs Consortium. of disease or weeds that may threaten crop yields and autonomous tractors can sow seeds whilst drones take samples to assess what fertilizers and pesticides to apply and where147. This calls for 5G to be targeted in Greater Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and The Marches to support this sector.

147 https://edition.cnn.com/2019/04/01/business/5g-farming/index. html 90

Institutional Framework

Implementing a pan-Midlands spatial strategy is challenging due to its complex and convoluted institutional structure. It comprises numerous national, regional, sub-regional and localised institutions that have different (sometimes competing and contradictory) interests. This has resulted in a piecemeal and disjointed approach to planning that is exacerbated by the East Midlands/West Midlands dichotomy.

Existing Institutional Structure

The national structures, including Government departments, are at the heart of this institutional framework. These provide a legislative framework, that clusters of organisations (subsidiaries, quasi- governmental bodies, agencies and specialists) operate within and are bounded by their working relationships. These tend to have stronger working relationships with one another as they have commonalities based upon their specific area of expertise (utilities, transport, environment, etc.). Given that utility companies are inextricably linked to infrastructure projects, at a variety of scales, they have a broader range of relationships.

Local authorities, whilst only having a localised level of influence, have wide-ranging connections with other bodies and stakeholders. They have to deal with a multitude of issues and engage with numerous external consultees as part of plan-making and decision-taking processes. There is, of course, a degree of overlap in terms of priorities facilitated by local authority representatives sitting on LEP boards. LEPs are partnerships between local authorities and businesses and were set up by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in 2011. LEPs are responsible for helping to determine local priorities for a locality and lead to economic job growth; working together at a sub-regional scale, but also across boundaries, based on Housing Market Areas (HMAs) and Functional Economic Market Areas (FEMAs). 91 92

The West Midlands Combined Authority provides a A Unity of Purpose degree of cohesion for its constituent authorities that can be advantageous in gaining funding. However, the The most appropriate scale of planning, and how best unity it provides through its Mayor has the potential to streamline the convoluted organisational structure to skew initiatives towards the conurbation. The East of the current planning system is a much-debated Midlands Councils is a consultative forum for local topic. There is a widespread feeling that the revocation government in the East Midlands and represents the of Regional Spatial Strategies (RSSs) has left too wide a interest of 45 local councils to national government and void between national planning policy and local plan- other organisations. making. In light of the above, there is a need for a more joined-up, collegiate and transparent approach to Overall the Institutional Framework diagram shows governance and implementation if the Midlands’ growth a complex web of functions and relationships with ambitions are to be realised. engagement between them happening simultaneously. At times, agreement between two organisations or There is an opportunity to re-ignite strategic spatial institutions is dependent on information or consent planning to plug this gap through a unified institutional from a third, which can lead to protracted and body, such as an ME9 ‘super-LEP’ that brings together complicated decision-making especially where there is the constituent LEPs, or even a Midlands Engine a scarcity of resources. Economic Growth Board. It is recognised that this is a challenging prospect given the structural and political Midlands Connect is the pan-Midlands partnership differences between the East and West Midlands striving to improve infrastructure across the Midlands, (i.e. where would the West Midland Mayor sit within but there are a number of other transport bodies this revised governance arrangement) and lack of operating at reduced scales, including Transport for alignment between administrative boundaries and West Midlands and Transport for East Midlands. It functioning spatial areas (e.g. the South East Midlands’ is important that the funding horizons and delivery strong functional links to The Arc). However, providing timescales align with one another and their approaches sufficient funding would create cohesion and have a to increased connectivity are complementary. LEPs real impact on the UK’s economy. This would also be have strong links with key partners, including Network assisted by future infrastructure investment that seeks Rail and the Highways Agency, and need stronger direct to overcome the longstanding east-west connectivity input into their investment programmes to ensure issues in the Midlands. national and local investment is better aligned with economic growth aspirations at the megaregional level. 93

It is our view that a Midlands-wide Strategic Plan would be predicated on the following objectives:

1) In clusive Growth - ensure growth occurs in a manner that delivers economic prosperity, quality of place and reduces growth inequality across the megaregion.

2) Exp edient Delivery - coordinates delivery of infrastructure that drives growth across the megaregion and uses a plethora of planning powers and instruments in its rapid, co-ordinated implementation

3) Deep ening Collaboration – build on expertise to enable a range of collaborative delivery models comprising public and private sector partners and developing relationships with other UK megaregions to drive national growth objectives, recognising the strong cross-boundary relationships identified earlier in this Report.

A unified institutional body would be responsible for reconciling the megaregion’s Industrial and Spatial Strategies to deliver the ambitions of a pan-Midlands Strategic Economic Plan (SEP). Whilst local authorities would continue to implement local plans, decisions would be made within a broader strategic framework. 94

Infrastructure Programme

The delivery of strategic infrastructure Large-scale projects are often reliant on one-off Government grants, but can also be delivered through projects is crucial to the maximisation public and private sector partnerships. The latter of growth across the Midlands as this can be complicated, however, and the megaregion’s unlocks development potential. Securing complex institutional structure means it can lack a joined-up approach. As set out in the Institutional initial funding, and carefully considering Framework, this can be ameliorated through greater the deployment of future funding over the alignment between strategic infrastructure decisions project’s planning horizon, is essential to and wider spatial planning priorities. Plugging housing and job growth into the long-term programme delivery and reduces wasted resources. of infrastructure priorities, published by Midlands However, this is not a risk-free process Connect, would ensure greater co-ordination, and must take into account the future efficiencies and holistically planned places delivered through a combination of public and private sector strength of the economy, political cycles funding. Indeed, a central component of Midlands and change (e.g. Brexit), new legislation Connect’s Strategy is investing in making best use (including climate change regulations) and of the existing Midlands Motorway and Rail Hubs. In many cases, this represents a more affordable technological advancements. and deliverable alternative to the provision of new infrastructure and assists in alleviating short-term issues.

A clear and transparent programme of delivery, with clear funding horizons, synergy with other projects and wider growth aspirations, can give greater certainty to investors. It also enables economies of scale in the procurement process and allows contractors to mobilise themselves at the appropriate time. Notwithstanding this, there is a need for periodic review to assess whether value can be added through the embodiment of new technologies, construction methods or consultation tools. 95

The Midlands has benefited from a number of national There is also an imbalance within the megaregion funding streams including the Housing Infrastructure when it comes to Government expenditure. While the Fund (HIF), Growth Deals, The Growing Places Fund polycentricity of the East Midlands can be structurally and European Structural Investment Funds. In the advantageous, it can be more difficult to attract Infrastructure and Project Authority’s (IPA’s) National funding due to a plurality of interests rather than Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2016-2021, the Government benefitting from a more cohesive political agenda projected £9 billion of investment in Midlands promoted through a Mayor. There was a degree of infrastructure, alongside the devolution of further parity between the East and West Midlands 5 years powers to the WMCA and Greater Lincolnshire. This ago, but this has changed with the arrival of the spending was broken down further in the Midlands West Midlands’ Mayor. The different governance Engine Strategy (2017), where the Government arrangements could result in a widening funding committed to investing £392 million through Phase 3 of gap between the east and west, which could have a the Local Growth Fund (this investment is in addition to knock-on effect in terms of skills, jobs and economic the £1.5 billion already awarded to the Midlands through opportunities. Should the West Midlands Mayor be previous rounds of funding). Similarly, a £250 million given spatial planning powers in the future this has the Midlands Engine Investment Fund has been launched potential to accentuate these disparities. to finance the expansion plans of SMEs across the megaregion. The first Infrastructure Programme below contains those projects of national or megaregional importance However, in comparative terms, there are still that are currently underway, at build out stage or early inequalities in Central Government expenditure per development or with a commitment to be delivered. head on economic affairs, transport capital and pipeline projects. Typically, expenditure is higher in London, the South East and North West compared to both the East and West Midlands. 96 2044 2040 2048 2046 2064 2045 2054 2043 2034 2042 2024 2049 2060 2050 2030 2020 2068 2058 2038 2028 2066 2056 2065 2055 2036 2063 2026 2053 2035 2062 2025 2052 2033 2069 2023 2032 2059 2022 2039 2029 2070 2067 2057 2037 2027 2047 2019 2051 2061 2041 2021 2031

Political Timetable UK General Elections X X X X X X X X X X X West Midlands Mayoral Elections X X X X X X X X X X X X Leicester City Mayoral Elections X X X X X X X X X X X X Mansfield City Mayoral Elections X X X X X X X X X X X X Birmingham Commonwealth Games X Coventry City of Culture X Existing Strategic Infrastructure Projects Airports UK Government Aviation Strategy (Publication) X Birmingham Airport Investment Plan (2018) X East Midlands Airport Development Plan (2015) X Rail HS2 (Phase 1) X HS2 (Phase 2a) X HS2 (Phase 2b) X Midlands Rail Hub X Derby-Stoke-Crewe X Birmingham-Shrewsbury X Nottingham-Lincoln X Curson St Masterplan X Longbridge Connectivity Scheme X Wolverhampton Interchange X Water Orton Local Enhancements X Camp Hill Line: Local Enhancements X Walsall to Wolverhampton Local Enhancements (new stations at Willenhall and Darlaston) X Coventry VLR: University of Warwick to City Centre via Coventry Station (Phase 1) X Midlands Rail Hub: Snow Hill Enhancements (Platform 4 Reinstatement, signalling and Rowley Regis Turnback) X Snow Hill Lines (Platform 4 Reinstatement and Signalling Works & Rowley Regis Turnback local enhancement) X Midlands Rail Hub: Water Orton and Kingsbury Area Remodelling X Midlands Rail Hub: Bordesley Chords and line into Moor Street X Aldridge station and electrification X Solihull Station Long Term Capacity and Public Transport X Rapid Transport SPRINT: Birmingham City Centre to Airport/Solihull (A45) X SPRINT: Sutton Coldfield to Birmingham City Centre via Langley X SPRINT: Hall Green to Interchange via Solihull X SPRINT: Walsall to Birmingham (A34) X Metro/Light Rail Links Metro: Birmingham Eastside/HS2 Extension X Metro: Centenary Square/Five Ways Extension X Metro: Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Extension X Metro East Birmingham to Solihull Tramway X Birmingham Westside Metro Extension X Birmingham Eastside Metro Extension - Decision due Coventry Tram System X Multi-Modal Sutton Coldfield Interchange and City Link X UKC Interchange X Coventry Rail Station Masterplan (Coveringa mixture of measures) X UK Central Infrastructure Package X University Station X WMCA Area Park and Ride expansion programme X Road Binley Interchange (Coventry) X Walsgrave Interchange (Coventry) X Newark Bypass - Funding Confirmed X Lincoln Eastern Bypass - Completion X Highways England Road Investment Strategy 1 (RIS 1) X Highways England Road Investment Strategy 2 (RIS 2) X Road - Major Road Network Submissions A4123 Birchley Island, Sandwell X A38 Bromsgrove Route Enhancement Programme, Worcestershire X A426/A4071 Avon Mill/Hunters Lane Improvements, Warwickshire X Queensway Link, Telford X A511 Growth Corridor, Coalville X A454 between Wolverhampton and East Park Gateway X A45/Coventry Road/Damson Parkway Junction, Solihull X A614 Ollerton to Lowdham Improvements, Nottinghamshire X Road - Large Local Major Submissions North Hykeham Relief Road X Chesterfield-Staveley Regeneration Route X City East Link Road X Hereford Bypass (Under review - decision to be made by late 2019) X Miscellaneous Boston Barrier Project X 97 2044 2040 2048 2046 2064 2045 2054 2043 2034 2042 2024 2049 2060 2050 2030 2020 2068 2058 2038 2028 2066 2056 2065 2055 2036 2063 2026 2053 2035 2062 2025 2052 2033 2069 2023 2032 2059 2022 2039 2029 2070 2067 2057 2037 2027 2047 2019 2051 2061 2041 2021 2031

Political Timetable Funding/Investment (Millions) UK General Elections N/A X X X X X X X X X X X West Midlands Mayoral Elections N/A X X X X X X X X X X X X Leicester City Mayoral Elections N/A X X X X X X X X X X X X Mansfield City Mayoral Elections N/A X X X X X X X X X X X X Birmingham Commonwealth Games £778m (Cost to Government) X Coventry City of Culture TBC X Existing Strategic Infrastructure Projects Airports UK Government Aviation Strategy (Publication) N/A X Birmingham Airport Investment Plan (2018) £500m in plan period X East Midlands Airport Development Plan (2015) N/A X Rail HS2 (Phase 1) X HS2 (Phase 2a) X HS2 (Phase 2b) X Midlands Rail Hub £2.020m X Derby-Stoke-Crewe £50m X Birmingham-Shrewsbury £200m X Nottingham-Lincoln £50m X Curson St Masterplan £557m X Longbridge Connectivity Scheme £10m X Wolverhampton Interchange £119m X Water Orton Local Enhancements £55m X Camp Hill Line: Local Enhancements £40m X Walsall to Wolverhampton Local Enhancements (new stations at Willenhall and Darlaston) £18m X Coventry VLR: University of Warwick to City Centre via Coventry Station (Phase 1) £55m X Midlands Rail Hub: Snow Hill Enhancements (Platform 4 Reinstatement, signalling and Rowley Regis Turnback) £10m X Snow Hill Lines (Platform 4 Reinstatement and Signalling Works & Rowley Regis Turnback local enhancement) £10m X Midlands Rail Hub: Water Orton and Kingsbury Area Remodelling £50m X Midlands Rail Hub: Bordesley Chords and line into Moor Street £200m X Aldridge station and electrification £39m X Solihull Station Long Term Capacity and Public Transport £12m X Rapid Transport SPRINT: Birmingham City Centre to Airport/Solihull (A45) £50m X SPRINT: Sutton Coldfield to Birmingham City Centre via Langley £27m X SPRINT: Hall Green to Interchange via Solihull £32m X SPRINT: Walsall to Birmingham (A34) £33m X Metro/Light Rail Links Metro: Birmingham Eastside/HS2 Extension £137m X Metro: Centenary Square/Five Ways Extension £148m X Metro: Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Extension £343m X Metro East Birmingham to Solihull Tramway £368m X Birmingham Westside Metro Extension X Birmingham Eastside Metro Extension - Decision due Coventry Tram System X Multi-Modal Sutton Coldfield Interchange and City Link £22m X UKC Interchange £672m X Coventry Rail Station Masterplan (Coveringa mixture of measures) £82m X UK Central Infrastructure Package £656m X University Station £28m X WMCA Area Park and Ride expansion programme £20m X Road Binley Interchange (Coventry) X Walsgrave Interchange (Coventry) X Newark Bypass - Funding Confirmed X Lincoln Eastern Bypass - Completion X Highways England Road Investment Strategy 1 (RIS 1) X Highways England Road Investment Strategy 2 (RIS 2) X Road - Major Road Network Submissions A4123 Birchley Island, Sandwell £29m X A38 Bromsgrove Route Enhancement Programme, Worcestershire £47m X A426/A4071 Avon Mill/Hunters Lane Improvements, Warwickshire £22m X Queensway Link, Telford £39m X A511 Growth Corridor, Coalville £49m X A454 between Wolverhampton and East Park Gateway £35m X A45/Coventry Road/Damson Parkway Junction, Solihull £33m X A614 Ollerton to Lowdham Improvements, Nottinghamshire £20m X Road - Large Local Major Submissions North Hykeham Relief Road £153m X Chesterfield-Staveley Regeneration Route £93m X City East Link Road £86m X Hereford Bypass (Under review - decision to be made by late 2019) £153m X Miscellaneous Boston Barrier Project over £100m X 98

Under the previous ‘Compelling Visions’ section a development potential and maximise growth across number of strategic priorities were identified that the Midlands and beyond. The timescales for delivery will require further infrastructure investment in the are simply indicative and reflect the strategic scale of future. These priorities are examples of mega-projects these projects. which could come forward in the plan period to unlock

Description of Key Considerations Indicative Timescale for Infrastructure Asset Delivery

A Prosperous Midlands

Sector-specific Centres of Bolster strategic clusters identified through the Midlands 2030. Excellence. Engine’s Science and Innovation Audit (i.e. Next Generation Transport; Medical Technologies and Pharmaceuticals; Future Food Processing; Energy and Low Carbon). Early investment will accelerate innovation and align with Midlands Engine’s ambitions.

Key Investment Corridors This will involve delivering objectives identified through future Ongoing investment continued investment is key and Highways England’s Road Investment Strategies (RISs), as well as including Highways has wider significance given the enabling infrastructure to unlock new Strategic Employment Sites England’s RIS3 (2025- megaregion’s network is key to at motorway junctions. 2030) and RIS4 (2030- inter-regional connectivity. 2035).

M6 Toll Additional signage, smart information and strengthened Making better use of M6 governance arrangements to encourage greater use of the M6 Toll by 2020 and longer- Toll at any time, to relieve the M6 on its most congested sections term investment by 2050. between Junction 4 and 11, but particularly during incidents on the M6.

A46 Longer-term investment to support growth of key sites following 2045 implementation of initial stages through RIS2 (April 2020-March 2025). Midlands Connect has identified a 20 Year Plan for implementation.

Western Strategic Route (M5 to Long-term aspiration to support long distance movements from Financial provision to be M6). the North West to the South West through the Midlands, reducing made during RIS3 and congestion on the M5 and the north-western section of the RIS4 with delivery by Motorway Hub where conditions on the M6 are some of the worst 2055. in the country.

Strategic Green Belt Review Following the recommendations of the West Midlands Land Complete by 2023. Commission Final Report and GL Hearn HMA Study, a review is to be undertaken at the earliest opportunity given the land supply constraints; particularly around identifying a pipeline of Strategic Employment Sites in the West Midlands.

Place-making for Tomorrow

SUEs/Housing Growth Areas Delivery of significant housing growth identified through Local 2036 Plans/Strategic Growth Study over the next plan period noting that these Sites need to be considered on a site by site basis and not all will be suitable for development.

New Towns and Garden Villages Significant housing growth achieved through new settlements 2032-2050 noting that some of these may not come to fruition. 99

Description of Key Considerations Indicative Timescale for Infrastructure Asset Delivery

A Greener Midlands

Automotive Arc In response to changes in the automotive industries, strategic First Gigafactory investment in battery technology/infrastructure at the right delivered by 2030. locations and will include a large Gigafactory. The battery Further facility required components can make up to 40% of the total cost of an electric by 2050 as the scale vehicle and it is more economical to produce the entire battery in of electric vehicle one location; hence why the factory needs to be so large. production increases.

Eastern Energy Innovation Zone Investment in energy innovation with overlap with Centre of Early Investment (by Excellence and A46 Improvements, as well as identification of new 2025) around Leicester, employment sites. Nottingham and Lincoln with greater investment alongside A46 Improvements to 2050.

Western Energy Innovation Zone Investment in energy innovation to overlap with Centre of Early investment in Excellence and Western Strategic Route, as well as identification south of Birmingham and of new employment sites. Staffordshire (by 2025) with later investment along Western Strategic Route up to 2060.

Lincolnshire Flood Defences £88 million investment in Boston Barrier tidal flood alleviation Ongoing investment to scheme with other interventions made alongside this including 2070 to add resilience and potential for ‘polders’ that could have a dual benefit of providing adaptability to climate agricultural land. change.

Infrastructure: The Enabler of Growth

Strategic Rail Freight As recommended in the National Policy Statement for National Potential for delivery of Interchanges (SRFIs) - Noting that Networks (December 2014) , SRFIs need to be located in market- five new SRFIs by 2035 Northampton Gateway DCO was facing locations so appropriately located relative to the markets (subject to consenting recently approved and a decision they serve; have good road access and consider impacts on the processes). on the West Midlands Interchange surrounding environment given they are large-scale, 24 hour DCO is due shortly, there are operations. Early investment will assist in alleviating congestion a number of other schemes in on the megaregion’s motorway hub albeit further facilities are the pipeline that may come to required in the South East to strengthen the network. fruition to deliver a network of Midlands SRFIs to provide a more sustainable alternative to road- based freight.

High Speed 5 (HS5) Development of the Project will require co-ordination with the 2065 South East megaregion.

Hyperloop Initial investment planned around Birmingham conurbation to 2030-2070. facilitate last mile once tested successfully in the South East and roll out to include cargo at East Midlands Airport. Further investment made in other Midlands cities as technology becomes more commonplace.

Birmingham Airport Expansion Implementation of current Masterplan by 2033 and requirement 2050-2070 for expansion thereafter to accommodate population growth and pressures to reach new destinations.

Delivering these strategic priorities in combination and UK2070. A Further Infrastructure Programme is is essential to the delivery of the Regional Blueprint provided containing these strategic priorities and their and objective of the One Powerhouse Consortium indicative timescales for delivery. 100

Future FutureStrategic Strategic Infrastructure Infrastructure Projects Projects PotentialPotential timeline timeline of project of projectlifespans lifespans 2019 20202019 2021 2020 2022 2021 2023 2022 2024 2023 2025 2024 2026 2025 2027 2026 2028 2027 2029 20282030 2029 20312030 2032 2031 2033 2032 2034 2033 2035 2034 2036 2035 2037 2036 2038 2037 2039 2038 2040 2039 2041 2040 2042 2041 2043 2042 2044 2043 2045 2044 2046 2045 2047 2046 2048 2047 2049 2048 2050 2049 2051 2050 2052 2051 2053 2052 2054 2053 2055 2054 2056 2055 2057 2056 2058 2057 2059 2058 2060 2059 2061 2060 2062 2061 2063 2062 2064 2063 2065 2064 2066 2065 2067 2066 2068 2067 2069 2068 2070 2069 2070 A ProsperousA Prosperous Midlands Midlands Establish Spector-specificEstablish Spector-specific Centres of Centres Excellence of Excellence and Innovation and Innovation Boards Boards Next GenerationNext Generation Transport Transport X X Medical TechnologiesMedical Technologies and Pharmaceuticals and Pharmaceuticals X X Future FoodFuture Processing Food Processing X X Energy andEnergy Low Carbon and Low Carbon X X

StrengtheningStrengthening Key Investment Key Investment Corridors andCorridors Identifying and Identifying new new Inclusive GrowthInclusive Corridors Growth Corridors M6 Toll M6 Toll X X A46 A46 X X Western StrategicWestern Route Strategic Route X X Highways EnglandHighways Road England Investment Road Investment Strategy 3 (RISStrategy 3) 3 (RIS 3) X X Highways EnglandHighways Road England Investment Road Investment Strategy 4 (RISStrategy 4) 4 (RIS 4) X X

UndertakingUndertaking a Strategic a GreenStrategic Belt Green Review Belt Review X X

Place-makingPlace-making for Tomorrow for Tomorrow ImplementImplement a Mixed Strategy a Mixed for Strategy Housing for Growth Housing and Growth Delivering and Delivering AdaptableAdaptable Places Places SUEs/housingSUEs/housing growth areas growth identified areas in identified adopted inand adopted emerging and local emerging plans localPotential plans forPotential approximatly for approximatly 143,000 dwellings 143,000 to dwellings be provided to be from provided adopted from and adopted emerging and local emerging plan allocations local plan allocationsover the next over 15 the years next albeit 15 years recognising albeit recognising that some sitesthat willsome be sites discounted will be discounted and there may and bethere delays may be delays (>2000 dwellings).(>2000 dwellings). in the deliveryin the delivery X X Urban extensionsUrban extensions(1,500-7,500 (1,500-7,500 dwellings) anddwellings) new settlements and new settlements (10,000+ (10,000+ dwellings) (identifieddwellings) in(identified the GL Hearn in the Greater GL Hearn Birmingham Greater Birmingham HMA Strategic HMA Strategic Growth Study,Growth Feb 2018)Study, Feb 2018) X X

New TownsNew and TownsGarden and Villages Garden Villages Meecebrook,Meecebrook, Stafford Borough Stafford Council Borough Council Up to 10,000Up dwellings to 10,000 dwellings X X Long Marston,Long Stratford-Upon-Avon Marston, Stratford-Upon-Avon Up to 3,500Up dwellings to 3,500 dwellings X X Spitalgate Heath,Spitalgate South Heath, Kesteven South District Kesteven Council District Council Up to 3,700Up dwellings to 3,700 dwellings X X Infinity GardenInfinity Villages, Garden South Villages, Derbyshire South DerbyshireDistrict Council/Derby District Council/Derby District District Council Council Up to 3,500Up dwellings to 3,500 dwellings X X North NorthamptonshireNorth Northamptonshire Garden Villages Garden Villages Over 25,000Over dwellings 25,000 - dwellingsrecognising - recognising there may bethere delays may in be delivery delays in delivery X X

A GreenerA GreenerMidlands Midlands EstablishingEstablishing the Midlands the AutomotiveMidlands Automotive Arc (AA) and Arc Eastern (AA) and and Eastern and Western EnergyWestern Innovation Energy Innovation Zones Zones Midlands AutomotiveMidlands Automotive Arc (AA) Arc (AA) Delivery of Deliverya 'Gigafactory' of a 'Gigafactory' X X Deilvery of Deilveryadditional of factoryadditional factory X X Eastern EnergyEastern Innovation Energy Innovation Zone Zone In conjunctionIn conjunction with A46 improvements with A46 improvements X X Western EnergyWestern Innovation Energy Innovation Zone Zone In conjunctionIn conjunction with Western with Strategic Western route Strategic route X X

A holistic approachA holistic approachto Flood Defence to Flood and Defence Waste and Management Waste Management to to protect theprotect UK's National the UK's Food National Security Food Security Flood DefenceFlood and Defence Waste and Management Waste Management Immediate Immediateinvestment investment required for required safeguarding for safeguarding purposes purposes X X Ongoing investmentOngoing investment required to required react/adapt to react/adapt to climate changeto climate change

Infrastructure:Infrastructure: the Enabler the ofEnabler Growth of Growth Investing inInvesting the Midlands in the MotorwayMidlands Motorway and Rail Hubs and Rail Hubs Strategic RailStrategic Freight Rail Interchanges Freight Interchanges (SRFIs) (SRFIs) NorthamptonNorthampton Gateway SRFI Gateway SRFI X X West MidlandsWest Interchange Midlands Interchange SRFI SRFI X X Hinckley NationalHinckley SRFI National SRFI X X East MidlandsEast Intermodal Midlands Intermodal Park SRFI Park SRFI X X East MidlandsEast Gateway Midlands SRFI Gateway SRFI X X High-SpeedHigh-Speed 5 5 X X X X

Using DevelopmentUsing Development Corporations/Special Corporations/Special Purpose Vehicles Purpose to Vehicles to optimise Strategicoptimise GatewaysStrategic Gateways HyperloopHyperloop (for freight (for purposes) freight purposes) Initial investmentInitial investment around Birmingham around Birmingham and East Midlands and East Airport Midlands Airport BirminghamBirmingham Airport Expansion Airport Expansion- 2nd runway - 2nd runway X X X X (Government)(Government) Targeted ProgrammeTargeted Programme of investment of investment in 5G to benefit in 5G to benefitMajority ofMajority population of populationcovered by covered5G signal by 5G signal X Full fibreX nationwideFull fibre nationwide coverage coverageX X key sectorskey sectors 101

Future Strategic Infrastructure Projects Potential timeline of project lifespans 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 2036 2037 2038 2039 2040 2041 2042 2043 2044 2045 2046 2047 2048 2049 2050 2051 2052 2053 2054 2055 2056 2057 2058 2059 2060 2061 2062 2063 2064 2065 2066 2067 2068 2069 2070 A Prosperous Midlands Establish Spector-specific Centres of Excellence and Innovation Boards Next Generation Transport X Medical Technologies and Pharmaceuticals X Future Food Processing X Energy and Low Carbon X

Strengthening Key Investment Corridors and Identifying new Inclusive Growth Corridors M6 Toll X A46 X Western Strategic Route X Highways England Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS 3) X Highways England Road Investment Strategy 4 (RIS 4) X

Undertaking a Strategic Green Belt Review X

Place-making for Tomorrow Implement a Mixed Strategy for Housing Growth and Delivering Adaptable Places SUEs/housing growth areas identified in adopted and emerging local plans Potential for approximatly 143,000 dwellings to be provided from adopted and emerging local plan allocations over the next 15 years albeit recognising that some sites will be discounted and there may be delays (>2000 dwellings). in the delivery X Urban extensions (1,500-7,500 dwellings) and new settlements (10,000+ dwellings) (identified in the GL Hearn Greater Birmingham HMA Strategic Growth Study, Feb 2018) X

New Towns and Garden Villages Meecebrook, Stafford Borough Council Up to 10,000 dwellings X Long Marston, Stratford-Upon-Avon Up to 3,500 dwellings X Spitalgate Heath, South Kesteven District Council Up to 3,700 dwellings X Infinity Garden Villages, South Derbyshire District Council/Derby District Council Up to 3,500 dwellings X North Northamptonshire Garden Villages Over 25,000 dwellings - recognising there may be delays in delivery X

A Greener Midlands Establishing the Midlands Automotive Arc (AA) and Eastern and Western Energy Innovation Zones Midlands Automotive Arc (AA) Delivery of a 'Gigafactory' X Deilvery of additional factory X Eastern Energy Innovation Zone In conjunction with A46 improvements X Western Energy Innovation Zone In conjunction with Western Strategic route X

A holistic approach to Flood Defence and Waste Management to protect the UK's National Food Security Flood Defence and Waste Management Immediate investment required for safeguarding purposes X Ongoing investment required to react/adapt to climate change

Infrastructure: the Enabler of Growth Investing in the Midlands Motorway and Rail Hubs Strategic Rail Freight Interchanges (SRFIs) Northampton Gateway SRFI X West Midlands Interchange SRFI X Hinckley National SRFI X East Midlands Intermodal Park SRFI X East Midlands Gateway SRFI X High-Speed 5 X X

Using Development Corporations/Special Purpose Vehicles to optimise Strategic Gateways Hyperloop (for freight purposes) Initial investment around Birmingham and East Midlands Airport Birmingham Airport Expansion - 2nd runway X X (Government) Targeted Programme of investment in 5G to benefit Majority of population covered by 5G signal X Full fibre nationwide coverage X key sectors 102

Conclusion

The Midlands megaregion will experience A Midlands Manifesto for Prosperity, comprising of 10 Strategic priorities, has been produced that seeks unprecedented growth and incontrovertible to address these priorities and is based around four change over the next 50 years brought main themes: A Prosperous Midlands; Place-making about by macro-level processes, such for Tomorrow; A Greener Midlands; and Infrastructure: The Enabler of Growth. Alongside these priorities, as climate change and technological are a number of Critical Assets that act as the pillars advancements. It will inevitably face a of growth. These must be prioritised as a focus for series of challenges as it transitions into investment such that they are optimised and improved to increase productivity in the megaregion and assist in the 4th Industrial Revolution that have re-balancing the economy. been identified through the analytical frameworks section of this Blueprint.

1. Challenges 2. Objectives 103

Delivery of these strategic interventions in an disjointed fashion. Inadequate attention is given to the efficacious manner requires a strategic, joined- wider strategic picture and this is further compounded up approach as an essential prerequisite. Spatial by functional relationships with areas falling outside the planning, involving the provision of key infrastructure, megaregion that cannot be disregarded. can fill the lacuna between national planning policy guidance and local plan-making to instigate In light of the above, the Blueprint calls for a ‘Unity of positive and transformational socio-economic Purpose’ in The Midlands. It makes recommendations and environmental change. The current complex around a new more streamlined institutional structure administrative geography of The Midlands and its for The Midlands that includes a new pan-Midlands body convoluted institutional structure is not conducive responsible for delivering the collective objectives of the to realising these ambitions. This has resulted in constituent LEPs and the Midlands Engine / Midlands its spatial and industrial strategies being unaligned Connect initiatives. This will add fuel to the Midlands and planning being undertaken in a piecemeal and Engine that is a vital cog for the UK’s future economy.

2. Objectives 3. Midlands Manifesto for Prosperity (Strategic Priorities) 4. Critical Assets BACK COVER

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