AGENDA ITEM NO 8
BRISTOL CITY COUNCIL CABINET
3rd March 2011
Report of: Councillor Barbara Janke, Leader of the Council
Title: A Memorandum of Understanding between Bristol City Council, Cardiff Council and Swindon Borough Council
Ward:
Officer Presenting Report: Jan Ormondroyd Chief Executive
Contact Telephone Number: (0117) 922 4888
Report for information The Cabinet is asked to note a drafted Memorandum of Understanding to be agreed by the Leaders of Bristol City Council, Cardiff Council and Swindon Borough Council. The Memorandum is attached as an addendum to this report. It is intended that the 'MoU' be a working document that can be adapted to changing circumstances and priorities.
Summary
Bristol, Cardiff and Swindon are all major urban areas on the Great Western Mainline and M4 corridor, the main east-west transport corridor of the UK. The three areas have a shared interest in promoting the Great Western Mainline and M4 corridor as an internationally competitive location for business, and that this is supported by the UK Government and Welsh Assembly Government. The corridor’s location and accessibility to London makes it a competitive and sustainable location. As well as some of the best Higher Education institutions in the world, it also boasts internationally significant clusters in sectors such as ICT, aerospace and the creative industries.
The three authorities of Bristol City Council, Cardiff Council and Swindon Borough Council have recently collaborated through the Great Western Partnership to argue for investment in electrification of the Great Western Mainline as a precursor to the development of a ‘state of the art’ High Speed Rail route from London serving South West England and South Wales as part of a future UK HSR development programme. Members of the Partnership also included the South West Regional Development Agency, the West of England Partnership, South East Wales Economic Forum, South West Wales Economic Forum and South East Wales Transport Alliance.
The successful way in which the Great Western Partnership has provided a co-ordinated response to the issue of High Speed Rail has highlighted the potential for further collaboration between Bristol, Cardiff and Swindon on matters relating to economic
- 1 - development. In addition to a commitment to improving connectivity of the Great Western corridor, there are also opportunities to collaborate to promote the combined economic strengths of the area, develop complimentary clusters of economic and academic activities, to promote the Great Western corridor as a tourism destination, as well as provide a coordinated response to issues relating to climate change.
In order to provide a platform for further collaboration between Bristol City Council, Cardiff Council and Swindon Borough Council a memorandum of understanding has discussed by the Leaders of the three authorities as a way of outlining areas of common interest and mutual benefit.
- 2 - APPENDIX A
Memorandum of Understanding
We the parties have agreed to sign up to this Memorandum of Understanding. This agreement between Bristol City Council, Cardiff Council and Swindon Borough Council is valid for 3 three years, renewable annually thereafter by agreement of the partners.
This Memorandum has been developed to further strengthen our collective endeavour on issues of common interest between our three areas, where working together will unlock mutual benefits.
The parties are all major urban areas on the Great Western Corridor that deliver jobs and significant economic growth for the regional and national economy. Following the global economic downturn, the parties recognise the importance of working together to make our areas more competitive and sustainable, improving prosperity and quality of life.
OUR SHARED AGENDA:
1. To promote our combined economic, environmental, academic and technological strengths to increase investment and improve the productivity of our economies, ensuring the benefits are felt across all our communities.
The administrative and organisational boundaries that exist between our local authorities, including national boundaries, have often meant that in the past we have pursued economic development policies in isolation. However, we recognise that by working together and building upon our combined economic strengths, we can deliver more. To do this we will:
1.1. Bring together civic and business leaders from Bristol, Cardiff and Swindon to act as one voice to promote the combined economic strengths of the area.
1.2. Collectively build positive relationships with influential thinkers and policy-makers in Westminster, Whitehall and the Welsh Assembly Government to highlight the role of the area in delivering jobs and increasing competitiveness for UK plc.
1.3. Work with our universities and business partners to build a robust and compelling evidence base that demonstrates our economic significance, informing our engagement with policy-makers.
1.4. Continue to work with new and existing partnership arrangements in our areas, such as Local Enterprise Partnerships, ensuring an inclusive approach in a complex economic landscape.
1.5. Develop a strong and consistently applied identity for the partnership.
2. To work together to ensure the importance of a high quality of connectivity along the Great Western Main Line / M4 corridor is recognised and supported by national Governments. This link is vital to the economic competitiveness of the area and UK plc.
Connectivity between our three areas, and to London and beyond, is a key determinant of our economic competitiveness. Critically, we need to ensure that we are not left further behind by an imbalance in strategic rail investment across the UK. To do this we will:
2.1. Build on the work of the Great Western Partnership, and continue to make the case for strategic investment in the Great Western Mainline. Our priority is to focus on ensuring that the electrification of this line secures investment and also provides the potential for early adoption of future rail innovation such as hydrogen railways.
2.2. Conduct more detailed research into the economic benefits that improved rail links between our areas, London and the European mainland provide, and the risk to UK plc if our areas are left behind by an imbalance in rail investment, policy and pricing.
2.3. Work effectively together to ensure early investment in high-speed digital infrastructure to support business and economic growth, including working with Government and industry to promote working together to stimulate take-up and aggregate demand.
3. To promote the complementarity of our research, education and scientific institutions, and highlight the national and global contribution our areas make to the knowledge economy.
To do this we will:
3.1. Work with our Higher and Further Education institutions as key stakeholders, seeking their support for the aims and objectives of the partnership.
3.2. Support and facilitate partnership working between these institutions.
3.3. Conduct further analysis of the knowledge-based sectors of the economy that are present in our areas, such as creative industries, green technology, microelectronics, silicon design, financial and business services, and advanced manufacturing - with the aim of supporting these sectors.
4. To promote the area as a cultural and tourism destination, as well as a gateway to South Wales and the South West of England, including National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty such as the Brecon Beacons, the Cotswolds, the Forest of Dean and the North Wessex Downs.
4.1. Explore opportunities to facilitate partnership working between our destination management organisations and other stakeholders with an interest in maximising the highly significant economic benefits of tourism.
4.2. Highlight the cultural offer of our three areas, and promote the area as a key tourism corridor in the UK.
5. To jointly seek to address the shared challenges of dealing with urban growth in the context of climate change through opportunities to deliver exemplary sustainable development.
5.1. Share innovation, development and implementation experience and best practice from leading-edge projects such as: Waste to Energy and Wichlestowe Housing Development in Swindon; Rapid Transit and Energy Company plans in Bristol; and Sustainable Travel City in Cardiff.
5.2. Explore innovative ways to exploit ICT and digital infrastructure to enable progress towards a low-carbon society.
………………………………………………… Councillor Barbara Janke Leader of Bristol City Council
………………………………………………… Councillor Rodney Berman Leader of Cardiff Council
………………………………………………… Councillor Rod Bluh Leader of Swindon Borough Council
Dated: ……………………………………………..