South West Wales Leaders Set Out Shared Vision for Growth and Investment

South West Wales leaders set out shared vision for growth and investment

Political leaders, Regional Members of the Senedd, Members of Parliament and key stakeholders came together at Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli, on Friday 25 September for a regional showcase event hosted by the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee (SWWCJC), setting out a shared agenda for growth, investment and coordinated regional delivery. The SWWCJC brings together [...]

South West Wales Looks to Build One Regional Proposition for Investment

South West Wales is seeking to strengthen its position as a single investment region by bringing economic development, energy, transport and long-term planning behind a more coordinated regional proposition. Political leaders, Members of the Senedd, MPs and other stakeholders gathered at Parc y Scarlets in Llanelli to examine how greater collaboration across Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Swansea could help turn a growing pipeline of projects into investment and economic growth. The event, hosted by the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee (SWWCJC), highlighted an increasing emphasis on addressing economic opportunities and infrastructure challenges at a regional rather than individual local authority level. That approach brings together four significant strands of work: the Regional Economic Delivery Plan, Regional Energy Strategy, Regional Transport Plan and emerging Strategic Development Plan. Collectively, they could provide South West Wales with a clearer framework for where development should take place, what infrastructure will be required and how investment can support employment and productivity across the region. South West Wales contains a diverse range of economic assets and investment opportunities spanning energy, manufacturing, ports, industrial development, universities, rural economies and major urban centres. But many of the infrastructure requirements associated with those opportunities extend beyond council boundaries. Energy networks, transport corridors, employment sites, housing and skills requirements increasingly need to be considered across the region if individual investments are to achieve their wider economic potential. The SWWCJC brings together Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Swansea councils alongside Pembrokeshire Coast and Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authorities to coordinate work in areas requiring that regional approach. The Llanelli event was intended partly to strengthen understanding of that role among politicians and stakeholders who can make the case for South West Wales within Welsh and UK Government. The Regional Economic Delivery Plan sets out ambitions around higher-quality employment, business growth, innovation and greater prosperity across urban, rural and coastal communities. Alongside it, the Regional Energy Strategy is considering how South West Wales can develop a net-zero energy system while using the transition to create economic opportunities, investment and new skills. Transport represents another part of the equation. The Regional Transport Plan is intended to improve connections between communities, employment and services while supporting economic development and the transition towards lower-carbon transport. The emerging Strategic Development Plan will look further ahead, creating a regional framework covering areas including housing, employment, infrastructure and services. Bringing those strategies together could allow South West Wales to present investors and government with a more coherent picture of where the region wants to grow and what will be required to enable it. Cllr Rob Stewart, Chair of the SWWCJC and Leader of Swansea Council, said: “South West Wales has the assets, partnerships and ambition to deliver nationally significant growth. “By working together across local authority boundaries, we are strengthening the region's voice, attracting investment, supporting our communities and planning for a more sustainable future. “Our message is clear: South West Wales is ready to deliver, and continued collaboration with Government, partners and investors will be essential to turning our shared ambitions into lasting impact.” A more coordinated approach could also strengthen the region's ability to compete for investment. Rather than individual projects being viewed in isolation, developments can potentially be considered as parts of a wider economic proposition spanning infrastructure, employment, energy and supply-chain opportunities. Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy Adam Price said regional collaboration could help align local priorities with wider Welsh economic objectives. “The South West Wales CJC is increasingly demonstrating how regional collaboration can support more coordinated planning, stronger partnerships and greater strategic alignment between local, regional and national priorities – such as our ambition to drive productivity and unleash the full potential of the Welsh economy. “The showcase highlights the region's growing capacity to develop and deliver a clear regional vision and an identified pipeline of opportunities across economic development, transport, strategic planning and investment.” The opportunity for South West Wales is therefore increasingly about how individual investments connect. Major energy and industrial projects require grid capacity, transport infrastructure and workers. Employment growth creates requirements for housing and connectivity. New infrastructure can, in turn, open additional sites for development. Creating stronger links between those decisions could help the region move from a collection of individual projects and strategies towards a more unified proposition for investors and government. The next challenge will be demonstrating how that regional coordination translates from strategy into projects, investment and measurable economic outcomes across all four local authority areas.

South West Wales leaders unite for growth and investment

A South West Wales regional showcase event at Llanelli, on September 25 set out a shared agenda for growth, investment and coordinated regional delivery.