Taskforce draws up plan to regenerate our region

An ambitious plan has been drawn up to help the region rebuild businesses and create jobs without risking a second peak of the virus, according to the Metro Mayor.

Tim Bowles, inset, and a taskforce of more than 160 business, education and community-sector organisations within the West of England Combined Authority (Weca) have given their input on the proposals.

The plans, which cover Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire, set out five ambitions:

■ Rebuilding business, helping new and existing businesses to survive and thrive to safeguard existing, and create new, jobs;

■ Getting residents back into work, in jobs which pay above the living wage and offer employment security through training and work to match skills to opportunities;

■ Strengthening inclusion, preventing further widening of inequalities and building an inclusive economy where everyone has the opportunity to achieve their potential;

■ A green recovery, using changes in behaviour brought about by the pandemic to accelerate transition to net zero carbon;

■ Renewing places, greener, healthier, more creating vibrant places to live and work.

Mr Bowles, who is leading the taskforce, said: “This is a strong and ambitious shared plan for the recovery and renewal of our region, to protect and secure jobs while avoiding the dangers of a second peak of the virus.

“I would like to thank everyone who has committed so much time and energy to this work. We’re a strong and innovative region so by pulling together in this way we can come back stronger.”

The plan will be discussed at the next meeting of Weca and joint committee on October 9.

It will then be published and more businesses, organisations and members of the public will be encouraged to put forward their views on the next stages.

Taskforce member Poku Osei, chief executive of youth organisation Babbasa, said: “This is an important plan that will help us rebuild. It’s important that we are inclusive and that we strengthen work that’s already happening but needs scaling up to help us face the challenges.”

Katharine Finn, senior partner at PWC, said: “We need to focus on getting young people into work and also work on inclusion; recent reports have emphasised that Covid-19 has had a disproportionate impact on different groups, including women.”

Weca has already agreed a £5 million fund to act as a catalyst in attracting additional investment.