Business leaders have called for a “Greater Manchester approach” for the West Midlands to put pressure on the government.
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Group (BCCG) and the Black Country Chambers of Commerce (BCCC) have produced a joint document calling for urgent action on transport issues across the West Midlands “without boundaries”.
BCCG chief executive Jerry Blackett said: “It’s time to put tribal differences behind us and do more together.
“We are calling on the two local enterprise partnerships in Greater Birmingham and the Black Country to create a shared vision for transport. It’s clear from our research that the government only takes local areas seriously when the geography is sufficiently large enough to capture the Treasury’s interest. That’s what Greater Manchester, and the city regions of Leeds and Sheffield have done. They are winning transport spend.”
The two chambers have joined forces to produce a discussion document which identifies the importance of large economic geographies working together to maximise investment in transport infrastructure from the government and others.
Chief executive Jerry Blackett and Colin Leighfield, who chairs the Black Country Chamber Transport Group, have co-signed the document, which will be sent to key decision makers in the region.
The paper examines examples of good practice in regional co-operation, with reference to the Northern Hub and East West Rail.
The Northern Hub project in Northern England is a large-scale rail project born out of a collaborative effort. It is expected to create 20,000 jobs and provide over £4 billion in wider economic benefits
Mr Leighfield said: “Both chambers feel now is the time to encourage a cross-boundary process to develop a shared long-term vision for transport investment.”
