Liverpool City Region’s Deal with Government has been signed.
The deal was confirmed today with the signature of agreements between the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury Greg Clark, Robert Hough, Chair of Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and Councillor Rob Polhill, Leader of Halton Council, alongside other City Region representatives.
Liverpool City Region LEP and partners negotiated a second City Deal with Government that will bring further investment to the City Region. This complements the City Deal announced earlier this year that was negotiated with Liverpool.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, said: “Today Liverpool signs a deal to hand chunks of power over from Whitehall control – a dramatic power shift that will mean everyone in Liverpool will feel the benefits.
“With more control and freedom, Liverpool will thrive.”
The Deal agrees a number of proposals with government covering skills and worklessness, transport, trade and inward investment, low carbon economy as well as harnessing the regions natural assets.
Greg Clark said: “This is a great deal for Liverpool. The Government is committed to unlocking the full growth potential of our cities. We want powerful, innovative cities that are able to shape their economic destinies, boost entire regions and get the national economy growing.
“This deal provides a suite of new freedoms, powers and tools to help Liverpool embark on new and innovate ways to drive local economic growth. ”
Robert Hough, Liverpool City Region LEP Chair said: “This City Region Deal is critically important for our economy as we seek to increase our competitiveness over the next few years. For instance, our innovative ‘Skills for Growth’ programme will enable us to support 17,400 people into work while creating around 6,000 apprenticeships. Additionally, the focus on low carbon engineering resonates strongly with the key sector growth strategies of the LEP. The City Deal process has shown how the partners within the City Region can work together to achieve positive benefits for the economy.
Robert added: “Delivering this City Deal will be a significant step forward in realising our ambitions and the potential of the City Region.”
The negotiations have secured the following for the City Region:
• An international Business Festival which showcases and celebrates business opportunities to Europe and the rest of the World, delivering £100m return on investment
• To increase employment by combining £81m public and private employment and skills investments and empowering businesses to create more jobs, tackle skills gaps and raise productivity, supporting 17,400 people into work and creating 6,000 apprenticeships
• To put transport at the heart of economic development through a revised approach to governance and creation of a joint investment fund of £800m supporting the creation of 15,000 jobs
• To harness the City Region’s science and knowledge assets, attracting ‘big science investment’, increasing GVA and generating 2,000 high value jobs
• A low carbon red tape pilot that will aim to reduce regulatory burdens and streamline local planning process to accelerate over £100m worth of investment in offshore wind infrastructure in the City Region and create 3,000 jobs
• To examine how the River Mersey can become the cleanest river in an urban setting by 2045, with the commensurate economic benefits.
