West welcomes greater investment from spending review

Leaders across the West have welcomed greater investment through today’s Spending Review, with a record three-quarters of a billion pounds of transport funding confirmed for the West. That means better buses, more trains, and mass transit – with trams and much more on the table. The Treasury has also today confirmed plans to improve rail links between Bristol and Cardiff.

The Chancellor’s extension of the national £3 bus fare cap until March 2027 follows on from this week’s announcement of plans for free bus travel for children and young people across the West over the school summer holidays and last week’s arrival of the West of England’s first electric buses.

The West of England has the strongest recent economic growth of any combined authority region, with strength across sectors like advanced manufacturing and culture. The confirmation of an increase in defence spending, alongside priority area status for the creative industries, is another major vote of confidence in tens of thousands of local workers – with Filton name-checked by the Chancellor for its contribution to our national security. Yesterday, Rolls-Royce was confirmed as the government’s preferred vendor to build the country’s first small modular nuclear reactors, which could support up to 3,000 jobs at peak construction and power around 3 million homes.

As the Mayoral Combined Authority, working with councils, continues to develop a Local Growth Plan, the government has emphasised the importance of regional growth. Housing will be a key part of that plan, supported by the Mayoral Combined Authority’s recent Strategic Place Partnership with Homes England. The Chancellor’s statement today committed to doubling investment in new affordable homes – up to £4 billion a year, by 2029, with £39 billion of investment over the next ten years.

Today also saw Hartcliffe in south Bristol announced as one of 25 trailblazer neighbourhoods across the UK, set to receive up to £20 million over the decade as part of a new national fund for communities. The Treasury has also confirmed plans to extend funding for the West of England’s £5 million Youth Guarantee trailblazer, one of only eight in the country, to support more young people into work and training.

Helen Godwin, the new Mayor of the West of England, said:

“Today’s Spending Review confirms the exciting news that the West has secured a record £752 million to invest in better transport. That funding will make a difference that people can see and feel, just like the welcome extension of the national £3 bus fare cap. As well as fixing our roads and bridges, that three-quarters of a billion pounds will mean better buses, more trains, and mass transit – with trams and much more on the table.

“The West of England already has one of the strongest growing economies in the country, but our ambition is greater still. Our creative and advanced manufacturing sectors will continue to go from strength to strength, and it was great to hear Filton highlighted by the Chancellor today in the House of Commons.

“We have started a new chapter for the West of England, but start from a place of needing to catch up with other city regions. I have no doubt that we will begin to get our fair share of national investment from government for our communities – and the trailblazer funding announced for Hartcliffe is really welcome news.”

Councillor Sarah Warren, the Deputy Leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council, said:

“I welcome the extra money in this announcement for our NHS and for schools. The additional funding for housing will also go some way to meeting the huge housing affordability crisis that the country faces. I also very much welcome the funding allocated to help make our homes warmer.

“The devil is always in the detail, and, although welcoming any investment, until we have more time to review the statement, it’s not certain what is actually new money, and what conditions may be attached to any grant or other funding,

“We will also need to see the details about how the national settlement will translate into impacts on services and council tax for Bath and North East Somerset residents. I remain particularly concerned that there is no immediate prospect in sight of resolving the urgent challenges in funding social care, which places such huge pressures on councils including our own.

“We will be working with the Mayor and council leaders across the West of England on the implications of this announcement on our region more widely. I am delighted that the West of England received a big boost in central government funding for transport recently and it is vital that we continue to maximise investment from central government and other sources.”

Councillor Tony Dyer, the Leader of Bristol City Council, said:

“This latest set of announcements contains a lot of positive news for Bristol and the West of England, with transport and housing being clear areas where we can proceed to make a big difference. I was personally delighted to see Hartcliffe singled out for investment and can talk from personal experience how needed this is for this community to thrive.

“Whilst we welcome today’s announcements and recognise the challenging balancing act the Chancellor must manage, we will continue to bang the drum for Bristol and the region in wanting to see more funding in future, for our council and others in the West.”

Councillor Mike Bell, the Leader of North Somerset, said:

“There is some good news in the spending review, and we welcome in particular the extension of the £3 bus fare cap into 2027 to help keep local transport affordable for our residents. But there is much more to be done to ensure that North Somerset and the region gets its fair share of government funding, and we will continue to work with the West of England Mayor and other partners to make that case. Without sustainable long-term funding for local councils, and particularly for social care, protecting services and driving growth will be challenging and the government needs to deliver.”

Councillor Maggie Tyrrell, the Leader of South Gloucestershire Council, said:

“With £752 million coming to our region, this funding could bring significant improvements to our buses, trains and sustainable transport options.

“The extension of the £3 bus fare cap along with the introduction of free summer travel for young people will make a real difference to families across the area.

“Improved transport brings greater opportunity for all our communities, and this additional money will help us deliver the infrastructure we need for our local economy to continue to flourish.”

Original press release by West of England Mayoral Combined Authority