Started as a collaboration between the cities of Bristol, Cardiff and Newport in 2016, the Western Gateway became a Government supported Pan-Regional Partnership in 2019.
Whilst all of the 28 local authorities that make up the partnership say they are committed to continuing cross border collaboration, especially to continue work on tidal energy in the Severn Estuary, without Government funding the secretariat team in its current form will cease to function from 6 June 2025.
More than 100 business and academics responded to the UK Government Consultation on this decision to support continued funding for the Western Gateway Partnership specifically just before Christmas.
The decision was made by Minister Jim McMahon on the 13th March 2024. In his letter to the partnership, he made it clear that this decision was based on the role that Mayoral Combined Authority Mayors would now play in bringing together pan-regional areas.
This, despite the fact that Mayoral Combined Authorities do not exist in Wales and therefore cross-border economies like the Western Gateway would not be supported by this new model.
Representatives from the Western Gateway, the area’s business community and parliamentarians have attempted to engage the UK Government and the minister on this point at numerous occasions since the announcement in the budget but say they have been denied a meeting.
Chair of the Western Gateway Partnership Sarah Williams-Gardener said: “This is a hugely disappointing decision from the UK Government. Despite representation from Welsh Government calling for talks on how both governments can work together on this, requests to meet from business and locally elected leaders and MPs, they have refused to engage with any of us from our area on this decision.
“It’s been a great journey we’ve been on having delivered hundreds of millions of pounds of investment into key sites across the area; putting together a credible, locally supported cross border economic plan for growth which recognises our natural economic geography; and bringing together leaders from across the political spectrum to deliver for the 4.8million people who live here.
“Whilst the UK Government have decided to put the brakes on this massive economic opportunity, I and our board of local authority leaders are committed to ensuring we can still deliver on our area’s potential. The evidence our partnership has uncovered shows that our area can become the fastest growing economy outside of London and we will do what we can to achieve this, with or without the Government’s help.”
