Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has approved Mayor Steve Rotheram’s Corporate Plan, which is a four-year roadmap to making our City Region the best place to grow up, grow a family and grow a business.

Growth through investment

Building on Mayor Rotheram’s election manifesto, the Plan sets out how the Combined Authority will continue its work to increase productivity and drive growth through investment in major infrastructure projects. It also contains improvements to public transport and by building on the region’s world-leading strengths in health and life sciences, digital and creative and advanced manufacturing.

Right skills and access to opportunities

Welcoming the Corporate Plan, Cllr Marion Atkinson, who is leader of Sefton Council and the Combined Authority’s Cabinet member for Employment, Education and Skill said: “We are determined to give residents the right skills and access to opportunities to thrive in the regional economy.”

Tackling inequality, driving inclusive growth

In his introduction to the Plan, Mayor Rotheram writes: “Tackling inequality, driving inclusive growth and ensuring that we leave the next generation and the planet with a better inheritance than we received are at the core of my politics and my administration.

“I want to make the Liverpool City Region the best place to grow up, grow a family, and grow a business.

“The Liverpool City Region is a place steeped in history, a place full of pioneers and talent. While we are proud of our history, we are ready to look forward to an even brighter and more prosperous future. This is our blueprint for getting there.”

“Working alongside our new Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, and his cabinet, I will ensure that the next chapter in our illustrious history will not be written for us in Westminster or Whitehall – but by us here in the Liverpool City Region.”

Housebuilding

Public housebuilding, bus franchising and new railway stations are included in the Plan as a Mersey Tidal Power business case by 2028 and net-zero targets for the City Region by 2035. AI will be embraced in public services, growth will be encouraged through innovation and productivity raised by building on our economic strengths.

You can use this link to read the full Corporate Plan.

Employment growth

Since 2017, the year the Mayor was first elected, the Liverpool City Region economy has grown by £3bn and 60,000 more residents are in employment, which is double the national rate of employment growth.

The new Corporate Plan highlights the authority’s track record of delivery in presenting the case for deeper devolution, with a single pot of money, which will give local people greater power to realise the Mayor’s vision. It highlights the potential of the Liverpool City Region Freeport and Life Sciences Innovation Zone to attract new businesses, boost international trade and create more than 20,000 jobs as the city region targets a 25% increase in direct foreign investment by 2030.

Better working standards

The Plan also commits to promoting better working standards through the Fair Employment Charter and to a procurement approach in which the Combined Authority does not contract with companies that use fire and rehire tactics.

Young people will be given the best start in life through increased training for early years and childcare workers, a new childcare commission and the expansion of the expanding the successful Cradle to Career programme to more areas. This will double the number of children supported to 36,000 each year by 2030.

Opportunity to upskill

One hundred and Twenty thousand adults will have the opportunity to upskill, re-train or access employment by 2028 and £50 million a year of devolved skills funding will support people facing the greatest barriers. The Combined Authority will continue to push for devolution of 16-19-year-old education and of the Apprenticeship Levy.

Six new urban parks with 100,000 trees will be created across the City Region by 2030 and £10 million will be spent on installing electric vehicle charging points by 2028, while digital innovation will be harnessed to improve air quality.

Energy-efficient homes

Housebuilding is one of the new government’s top priorities, and delivering well-designed and energy-efficient homes is also high on the Combined Authority’s agenda, with schemes ready to be delivered. More than 1,000 homes and public buildings will be decarbonised each year through retrofit and heat networks and the authority will enable construction of 200 new homes each year on previously developed land.

Following approval of the Plan at last week’s July’s Combined Authority meeting, the Mayor has pledged to hold public question times and stage Combined Authority meetings across the city region.

You can use this link to read the full Corporate Plan.