Centre for the New Midlands

As a global business, Arup joined the Centre’s #ReimaginingtheRegion network this year and haven’t looked back since! Hear Arup’s story of what a large multinational can get out of being a regional member👇 From growing their local network to building a better region, Jade Tilley (Principal Planner and Engagement Consultant, Arup) outlines how Arup has benefited from their membership, as well as the personal opportunities she has had as the Chair of the #CFP24 steering group. Find out more about membership here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dkT6GET And contact Chris Smith or Ashley de Sousa if you have any questions or queries. #network #thinktank #policy #regions #devolution #infrastructure #midlands #westmidlands #birmingham #coventry #wolverhampton 

We were delighted to welcome Dr Alasdair MacDonald (Regional Director, Balfour Beatty plc & Alliance Manager, Midlands Rail Alliance) to our recent Connections for Prosperity conference at Edgbaston Stadium. Hear Alasdair's thoughts on why he was so keen to be part of this year's conference; the importance of engaging communities in the delivery of major infrastructure and why working with Centre for the New Midlands has been so beneficial for his organisation. #thinktank #policy #devolution Chris Smith Gemma Millican Tim Fawcett Suzanne Virdee Ashley de Sousa #infrastructure #networking #conference #rail #midlandsrailhub #connectivity #cfp24 #midlands #westmidlands #newmidlands #coventry #birmingham #wolverhampton #network

Calling all members of our Reimagining the Region network...... Our Winter Reception is being held at The Churchill Room on Thursday 12th December at the Palace of Westminster and it promises to be the best one yet! We are delighted to be joined Taiwo Owatemi MP (Member of Parliament for Coventry North West), Saqib Bhatti MBE MP (Member of Parliament for Meriden and Solihull East) and Leon Emirali (our star host for the evening - and the 3rd year running!!) More speakers to follow too - watch this space folks! A huge thank you to Weightmans and West Midlands Housing Association Partnership (WMHAP) for sponsoring the event and making it possible. To our members - get booking your train tickets or sorting your hotels - the #WestMidlands is heading to #Westminster! Jack Kelly Joe Reeves Ruth Cooke Dr Sarah Perry Jawaid Rehman House of Commons #policy #network #devolution #regions #thinktank #ideas #coventry #birmingham #wolverhampton #newmidlands #midlands #housing #skills #digital #infrastructure Acorns Children's Hospice Chris Smith Ashley de Sousa Anisha Kaur Smith Tim Fawcett Rich Bishop Megan Cooper Professor Guy Daly

Before starring on BBC’s Question time last week Steve Rigby was the star of our closing plenary for #CFP24! As the Co-CEO of the Rigby Group plc (a company headquartered in Stratford-upon-Avon which employs over 9000 people globally) Steve gives his thoughts on the need for businesses, the voluntary sector and the local authorities to work together regionally, the need to increase the region’s productivity, and what the Rigby foundation is doing to improve the lives of young people in the West Midlands. We thank Steve very much for his time and you can watch the full plenary here 👉 https://lnkd.in/ebpWK9VY #westmidlands #newmidlands #birmingham #coventry #wolverhampton #devolution #thinktank #policy #jobs #productivity #growth #youngpeople #tech #skills SCC Serco #regions Chris Smith Ashley de Sousa Megan Cooper West Midlands Combined Authority Suzanne Virdee

At our #ConnectionsforProsperity conference in September, we set Danny Herbert the task of exploring how to 'create a consistent, coherent identity for the West Midlands' in a 40 minute session.....! The interactive session was designed to give our delegates an insight into the concept of place marketing; how every story must have content and how every story must have an audience. Here are some of Danny's reflections on the day - thanks again Danny for joining and us and leading our participants through the session Chris Smith #newmidlands #regions #ideas #devolution #marketing #westmidlands SPRING THINKING (CENTRAL) LIMITED Catalyst SURE! Creative Suzanne Virdee #coventry #birmingham #wolverhampton West Midlands Growth Company West Midlands Combined Authority Ashley de Sousa

The #Skills agenda is at the heart of both regional and national politics; how we need to ensure that business can fill the vast sectoral vacancies in a post Covid environment but also how we educate and train people for the careers of the future. In this article, Ian Harrison (Director, GROWHOUSE GROWTH BUSINESS LTD) takes a step back from the political narrative and asks the question: Is our obsession with middle-class, white-collar jobs ruining young people’s prospects? #newmidlands #midlands #coventry #birmingham #wolverhampton Megan Cooper Rob Neal Parminder Singh Garcha Dr .Benjamin Silverstone Diane Vernon MBE FIEP Alison Grade Gareth Jones Lewis Walker

Companies are betting big on driverless cars being the "future of transport" in cities, citing reduced congestion and convenience. In some cases, they've even persuaded Governments to go along with it. The reality? Traffic jams with vehicles not even able to negotiate their way out of their own car park. Truly smart cities know that the best way to move large volumes of people efficiently is by using the tools we already have: public transport and active travel. Some cities removed their tramways to build wider roads for cars, only now to replace them again with new tramways decades later to meet congestion challenges. When thinking about the future of transport, it first has to pass the capacity test. And Waymo's Robotaxis or Musk's tunnels frankly don't pass the test, however much hype they can generate. #autonomousvehicles #activetravel #cycling #walking #transport #publictransport #smartcities #waymo

We are quickly approaching the most consequential budget in over a decade, and the stakes are high for the UK's entrepreneurs and business community. In my latest commentary in The Times, Don’t tax our wealth creators out of the UK, I look at the difficult challenge facing the chancellor: to address the economic deficit while creating the right economic conditions to nurture the confidence necessary for UK growth and long-term investment. Business leaders are concerned. The overriding sentiment from ministers in recent months has been bleak, and some of the much-needed confidence and stability ushered in by the new government after its election victory has started to slip. It's essential that the new budget creates a stable environment that incentivises growth. Tax policy is a critical factor in this equation. While reform is necessary, we must be cautious not to stifle innovation and risk-taking through overly burdensome taxation. If we push too far, we risk losing some of our brightest minds to more favourable markets abroad. As October 30 approaches, I believe we need a budget that not only addresses fiscal realities but also inspires our entrepreneurs to continue building great British companies. You can read more (behind the paywall) below : https://lnkd.in/db82eE4A

It is not the council's job to ensure developers make 15-20% profit. It is the council's job to design policy that enables the provision of housing for those in need, and it's failing to do that. Birmingham has been built, not for the people living here, but for private investment firms Yesterday I was on ITVCentral to say why lowering the minimum threshold of affordable housing is a wrong idea Great reporting from Lewis Warner and Tom Howlett https://lnkd.in/dQxgGy8W https://lnkd.in/diEy-ivF In Birmingham, we have over 20,000 families on the waiting list and 10,000 homeless children.   In 2022, Birmingham City Council declared a housing emergency.   Reducing the minimum threshold for affordable housing—including social housing—from 35% to 20% in areas like the city centre is not the right policy direction.   Birmingham is experiencing a construction boom, but building more homes won’t solve the housing crisis if the new houses are luxury apartments that only a few can afford.   These new developments are coming with an immense social cost. In Ladywood, 5000 residents are a risk of demolition to build a luxury development, with no firm commitments from the council about the delivery of social housing, and not guarantee that the existing community will be able to return to a regenerated Ladywood.   And these new developments aren’t for individual homeowners either. We have noted that some banks do not provide mortgages for the new builds. So who is buying those houses? It is large-scale corporate landlords, investment funds, and pension funds who are buying up these new properties in Birmingham.   We’re not just dealing with gentrification. Birmingham’s city centre is increasingly being turned into an asset for major financial firms   And many of these new houses are empty. Birmingham has over 9,000 empty homes, including new developments like Perry Barr—built with public funds, but now handed over to property management companies at subsidized rates.   The current model of housing delivery is broken, and it needs to be fixed. The council should ensure that at least 35% or more of new developments are designated for affordable and social housing, making it a binding commitment so that developers cannot simply refuse to build these homes because it's not financially viable for them.

On 1st October, we hosted our Autumn Reception for our Reimagining the Region members. Here's a short video to give you a flavour of the event! Really interesting insights and views from Dr. Andy Palmer CMG on the future of the UK #automotive sector; Mike Wood MP shared his perspectives on what the Conservatives needed to do to rebuild and the opportunities ahead for #international trade and The Rt Hon Lord Graham Brady of Altrincham answered questions from our audience on his significant period as Chair of the 1922 Committee! Special thanks to Gallagher for sponsoring the event and making the evening possible Ashley de Sousa Chris Smith #newmidlands #midlands #coventry #birmingham #wolverhampton #regions #devolution #ideas #thinktank