Western Gateway

Improving our communities' access to jobs, skills and opportunity has long been a key founding pillar behind our partnership. 💷 With talk of more money on the table for Welsh rail, our area needs to come together now, more than ever before, to demonstrate joined up support for investment to allow our communities to benefit. 🚉 In 2023, we launched our Partnership's Rail Vision for 2050 which put forward an ambitious shared aim across transport bodies, local leaders and businesses for halving journey times across our area. 📅 On Tuesday, we launch our Rail Deal in Cardiff at Hugh James offices, which takes that ambition and demonstrates how we can deliver it in practice. Developed in partnership with local authorities and transport bodies, our Rail Deal provides a deliverable, affordable plan for how our area's potential can be unlocked to deliver for the UK. Great that our Chair, Sarah Williams-Gardener, was able to speak to Mike Griffiths this week to give a little teaser on what to expect 👇 Places for the launch of our Rail Deal are running out. Secure yours by booking today 👉 https://lnkd.in/eF8R2hFn

📣 Today, we launched our Rail Deal overlooking Cardiff Central Station in the Hugh James office!   The Western Gateway Rail Deal, developed with local authorities, businesses, Transport for Wales and Great Western Railway (GWR), amongst others, provides a credible step by step plan for how investment can be targeted to deliver new train stations and halve journey times for the 5 million people who live across South Wales and Western England.   Our Rail Deal provides a deliverable, relatively affordable plan for how our area's potential can be unlocked to deliver for the UK. With the potential to: 🚉 Open up 31 new stations; 🚄 23 additional services an hour; 👩 And connect 248,000 additional people to a local train station... Adding at least £17bn of value to the UK economy!   With over 100 political and industry stakeholders from across South Wales and Western England, we were able to start the conversation on delivering excellent transport for our region!   Huge thanks to our panellists, Phil Harrison, Nia Watkins CEng FICE, Alex Madden, David McCallum, Dan Okey, Cllr Huw Thomas, Sarah Williams-Gardener and to Cabinet Secretary for Transport in Llywodraeth Cymru / Welsh Government Ken Skates MS, for his video message of support. 👉 Read more here - https://lnkd.in/eNstq3Cz

💡 If you’re based in the South Wales or Western England and have an active interest in the hydrogen space, GW-SHIFT's new webinar series is your free ticket to improved knowledge, understanding and contacts in this thriving sector. The first session on 31 January is an opportunity to get to grips with the hydrogen economy in the Southwest.     Alongside Professor Tim Mays from the University of Bath, you’ll dive into the potential of hydrogen and its carriers. Discovering new opportunities in the space, this online session will provide a comprehensive overview of the hydrogen value chain. Secure your spot today 👉 https://lnkd.in/eg4jXZwn Read our recent blog from Deputy Director, Stephney Jary, Net Zero and Energy Security across the Western Gateway: https://lnkd.in/eJ5aR9Hh #Hydrogen #SustainableTransport #AlternativeFuel #GreenEnergy

Yesterday our Chair Sarah Williams-Gardener was in Llanwern at the former steelworks site speaking to ITV Wales Mike Griffiths about the £17bn opportunity that is the Western Gateway Rail Deal! Llanwern is poised to be the home of one of six new ‘Burns Stations’ between Cardiff and Severn Tunnel, creating up to 1.5m additional rail journeys a year. There are still some tickets left to hear more about our ambition to give 248,000 people more access to the rail network at the launch of the Western Gateway Rail Deal in Cardiff on 28 January 2025 - https://lnkd.in/eF8R2hFn For a sneak peak at what is to come, tune into tonight’s edition of ‘Sharp End’ on ITV1 Wales from 22.45! James Cooke Transport for Wales Network Rail Wales & Western region RIA Wales & Western Cardiff Capital Region Cardiff Council Newport City Council Monmouthshire County Council Mark Barry Great Western Railway (GWR) Hugh James 

With the increasing demand for electricity across the UK, tidal range energy presents an opportunity to explore as a potential contributor to the UK's future energy mix, with the Severn Estuary providing significant promise.   The Severn Estuary has the third highest tidal range in the world and the potential to provide 7% of the UK's energy needs. The Severn Estuary, an ecologically vital and economically significant region, faces substantial risks from climate change while also holding immense potential as a renewable energy source.   This week, the Severn Estuary Commission held two key events to explore the opportunities and challenges surrounding tidal range energy:   💷 Funding and Financing Roundtable Hosted at The Crown Estate, this session brought together stakeholders and experts to explore different financing methods and the requirements for investors if a tidal energy project is deemed viable. With potential lifespans of up to 120 years, there are important considerations for long-term funding and investment strategies, which were discussed in detail. Attendees provided valuable insights to shape the Commission's recommendations.   🌳 Environment Workshop Held at Cardiff Council, this workshop brought together a wide range of statutory environmental organisations and eNGOs. Building on previous consultations, the group strategically explored the current and future condition of the Severn Estuary and the potential impacts of tidal power. The session focused on identifying issues, developing solutions, and defining actionable next steps for collaborative, informed decision-making.   A huge thank you to all attendees for your thoughtful contributions and to The Crown Estate and Cardiff Council for providing the venues.   Visit the Severn Estuary Commission website for more information about the Commission and their work: https://lnkd.in/ekTvdSN5

The newly reformed Western Gateway All Party Parliamentary Group met earlier this week to discuss how MPs and Peers can support local businesses and leaders to attract investment and to improve connections across a national boarder. The reformed APPG group follows on from local MPs and peers sending an open letter in support of the Western Gateway to the UK Government, in response to a consultation on the future funding of Pan-Regional Partnerships, which closed on 16th of December. Over 100 businesses, local authorities and other organisations from across the Western Gateway area and beyond responded to the consultation, to express their support for our partnership. We were blown away by the number of positive responses to the consultation and expect the results of this over the next couple of months. Special thanks to our new APPG Co-Chairs, Catherine Fookes MP for Monmouthshire and Lord Davies of Gower who are continuing our work to help drive investment and support the unique cross border working of the Western Gateway! 👉 Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eUyJnTgb

As we approach the end of 2024, what a year it's been for our partnership! 🌊 From launching our independent commission on the Severn Estuary, to explore the potential for our area to have a world leading tidal energy project which could produce up to 7% of the UK's total energy supply. 🏭 Leading a vision for a low carbon energy park which this year brought in £100m with the public and private sector investing in our Severn Edge sites in Oldbury and Berkeley. 👏 Bringing together over 600 business, academic and public sector leaders at the 2024 Convention for the Western Gateway, presented by SSE Energy Solutions, to launch Our Plan For Sustainable Growth, demonstrating how we can double the size of our economy by 2050. 🎪 Providing a platform for 28 local authorities from across South Wales and Western England at the UK's largest investment conference, UKREiiF. 🤝 Working with GW4 Alliance to promote the importance of innovation from our area for the UK Economy at both Labour and Conservative Party Conference. 💻 Bringing together our high tech clusters to build on our status as a world leading centre for digital innovation. With much more to come in 2025, our partnership is looking forward to building on the area's potential to become the fastest growing economic area outside of London. Following the UK Government's consultation on the future of Pan-Regional Partnerships, we remain more convinced than ever that continued cross border collaboration is crucial to our area's ability to deliver the economic growth and new opportunities our communities need. Ahead of the festive season, Western Gateway director, Stephney Jary, looks back at an eventful year and discusses why continued cross border working will continue to be crucial in 2025 in our recent blog: https://lnkd.in/ekzCzfnR

The Severn Estuary Commission have been busy engaging stakeholders across the country in preparation to deliver their recommendations to Government, expected in March 2025. The Severn Estuary is home to the highest tidal range in Europe and the third highest in the world. The potential for harnessing this tidal power has been the subject of discussion for decades, with some estimates suggesting it can provide up to 7% of the UK’s electricity needs. Given the pressing importance of energy security, the Severn Estuary Commission's role is to evaluate the feasibility of a tidal scheme in the Severn, taking into careful consideration environmental, socio-economic and financial impact. Discussing this project with stakeholders is of huge importance to the work of the Severn Estuary Commission. Here are some of the way's we've been engaging with stakeholders: 🌊 The Commission were invited by the Mersey Tidal Power team at the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to give an in-depth look into their tidal energy project and their perspective on the potential of tidal energy development across the UK. 🦆 Followed by a visit to the RSPB and Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru / Natural Resources Wales at Pye Corner, where the focus was on the Gwent Levels on the banks of the Severn. 📣 The Commission was delighted to attend this year’s Severn Estuary Forum hosted by the Severn Estuary Partnership. Severn Estuary Commissioner, Madeleine Havard gave an update on the Commission’s recent progress and discussed ways in which stakeholders can become involved in our work. Read more in this update from the Chair, Andrew Garrad: https://lnkd.in/giWrXNnb

The 2024 Convention for the Western Gateway brought together over 600 business, academic, Government and local authority leaders from across South Wales and Western England and beyond to launch Our Plan for Sustainable Growth. With the potential to double the size of our economy by 2050, we have been predicted to become the fastest growing economy outside of London if we can continue to collaborate across borders. 📈 One of the sessions at our convention, lead by Turley, was focused on how we can overcome the challenges to decarbonise our industrial clusters in the West of England and South Wales to protect jobs, spark innovation and secure a brighter future for our communities. With South Wales Industrial Cluster, West of England Industrial Cluster and Net Zero Industry Wales all taking part, this session brought together the key people needed to discuss how we put this ambition into action. Thanks to Turley for the excellent write up below!

Last week our deputy director, Stephney Jary, was invited to speak on behalf of the Western Gateway at the Royal Danish embassy, to talk about the huge potential wind energy in the Celtic Sea. Harnessing floating offshore wind from the Celtic Sea is predicted to have the potential to provide over 50% of our area’s energy by 2050 and is a multibillion-pound investment opportunity. Given the vital role Western Gateway could play in supporting the delivery of this clean energy, whilst building and utilising local supply chains, we were pleased to be able to speak and highlight our area’s potential to this international audience. Grateful to the panel’s hosts, Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Hub and University of Plymouth’s own Kevin Forshaw, and our fellow participants, Associated British Ports and EDF. We look forward to supporting and promoting the development of this vital energy source and means of growth for the region. Following the closure of the UK Government’s consultation on the future of Pan-Regional Partnerships, we have been bowled over by the response from business, industry and other organisations. We are continuing to make the case to Government that investors and business are looking to our partnership to ensure our area can deliver transformational opportunities like this to secure a future for our communities. Read more in Steph’s blog: https://lnkd.in/ee5NNH2J