In its submission to its inquiry the Airport outlined five ways to make the best use of spare capacity and encourage growth across the country.

The submission was drafted in response to the Airports Commission’s call for evidence on how to make best use of capacity in the short-medium term, shows that the Airport could handle 27 million passengers by 2021 with only minor developments to existing infrastructure.

Andrew Cleaves, GBSLEP Board Director with responsibility for transport.

The GBSLEP has highlighted the opportunities presented by Birmingham Airport in both the Strategy for Growth and Greater Birmingham Project, pointing to the job creation opportunities for Greater Birmingham and the enhanced connectivity, particularly linking to HS2.

Andrew Cleaves, GBSLEP Board Director with responsibility for transport, said: “Greater Birmingham is a great location in the UK and we should take every opportunity to utilise this.

“As it stands the airport has spare capacity, so there is a huge potential to relieve the capacity constraints that exist within the South East and fulfil the current demand for travel in the central region.

“Growth at Birmingham Airport will provide hundreds of thousands of jobs in an area of significant unemployment and provide the connectivity with the rest of the world that our industrial base so desperately needs.”

Andrew Cleaves, GBSLEP Board Director with responsibility for transport.

Following today’s announcement of two new bills regarding HS2 in the Queen’s Speech, Andrew Cleaves, GBSLEP Board Director with responsibility for transport, welcomed the legislation.

He said: “From the very beginning, the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership has been supportive of the Government’s creation of a high-speed rail network in the UK.

“The two Bills in the Queen’s Speech provide us with further confidence in the Government’s commitment to press ahead with the proposals and ensure the project is delivered on time.

“HS2 represents one of the most important opportunities we have in Greater Birmingham to bring about a step change in terms of jobs, connectivity and economic growth.

“We stand at the centre of a national network, providing us with an enviable level of connectivity with the north and south of the country as well as enhancing our international connectivity.

“HS2 will have a huge impact on our current local rail capacity challenges and provide the region with the opportunity to create new industry based on our strengths in advanced manufacturing.

“Of course, we do acknowledge that while the economic opportunities are huge, there will be challenges in some areas and the GBSLEP will continue to work with Government to minimise the social and environmental impact.

“The two Bills in the Queen’s Speech send out a strong message that the Government sees HS2 as a priority and we warmly welcome their commitment to this project.”

Steve Hollis, Deputy Chair of the GBSLEP.

Steve Hollis, Deputy Chair of the GBSLEP reflects on the launch of the Strategy for Growth.

At a time when resource and funding for economic development are scarce and competition for investment is intense, the highest quality strategic planning is critical.

Rebalancing the UK economy is one of the Government’s biggest challenges and the need to address this was exposed even more in Lord Heseltine’s report ‘No Stone Unturned’.

Nobody can be in any doubt about the scale of the challenges we face here in Greater Birmingham.

We know that in virtually every indicator of economic performance –unemployment, GVA per-head and, particularly, skills – we compare unfavourably to the national average.

However, we also know that Greater Birmingham is on the cusp of a major breakthrough in our economic fortunes.

This will be fuelled by investment that is both planned and in progress that is on a scale that we have never seen before in our city region including investments in major infrastructure projects such as HS2 and New Street Station and landmark growth engines such as UK Central (the M42 Economic Gateway).

Furthermore, even in some bleak economic times, we can boast of some remarkable business success stories.

Jaguar Land Rover continues to go from strength to strength and the recent announcement that Deutsche Bank is opening a trading floor in Birmingham show, from two very diverse but key sectors, that there is a confidence in the city region.

Ultimately, it is by focusing on our strengths that we can begin to address our challenges.

Throughout the process of developing the Strategy For Growth we have been reminded repeatedly that there has been no shortage of strategies down the years.

So, what is different about the Strategy for Growth?

The most obvious difference is buy-in.

In the past, many of the strategies that have not delivered what they promised were imposed on partners – this is not the case here.

This strategy has been agreed and developed with the input of the private sector, local authorities, third-sector organisations, universities and colleges.

This has helped us to produce a strategy with those who are most closely involved in local growth and local employment.

The broad support that the Strategy for Growth has forms a cornerstone of Lord Heseltine’s recommendations in ‘No Stone Unturned’.

Not only is stakeholder consensus on economic growth plans fundamental to achieving the aims of the Strategy, but it is also a key principle for bidding for the Single Local Growth Fund.

The strength of our position is enhanced further when you consider we have already begun to demonstrate our LEP can deliver – most obviously through the development of the Birmingham City Centre Enterprise Zone and Paradise Circus.

As we move on, it will be vital that a robust governance structure is in place to deliver the required democratic accountability.

On behalf of the GBSLEP Board, I would like to thank everybody who played their part in developing the Strategy for Growth.

We believe the Strategy can – at last – provide us with the foundations to transform the economic fortunes of the city region forever.

Download the Strategy for Growth here.

Produced following a White Paper consultation which saw more than 400 representations from businesses, local authorities, third sector organisations, universities and colleges, the Strategy for Growth will underpin economic activity up to 2020.

In this timeframe, the GBSLEP has set targets of increasing private sector jobs by 100,000, driving up GVA by £8.25 billion and transforming performance in skills and employment.

The GBSLEP is a private-public sector partnership made up of businesses, education providers and Birmingham, Bromsgrove, Cannock Chase, East Staffordshire, Lichfield, Redditch, Solihull, Tamworth, Wyre Forest local authorities.

At the heart of the Strategy for Growth are six ‘enablers’ which will be the focus for the LEP’s work:

• Growing the number of successful businesses
• Building sector strengths and opportunities
• Stimulating innovation in products, services and businesses
• Improving our skills talent pool
• Improving physical and digital connectivity
• Optimising physical, cultural and environmental assets.

The Strategy for Growth will be vital as the GBSLEP begins the process of preparing to bid for the Single Local Growth Fund due to be announced in the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review on June 26.

Steve Hollis, Deputy Chair of the GBSLEP.

Steve Hollis, Deputy Chair of the GBSLEP, said: “The Strategy for Growth, we believe, is a bold and ambitious bid to not only provide a step-change in our economic fortunes but contribute to the UK’s economic recovery.

“Ambitious targets have been set and all stakeholders will have to play their part in helping us achieve them.

“While we are acutely aware of the challenges we face here in Greater Birmingham, it is important to remember we are on the cusp of a breakthrough in our economic fortunes.

“This will be fuelled by investment that is both planned and in progress that is on a scale that we have never seen before in our city region including investments in major infrastructure projects such as HS2 and New Street Station and landmark growth engines such as the M42 Economic Gateway.

“Furthermore, even in some bleak economic times, we can boast of some remarkable business success stories.

Sir Albert Bore, Leader of Birmingham City Council.

“The GBSLEP will, rightly, be judged by our ability to deliver this ambitious strategy and that we will need to develop and improve our delivery capacity.”

Sir Albert Bore, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “For the first time, the strategy has focused on the city region and been developed by local authorities, businesses, universities and other key stakeholders working together to explore ways in which we can all benefit from investment in economic growth.

“Work is still necessary to ensure a robust governance structure to deliver the step-change we need, but the Strategy for Growth provides the basis from which we can move forward.”

In order to ensure stakeholders and the public can monitor the progress of the Strategy for Growth, an online portal will be launched providing public access to the activity underpinning the plans.

Download the Strategy for Growth

‘Talk to Reg’ (www.talktoreg.co.uk), developed by the ‘Better Business for All (BBfA)’ initiative, will provide an online resource for firms to get expert advice and guidance on meeting legislation.

The portal features contact details and useful information for organisations responsible for food safety, health and safety, environmental protection, licensing, trading standards and fire safety.

It is part of a new approach that is being led by the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) and the Better Regulation Delivery Office (BRDO), which focuses on effective regulation being a catalyst for business growth.

Wade Lyn, GBLEP Board Member.

Wade Lyn, Board Director of GBSLEP, said: “Some of the things we hear from companies are that ‘red tape is too complicated’, ‘there are too many people to talk to’, and ‘where do we go to cover everything’.

“The outcome of all this is wasted manpower, unnecessary costs and a feeling of confusion when it came to legislation.

“Talk to Reg, which has been developed by the team at Lichfield District Council, is an important first step in putting this right. We’ve brought all of the main experts and organisations together in one single directory and all have been trained in making the relationship between regulators and firms more effective.”

Companies logging on to the website should be able to find the relevant contact they’re after within a few minutes or, in some instances, two clicks.

Users enter their postcode in the search engine to find the relevant experts serving that geographic area. Telephone, email addresses and website details are listed.

Furthermore, the categories have been designed so they match what a business might be looking to find; for example food safety inspections, building regulations, tax and employment. There’s even a section on business advice.

Wade said: “Talk to Reg has only been live for a few days, but we’ve already had over 100 visitors.

“As the message gets out there, I’d expect it to become the first place companies turn to for support with regulation, aided by the fact that it is also available on smart phones.

“The portal is available to any business in the GBSLEP area, which includes Birmingham, Bromsgrove, Cannock Chase, East Staffordshire, Lichfield, Redditch, Solihull, Tamworth and Wyre Forest.”

The Better Business for All project has been created to help the Government deliver on its priority of reducing the regulatory burden on business.

Primarily this will involve raising understanding and awareness and training the regulators so they can deliver support to firms that actually unlocks potential as opposed to putting barriers in the way of growth.

BBfA is currently being trailed with GBSLEP and the Leicester & Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership. If successful, it could be rolled-out across the other 37 LEPs in England.

Andy Street, GBSLEP Chair.

“We are working to secure greater clarity from Government about the scope and nature of the Single Local Growth Fund and, by June, we should be in a position to press ahead with more long-term planning.

“The work the GBSLEP and Lord Heseltine have done with the Greater Birmingham Project and the Single Local Growth Fund raise many points about governance arrangements going forward.

“This is a debate we welcome and we continue to work to demonstrate to Government that Local Enterprise Partnerships are the right vehicle for economic development.”

Key talking points and decisions:

• The Greater Birmingham Project report was approved, subject to final amendments. It was agreed it should be launched at a media event on 17 March 2013.
• An allocation of £61.3 million of Birmingham City Centre Enterprise Zone (EZ) resources for phases 1 and 2 of the Paradise Circus project from the EZ Investment Plan was agreed. Report was then taken to the Cabinet of Birmingham City Council for approval.
• The latest version of the Strategy for Growth was discussed in advance of publication in May 2013.
• An update was received on the GBSLEP Spatial Planning Framework which is due to be published for consultation during the summer.
• Solihull MBC and Arup made a presentation on the progress being made with UK Central (previously the M42 Economic Gateway) including plans to publish a masterplan for the site later in the year
• Andrew Cleaves, the GBSLEP Board Director with the lead for Transport, was appointed to the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Transport Board.
• The development of an agreement with Marketing Birmingham for the promotion of the visitor economy and the delivery of strategic marketing services was approved.
• Updates on progress with the City Deal and GBS Finance were presented, the Mid-sized Business Review and Creative City Partnership and Access to Finance.
• The Board approved for £5,000 from the GBSLEP’s Capacity Fund to support research into the Social Enterprise sector.
• It was agreed that Professor Dame Julia King join the Board as representative of Higher Education, replacing Professor David Eastwood, and that Steve Hollis would continue as Deputy Chair for a further year.

Cllr Mike Wilcox, Leader of Lichfield District Council

Next week, following a year of hard work by partners and stakeholders, the GBSLEP Strategy for Growth will be launched.

This is the first time an economic strategy has been developed for the wider Greater Birmingham city region, of which Lichfield forms a key part.

When the Government first launched the idea of LEPs, Lichfield District Council was quick to see the benefits of partnering with Birmingham and our other local authority partners in the LEP.

At Lichfield District Council we are acutely aware of the part we will have to play in helping the GBSLEP achieve its ambitious targets of 100,000 private sector jobs across the LEP and increasing GDP by £8.25 billion by 2020.

The partnership puts us in an enviable position within one of the largest LEPs in the country, encompassing a population of over two million people and more than 800,000 jobs.

It also puts us in a position to be closely involved in major economic strategic work, such as the Strategy for Growth and the work with Lord Heseltine and his ‘No Stone Unturned’ report.

Having a close involvement in such a dynamic public-private sector partnership gives Lichfield more impact and a louder voice to Government than we could achieve working in isolation.

We have been able to play an important role in the shaping of the Strategy for Growth and we have been vocal and bold in expressing our views about the focus and shape of the document.

After all, the Strategy for Growth will be key in terms of Lichfield’s economic development activity in the coming years and it is important we get it right.

From our point of view, business innovation and growth has long been a priority for Lichfield District Council and I am delighted this principle is shared by the GBSLEP.

We are already seeing the fruits of delivery from our involvement in the LEP through schemes such as the Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative, the Business Development Programme and the Growing Places Fund.

The Government’s commitment to establish a Single Local Growth Fund in line with Lord Heseltine’s recommendations raises the stakes for Lichfield and the wider LEP even higher and provides greater opportunity to accelerate economic growth.

The Strategy for Growth will put us in the vanguard amongst the LEPs and will, we hope, continue to demonstrate the benefits of us working together.

The £2 million project to revamp Newman Brothers Coffin Fitting Works in Fleet Street will receive over £200,000 after successfully applying to the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) for support from the Growing Places Fund.

The Growing Places fund is designed to get stalled infrastructure projects moving again, unlocking developments and enabling the delivery of new jobs, commercial space and homes.

Cllr Bob Beauchamp, Chairman of the Birmingham Conservation Trust; Keith Stanley, Operations Director of the Jewellery Quarter Development Trust; Paul Heaven, Director of the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership.

The Newman Brothers project is being delivered by Birmingham Conservation Trust, which took over ownership of the building in 2010. Since then, it has put together a funding package including Birmingham City Council, English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Opened in 1894, the works was once the best in the world and made fittings for the coffins of Winston Churchill, Joseph Chamberlain and the Queen Mother.

Many of these handles, breast-plates, crucifixes and shrouds, were left behind when the business shut in 1999.

Now, after almost 15 years in disuse, the future of the works will be thriving SMEs.

Commercial units will be created in the three-storey building that will also be the new home for Birmingham Conservation Trust and a heritage attraction which will build on the Jewellery Quarter’s existing tourism links.

As a result of the final piece of funding from the GBSLEP, work can now start on the project and will be complete next year.

Paul Heaven, GBSLEP Board Director and Chair of the Growing Places Fund Committee, said: “The Newman Brothers building is a historical gem and I’m delighted the deal could be struck for the Growing Places Fund to bring it back into use.

“It’s also great that the determination shown by the partners involved in the Newman Brothers project, against some significant set backs down the years, is now being rewarded.

“This is a scheme that is ready to go and can, in a relatively short period of time, be delivering jobs and growth opportunities and I would like developers who have similar schemes that might benefit from Growing Places funding to come forward.”

Keith Stanley, Operations Director of the Jewellery Quarter Development Trust; Paul Heaven, Director of the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership; Cllr Bob Beauchamp, Chairman of the Birmingham Conservation Trust.

Cllr Bob Beauchamp, Chairman of the Birmingham Conservation Trust, said: “The Growing Places grant has unlocked more than £2 million of investment in the Jewellery Quarter.

“Birmingham Conservation Trust has been involved with the Coffin Works since 2001, trying to rescue this amazing old building and find a sustainable new use for it.

“There have been many ups and downs along the way and at the end of last year we were still short of the last bit of capital funding we needed to get the project underway.

“The Coffin Works will not only be an exciting and unusual heritage attraction, strengthening the Quarter’s heritage and tourism ‘offer’, but a quirky ‘character’ location offering low-cost workspaces for creative and start-up businesses.”

Keith Stanley, Operations Director of the Jewellery Quarter Development Trust (JQDT), said: “The redevelopment of the Coffin Works will provide a fantastic working environment for new businesses as they can be inspired by the heritage and stunning architecture around them.

“The courtyard in the centre of the scheme will become a great public realm area where employees and visitors can relax and reflect on their surroundings.”

See the GBSLEP Flickr page for photos from the Newman Brothers Coffins Works.

Julia replaces Professor David Eastwood, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Birmingham, who completes his two-year tenure as Director on May 1 2013.

Julia brings a breadth of experience in both academia and business to the Board, where she will be the representative of the whole of the Higher Education Sector, acting as a conduit between them and the Board.

GBSLEP Board Director Julia King.

She became Vice-Chancellor at Aston University in December 2006 having previously been Principal of the Engineering Faculty at Imperial College, London.

Prior to that, Julia spent eight years in a variety of senior positions at Rolls-Royce plc having spent the previous 16 years as an academic researcher and university lecturer at Cambridge and Nottingham universities.

Julia is also a non-executive member of the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills and a member of the Committee on Climate Change as well as a member of the World Economic Forum Automotive Council.

In addition, the GBSLEP Board has agreed for Steve Hollis – former Midlands Chairman of KPMG – to continue as Deputy Chair for a further 12 months.

GBSLEP Chair Andy Street, said: “We are very fortunate to have somebody of Julia’s experience, vision and expertise in Higher Education to replace Professor Eastwood and continue the excellent work he started.

Steve Hollis, Deputy Chair of the GBSLEP.

“Julia’s achievements in business and academia and her experience in working with different levels of government are almost too extensive to list.

“Her vision and understanding of the Higher Education Sector will, I am sure, prove hugely valuable as we continue the delivery of the Strategy for Growth.

“Furthermore, Steve continuing as Deputy Chair provides us with further continuity which will be vital given that he has been responsible for leading on our work to produce both the Strategy for Growth and the Greater Birmingham Project.”

Julia King said: “The Local Enterprise Partnership is a great opportunity to provide a positive impact on the lives and futures of the people, institutions and businesses in the region.

“We will be developing education opportunities, promoting business growth and creating a truly competitive knowledge economy.

“I am delighted to be joining the Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership.”