Agenda for Change

Residents across the region have been faced with a higher cost of living and loss of vital services due to years of mismanagement and central government cuts.

 

As West of England Mayor, I will take forward key opportunities to improve people’s lives, better health, transport and housing.

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​Take control of public transport​

• I will take control of local bus services through franchising, improving reliability, guaranteeing and bringing back essential routes, and capping fares.

• Deliver cheaper, reliable bus services for children and young people to get to school, college and university.

• Invest in an integrated transport network, including cycling infrastructure through better use of the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) budget, to deliver joined up public transport and cycling infrastructure.

• Urgently review the options for a mass rapid transit system, as a central part of a more integrated system to connect all our major infrastructure and employment centres.

• Improve accessibility for walking and wheeling, to include better support for local councils to maintain paving and footpaths.

• Deliver cleaner, non-polluting public transport to reduce emissions and support sustainable travel across the region.

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Deliver affordable and accessible local housing, including new social housing

• Build more affordable and sustainable housing, including new social homes, by working with local councils and ensuring proper planning compliance.

• Prevent land banking by freeing up space in underused brownfield sites. 

• Support community engagement on housing development plans to ensure the right homes in the right places, while protecting and enhancing the environment through Biodiversity Net Gain.

• Develop a joint Spatial Strategy with local authorities to enable a clear connected plan for land use, including space for housing, employment, renewable energy and areas for nature restoration.

• Support a Net Zero New Build approach and push for every new house to have solar panels.

We face a climate emergency for people and planet, last year saw the hottest temperatures ever recorded in the UK, and our area faces serious threats from flooding and storms.

 

The West of England region can be a leader in sustainability. Our region already hosts many dynamic community groups, technology companies and communications specialists on sustainability. 

 

I will work in partnership to enhance this expertise and give greater prominence to our role as a leader in the UK and around the world.

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Leading on Renewables

• I will push for bolder action and investment in hydroelectric and tidal power as well as significant increases in solar and wind. 

• Create a West of England Centre of Excellence for Green Technology bringing together the region’s leading innovators to develop new products and services, making the region the national leader in green innovation and jobs. We should be developing the skills to build these technologies in our own region.

• Agree a 2030 target for local clean energy use, measured against locally produced clean energy and customers switching to clean energy tariffs.

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Championing Nature

• I will take forward the regional nature recovery strategy, the first of its kind in the UK, it is crucial to ensure that we deliver meaningful Biodiversity Net Gain, which enables nature recovery and significant ecosystem restoration rather than mere box ticking. 

• I will also continue to support biodiversity in our area by working with community groups, conservationists and local farmers to be stewards of the countryside. Working in partnership is the best way to ensure regenerative planning for thriving and resilient local food production, natural flood management and enhancement of natural ecosystems.

• By 2030 identify roughly a third of urban area and nature corridors that can support local wildlife and biodiversity.

We urgently need to improve training & skills in the key industries of the future.

 

The West of England Mayor should be driving forward opportunities to train up the next generation to deliver net zero buildings, including investment in solar energy, heat pumps, battery storage, retrofitting and insulation.

 

I will call for bold steps to provide opportunities for local businesses, farmers and young people, so that we leave no one behind.

 

Our area has a rich industrial heritage, we must build confidence in investment to ensure career opportunities in the industries of the future, as well as support for new start-ups that build expertise in the area.​

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Jobs & Skills

• Expand training and apprenticeships to help people re-enter the workforce, focusing on key industries like net zero construction, renewables, and technology innovation.

• Host regular forums on key issues, including infrastructure, transport and energy as well as building strategic partnerships with key employers, research institutions and training providers.

• Work with local businesses, start-ups, technology experts and engineering companies to create quality jobs and career opportunities in the industries of the future.

• Establish a £100 million West of England Investment Fund to support infrastructure and economic development.

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Better Local Control

 

Finally, in order to be able to deliver for local people, we need to take control of key decisions locally to enable us to raise proper funding for investment.

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• Reduce red tape and cut waste in the Mayor’s office to redirect resources toward frontline services and investments in local communities.

• Convene ‘community conversations’ to listen to diverse stakeholders, from residents, community organisations, local authorities and business representatives in order to develop a sense of collective purpose on transport, housing and jobs.

• Seek powers to control business rates and regulate short-term lets, ensuring local investment benefits residents.

• Push for the power to introduce a tourist levy on visitors to our region. This would bring in millions to support local museums, green spaces, public toilets and street cleaning.