West Midlands coronavirus recovery plan launched to get region back on its feet
Top level plans are being drawn up to help the region's economy bounce back from the damage caused by coronavirus.
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has joined forces with council bosses, business leaders and police chiefs to put together the strategy, which includes boosting access to loans, bringing forward investment, and increasing training options for the unemployed.
Mr Street spoke with Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday to discuss the region's future prosperity, which he says will largely depend on the levels of financial support offered by to help businesses get back on their feet.
The West Midlands economy is predicted to be the hardest hit in the country, with KPMG saying the closure of car plants and factories connected to the automotive sector meant the region’s economy would shrink by 10.1 per cent this year.
And the West Midlands Economic Forum warned in its latest report that the region would struggle without a funded rehabilitation programme.
More Covid-19 coverage:
Mr Street said: "There have been some bleak forecasts and we are committed to putting a plan together so we can get the wheels turning again.
"The important thing is for businesses to be able to operate safely, and it is crucial that we do not rush back prematurely.
"I'm hoping the Prime Minister tells us this week that we can start moving to the first stages of the recovery some time in May."
One of the reasons the West Midlands economy has been predicted to struggle is its dependence on manufacturing and the higher education sector.
But Mr Street said the economy had become much more resilient in recent years, with more high growth businesses and SMEs across a variety of rising sectors than ever before.
"The fact that our economy is much more diversified than it used to be makes us less vulnerable," he said, adding that the region's "upskilled" workforce would also aid the recovery.
Vital
He described HS2 as "more vital than ever" as it would guarantee thousands of jobs in the region, and said he was committed to making the case to the Government that significant investment in the West Midlands would pay dividends in future.
"In our area, investing in the greening of the car industry now is far less cost to us than if it is allowed to fail," Mr Street said,
He also urged the PM to "press on" with regional funding pledged in this year's Budget, as well as allowing each region to decide how best to spend its share of the pot.
"Each region is different, and he has got to give us a bit of autonomy to do what is right for our regions," he said.
"We were in a really good position before all of this, and that should give us confidence that we can get out of it."
Meanwhile, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson, who is involved in planning the strategy, has raised concerns that a huge spike in unemployment could spark a crimewave.
He is calling for "a massive but targeted investment" in supporting young men at risk of being drawn into crime.
The PCC said: "We need a huge boost in apprenticeships and schemes to tackle youth unemployment, like the Future Jobs Fund in the late 2000s or the New Deal in the last 90s, but larger than both in truth.
"Without a massive boost to job support for young people, the impact on crime could be catastrophic.
"The big national rises that we’ve seen in anti social behaviour risks turning into even more serious violent and organised crimes."
The first version of the region's economic recovery plan is due to be published later this week.
