Proposals for a locally led partnership for the Oxford to Cambridge region have been given the green light by government.

Following a proposal submitted to government by leaders from local councils, local enterprise partnerships, the Arc Universities Group and the area’s transport body, England’s Economic Heartland, Secretary of State Rt Hon Michael Gove confirmed support for the establishment of the pan-regional partnership.

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Backing for the partnership unlocks access to up to £2.5 million of government funding for the initiative to support its priorities in delivering sustainable growth and environmental enhancements for the region.

The partnership’s role will be to champion the region as a world leader of innovation and business, acting to achieve environmentally sustainable and inclusive growth.

It will strengthen cross-boundary collaboration among its partners to focus on tackling the issues that Oxford City Council say matter to the people who live and work in the region.

The partnership’s initial programme is to develop a set of propositions to attract international investment and profile the region on a global stage.

Then, to continue the work underway to embed shared environment principles.

Following the official commitment from government, the partnership will begin active recruitment of an independent chair.

In the interim, a shadow board has been set up to oversee the partnership’s programme and agree governance and funding.

Chair of the shadow board, councillor Barry Wood, said: “We believe that by working together the whole Oxford to Cambridge region can be greater than the sum of its parts.

“With official status as a pan-regional partnership backed by government, we can unlock potential and further strengthen our area’s position as a hub of innovation; a globally recognised region of science and technology that delivers prosperity for our communities.

“It will enable us to better achieve inclusive and sustainable outcomes for residents, business and the environment.”

Councillor Susan Brown, leader of Oxford City Council, said: “Working in partnership is one of the most important things we do as a council.

“The area that the Pan Regional Partnership covers is already known world-wide for our innovation and research and we want to work together to make sure that our local people benefit in an inclusive way from the strengths of our local economies.

“We also want to continue the excellent work that we have already started on becoming an area of innovation around biodiversity and tackling climate change.”

Councillor Liz Leffman, leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “This is a welcome step forward for partners across the Oxford to Cambridge area who are in a strong position to work together to create conditions for economic growth underpinned by environmental sustainability.”

 

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This story was written by Matthew Norman, he joined the team in 2022 as a Facebook community reporter.

Matthew covers Bicester and focuses on finding stories from diverse communities.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Matthew.norman@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @OxMailMattN1