A message from Cllr Kevin Guy, Leader of Bath & North East Somerset CouncilInvestment supporting sustainable growth is very much on the agenda this week with the launch of an ambitious region-wide ten-year Growth Strategy, delivering thousands of jobs. The West of England Growth Plan, published by the West of England Combined Authority, was launched yesterday. I was pleased to join Helen Godwin Mayor of the West of England alongside other council leaders and government ministers (pictured) at the Bristol Digital Futures Institute, to together make the case for more investment in our part of the world. The ten-year vision seizes on the amazing opportunities we have here in the West of England and I am personally very pleased to see our ambitious plans for Fashion Museum Bath recognised as a lever to secure investment, jobs and to boost the continued growth of the tourism and culture sectors in our region. Our plans, already set out in the council’s own ten-year Economic Strategy, to attract new commercial and employment opportunities within the Bath Riverside Innovation Quarter, and in the Somer Valley are also a vital part of WECA’S focus on regional growth. This afternoon the council’s cabinet meets to consider Local Plan Options for the growth of Bath & North East Somerset to bring housing, transport, business space, infrastructure and public spaces together to shape better places and create more jobs for the future under the Local Plan. My ambition is to see the right homes in the right places, with good transport options, facilities and jobs. Cabinet will consider the recommendations including an extensive public consultation on the Local Plan Options document. You can watch the meeting which starts at 4.30pm the council’s Youtube channel. You can also find out more on the Local Plan and the proposed consultation on the council website. Investing in our environment is key to sustainable growth and this week we reported on the start of a long list of improvements for nature and residents at Staddlestones Riverside Park in Midsomer Norton and Waterside Valley in Westfield. One of the council’s priorities is to give people a bigger say and I want to thank the hundreds of people who took part in the consultation on the improvement plans which received grant funding from the West of England Combined Authority to enable the work, and to Westfield Parish Council which purchased the 13-hectare Waterside Valley site. It is in all a great example of how we can work in partnership to invest in a better future for our green spaces. Finally I want to join many others in both congratulating the England Women’s Rugby team for reaching the World Cup final this Saturday and cheering the Red Roses on as they take on Canda. Among the Red Roses is former University of Bath student Natasha Mo Hunt, a double Olympian who I hope will be in the winning team for a second time. Have a great weekend. L to R: Nina Postans, MD at Skylark Media; Nick Sturge, Mayor’s Business Advisor/Business Board Co-chair and Co-founder of Engine Shed; Cllr Tony Dyer, Leader of Bristol City Council; Evelyn Welch, Vice-chancellor of the University of Bristol; Cllr Kevin Guy, Leader of Bath and North East Somerset; Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England; Cllr Ian Boulton, Co-leader of South Gloucester; Sadik Al-Hassan, North Somerset MP; Cllr Catherine Gibbons, Deputy Leader of Noerth Somerset; Jo Dally, Mayor’s Business Advisor/Business Board Co-chair and Chief Business Officer at NCC.
Photo (credit: Phoebe Stephen / Boomsatsuma / WECA) | 
