Meeting of City Deal councils

Council Leaders from across the City Deal area (Coventry City Council, Warwickshire County Council, Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council, North Warwickshire Borough Council, Rugby Borough Council, Stratford on Avon District Council, Warwick District Council and Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council) met earlier last week and had a very constructive meeting to discuss all potential structural options to optimise our joint economic future. This included exploration of economic prosperity boards and combined authorities.

All Leaders are in agreement that any decision about future arrangements will only be made once all implications and benefits to their councils, businesses and residents are fully explored and understood. All Leaders have agreed to meet again early in the new year to continue these discussions.

Cllr David Bill, Deputy Leader of Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, who attended the meeting, said: "There was a time not so long ago when the Midlands made every conceivable manufacturing article which was sold to the four corners of the earth. We now need to work together across the region to try to ensure that we return to full employment for all . It will not be easy but it is worth the effort for all our sakes."

Commenting after the meeting David Bill said:

"I hope that everyone will agree with this initiative. I have continued to be involved with colleagues in Coventry & Warwickshire trying to find a way forward in improving joint working across the region.

I suggest that the key messages we want to come out of this exercise are

1. The need to attract inward investment in order to return the area to full employment

2. The need to emphasize the a return to engineering and manufacturing and less dependence on other sectors

3. The need for the Midlands as a whole to come together to achieve these aims

4. The need to avoid being seen as simply part of a Greater Birmingham.

I think that we are more than playing our part and we now need to bang the drum about it .