Thousands of new jobs and homes announced for Coventry and Warks in £392m Midlands masterplan

[dutchman]

A £392m masterplan for the Midlands is expected to create at least 3,500 jobs in Coventry and Warwickshire.



The Midlands Engine Strategy, launched by Chancellor Philip Hammond, includes more than £42 million to regenerate Coventry and towns including Nuneaton, Bedworth and Rugby.

The aims is to provider housing and room for businesses on under-used land, partly by improving transport links.

And the scheme has the potential to create up to 3,500 jobs and deliver space for up to 2,000 new homes, according to the Treasury.

It’s one of a wide range of measures in the Midland Engine Strategy, a project to create jobs and economic growth in the East Midlands and the West Midlands.

Under the plans, rail passengers in Coventry and Warwickshire will also be able to use “smart” cards allowing them to travel without buying a ticket every time.

The new system is due to be in place across the Midlands by the end of 2018 and is inspired by the “Oyster” card system already operating in London.

Passengers have a plastic card which they can top-up with cash and use when they want to travel.

In the longer term the goal is to ensure the same cards work on rail and other forms of transport such as buses.

And the Midlands is set to test super-fast “5G” mobile services.

Chancellor Philip Hammond said: “The Midlands has enormous economic potential and as we lay the foundations of a stronger, fairer Britain outside the EU it is more important than ever that we now build on its existing strengths to make sure it fulfils it.

“The Midlands Engine Strategy is an important milestone, setting out the concrete actions we are taking, where we are not only investing in what it does well but also tackling some of the long standing productivity barriers in the region including skills and connectivity.

“It is a vital part of the government’s work to create an economy that works for everyone, and all parts of the country.”

Other key measures include £11 million to create a state of the art Apprenticeship Academy at Warwick University to deliver over 1,000 degree level apprenticeships in advanced manufacturing.

And £2 million was announced for culture and tourism in Warwickshire and Coventry, including a major redevelopment and expansion of Warwick Arts Centre, in order to capitalise on the opportunities provided by Coventry’s 2021 UK Capital of Culture bid.

Other measures include £11 million over two years for new “Work Coaches” who help unemployed people, for example with interview training

And there will be £7 million to test ways of helping employers to help their staff with mental health issues.

[rebbonk]

I call bull-sh*t.

Like everything else, I'll believe it when I see it.