Grow Gloucestershire

Earlier this month, Gloucestershire County Council announced plans to invest over £100 million to bring better infrastructure, skills and jobs to the county. This investment, under the title ‘Grow Gloucestershire’, will help shape the local economy and secure the future prosperity of Gloucestershire for years to come.

In the Forest of Dean, this investment will help us in a number of ways. The infrastructure investment will help fund the £10m Cinderford Spine Road. The Spine Road will open up the Northern Quarter of Cinderford for redevelopment, and is a crucial component of the District Council’s plan to regenerate the town.

The County Council are also providing part of the funding to rollout superfast broadband to the Forest of Dean, followed by rural areas across the rest of the County. The Forest of Dean was named as one of four national pilot areas where superfast broadband is being introduced to rural areas to provide better service to residents and better access for businesses. The Government is also providing funding to make this happen.

Another key strand of Grow Gloucestershire focuses on increasing the number of available jobs in the County, especially for young people. The County Council will be working closely with colleges and businesses to help support employers in the recruitment and training of young people. Part of this drive will include supporting apprenticeship schemes. The County Council will be leading by example, offering 25 apprenticeships themselves.

This is important for the future of the County, as without good jobs for young people, Gloucestershire’s best talent will move elsewhere. To help encourage talent to stay in Gloucestershire, the County Council wants to make it easier for first time buyers to get on the property ladder. They will be setting up a £1 million fund to provide help to potential buyers who can afford a mortgage, but do not have enough money to pay for an initial deposit.

I commend Cllr Mark Hawthorne, the Leader of the County Council, and his Cabinet, for their foresight in putting this plan into place. While the Council has had to make savings elsewhere, they are making the conscious decision to invest in schemes which will help keep talent in Gloucestershire, while improving links to the rest of the country to attract further businesses and jobs to the county.

Contact me: Mark Harper MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA, mark.harper.mp@parliament.uk or www.markharper.org.

ENDS