Cardiff leader sets city region sights high
Cardiff’s plans for a new Central Business District will be the deciding factor in the growth of the Cardiff city-region as a major European influence, according to the city’s council leader Rodney Berman.
Cllr Berman told a Cardiff Ambassadors in London event that for the city itself to succeed, it needs to grow as a thriving city-region, with the scale of its hinterland providing the labour-pool to make the Cardiff region an internationally prominent, and competitive, business location.
He said: “Our aim is to make Cardiff Europe’s best regional capital for business by 2015. A new Central Business District located around Cardiff Central station will be the key project in this new era of development, creating a new sustainable investment location for UK and international businesses in the heart of the city centre.
“We’re the only place in Wales with economic output per head greater than the UK average. Gross Value Added per head in Cardiff is almost 10% higher than the comparable UK figure and the last UK Competitiveness Index ranked Cardiff as 4th most economically competitive city in the UK, despite Wales being ranked as the UK’s worst region in the same index.
“The Cardiff ‘city-region’ concept is not just a policy paradigm. It is alive and kicking today - and has been since the industrial revolution. Cardiff’s region now has a population of 1.4 million people, almost half of the Welsh population, and over half of the economic output.
“Clearly, the city is important to many people beyond the local authority boundary. Around 80,000 people travel in to the city each day to work and many more travel in each day to enjoy the city. City-region supply-chains are the life blood of the local economy and many businesses within South-East Wales work together for their mutual benefit. Cardiff understands the need to extend the benefits of economic success into the region. Success in the city must translate into success for the region and for Wales, and the region has much to offer the city to help it compete at a higher level.
“The city needs to ensure that we continue our success and develop as a thriving city-region. We need the scale of our hinterland to provide the labour-pool to help the Cardiff region become an internationally prominent, and competitive, business location that attracts inward investment.”
Cllr Berman’s comments came at a Cardiff Ambassadors in London event organised by Cardiff & Co, the company set up to promote the city region. Managing diector Richard Thomas said: “Promoting the capital of Wales in London is a key priority for us, as is developing a strong network of London-based advocates who continuously present a positive image of the Cardiff city-region. Major investors from the UK and other parts of Europe are based in the UK capital and by sharing Cardiff’s news with them we can open up new avenues for investment.”
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08/07/2011
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