INTERNATIONAL • CREATIVE • CONNECTED • TALENTED • RESILIENT
YEAH ... BUT WHAT IS
GREATER BRIGHTON? A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO THE CITY REGION
(AND WHY YOU SHOULD CARE)
"
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YOU CAME, AND LOOK VIEW LONG KNOWN A GREEN SUSSEX FADIN WITH ONE GRAY GLIM
Welcome to your guide to the Greater
KED, AND LOVED THE AND LOVED BY ME, NG INTO BLUE, MPSE OF SEA
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ALFRED LORD TENNYSON
Brighton region and what it means to you ...
YOUR TOP
10 QUESTIONS
D E R E W ANS
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SO YOU'RE WONDERING, WHAT IS THE GREATER BRIGHTON REGION AND WHY DOES IT MATTER? Firstly it may well be one of the best kept secrets on the South Coast. We aim to change that. Greater Brighton is an impressive example of cooperation between seven local councils of different political persuasions, businesses, two universities and an international airport all with one aim; to bring jobs and prosperity to the people who live in the region!
WHAT IS GREATER BRIGHTON?
They are joined by the University of Sussex, University of Brighton and Greater Brighton Metropolitan College from the higher and further education sector. From business the Adur & Worthing Business Partnership (AWBP), Brighton & Hove Economic Partnership and the Coastal West Sussex Partnership are represented as are the South Downs National Park and Gatwick Airport. Think about the range of expertise and influence this brings to raising the profile of the Greater Brighton Region.
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The Greater Brighton Region was formed in 2014 from the Government’s City Deal programme aimed at allowing important decisions to be made on a more local level. Greater Brighton aims to protect and grow the Region’s economy by working together to create jobs and attract investment. Special focus is given to creating employment, improving skills, developing sustainable infrastructure such as energy and water supply, transport and housing.
GIVE US AN IDEA OF THE SCALE OF THE REGION?
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Greater Brighton stretches from Gatwick Airport and Crawley in the north, to Seaford in the east and Worthing in the west. Seven local authorities Adur, Arun, Brighton & Hove, Crawley, Lewes, Mid-Sussex and Worthing sit on the Board that governs the region.
WHAT HAVE ALL THESE AREAS IN COMMON?
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More than you’d think! Obviously we have beautiful countryside and stunning coastlines but in this modern age our industry and employment skills are intertwined and our transport networks are certainly linked. Potential employers looking to invest here are increasingly looking for the whole package. Greater Brighton can supply this. In short we are all stronger together.
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BUT I LIVE OUTSIDE BRIGHTON, WHAT HAVE I GOT IN COMMON WITH CITY DWELLERS? In the past there was a little bit of concern about loss of identity, but not now. And think about it. There’s two words here: Greater and Brighton. No town or community has lost its identity, but by gathering around a recognisable and world famous city and adding all of the thriving communities around it we’ve created an incredible new dynamic identity.
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SO WHAT HAS IT DONE THAT COULDN’T HAVE BEEN DONE BEFORE? Put simply there is no way on their own these communities could pack the punch that Greater Brighton has. It has secured more than £160m on investment in major projects that have brought jobs and homes to the region.
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Since inception in 2014 Greater Brighton has
helped create 24,000 jobs, build 18,000 homes and unlocked £2bn in private sector investment. It has enabled people to work together for the first time. It is beginning to create an identity and a range of voices that are starting to be listened to around the country and, importantly, in government.
ISN’T IT JUST ANOTHER QUANGO, A TALKING SHOP FOR POLITICIANS?
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Not at all. All the people sitting on the Board have other jobs but have joined to start to make things happen. City Region economies are becoming more and more important. It is vital that Greater Brighton establishes itself as a real force to be reckoned with. As well as the investment it has brought in, Greater Brighton is involved in important projects such as ensuring water and energy supplies are resilient in the future as we respond to global warming.
SO WHO ARE WE IN COMPETITION WITH? Believe it or not City Regions across the UK are well established but it’s not just that. You may even have heard of the Northern Powerhouse and the East Midlands Engine? These are vast collections of bodies pushing the case for more investment in the north with plenty of government backing. While that is no bad thing, Greater Brighton’s job is to keep pressing the case for investment, public and private, here. The sunny south it may be, but we think there are still some areas which could be rosier and more importantly there is more wealth we could contribute for the overall benefit of the UK.
BUT WHAT HAVE YOU ACTUALLY DONE?
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The simple answer is lots! Take one example. The Adur Tidal Walls project in Shoreham, undertaken by the Environment Agency, is a classic example of Greater Brighton funding being used to protect the town and create growth. It has all been made possible thanks to £6 million of funding drawn in through the Greater Brighton Economic Board (GBEB) via Coast To Capital Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). Thousands of homes, hundreds of businesses and essential transport routes will be protected from flooding thanks to the work on the 7.2km stretch of river.
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WHAT ABOUT THE FUTURE, WHAT DOES IT SEE AS A STRENGTH?
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We believe the future for Greater Brighton is exciting. We want to continue working together and presenting a united voice for investment in our area. We also want to continue championing the amazing talent that the Region has to offer, showcasing the best of it on the world stage. We also must continue to support and nurture our own individual communities, ensuring we provide good-quality homes and jobs that our 900,000 residents need, while making sure the right infrastructure, such as transport, health and skills exist around that.
For more info visit greaterbrighton.com
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CASE STUDIES CASE STUDY#1 :
5G 5G is the future - and that future is being trialed in the heart of Greater Brighton. In September 2018, Digital Catapult Brighton unveiled the UK’s latest testbed for this technology, allowing small businesses to benefit from state-ofthe-art mobile wireless communications. It also allows them space to test and explore potential new uses for 5G. The infrastructure within a Brighton office block was funded by a £1.2m grant secured by Greater Brighton through the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership and Local Growth Fund. It’s all part of a wider aim to turn Greater Brighton - and the wider UK - into a world-leader of this technology, which aims to increase speed and improve bandwidth to homes and workplaces. In time, the trials taking place in the City Region could support the development of new technology such as autonomous cars, the application of Internet of Things in healthcare, new manufacturing methods and changes to the consumption of media.
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DID YOU KNOW... Working in partnership the Greater Brighton City Region has brought significant benefits to the partner Local Authorities and agencies. Together the partnership has secured more than £160m of Growth Deal funding held by the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership
£160m secured in Local Growth Funding £2bn unlocked in private sector development 18,000 homes being built 750,000 m² of employment floor space being delivered 24,000 jobs More than 30 active projects
It has also secured £14.9m from the Local Growth Fund to support road and public transport improvements.
CASE STUDY #2:
BURGESS HILL Take the example of Burgess Hill, a key strategic growth area for the City Region, with £1 billion of investment planned for the town.
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO STAY IN THE FOLLOW US ON KNOW SOCIAL MEDIA
The ambitious plan includes: 5,000 new homes
TO STAY IN THE GREAT ERBRIGHTON KNOW
Town centre regeneration Improved rail station with new homes approximately
GREATERBRIGHTON
Dualling of the A2300, the main road into the town
re ge ne ra tio n
A HUB employment area, the size of 20 football pitches
of Bu rg es s im pr es si on A rt is t's
Greater Brighton is championing the work with local, regional and national partners.
H ill' s
A Science and Technology Park with employment space the size of about 14 such pitches
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THE FIVE
Brighton is all " Greater about recognising that
the economy knows no boundaries ... the whole really is greater than the sum of the parts
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That’s the ambition for Greater Brighton in the next five years. To help us achieve this we’ve set a number of key priorities, providing focus and ensuring we continue to make a coherent compelling pitch to government and businesses to invest in our region ...
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THEMES INTERNATIONAL Building an international profile will increase opportunities to secure foreign direct investment as well as enhancing the City Region's standing at a national, regional and local level.
CREATIVE Greater Brighton has a high number of start-ups and is recognised as a successful incubator for innovation. Focus now is on providing these ambitious businesses with the support to scale and grow within the City Region.
CONNECTED From Full Fibre to 5G. With University of Sussex and Gatwick Airport already at the forefront of 5G tech, the City Region has the opportunity to become a trailblazer in the application of game-changing technologies.
TALENTED
Greater Brighton has a cultural offering that's hard to beat. To attract even more talent to the area focus should shift to highlighting cultural and natural assets. A more integrated approach to developing grass-roots talent for a modern economy is being promoted.
RESILIENT We are proactively building robust economic and environmental policies, as well as bringing together third-sector and other agencies to build social resilience with a focus on areas such as mental health, social inclusion and food poverty.
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ARE YOU READY TO BE A PART OF
GREATER
BRIGHTON? GREATERBRIGHTON.COM