The future economic prosperity of the Severn Valley and Mid Wales will be reliant on the development of strategic planning policies to encourage growth, a new partnership set up to promote the region as a place to do business is being told.
The ‘Growing Mid Wales’ partnership, announced on Monday has been established by local county councils in Mid Wales along with other private and public sector partners to counter the promotion and development of areas in South and North Wales for economic growth.
But local architect and businessman Doug Hughes says there needs to be a clear plan of strategic sites and development areas throughout the region, including the Severn Valley from Llanidloes to Newtown and Welshpool, to ensure businesses and investors can plan ahead.
“The launch of Growing Mid Wales is encouraging. But we must ensure this group has the support and inclusion of the private sector to help mould and encourage the economic growth it is setting out to support,” said Mr Hughes, managing director of Hughes Architects, which has offices in Newtown, Welshpool and Aberystwyth.
“It must not become a talking shop. It needs to help guide planning for strategic and local economic sites in communities throughout Mid Wales, joined up with social community needs, including housing and development.
“Local existing businesses and those looking to expand or invest in the area need to ensure they can plan ahead for growth and this means local development plans must be developed and maintained locally within each community and strategically across the region.”
Mr Hughes, who works with businesses, organisations and individuals from the private and public sector on architectural design and planning projects throughout the UK, is also chairman of the Seven Valley Effect, a Welsh Government and Powys County Council Local Growth Z project supporting people and businesses with enterprise support, has already urged a more cohesive and strategic approach to the Newtown bypass.
Last month he said without a planned approach to marketing and developing the opportunities provided economically by the £56m Newtown bypass before it is built, the region could miss out and would end up playing catch up when the road is finally built in 2017.
He pointed out that £20m was being invested in Newtown through private and public sector in building projects alone this year.
Mr Hughes attended the first meeting of the Growing Mid Wales Partnership. He said was encouraged by its aims but wanted to ensure it grasped the support and advice of the private sector at all times
“Growing Mid Wales needs to do what it says - grow Mid Wales. But we must ensure it works cohesively with existing groups and organisations and has private sector backing to ensure it can make a difference.
“Otherwise we face talking about economic prosperity but not actually encouraging it.”
