The Mid South West (MSW) Region Growth Deal Partners are shocked and disappointed to have received news that the funding previously committed by the UK Government for a Growth Deal for our region has been ‘paused’ and is now subject to the outcome of the Spending Review. As a region we had been looking forward to signing the Heads of Terms Agreement for our Growth Deal next month.
We welcome the efforts of the Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald in holding discussions with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Darren Jones, and the Secretary of State, Hilary Benn, and we also call on the Chief Secretary to the Treasury to lift this pause immediately and reaffirm the UK Government’s commitment to a Growth Deal for the Mid South West Region. Significant resource has been invested by the Councils and our partners to date in developing a suite of transformative infrastructure, innovation, tourism, regeneration and green energy projects which will drive the long-term economic growth of the region and we must continue at pace to build on this work.
Despite the uncertainty that now surrounds the MSW and Causeway Coast and Glens Growth Deals, we welcome the news that the pause has been lifted from the Belfast Region City Deal and the Derry City and Strabane City Deal, and that both Deals will now be proceeding.
The MSW Region Growth Deal Partners remain fully committed to the Growth Deal and to seizing this vital opportunity to address decades of underinvestment, redress regional imbalances and to maximise the wide range of benefits that this investment would bring to our region and to the people who live, work and visit here.