Details of the next Business and Transport forum as well as supporting information will be made available on this webpage once confirmed.
Partnership organisations
We work in partnership with numerous organisations. By working closely with partner organisations, the Western Gateway STB and our partners benefit from:
- Added value through sharing knowledge, skills and resources
- A greater joined-up approach on shared objectives and outcomes
- Effective engagement with, and influence over, decision making at the national level
- An accelerated growth programme and increased productivity across the region
- Improved national and international connection in to, out of and across the Western Gateway Area
- Improved links to our ports and airports enabling freight and goods to move more efficiently.
Business and Transport Forum
The Business and Transport Forum acts as an advisory body to the Western Gateway Board and Senior Officer Group representing the views of stakeholders. The Transport and Business forum consists of a wider group of representatives including LEPs, Universities, public transport operators, port and airport authorities, as well as Government and National Agencies. The Transport and Business Forum meet on a bi-annual basis. The nominated chair of the forum is Jim Stewart – Chief Executive of Poole Harbour Commissioners. As chair of the forum, Jim attends the Western Gateway STB Board as an associate member.
Discussion points within the forum include:
- Recognising the limitations of accessing labour markets
- Identifying and recognising the barriers of productivity across the area
- Recognising the issues preventing improved national and international freight and passenger connectivity.
Engaging stakeholders in this process provides the Western Gateway STB with greater insight and more effective interaction. It also benefits stakeholders, enabling them to influence regional decision making.
Partners
Representatives from the below organisations are invited to participate as a partner organisations and associate members of the Western Gateway Board to establish a collaborative partnership and enable a single co-ordinated conversation:
- The chair of the Western Gateway Business and Transport Forum to represent stakeholders
- One representative each from the Department for Transport, Highways England, Network Rail and Homes England
- One representative from each neighbouring STB (Peninsula Transport and Transport for the South East).
Other STBs
The Western Gateway STB work in close partnership with the six other Sub-National Transport Bodies (STBs) across the UK to align areas of common interest, and meet on a regular basis through the STB Liaison Group.
The other STBs are:
Western Gateway Powerhouse
The Western Gateway Powerhouse is a cross-border economic partnership of Local Authorities, City Regions, Local Enterprise Partnerships and Governments (in Wales and Westminster), working together to bring additionality to the area’s existing strategies and structures.
The Western Gateway Powerhouse is a new partnership with high ambitions. Over the coming year, it will work at pace whilst making sure that they bring people on the journey and work in a balanced, evidence-driven way to build its longer-term economic vision and strategy.
The Western Gateway STB is working closely on the transport projects which overlap with the Powerhouse to ensure that both organisations achieve their objectives.
For more information please visit the Western Gateway Powerhouse website at https://western-gateway.co.uk.
Strategic Partnership Groups
There are four Strategic Partnership Groups within the Western Gateway STB and each partnership group provides oversight and support towards the production of a long-term strategy. Each Strategic Partnership Group represents one of the four strategic multi-modal travel corridors across the geography of the Western Gateway area:
- Midlands to South West
- Midlands to the South Coast
- South East to South West
- South East to South Wales
Once the travel corridor strategies are completed, each strategy will include local and national schemes, and information on the phased delivery for each scheme. The corridor strategies will also be aligned with the Western Gateway’s Strategic Transport Plan.
Each travel corridor is considered in conjunction with stakeholders from outside the Western Gateway area and is supported by Western Gateway STB officers to ensure there is consistency in the approach taken by each of the strategic partnership groups.
