From sports quarter to growth plan to bin strikes – in an exclusive interview with TheBusinessDesk.com, West Midlands mayor Richard Parker spoke to me about what he’s been up to since he came into office.

I should start by saying that I’m not easily impressed by politicians – especially those who focus on charm or charisma at the expense of policy and integrity. After my conversation with Parker, however, what appealed to me was exactly that his profile as a politician is strengthened because of his focus on policy, and certainly what appears to be a genuine commitment to serving the people and the region for which he is responsible.

Progress so far: transport, housing, regeneration

Parker told me he was really pleased with the progress he has made in office up until this point, on a number of fronts. He mentioned his Growth Plan which launched in July and is “a really important statement of our intent and our ambition for growth”.

Another key area of progress was a proposal on bus franchising — now approved — which was one of Parker’s big priorities when he got elected. “When I was campaigning, people were telling me that the biggest frustration was that the bus network doesn’t work for them,” he said. With 80% of public transport users in the region using buses, he emphasised the importance of making the bus network and services fit for purpose.

One thing Parker can safely boast about is having delivered 10 times more social housing than his predecessor Andy Street. Where Street only delivered 46 units over his two terms in office, Parker said he has delivered over 700 in one year. He emphasised wanting to use the housing funds available “to improve people’s lives”.

“Around 4000 families and 13,000 children are living in poor quality temporary accommodation that is blighting their lives. I’ve met a number of those families now, and getting them out of that accommodation into safe and secure homes is a big priority for me, ” he said.

Of course, any conversation around recent progress would be incomplete without a mention of plans around Birmingham’s Sports Quarter development. Parker spoke of the collaboration with Knighthead Capital, the owners of Birmingham City FC, for the regeneration of what he described as “one of the most deprived parts of Birmingham”.

Current priorities: Sports Quarter and beyond

Asked about plans that are being prioritised at the moment, Parker’s response – perhaps unsurprisingly – prominently featured development of the Metro line using the allocated government funding. He said: “We’re going to be using somewhere around £350m for that line which will help deliver £3bn of private sector investment. That’s not just into a new football club but into new homes, new jobs and new sports culture that will regenerate that bit of Birmingham, and importantly for me, create opportunities for some young people, particularly from some of the poorest parts of the city.”

He also mentioned a push to unlock growth in other parts of the region by connecting the Metro line from the Sports Quarter through East Birmingham and North Solihull to Adam Cross Station, opening up more opportunities. Plus three “investment zones” which are aiming to deliver around £5bn of investment and create 30,000 jobs.”My priority is to ensure those jobs go to people living, learning and training in the West Midlands,” he said.

At this point, the obvious question was whether Parker’s plans, ambitious as they were, were realistically achievable – or if they were possibly too big? I asked if he worries at all that by the time he’s finished his term, these plans won’t have been realised.

“So I think my role is a strategic one,” said Parker, emphasising that his focus is to set the strategic direction and objectives for his office during this term.

He added: “If we’re going to address the challenges we’ve got around growth and productivity, we need to make some big decisions to improve levels of investment and the quality of our transport infrastructure.” He acknowledged that while that will take time, there are already signs that what his office has been doing is making a difference. While HS2 isn’t going to be ready for a while, he said, “what we’ve got to do is leverage the funding on the back of that investment.”

He went on to share some of the things taking place at a local level on a daily basis. “Some of those are well known, some aren’t,” he said, adding: “Operationally, we’re doing things all the time to make a difference”. He mentioned £25m in grants to small businesses as one example, which the businesses have used to lever in £20m worth of match-funding, helping 20,000 small businesses throughout that process.

Another example he gave was the deal brokered with the government, JLR, and the US which saved 35,000 jobs in the region. “So I might have this big vision stuff to do, but every day we’re working to ensure that this region succeeds – the big difference I can make to this region is truly focusing on some of the big strategic interventions that are going to turn the dial in a really material way” he said.

Binfire Birmingham? Image and opportunities

In the past year we have undoubtedly seen some difficult times for Birmingham in light of globally reported bin strikes, the ensuing chaos, and associated challenges with image and reputation for the city, and the region by extension. Governing and representing the region against this backdrop is no small feat.

Parker shared his frustrations, not necessarily around the challenges themselves but more so due to a certain sensationalisation in the media and irresponsible reporting. He said: “My job is to not be in denial of some of those challenges, but also to stand up for this place.”

He acknowledged that crippling cuts to government funding for the city council have played a huge role in the difficulties facing Birmingham today, also pointing out that these cuts made some of the poorest communities more vulnerable. “I will stand up against that, and I always have done,” he said. “I don’t buy into the mantra that this has just been a wasteful council.”

But he also pointed towards what he described as a media frenzy around the bin strikes, with many major media outlets acting irresponsibly. “There were still pictures of piles of bins and rubbish on street corners, weeks, if not months, after, those streets had been cleared,” he said, adding: “That’s not to say that wasn’t a difficult period, but I believe many of our communities and the role of the council was terribly misrepresented.”

On a positive note, he emphasised that investor sentiment has been largely unaffected by that negative media coverage. Surveys and consultations with businesses have reflected very positive investment sentiment around the region, with investors not dissuaded by negative headlines. Parker also mentioned a trade visit to China in March where he met with a business wanting to set up its HQ in the West Midlands, and no one brought up the bin strikes or raised any concerns around them in light of the possibility of investing.

“My role is to promote the region and to make as much as we can of the good news,” he said, going on to give the example of Knighthead Capital’s investment bringing about “the largest property regeneration project anywhere in the UK, outside London, for decades”. Parker also mentioned the work being led by Stephen Knight in Digbeth around creative industries, the three investment zones spanning the whole region, record transport funding from the government, and the National Investment Summit in Birmingham in the autumn as other examples of the region attracting positive interest.

Cuts, cuts, cuts: advocating for local government

Given the struggles caused by brutal cuts and lack of funding from central government in recent years, it can’t be easy trying to make a difference at regional or local government level.

When asked if Parker would describe himself as an advocate for local authorities, he said: “I think, really importantly, my understanding and recognition of the importance of local government has meant that we’ve been lobbying for a better funding settlement for the West Midlands councils. And I’m really pleased that the government are undertaking a review currently of fair funding for local authorities.” He added that he was optimistic about seeing a positive outcome for the councils through this review.

“Whilst I’m not here to bankroll or bail out our councils,” he said, “some of the work we’re doing on skills training will increase the prosperity and the prospects of people living in those places,” adding that 55,000 people have been given access to skills training during his term. He also said progress on social and affordable housing will help relieve councils from the burden of supporting families in very expensive, often insecure temporary accommodation.

There’s a clear sense of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) working in partnership with councils in order to address their priorities. “When we’re working together collectively on the right things, we can achieve a lot,” said Parker. He emphasised that irrespective of the size of the councils, all of the council leaders “are equally important” and have equal status on the board.

Relationship with businesses: access and support

Asked specifically about his relationship with businesses, Parker said: “I’ve always said I want [the West Midlands] to be the best place in the UK to do business.” He went on to give examples of regular meetings with businesses and investment zones as a demonstration of his active support, adding that the Growth Plan was built with business in mind. “I do want businesses to know that it’s important for me that I present the case of business to government,” he added.

He also emphasised prioritising better support for SMEs via the WMCA and West Midlands Growth Company and working with council leaders to ensure they focus on growth and provide as much support as needed for business in the region.

“It’s only through businesses succeeding that we can grow our economy, and it’s only by our businesses succeeding and growing our economy that we can provide the opportunities, particularly to our young people, that I want to develop here. So the relationship between the political office of the Mayor, the Combined Authority and businesses, is absolutely the fabric to our success,” he said.

While success can be relative in some instances, it can also often be quantifiable and measurable. And if one were to measure success by investment, infrastructure, economic support or housing in the region, Parker does seem to be on the right track.

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