An ambitious approach to cross border working
What is the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal?
The Borderlands Partnership has been established to unlock the potential for sustainable and inclusive economic growth across the South of Scotland and North of England.
Representing up to £452million of fresh investment to the Borderlands area, the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal was formally signed on 18th March 2021 by Ministers of the UK and Scottish Governments, plus representatives of the five councils of the Borderlands Partnership. You can view the virtual deal signing ceremony here.
About the deal
Our ambition is built upon four strategic themes, which aim to deliver sustainable improvements to boost potential and opportunities for residents, visitors and businesses.
-
Improving places
-
Supporting business, innovation and skills
-
Enabling infrastructure
-
Encouraging green growth
By leveraging opportunities to grow as individuals across communities and as successful businesses, we are creating vibrant places to live, work and visit across the Borderlands area.
Improving places
By improving places, we are revitalising the Borderlands region to attract people to live, work and visit by delivering strategic projects that are transforming the role and perception of places.
We are proud of our heritage, cultural and recreational assets and we are utilising these to promote the region as a destination to visit and as a place to live and work.
We are investing in and repurposing smaller market towns to support thriving and sustainable communities through our innovative Place Programme
Destination Borderlands will support seven distinct tourism projects across the region which will increase the number of visitors as well as the length of stays, extend the season and result in higher levels of spend
Supporting business, innovation and skills
The long-term success of the Borderlands region is dependent on our ability to prosper and be ready to take advantage of new opportunities, technologies, and ideas. We are home to a wide range of forward-looking people, businesses and organisations and will invest £54m across business, innovation, and skills projects.
We recognise that innovation and skills are central to achieving this by improving perceptions of the region as a place to live, work and study.
By creating new opportunities through innovative projects and partnerships, we are simultaneously supporting and enabling organisations to grow.
Enabling infrastructure
We are investing in the infrastructure needed to support improvements in connectivity, helping people to access the region and addressing perceptions of poor connectivity.
Improvements include:
-
Enabling infrastructure for Carlisle Station, the gateway to the Borderlands region, as an HS2 stop
-
Establishing a new campus for the University of Cumbria, supporting the development of higher level skills
-
Aiming for 100% coverage of digital/mobile infrastructure, enabling businesses and residents to be connected
Encouraging green growth
We are capitalising on the Borderlands region's green credentials, facilitating de-carbonisation and high value job creation.
Here's how our projects are supporting green growth:
-
Development of Chapelcross as a clean growth strategic investment site for low carbon energy generation/ energy efficient businesses
-
Prioritised investments from our energy masterplan, we're supporting a low carbon economy transition and contributing to achieving the UK & Scottish Government targets for net zero by 2050/2045
The Borderlands Partnership is working together to deliver transformative change across the region to maximise the benefits of inclusive growth.
Inclusive growth and opportunities for all
We are focused on economic growth across a broad range of projects to ensure a fair distribution of opportunities across our Borderlands communities, now and in the future.
Our projects are not only underpinning the local economy, supporting and enabling innovation and progress, they are ensuring human wellbeing is prioritised. Alongside the improvement of places and lessening environmental impact, we are enabling positive change and tangible benefits for the Borderlands’ residents, businesses and visitors.
Find out more about the far reaching benefits of our projects by selecting an option below and exploring in more detail the how the Deal is improving the lives of people who live in, work within and visit the Borderlands.
Delivering a sustainable future for the Borderlands
Not only is the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal the first cross-border deal, it covers the largest geographical area of any regional growth deal negotiated with the UK and Scottish Governments.
With a core focus on delivering projects that benefit our local area and economy, the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal has already made a significant impact locally as well as delivering on numerous national priorities.
