VIDEO: Wales’ place in the UK dominated the first Estates Gazette Cardiff Question Time this week.
Heated debate surrounded the notion of a south-western powerhouse, with head of Savills’ Cardiff office Chris Potts calling the idea a “copycat” movement.
“It sometimes feels like lip service. The northern powerhouse has the backing of chancellor George OSborne,” he said. “Whereas if you put Bristol, Cardiff and Newport in a room together they may not be able to agree what to have for lunch.”
BBC Wales director Rhodri Talfan Davies agreed that the concept had the feeling of “window dressing”, but stressed that it was early days for the south-western powerhouse, and that the level of strategic intent was not yet known.
However, head of economic development for the City of Cardiff council and director of Cardiff business council Ken Poole defended the progress made towards creating a regional hub.
“We have agreed to work together, and even that surprised a lot of people,” he said.
Poole added that there were a number of key areas in which cities like Cardiff and Bristol could mutually benefit from working together, such as a combined labour pool and improved transport links.
He also argued that Wales and the South West needed more unity in the face of an empowered Scotland which will increasingly be competing for inward investment in the future.
See next week’s Estates Gazette for full coverage of the debate.
