West Of England Combined Authority's CEO joins Future Cities Forum

Above: Stephen Peacock, Chief Executive, West of England Combined Authority (image courtesy WECA)

Future Cities Forum is delighted that the Chief Executive of the West of England Combined Authority, Stephen Peacock, will be joining our 'Innovation Cities 2025' discussion event in Bristol this October. Before joining WECA in June 2024 Stephen was Chief Executive of Bristol City Council.

Hosted by Deloitte in the Halo Building at Finzel's Reach in Bristol, the discussion will look at the challenges and opportunities to grow the region's economy through innovation. Stephen joins YTL Developments, the University of Bristol, the University of Bath, Grimshaw, and Buro Happold among other contributors.

The West of England Combined Authority says:

'We want to lead the way in green and inclusive innovation to protect our environment and create opportunities for all. To achieve this, our Plan for Innovation will bring together our region's world-class R&D centres, academic institutions, businesses and the public sector, as well as helping businesses use innovation to boost productivity, create meaningful jobs and safeguard our environment.

'The Mayoral Combined Authority is investing £24.4 million from the Department for Transport and £3.65 million of it’s own money to trial new, innovative travel ideas and is one of only four Future Transport Zones in the country.

The trials are intended to find out how successful these new, sustainable travel choices are, enabling future transport plans to be developed with greater confidence and providing the public with better access to employment and education.

'Despite being a prosperous region, 150,000 residents live in some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in the country. Many face barriers to education, jobs, and health services, with significant income disparities affecting their quality of life. Addressing these inequalities is critical to ensuring everyone has the chance to thrive. Educational attainment is below the national average, with disadvantaged pupils scoring 17 points lower than the average.

'Whilst the most productive city region in England outside London, economic growth in the region has been slow, with productivity increasing only 4% over the last decade. Rising housing costs are consuming a larger share of incomes, and real wages remain stagnant. The region needs support to boost innovation, tackle high living costs, and improve transport connectivity to unlock greater prosperity.

'The West of England has made significant progress in reducing emissions, but reaching net zero by 2030 remains a major challenge. Transport emissions are still high, and the region faces a huge task in retrofitting homes and workplaces for energy efficiency. At the same time, climate change is already affecting the region with increased flooding and extreme heat. Alongside decarbonisation, efforts to reverse nature’s decline are essential, with biodiversity loss and habitat degradation posing serious risks to both the environment and residents’ wellbeing.'