Carlisle city centre

Carlisle city centre

Taylor Stopforth founder joins the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal Economic Forum

by Jack Stopforth

Jack Stopforth has been invited to join the Economic Forum advising the Board of the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal.

Borderlands is a unique and exciting Deal bringing £350m worth of investment from the UK and Scottish governments into the English/Scottish border region as part of a package of over £450m worth of projects.

A dedicated team has been working hard with the governments to finalise projects which will support sustainable growth across a sizeable and largely rural area covering nearly 10% of the UK landmass and around one million people across the English/Scottish border.

What is the Economic Forum?

The Economic Forum is charged with delivering and embedding the voice of businesses, third sector and regional strategic economic partners in the intended projects. It is a fantastic opportunity for individuals from the business community who are passionate about the place they live and work to contribute to the future of the Borderlands.

The primary role of the Economic Forum in the governance of the Deal is to advise the decision-making body, The Partnership Board, on aspects of the Deal. The Chair of the Economic Forum will sit on the Borderlands Partnership Board (alongside the five local authority Leaders) and will seek to anchor activities in the local and regional business community.

Who will be included?

The Economic Forum will be made up of two business representatives from each of the local authority areas and four regional stakeholder representatives covering the South of Scotland Enterprise agency, Skills Development Scotland, and the Cumbria and North East Local Enterprise Partnerships. The Forum will meet on a quarterly basis. 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. The Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal is a unique, cross border collaboration, delivering a multi-million pound investment over 10 years. The strategic deal has inclusive and sustainable growth at its heart, to improve the long term prosperity of communities and the environment of the whole region.

The partnership is made up of the five cross-border councils, the UK and Scottish governments and a number of external partners from the public and private sector. The councils are Carlisle City Council, Cumbria County Council, Dumfries and Galloway Council, Northumberland County Council and Scottish Borders Council.

Commenting on his appointment, Jack Stopforth said: “I was delighted to be invited to apply for this role and even happier to be appointed. Whether as Taylor Stopforth Consulting or during my career as an economic development practitioner I have supported and promoted investment in regions as diverse as London Boroughs, Metropolitan City Regions and rural communities. I have always sought to work with businesses and public agencies to find common ground and a shared agenda and I am excited to be working across this vast tract either side of the Scottish-English border”.