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Region and enabling it to raise its profile and compete more effectively in today’s global market, ensuring an equality of opportunity across the Region. An integrated transport system linking key employment, entertainment and residential hubs will provide new investment opportunities. We need to be innovative in how we develop and package these, supported by European Funds and Welsh Government monies, to be investor ready and use them to unlock external funding sources such as Sovereign Wealth Funds. We also need to be proactive in taking these opportunities to investors globally. The potential significant benefits are economic, social and environmental. The Region will need to give further consideration to housing development and in particular what, where and for whom such developments are taken forward. The Region requires an appropriate mix of housing that is well served by transport connections. This further underscores the need to align transport and land-use planning. INTER-REGION TRANSPORT To drive economic growth and maximise the economic impact, it is essential that we improve the Region’s connectivity both internationally and to key UK centres including, for example London, where the combined impact of Crossrail and electrification will make a significant impact on journey times. Currently road access in and out of the Region is largely based on the M4 to the south of the Region and the A465 to the north, or through train travel, particularly to London. The M4 and A465 connect the Region to the national road network however, their effectiveness is limited by existing known bottlenecks, particularly the Brynglas tunnel in Newport. There has been significant recent investment in improving the Heads of the Valleys (A465) and the Welsh Government has identified the M4 relief road as a priority. The future economic growth of the Region and Wales is dependent on these investments being delivered. The second Severn Bridge provides a spectacular road gateway into the Region and Wales however, it comes with a cost. With the bridge reverting to public ownership later this decade, there is an opportunity to review the emotive issue of a significant toll charge to enter Wales. There is a regular 2 hour travel journey to London Paddington, and with electrification, this journey time is expected to reduce to 1 hour 45 minutes, the same journey time as the mid 1980’s. A number of our competitor cities in England have already seen reduced journey times and these are set to reduce further. We must have an effective dialogue about a more direct London service with fewer stops. A minimum twice an hour, sub 90 minute direct train service from Cardiff to Paddington and Heathrow is a must, along with sub 40 minutes travel time to our near neighbours in Swansea and Bristol. In addition to improving the frequency and journey time, we also need to improve the experience. Communication on the move is a requirement of business life. The current mobile and Wi-Fi provision between London and the Region and within the Region is inconsistent. We need to ensure that there is a consistent and reliable mobile and data service on all public transport into and across the Region. Potential Metro branding and transport livery
04a. Connectivity INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT The Region has its own airport situated next to the Severn in the south west of the Region, which the Government acquired in 2013. The airport boasts a long runway, capable of taking the A380 jet, offers an “over water” approach and is the base for BA’s long–haul aircraft maintenance facility. To be considered as a globally connected, investor ready Region, we must have an accessible, thriving international airport operating as a “Gateway to Wales”, hosting major carriers and serving the major global business and tourist destinations. All the world’s major capital cities are supported by international airports they can be proud of and numerous studies have demonstrated how increased air travel increases business investment. Significant investment is ongoing to improve airport access, infrastructure and route development and these must continue to ensure an international gateway into the Region. DIGITAL Digital technology has transformed the way we live and the way businesses operate and will continue to drive change as the third industrial revolution progresses. Leading modern countries and regions offer high speed, reliable and cost effective broadband to support the flow of information. This is now a ‘must have’ for any city region with global aspirations and is critical for economic growth. For example, Japan and South Korea, two leading nations that embody innovation, manufacturing excellence and world class communication, have high speed broadband covering over 90% of their premises. Wales compares favourably with these and other leading nations - by 2016 96% of homes and businesses in Wales will have access to fibre broadband. Wales is leading the way with the roll out of superfast broadband in the UK. Superfast Cymru is proceeding at pace across the Cardiff Capital Region with large parts of the Region already covered, providing reliable and high speed broadband access. We need to ensure that this and future investment provides a resilient, diverse and price competitive broadband service to all users, be they business or consumer. The Region needs to capitalise on the significant fibre backbone already deployed, and a number of key digital support capabilities to drive economic growth, including: — Cardiff Internet Exchange offering direct access to the world wide web; — The Next Generation Data Centre, Europe’s largest Tier 3 data centre; — The BT Nexus Node supporting highest quality and high-speed data transfer to London. Potential Metro station design 22 — Powering the Welsh Economy
Page 1 and 2: Powering the Welsh Economy
Page 3 and 4: Contents Foreword 04 Vision & missi
Page 5 and 6: Foreword This report directly addre
Page 7 and 8: Our vision “A globally-connected,
Page 9 and 10: 01. Background and context THE BACK
Page 11 and 12: 02. A global perspective 10 — Pow
Page 13 and 14: 02. A global perspective What does
Page 15 and 16: 03. Cardiff Capital Region today An
Page 17 and 18: 03. Cardiff Capital Region today Da
Page 19 and 20: 04. Delivering the vision “Delive
Page 21: 04a. Connectivity TRANSPORT Success
Page 25 and 26: Talbot Green BRIDGEND Llandaf Catha
Page 27 and 28: 04b. Skills 26 — Powering the Wel
Page 29 and 30: 04c. Innovation and growth “Suppo
Page 31 and 32: 04c. Innovation and growth Top: Ras
Page 33: British Airways Maintenance Cardiff
Page 36 and 37: What it could look like — Attract
Page 38 and 39: is developing an environment and in
Page 40: WORKSHOPS AND ENGAGEMENT To support

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