West London Economic Prosperity Board

West London boroughs, the government and the London Mayor know what a key role local areas can play in delivering the local benefits of economic growth to residents and businesses. This involves local authorities working with each other, local partners, including businesses and the voluntary sector, to boost local economic activity, build more affordable homes, support businesses, improve skill levels in line with what the economy needs and so help to create apprenticeships and job opportunities for local people.    In order to drive growth at the scale necessary to make a real impact

• and to demonstrate the real potential of local areas to take over national programmes relating to economic growth - local authorities are increasingly working more closely together and with wider partners as sub-regional partnerships.    The West London Alliance (WLA) has worked for a number of years to deliver significant savings and improve services for the participating authorities. It has also won substantial external funding and investment to deliver innovative programmes of work, for example in the form of European Social Funding (ESF) and government grants.    Now members of the WLA have established a formal legal partnership to deliver economic prosperity and growth in West London, called the West London Economic Prosperity Board (EPB).    The Board has an ambitious work programme to drive forward WLA Vision for Growth, focused on making West London a thriving, prosperous place within a dynamic world city. Specifically it will focus on: 

Supporting low-paid residents in work to enable them to achieve pay levels that can sustain and improve their living arrangements Radically improving success rates for employment programmes, particularly for disadvantaged residents and communities, and getting all young people in West London into education, employment or training Supporting delivery of at least 74,000 new homes to help boost local industry and address the shortage of affordable homes to buy and rent in London Increasing small business start-up and survival rates Collaborating with higher education institutions to address local skills gaps and support business growth Creating and maintaining thriving town centres that people want to live in, work in, and visit.

The West London EPB will play a leading role in discussions and negotiations with the Mayor and the government about devolving powers and functions related to economic growth to West London.