We worked in partnership, and provided leadership, to align effort and resources behind agreed regional priorities.

Effective partnership working has always been central to the Agency’s ability to maximise its impact on the West Midlands economy.  This was never more important than when responding to economic shocks.  The section below provides information about – and resources related to – how we provided leadership and worked in partnership at such times.

Rover Task Forces Read all

Advantage West Midlands led the Rover Task Force, established in 2000 to mitigate the impact of BMW’s decision to dispose of Rover.  Following the later collapse of MG Rover, in 2005, the Agency was asked by Government to establish and lead the MG Rover Task Force to co-ordinate assistance to the members of the workforce who had been made redundant and to mitigate the impact on suppliers.  The Agency’s success in this role was commended by the Prime Minister and by the Public Accounts Committee investigating the closure of MG Rover.  It was also acknowledged by the National Audit Office which commented that, ‘Public bodies should draw on the lessons that have been learned, and documented, by those involved in the MG Rover Task Force…’.

Closure of MG Rover: Economic Impact Assessment, Interim Report - Summary - PDF - 557kb

Report produced by Regeneris Consulting, on behalf of Advantage West Midlands, in July 2005. An assessment of the likely short, medium and longer economic impact from the closure of MG Rover and a related assessment of the response already in train and implications for the future policy response. This interim report provided an early assessment of the economic impact of the closure on the West Midlands economy, the automotive sector in the region and on more local parts of the region where the intensity of impacts will be greater.

Closure of MG Rover: Economic Impact Assessment, Interim Report - Full - PDF - 1mb

Report produced by Regeneris Consulting, on behalf of Advantage West Midlands, in July 2005. An assessment of the likely short, medium and longer economic impact from the closure of MG Rover and a related assessment of the response already in train and implications for the future policy response. This interim report provides an early assessment of the economic impact of the closure on the West Midlands economy, the automotive sector in the region and on more local parts of the region where the intensity of impacts will be greater.

The Closure of MG Rover, National Audit Office - PDF - 1mb

Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, National Audit Office, produced in March 2006. National Audit Office report covering the closure of MG Rover.

The Closure of MG Rover, Public Accounts Committee - PDF - 905kb

Report by the House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts, produced in July 2006. Public Accounts Committee report on the closure of MG Rover.

Evaluation of the Rover Task Force 2000 and MG Rover Task Force 2005 Programmes - PDF - 797kb

Report produced by Ecotec, on behalf of Advantage West Midlands, in September 2008. An evaluation of the Rover Task Force 2000 and MG Rover Task Force 2005 Programmes. The original aims and objectives of the evaluation were to: (i) demonstrate the immediate and long term impacts of the programmes; (ii) examine the additional benefits of AWM's investment in the programmes, over and above what would have happened without intervention; (iii) understand the value of AWM's regional leadership role and how this contributed to the achievement of the additional benefits of the programmes; and (iv) learn the lessons from the programmes.

Life after Longbridge: Three Years on. Pathways to re-employment in a restructuring economy - PDF - 888kb

Report produced by Birmingham University and The Work Foundation, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, produced in November 2008. This report presents findings from two elements of the project. First, a review of the spatial impact of the closure: where people now live and work relative to before the closure. Second, results from a survey of ex-MG Rover workers, conducted in April 2008, to investigate their lives after the closure. The survey was designed to follow on from the previous two surveys of ex-MG Rover workers carried out by The Work Foundation in conjunction with BBC Radio 4’s Life After Longbridge series, and thereby provide a unique three-wave longitudinal survey.

Foot and Mouth Disease Read all

The first case of Foot and Mouth Disease in the 2001 outbreak was identified on 20th February at an abattoir in Essex. This was traced back to a farm in Northumberland – but by the end of February the disease had spread to many parts of mainland Britain with a major concentration in the West Midlands.

Evaluation of AWM’s response to the 2001 Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak - PDF - 632kb

Report produced by DTZ Pieda Consulting, produced in November 2002. This study was commissioned by Advantage West Midlands in March 2002 to evaluate the response made by AWM, in partnership with a number of other agencies, to the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease.

2007 Floods Read all

On Friday 20th July 2007 and during the period immediately following it, parts of western and south western England were subjected to extreme levels of rainfall. This followed earlier periods of heavy rain and partial flooding in June which had left the water table high. The volume of rain which fell in July, however, constituted the most prolonged rainfall in 250 years.

A report by Sir Michael Pitt noted that the floods were of a different scale and type to previous events, mainly due to surface water flooding for which no warning system was in place, with drainage systems overwhelmed over a very short period of time. The result was widespread and severe flooding which affected substantial parts of England, including the West Midlands. This caused much disruption as well as economic and social distress. The review of the summer floods by the Environment Agency suggested that nearly 1,500 businesses and over 8,000 households in the West Midlands were flooded; the equivalent figures for England as a whole were 6,900 and 48,500 respectively.

Economic Impact of the July 2007 Floods in the West Midlands - PDF - 801kb

Final report to Advantage West Midlands by SQW Consulting, produced in March 2008. This report sets out the findings of a review of the impact on the West Midlands of the floods of the summer of 2007. Three specific purposes were to: establish the impact of the floods on the West Midlands economy; look at the shape and nature of the response to the emergency by AWM; and make suggestions arising from the experience of 2007 about how AWM might help to prepare for or address a similar emergency in future.

West Midlands Economic Task Force Read all

Regional Task Forces were set up throughout the English regions in late 2008, offering an opportunity to focus minds, enable a strategic overview of limited resources, and to target interventions in response to the economic downturn. The West Midlands Task Force met for the first time in December 2008 and had two main aims:  (i) to address the specific regional business and employment issues associated with the global economic downturn, minimising their impact on our businesses and our communities; and (ii) to ensure business resilience in the West Midlands over the long term.  The West Midlands Task Force was chaired by the Regional Minister and supported by Advantage West Midlands.

Evaluation of the West Midlands Task Force: Executive Summary - PDF - 623kb

Report produced by Coventry University, on behalf of Advantage West Midlands, in April 2010. The aim of the study was to assess: (a) the impact and value added of the Task Force in responding to the economic downturn; (b) the extent to which objectives originally set out by the group have been achieved; and (c) the extent to which the Task Force provided a leadership role, in terms of strengthening partnership working, including strategic added value and direction.

Evaluation of the West Midlands Task Force: Full Report - PDF - 2mb

Report produced by Coventry University, on behalf of Advantage West Midlands, in April 2010. The aim of the study was to assess: (a) the impact and value added of the Task Force in responding to the economic downturn; (b) the extent to which objectives originally set out by the group have been achieved; and (c) the extent to which the Task Force provided a leadership role, in terms of strengthening partnership working, including strategic added value and direction.

Submission from Advantage West Midlands to the West Midlands Select Committee - PDF - 197kb

This submission was made in April 2009 in response to a request by the Committee as part of its inquiry on the impact of the economic downturn on businesses in the West Midlands Region.

The impact of the current economic and financial situation on businesses in the West Midlands Region - PDF - 2mb

Report produced by the House of Commons West Midlands Regional Committee in July 2009.

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