Swindon and Fast Growth Cities group call for government investment
Letter to Chancellor highlights potential economic growth with targeted support
Swindon Borough Council, together with five other Fast Growth Cities (FGCs), has written to Chancellor Rachel Reeves urging renewed national investment and a meeting to explore collaborative ways to fulfill the UK’s economic growth goals. Swindon, alongside Cambridge, Milton Keynes, Norwich, Oxford, and Peterborough, forms part of a group that significantly contributes to the UK economy despite representing only two per cent of the population.
The FGCs contribute £34 billion in global exports and attract 10 per cent of all UK venture capital investment. A report from Public First indicates that maintaining current productivity levels and returning to pre‑COVID employment growth could see these cities add £21 billion in real GVA by 2035, with potential benefits increasing to £78 billion by 2050.
The Fast Growth Cities group identifies three primary barriers to growth: transport connectivity, housing delivery pressures, and utility constraints. The Public First report highlights Swindon’s high productivity, strong private‑sector employment, and more affordable housing, placing it as one of the FGCs with significant potential for national economic gains.
Targeted government intervention is sought to support critical town centre regeneration projects, such as the Heart of Swindon Vision programme, capital funding for an entertainment venue, and improvements to rail affordability and grid capacity.
Ahead of the Chancellor’s Spring Statement on 3rd March, the letter emphasizes viewing investment in Fast Growth Cities not as redistribution but as strategic national investment in areas with proven high-value returns.
Councillor Jim Robbins, Leader of Swindon Borough Council, stated:
“Swindon is one of the fastest growing and most productive places in the country...We’re ready to move quickly by accelerating housing delivery, renewing our industrial base, and investing in the infrastructure that growth depends on.”
The Council is hoping to secure a meeting with the Chancellor in the coming weeks to discuss how Swindon and its partner cities can collaborate with the Government to achieve national growth ambitions, driving regeneration and supporting thriving creative, tech, and business sectors.