A joint letter to Mr Javid has been written by a powerful alliance of the region’s Local Enterprise Partnerships, business leaders, local government, universities and colleges calling for official government recognition of the Great South West in the Budget and an initial £2 million of pump priming investment.

The Great South West alliance is aiming to deliver a massive £45 billion boost to the region’s economy and create 190,000 new jobs by 2035.

“With Government support, our ambition is to unlock the Great South West region’s huge potential to become the UK’s clean energy powerhouse, harnessing the unparalleled scale of our natural assets and the expertise of our world-leading research institutions,” said Great South West chair Steve Hindley.

Jim Stewart, chair of Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership, one of the Great South West LEP partners, added, “The Great South West has united the south west region, creating a clear voice and an ambitious vision for the future. We will focus on clean and sustainable growth, utilising our outstanding natural assets and thriving blue and green economies. With the government backing this Great South West proposal will bring economic, social and environmental benefits to our region.”

‘Securing Our Future’, a prospectus for growth, sets out the Great South West partners’ vision, which is backed by a cross-party alliance of the region’s MPs led by South West Devon MP, Sir Gary Streeter.

“We have so much innovation and leadership to offer in developing green and marine energy technologies, key elements to the journey to our nation’s net zero carbon commitment and to tackling climate change,” said Sir Gary. “Government funding to support our development will see these skills and resources unlocked to the benefit of the region and the country as a whole.”