Time to
Grow
A growth plan for the whole city region. Every borough. Every community.
1.6 million people across Liverpool, Wirral, St Helens, Knowsley, Sefton, and Halton — held back by red tape, slow planning, and a quarter of the workforce on the sidelines. We have a Freeport, £10bn in development pipeline, world-class universities, and the UK's 4th busiest port. Cut the barriers, back the risk-takers, and let the city region grow.
The Problem Is Leadership, Not Potential
productivity gap vs UK average — and it's getting wider, not narrower
for business density. Only two LEP areas in the entire country do worse
economic inactivity. A quarter of working-age people across the city region on the sidelines
These aren't numbers that happen by accident. They're the result of over-regulation, bureaucratic planning, and a welfare system that traps people out of work. The city region has the assets — it needs deregulation, enterprise, and leadership that trusts markets to deliver.
Where We Are
Current performance across the city region — and where we're going
Gross Value Added
↑Total city region output — £50bn target would mean £31,250/head, well above the current UK average
Productivity Gap vs UK
↓Target of +2% would close the gap and move above the UK average. Manchester is at -5%
Business Density Ranking
→Manchester is 12th. Target of top 10 would make LCR one of the most enterprise-dense city regions in the country
Employment Rate
↑Manchester is 74.2%, UK average 75.7%. Target of 78% would place LCR above both benchmarks
Housing Delivery
→10,000 homes/yr would meet estimated need and deliver a strong per-capita build rate for 1.6m people
Freeport Investment
↑The Freeport is a unique structural asset for the city region. Target: £5bn leveraged investment
What Growth Looks Like
Projected city region GVA to 2040 — the gap between doing nothing and actually trying
Ambitious Targets, Honest Benchmarks
Every target on this platform is set above the UK average. Manchester is included as a key benchmark — the data speaks for itself.
| Metric | LCR | Manchester | UK Avg | Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GVA per Head | £19,500 | £25,100 | £32,000 | £28,000 |
| Productivity vs UK | -15% | -5% | Baseline | +2% |
| Employment Rate | 70.6% | 74.2% | 75.7% | 78% |
| Business Density Rank | 36th / 38 | 12th / 38 | - | Top 10 |
| Economic Inactivity | 26% | 22% | 21% | 18% |
| Median Weekly Wage | £540 | £580 | £640 | £650 |
| R&D / GVA | 1.1% | 1.8% | 2.4% | 2.5% |
| Graduate Retention | 51% | ~68% | - | 72% |
Explore the Plan
The Case for Change
Why the city region is underperforming — and what we do about it
7 Policy Pillars
Evidence-backed policies across every borough
Global Evidence
What actually worked in Singapore, Dublin, Copenhagen, Pittsburgh
Regional Accounts
Where the money comes from, where it goes, what we'd change
Asset Map
Extraordinary assets across all six boroughs
Growth Model
Interactive projections — what happens when we actually try
Scorecard
Hold us to account against real targets
All Sources
41 evidence sources with full attributions