Today Nick Clegg announced £12 billion of Growth Deals to create jobs, build homes and boost local economies up to 2020. 

Growth Deals will mean every local area in England will have more power over the money they raise and spend and more control over their own economic destiny.

Across the country they are expected to lead to work on over 150 roads, 150 housing developments, 20 stations, as well as to provide small business support services in every part of England and significant investment in skills training, as well as work to improve educational attainment and to get more people from welfare to work.

They will also help to end our over reliance on the banks and the city of London in favour of boosting growth, jobs and ambition in our great towns and cities all across England.

These deals would not be happening without the Liberal Democrats in Government. Nick has led this initiative in Government, after promising in 2010 that by the end of this Parliament every part of the country would have more freedom and more power than at the beginning.

Announcing the deals, Nick said:

“We are ending a culture of Whitehall knows best. Decisions over spending on infrastructure, business support and housing are being made at a truly local level.

“It will help end our over-reliance on the banks and the City of London, and generate growth, jobs, and ambition in towns and cities all across England.

“Growth Deals will create thousands of jobs, provide incredible new training opportunities for young people, build thousands of new homes and improve transport links across the country for people and their families; building a stronger economy and a fairer society.

“We’re placing the power and money in the hands of the people who know how to spend it best, making a real difference to local communities.”

Some of the major projects that will be built as a result of these deals include:

• £55 million for London’s Skills Capital programme, a Glass Academy in Sheffield to train young people to work in the city’s glassworks and an Oil and Gas Academy in the Tees Valley.

• £18 million to revamp the Metrolink in Manchester, with 12 new trams, improved stations and bus services.

• £23 million for a new road tunnel linking Swindon to Wichelstowe, creating thousands of jobs and homes.

• A new National Agri-Food Campus in York to help the area lead the world in food manufacturing, agricultural technologies, and bio-renewable sectors, creating up to 800 new jobs

• Funding for Birmingham to make the most of HS2 – including improving connection to the Birmingham Curzon Street station so that the area can maximise the benefits in terms of investment, jobs and skills.

• Funding for broadband networks in areas where provision is not currently available, such as remote areas of the North East.