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THE GLOUCESTERSHIRE URBAN ECONOMIC STRATEGY 2007-2015

INTRODUCTION

1. Urban Gloucestershire lies astride the M5 and is made up of City, Borough and parts of the and Stroud District. With a total population of 310,800 and forecast by 2026 to be at least 370,800 this is a significant urban conurbation particularly in regional terms, as evidenced by the identification of Gloucester and Cheltenham in the draft Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) as two of the regionally Strategically Significant Cities and Towns (SSCTs)1. Within the Gloucestershire economy this urban area plays a vital role.

Defining Urban Gloucestershire Urban Gloucestershire cannot be delineated precisely on a map without limiting some initiatives unnecessarily. In general it is those geographical areas of the Central Vale that have a concentration of people and businesses that by working together can complement one another and increase the economy of Gloucestershire. It therefore includes the whole of Gloucester City and Cheltenham Borough. It also will generally include, within Tewkesbury Borough, Tewkesbury Town and Ashchurch as well as the parishes of Brockworth, Hucclecote, , Innsworth, Longford and embraces Gloucestershire Airport and Dowty/Smiths, although there are some aspects of these that are also 'rural' and will also be covered by the Gloucestershire Rural Economic Strategy. Similarly it will also generally include in Stroud District the settlements of Hardwicke and those others that comprise the defined Stroud Urban Area: Stonehouse, Stroud, Thrupp, North and South Woodchester and Nailsworth, although parts of these are also 'rural'. Economic and administrative boundaries are not identical.

2. Geographically, urban Gloucestershire is well placed. The Regional Economic Strategy2 describes the ‘North East Triangle’, which covers Bristol, Swindon, Gloucester and Cheltenham as a ‘functional economic zone’. In reality urban Gloucestershire is at the centre of an area that includes Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, city regions of international and national significance, Oxford, Swindon and to some extent London (which is only one and half hours away). It has the potential to exploit this pivotal location by providing services and support to these major economies. It has excellent road and rail communications in all directions except the south east3, with both the M5 and the Bristol to Birmingham main rail line running through the centre. Gloucestershire Airport is used for executive travel.

3. The two main centres in urban Gloucestershire, Gloucester and Cheltenham are only 9 miles apart, with an area of Green Belt in Tewkesbury Borough in between. These two centres have different histories, Gloucester was a Roman town, controlling the lowest crossing point on the , whilst Cheltenham owes most of its growth to the discovery of spa waters in Regency times. Stroud was the centre of a thriving woollen industry and retains much of the tradition and industrial architecture of the 19th Century, whilst Tewkesbury Abbey is one of the finest Norman buildings in England and the second largest parish church in the country. There is one university, The University of Gloucestershire, two Further Education Colleges and a number of highly successful schools. Collectively urban Gloucestershire contains a wide variety of businesses, particularly in the key economic sectors of advanced engineering/manufacturing and finance & business services, skills and attractions that mean that it has the potential to compete economically in a global environment.

4. On the other hand there are problems, some of which unless addressed will become more severe and constrain the economy. There are significant areas of deprivation including six Super Output

1 The draft RSS describes SSCTs as “places where cultural facilities and a wide range of services fundamental to residents quality of life are found, where clusters of economic activity will arise in future and where the requirements of individuals to travel can be catered for by better and more reliable public transport. These are also key places in the region with the potential to achieve significant development sustainably.” (Para 3.1.1 of the Draft RSS) 2 Regional Economic Strategy for 2006-2015 3 The road and rail communications to Swindon and London are adversely affected by the bottlenecks on the A419 at Nettleton Bottom, and the 15-mile single-track railway line between Kemble and Swindon. 1 DRAFT Gloucestershire First 26 April 07

Areas (SOAs)4, in the national top 10% of ‘Most Deprived SOAs’. There is already a shortage of workspace to enable the economy to grow. There are current economic initiatives in urban Gloucestershire, most notably the major regeneration of Gloucester under the Gloucester Heritage Urban Regeneration Company (GHURC), the Cotswold Canals Project through Stroud and the Civic Pride scheme in Cheltenham. CONTEXT

5. National Context. The Government published ‘Towards an Urban Renaissance’, its Urban White Paper in 2000. This was followed in March 2006 by a major report ‘The State of the English Cities’, an examination of 56 English urban communities. The Government then published in October 2006 ‘Strong & Prosperous Communities’, its Local Government White Paper, which announced the intention to promote the concept of city development companies for English cities and city-regions and outlined the measures the Government intends to take to create “effective, accountable and responsive local government”. This in turn was followed in December 2006 by the announcement by the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) on ‘The Role of City Development Companies in English Cities’. Within the next few months the Government is expected to publish further policies to deal with climate change and globalisation, some elements of which may need to be incorporated in this Strategy.

6. Regional Context. The Consultation Draft of the Regional Spatial Strategy proposes concentrating the majority of future development in Strategically Significant Cities and Towns (SSCTs), which include both Gloucester and Cheltenham. At the same time there has been a steady move towards the regionalisation of public structures such as the Learning & Skills Councils and Business Links.

7. The State of English Cities. In its Urban White Paper of 2000, ‘Towards an Urban Renaissance’, the Government made a commitment to commission a report on the progress and performance of English Cities after 5 years. ‘The State of English Cities’5 is a major report of nearly 450 pages but is not purely economic; it covers both social and environmental issues as well, based on an examination of 56 English cities. Gloucester is one of these the, but the findings equally apply to Cheltenham, although there is no ‘best’ city; some do better than others in one criteria but the reverse is true in another. There are few, if any, conclusions that apply to all cities but there are some pointers, which are relevant to the development of an urban economic strategy. These are:  “Cities matter; there has been a major change and they are now seen increasingly ‘as the dynamos of national and regional economies’” (para 1.2.1).  “The export base of a city has a key influence on the performance of its economy” (para 4.1.3).  “Competitive advantage depends on creating and attracting a highly educated and skilled workforce” (para 4.1.3).  “The socio-cultural assets of a city are an important source of competitive advantage, shaping its attractiveness to educated and creative people” (para 4.1.3).  “The strategic decision-making capacity of a city also affects its competitiveness, particularly through its mechanisms of economic governance” (para 4.1.3).  “Innovative capacity is the most significant basis of productivity and competitiveness – the crucial factor in the ability of an urban economy to compete is its adaptive capacity and how easily innovations are diffused around the relevant firms and sectors in the locality” (para 4.5.5).  “The importance of a highly qualified workforce as a prerequisite to compete among the knowledge driven economies can hardly be over-emphasised”(para 4.5.7).  “Clustered specialisation combined with diversity has been the basis of the comparative economic success of many of the top performing cities” (para 4.5.8).  “Connectivity, both internal and external, is critically important for successful cities. This takes many forms including physical road, rail and air connections, electronic telecommunications, and possibly even more important, business networks” (para 4.5.9).  “Material conditions are fundamental to social cohesion, particularly employment, income, health, education and housing” (para 5.1.2).

4 SOAs are smaller than wards, containing 1,000-3,000 people. The Index of Multiple Deprivation measures income, employment, health deprivation & disability, education, skills and training deprivation, barriers to housing & services, crime and living environment and is used to compare SOAs nationally and locally. 5 State of the English Cities Volumes 1 & 2 March 2006 OPDM. 2 DRAFT Gloucestershire First 26 April 07

 “Liveability6 is important and its importance has been rising, with the public placing a greater emphasis on local environmental quality” (para 6.7.1).  “One message for English cities is that their counterparts in Europe are convinced that to be competitive in the global marketplace in future they have to organise and act at a wider metropolitan or sub regional level”.  “Policy should focus upon economic development, social cohesion and environmental sustainability to achieve balanced development”.  “Policies should recognise that liveability as well as economic success is crucial to people’s choice of places in which they want to live”.  “Cities and neighbourhoods must become places of choice and connection rather than compulsion and exclusion”.

8. Local Government White Paper. The Local Government White Paper ‘Strong & Prosperous Communities’7:  Outlines the measures the Government intends to take to create “effective, accountable and responsive local government”.  Describes leadership as “the single most important driver of change and improvement in local government”.  Requires local councils to work together with other partners to deliver priorities.  Encourages councils to establish new ways of working to further their economic development. “We will continue to work closely with these local authorities – whether in city-regions or elsewhere – and with those that are interested in developing Multi-Area Agreements, which cross local authority boundaries”.

9. The Office for Third Sector. In May 2006 the Government announced the formation of The Office for the Third Sector. The Third Sector relates to the social economy, which embraces a wide range of community, voluntary and not-for-profit activities. It can be broken down into three sub-sectors; the community sector, the voluntary sector and the social enterprise sector:  The community sector includes those organisations active on a local or community level, usually small, modestly funded and largely dependent on voluntary, rather than paid, effort. Examples include neighbourhood watch, small community associations, civic societies, small support groups, etc.  The voluntary sector includes those organizations that are: formal (they have a constitution); independent of government and self-governing; not-for-profit and operate with a meaningful degree of volunteer involvement. Examples include housing associations, large charities, large community associations, national campaign organisations, etc.  The social enterprise sector includes organisations which "are businesses with primarily social objectives whose surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the business or in the community, rather than being driven by the need to maximise profit for shareholders and owners". Examples include co-operatives, building societies, development trusts and credit unions. Successful social economy organisations can play an important role in helping deliver many key governmental policy objectives by:  helping to drive up productivity and competitiveness;  contributing to socially inclusive wealth creation;  enabling individuals and communities to work towards regenerating their local neighbourhoods;  showing new ways to deliver public services; and  helping to develop an inclusive society and active citizenship.

10. The Regional Economic Strategy. The revised Regional Economic Strategy 2006-20158 states: “The region will be bold and visionary in the transformation of its cities and larger towns, ensuring that they provide viable and attractive places to live, work, shop and play. This change will be on a scale that maximises their potential and competitiveness, responding to and creating new markets that will help to achieve critical mass and address key challenges such as congestion.

6 The Report defines ‘liveability’ as a subset of ‘quality of life’. “Liveability is concerned with the public realm and the built environment. It is about how easy a place is to use and how safe it feels. It is about creating an environment that is both inviting and enjoyable.” 7 ‘Strong & Prosperous Communities’ DCLG October 2006 8 Regional Economic Strategy for South West England 2006-2015 (SWRDA 2006) 3 DRAFT Gloucestershire First 26 April 07

Knowledge, technology and leadership are at the heart of successful cities. This means increasing investment in infrastructure, culture and regeneration”. The three Strategic Objectives in the Regional Economic Strategy are:  Successful and competitive businesses.  Strong and inclusive communities.  An effective and confident region.

11. The Regional Spatial Strategy. The Regional Spatial Strategy identifies both Gloucester and Cheltenham as two of twenty-one Strategically Significant Cities and Towns (SSCTs). As the RSS states, “these are key places in the region with potential to achieve significant development sustainably”. In its aims for SSCTs the RSS9 addresses many of the issues identified in the ‘State of the English Cities’, including:  “Improve the quality of the urban environment…”  “Promote social cohesion and healthy and secure living conditions…”  “Support the economy…”  “Secure fundamental improvements to public transport…”  “Make the best use of land for housing, economic development and infrastructure…”

12. The Way Ahead. The Way Ahead10 published in February 2005 and augmented by more detailed proposals in 2006, set out the South West's response to the Government's sustainable communities agenda. Building on national and regional policies, the Way Ahead identified eight key growth areas across the region, including Cheltenham and Gloucester, proposals for a regional infrastructure fund, local delivery teams, capacity fund to support master planning and a skills and capacity programme. Cheltenham and Gloucester have the opportunity through these proposals to access support and resources for the long-term sustainable development of the urban area.

13. Local Economic Development Plans. Each of the constituent authorities has or is developing their own economic development plans. It is important that there is some strategic consistency in these and where appropriate they relate to this Urban Economic Strategy, as they will form an important element of the Delivery Plan, when it is developed.

14. The Opportunity. It is clear from the “State of the English Cities” that size matters. It defines large cities as those with a resident population of over 275,00011 and Government policy appears to give priority to these. Small cities, both Gloucester and Cheltenham, are those with a population of 125,000-275,000. By this definition there are 24 large cities in England but because of the proximity of Gloucester and Cheltenham to one another and to the urban parts of Stroud and Tewkesbury if treated as a single entity, urban Gloucestershire has the opportunity to become one of this top group and benefit from the increasing priority and economic clout that this would bring. The potential of urban Gloucestershire has, until now, been constrained by the lack of a single, coherent economic strategy covering the urban conurbation. The strategy of urban concentration in the Draft RSS requires 30,000 new dwellings to be built in the County’s two SSCTS in the next 20 years. This is about 60% of the total allocated to Gloucestershire and will have significant implications for the economy, requiring a growth in employment (the Gloucestershire labour force is forecast to increase by 7,800), services and facilities. This growth will undoubtedly present problems but it also offers an opportunity, if managed through a coherent spatial strategy, to create a vibrant, competitive and successful urban Gloucestershire.

15. The Threat. The “State of the English Cities” shows that Bristol has been significantly more successful than many other large English cities as measured by a number of indicators although it scores poorly on others. This success represents a threat to Gloucestershire whose city and towns could become mere satellites of Bristol, overshadowed by its economic success.

16. The Gloucestershire Rural Economic Strategy. A Rural Economic Strategy for the County was developed in 2003 in response to an RDA Scheme Rural Renaissance. As a result the RDA has invested some £3M of Rural Renaissance funds and a further £1M of Modernising Rural Delivery Funds in the County. This investment has in turn attracted public and private matched funding so

9 RSS para 3.3.3 10 The Way Ahead: Delivering Sustainable Communities in the South West (SWRDA 2006) 11 “State of English Cities” para 2.3.8 4 DRAFT Gloucestershire First 26 April 07

that the total value of the Rural Renaissance Scheme in Gloucestershire is £6.8M and this is invested in 83 different projects. It has led to a marked increase in partnership working. The Rural Economic Strategy has recently been revised to cover the period 2007-2013. It is important that the Urban and Rural Economic Strategy complement one another. There is an interdependence between urban and rural Gloucestershire, not least because much of the ‘travel to work area’ for urban Gloucestershire is in rural Gloucestershire and there is evidence from the Gloucestershire Investor Support Programme that investors come to Gloucestershire because of the quality of the rural landscape.

THE PURPOSE OF THE STRATEGY

17. Policy-makers and policies need long-term perspectives to achieve the desired change and strong and effective leadership will be required to effect these. Whilst the purpose of the Gloucestershire Urban Economic Strategy is not to promote the coalescence of the urban areas nor to interfere with what are rightly the concerns of locally elected councils, it is to provide a clear statement of what urban Gloucestershire should seek to achieve by 2015, which will deliver the opportunities that working cohesively can bring, and which all local authorities and other partners need to adopt and work together to deliver.

18. The Strategy suggests the gains that can come from the combined impact of the economic and complimentary strength of urban Gloucestershire to:  Take maximum advantage of geography for the benefit of the Gloucestershire urban economy and the prosperity of its businesses and residents.  Inform the development and revision of the County Community Strategy, District Community strategies, the Gloucestershire Economic Strategy and Local Development Frameworks (LDFs).  Sit within the context of Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS), which is currently undergoing an Examination in Public, the revised South West Regional Economic Strategy (RES) and use these to its benefit.  Benefit the whole of Gloucestershire both urban and rural, recognising that there are many services that the rural areas expect to be provided from within urban Gloucestershire such as a major hospital and that there will be many jobs that are filled by those living in rural areas.

VISION

19. Urban Gloucestershire is a cohesive, leading major City/Region where the unique identity of its component parts is strengthened

AIM

20. The aim of this Strategy is to suggest what urban Gloucestershire needs to achieve by 2015 to realise the economic potential that will derive from partnership and collaboration and by maximising the complementary nature of its various components whilst retaining their individual uniqueness.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

21. A strong and successful urban economy relies on three complementary ingredients, namely:  Successful and competitive businesses, which together make up a diverse economy and can grow and compete in a global economy and so deliver wealth to the community.  Strong and inclusive communities that enable as many as possible of working age to earn a reasonable wage and therefore contribute to the local economy and benefit from its strengths.  A quality of life that causes a highly skilled workforce, particularly innovators and entrepreneurs to choose to live and work in the particular urban area.

22. The Gloucestershire Urban Economic Strategy therefore has three Strategic Objectives:

5 DRAFT Gloucestershire First 26 April 07

 Strategic Objective 1: To create and sustain successful and competitive businesses that can take advantage of urban Gloucestershire’s strength to compete globally and regionally.

 Strategic Objective 2: To deliver the economic elements that support strong social cohesion in urban Gloucestershire in which the maximum number possible contribute to and benefit from the economy.

 Strategic Objective 3: To provide a quality of life in urban Gloucestershire that attracts and retains a highly skilled and entrepreneurial workforce.

23. In addition there are three cross cutting themes that underpin all the strategic objectives and actions:

 Cross Cutting Theme 1: Deliver the Urban Economic Strategy in a sustainable manner and within a low carbon footprint.

 Cross Cutting Theme 2: Provide strong, collaborative and consistent leadership that embraces the whole of urban Gloucestershire

 Cross Cutting Theme 3: Install the connectivity that leads to a cohesive urban economy and enables it to benefit rural Gloucestershire effectively.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 1

SUCCESSFUL AND COMPETITIVE BUSINESSES IN URBAN GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Key Strategic Ambitions

24. The Key Strategic Ambitions, which it is suggested are necessary to deliver successful and competitive businesses, are listed below; discussion on each follows. They are to:  Increase the size of the ‘knowledge economy12’ in urban Gloucestershire by: o Marketing urban Gloucestershire’s strength in the finance and business services sector and encouraging finance and business services to locate in urban Gloucestershire to provide innovative backroom services particularly to businesses in the nearby city regions. o Recognise and provide for the needs of an advanced manufacturing sector in urban Gloucestershire and particularly through the LDFs to provide sites suitable for 21st Century manufacturing companies and knowledge economy businesses. o Increasing the number of Government/national public sector organisations in urban Gloucestershire. o Supporting and encouraging the development and growth of the Creative Industries sector in urban Gloucestershire so that it achieves an international reputation. o Making the environmental technology sector a significant contributor to the urban Gloucestershire economy.  Adopt the principles of Train to Gain as widely as possible to offer a holistic offer to employers to meet their business needs, including skills and training, particularly to the key sectors in urban Gloucestershire (advanced manufacturing/engineering, environmental technology, creative industries, finance and business services, construction, retailing, food & drink processing, and tourism).  Increase the profile of urban Gloucestershire as a retail destination, with good hotels and restaurants that complements Gloucestershire’s rural economy.

12 Although a ‘knowledge economy’ is frequently referred to there is no agreed definition. It is generally seen as being made up of ‘knowledge driven production’ and ‘knowledge driven services’. For the purposes of this Strategy it includes Finance & Business Services, Advanced Manufacturing, Government Organisations, Public Administration & Health, Creative Industries and Environmental Technology. 6 DRAFT Gloucestershire First 26 April 07

 Prevent leakage of construction work opportunities outside Gloucestershire by growing the size of the Construction Sector in urban Gloucestershire to meet the demand.  Market urban Gloucestershire to tourists, visitors and businesses as a single coherent destination as part of the ‘Cotswold’ branding.  Create an environment, particularly through the provision of appropriate workspace, that encourages micro businesses to start up, survive and grow.  Agree a coherent spatial strategy for urban Gloucestershire that provides appropriate space for work as well as housing and is delivered through the LDFs.  Grow the capacity and capability of the Third Sector to deliver public services, particularly where this contributes to increasing GDP and prosperity.

General

25. Urban Gloucestershire is at the centre of an area that includes Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, Swindon and, to some extent, London. It has the potential to exploit this pivotal location by providing services and support to these major economies, through its existing and future key sectors. Sustaining and growing successful and competitive businesses, which require the best possible business productivity to be successful in a global economy, are at the heart of any economic strategy. Business productivity includes adding value through innovation, creativity and higher quality as well as the more traditional measure of increased profitability through efficiency per unit of input. The key factors influencing productivity will vary depending on the activity concerned but are:  Skills of employees and employers  Investment in capital equipment, property, infrastructure and research  Innovation and application of new technology in products and process development  Enterprise and growth of new business  Sustainability in processes and products.

Urban competitiveness is defined in the State of the English Cities Report as: “The ability of cities to continually upgrade their business environment, skill base, and physical, social and cultural infrastructures so as to attract and retain high growth, innovative and profitable firms, and an educated, creative and entrepreneurial workforce, thereby enabling them to achieve a high rate of productivity, high employment rate, high wages, high GDP per capita, and low levels of income inequality and social exclusion”.

26. Although this strategy concentrates on specific sectors there is an overall need to provide a wide range of employment opportunities and to encourage a diverse economy in urban Gloucestershire. The Local Economy Forecasting Model (LEFM) produces forecasts for employment change, both employees and self-employed, by sector and occupation up to 201513.

Sector Urban Gloucestershire Rural Gloucestershire Change (see note) Change Manufacturing -2,755 -5,175 Construction 461 644 Distribution, Retailing, Hotel & Catering 2,840 2,878 Banking, Finance, IT, Professional Services, etc 3,074 2,964 Public Administration & Defence -1,616 -733 Education 582 649 Health & Social Work 1,763 1,271 Note: The urban figures exclude Stroud and Tewkesbury, as they are not available just for the urban parts of these Districts.

27. The Model estimates a gain of about 4,800 in urban Gloucestershire, excluding Stroud and Tewkesbury. It estimates that the greatest increase will be in ‘corporate managers’ and ‘caring/personal services occupations’ as well as sales and customer services, culture/media/sports, teaching and research, and skilled construction trades. The heaviest losses

13 The Urban Economy of Gloucestershire (GLMIU August 2006) Table 3.9 7 DRAFT Gloucestershire First 26 April 07

will be in the skilled metal and electrical trades, with further substantial losses in administrative, secretarial and clerical occupations, process plant and machine operatives and ‘unskilled’ occupations. It is important to note that these forecasts are based on present assumptions. If this urban economic strategy makes a difference then these figures should improve although the global effect may offset local change.

A Strong Knowledge Economy

28. The State of the English Cities shows that a strong knowledge driven economy leads to a better performing urban economy. Urban Gloucestershire therefore needs to build a strong knowledge economy14.

29. Finance & Business Services. The Finance & Business Services Sector is the second most dominant private sector in Gloucestershire’s urban economy. There are 2,600 such businesses in Cheltenham and Gloucester alone; in Cheltenham they represent 38% of all businesses. The sector employs 18.5% of the total number of employees in the urban area15. Whilst many of these businesses, such as branches of banks and financial advisers, provide local services others are well developed with a national market. This is a sector that should be able to benefit from urban Gloucestershire’s strategic location, particularly by the provision of back office services, which are more easily accessible than they would be in the major centres. A key strategic ambition should therefore be to “market urban Gloucestershire’s strength in the finance and business services sector and encourage finance and business services to locate in urban Gloucestershire and provide innovative backroom services particularly to businesses in the nearby city regions”.

30. Advanced Manufacturing. There was an 18% decline in manufacturing firms in urban Gloucestershire during the 4 years 2000-2004. Nevertheless there are still 600 manufacturing businesses accounting for some 13,500 employees in the area, excluding Stroud and Tewkesbury. Many are highly technical and able to compete globally. Crucially there are still a small number of manufacturing businesses, some from overseas, establishing themselves in urban Gloucestershire. The factors that need to be addressed are:  Location. Urban Gloucestershire’s location means that if a manufacturing business can react quickly it should be able to compete for supply chain contracts to manufacturing businesses in the major economic centres, although global competitive pressures will be a constant threat.  24-hour operation. High productivity in the manufacturing sector generally demands 24-hour operation and therefore there can be problems when it is located too close to housing on mixed-use sites; there is a need for some separation.  Workspace. The lack of sites and workspace is preventing the growth of existing businesses and hinders new manufacturing business to locate in urban Gloucestershire.  Innovative management. To remain a key contributor to the Gloucestershire urban economy, manufacturing needs innovative management that recognises what is demanded to compete in the current climate. Such individuals need to be attracted to and retained in urban Gloucestershire.  Research & development. Innovative management needs to be backed up by a strong research and development base, which in turn needs close links to academic institutions. The University of Gloucestershire needs to identify ways in which it can facilitate entry for students into engineering careers.  Skills. Although the size of the manufacturing workforce is declining there is still a need to recruit young people with the necessary skills and to retrain the existing workforce in the introduction of new techniques.  Confidence. Perhaps most important the manufacturing sector needs the confidence to invest in capital equipment, property, infrastructure and innovative research and the application of new technology.

14 Although a ‘knowledge economy’ is frequently referred to there is no agreed definition. It is generally seen as being made up of ‘knowledge driven production’ and ‘knowledge driven services’. For the purposes of this Strategy it includes Finance & Business Services, Advanced Manufacturing, Government Organisations, Public Administration & Health, Creative Industries and Environmental Technology. 15 The Urban Economy of Gloucestershire Section 3 by the GLMIU August 2006 8 DRAFT Gloucestershire First 26 April 07

A key strategic ambition should therefore be to “recognise and provide for the needs of an advanced manufacturing sector in urban Gloucestershire and particularly through the LDFs, to provide sites suitable for 21st Century manufacturing companies and knowledge economy businesses”.

31. Government Organisations, Public Administration, Health and Education. There are 800 public sector organisations in urban Gloucestershire, less Stroud and Tewkesbury, amounting to nearly 41,000 employees, comprising 32% of the total number of employees in the urban area. Such employment makes an important contribution to the economy. There are a number of Government organisations based in urban Gloucestershire, particularly GCHQ, which has been steadily expanding, attracting highly qualified individuals who contribute to the overall knowledge economy and this expansion is likely to continue. Urban Gloucestershire needs to exploit its strategic position to attract more Government organisations, particularly if RAF Innsworth ceases to be used as a defence estate. A key strategic ambition should therefore be to “increase the number of Government/national public sector organisations in urban Gloucestershire”.

32. Creative Industries. The creative industries sector is one that offers the potential for significant economic growth. Nationally the Sector accounted for 8.2% of Gross Value Added in 2001, grew by an average of 8% per annum in the period 1997- 2001 and contributed, through its exports, £11.4 billon to the balance of trade in 2001. This amounted to 4.2% of all goods and services exported. A recent article16 claims that an unpublished report commissioned by the Government states that “only major cities and a handful of their smaller counterparts are viable breeding grounds for clusters of creative and cultural industries”. In Gloucestershire there are at least 1,900 companies and small businesses in the sector, the majority in urban Gloucestershire. These employ close to 9,000 people (4.8% of the total employment of all Gloucestershire enterprises) and produce an annual turnover of some £808M (4.2% of the turnover of all Gloucestershire enterprises). The sector is made up of 13 different sub sectors and a recent report by Comedia17 found particular strengths in advertising, design, marketing and publishing and a cluster of audio visual business linked to the Cheltenham Film Studios, whilst Stroud has a particularly strong visual arts and crafts sub sector. There is already a strong and successful tradition of cultural international festivals in the area, particularly in Cheltenham, and the GHURC intends to develop part of Blackfriars as a centre for the Sector. Taken together there is clearly potential for urban Gloucestershire to grow its Creative Industries sector and so strengthen the local economy. A key strategic ambition should therefore be to “support and encourage the development and growth of the Creative Industries sector in urban Gloucestershire so that it achieves an international reputation”.

33. Environmental Technology. Given its history of technical innovation and development it is disappointing to discover the weakness of the Environmental Technology Sector in Gloucestershire18. The potential this sector offers is substantial and growing fast, particularly in the light of the Stern Report and the recent statements by all political parties nationally. The County Energy Strategy is due to be finalised shortly. Its implementation together with the initiatives already started by Local Authorities in urban Gloucestershire need to be used to spur the private sector into action, to invest in R&D and to demand more relevant skills from learning providers. A key strategic ambition should therefore be “to make the environmental technology sector a significant contributor to the urban Gloucestershire economy”.

Provision of Education and Skills

34. A healthy economy that can compete globally demands skills that are relevant to today and tomorrow and this is critically important for a knowledge economy. It also requires an adaptable

16 “Regeneration & Renewal” of 17 November 2006 page 13 17 Creative Industries in Gloucestershire 2005, a study for Gloucestershire County and District Councils by Fred Brookes and Deborah Harrison of Comedia (May 2006) 18 The Gloucestershire First ISP Report on the Environmental Technology Sector concludes “that there is really not an “Environmental technology sector” as such, rather a series of groups of companies and organisations that are focused on resolving environmental issues in the other sectors of the economy” in Gloucestershire. Only 2 manufacturers of energy saving products were visited; both are broad based manufacturers that also make energy saving products and neither had made any major technology breakthroughs in the energy saving area. (Glos First ISP Report on the Environmental Technology Sector July 2006) 9 DRAFT Gloucestershire First 26 April 07

workforce that has key skills (management, communication, team working, etc), skills that are generic to their employment and managers with leadership and management skills. The general level of education in urban Gloucestershire is high, although there is some variation as is clear from the number of Super Output Areas in education, training and skills in the 10% worst performing ones nationally. As far as post 16 education is concerned, in addition to schools with sixth forms there is Gloscat, one of the largest further education colleges in the UK, and Stroud College. Both have major build programmes in progress, which will have a significant impact. In addition at HE level there is the University of Gloucestershire, with over 8,500 students, with three campuses across urban Gloucestershire and in South Gloucestershire the University of the West of England. In summary urban Gloucestershire has the resources to provide the education and skills needed to be a highly successful urban economy; the challenge is to use these effectively and to ensure sufficient priority is given to the effective development of vocational skills as well as academic.

35. Train to Gain is the new service offered by the Learning and Skills Council to businesses to help them to be successful. It offers free impartial and independent advice to businesses, matches any training need identified with training providers, and sees that training delivered meets business needs. It aims to be much more responsive to business needs and particularly to deliver the training in a way that suits the business. Only training to enable employees to gain their first Level 2 qualification is free but there is also wage compensation for those with fewer than 50 employees and some funded programmes, such as Modern Apprenticeships. Using the principles of Train to Gain urban Gloucestershire could develop a holistic approach to employers, particularly those in the key sectors, starting with those in the ‘knowledge economy’. To do this successfully would require the involvement in the process of the University of Gloucestershire, the Centres of Vocational Excellence (COVEs) that already exist and the expansion of the Parklife Project, that provides a holistic approach and would form part of a ‘single investor offer to all employers’ to meet their needs.

36. A key strategic ambition should be “to adopt the principles of Train to Gain as widely as possible to offer a holistic offer to employers to meet their business needs, including skills and training particularly to the key sectors in urban Gloucestershire (advanced manufacturing/engineering, environmental technology, creative industries, finance and business services, construction, retailing, food & drink processing, and tourism)”.

Distribution, Hotels and Restaurants

37. Distribution, which includes wholesale and retail and hotels and restaurants, is the largest private sector with 32,600 employees (excluding Stroud and Tewkesbury), 22.7% of those of working age in urban Gloucestershire, where there are 2,700 businesses in the sector. Urban Gloucestershire is well placed, particularly due to the M5 and the north/south railway line to be a good site for distribution companies, as is borne out by the concentration of such businesses around Ashchurch. There is the potential to expand the use of rail freight.

38. The hotel and restaurant element of the sector already attracts national and international customers, principally due to the National Hunt Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse, the various arts festivals and Gloucester Cathedral, but it is patchy, some areas of Cheltenham are recognised nationally, whilst others are underperforming and lack good facilities so there is scope to make the sector much more successful particularly as a result of the various current regeneration projects in the area. Development should be linked to the aspirations of the Gloucestershire Food Vision that is leading across the UK. A key strategic ambition should therefore be to “increase the profile of urban Gloucestershire as a retail destination, with good hotels and restaurants”.

Leisure and Tourism

39. Many of the businesses and much of the employment related to leisure and tourism has been included above under ‘distribution hotels and restaurants’. Tourism is a most important element of some parts of urban Gloucestershire’s economy. It attracts national and international visitors and as a result at least part of urban Gloucestershire already has a reputation as a tourist and visitor destination and this needs to be built on. The various sporting and cultural festivals, particularly in Cheltenham, that are already well established in urban Gloucestershire enhance this reputation. 10 DRAFT Gloucestershire First 26 April 07

The regeneration of Gloucester, combined with the cathedral, Victorian Docks and river provide the potential to grow this reputation and the economy associated with it. Stroud has within it, with its legacy from the Arts & Crafts Movement, assets that have not been fully exploited by the County, the public sector and the inhabitants and there is the possible opportunity for this part of urban Gloucestershire to become a recognised national and international destination for any cultural tourist, similar to but not the same as St Ives. In summary urban Gloucestershire offers a more diverse and varied visitor experience, when viewed as a whole rather than as individual destinations. A key strategic ambition should therefore be to “market urban Gloucestershire to tourists, visitors and businesses as a single coherent destination as part of the ‘Cotswold’ branding”.

40. There are also some significant leisure facilities in urban Gloucestershire, when taken as a whole, including successful rugby and football teams, two national class swimming pools, one of the finest jump racecourses in the world, a range of theatres, led by the Everyman, and in due course a canal linked to the national network.

Construction

41. The building work associated with the development of urban Gloucestershire, the building of at least 30,000 new dwellings, together with the associated workspace, the regeneration of Gloucester, and the Cotswold Canals Project in Stroud will require a significant growth in construction employment in the County if the demand is not to be met by people from outside Gloucestershire or overseas. The Sector Skills Council for part of the sector, ConstructionSkills, forecast in 200419 that in the 4 years to 2008 Gloucestershire would require 2,913 new construction workers but this was based on a 0.5% growth. It seems likely that the future growth will be greater than this and that the Local Economic Forecasting Model forecast (see paragraph 22) is conservative. As a result of the reaction by Gloucestershire First partners, particularly the FE Colleges, to its report on the Construction Sector20 the number of construction vacancies in the FE Colleges has increased significantly and ConstructionSkills has been successful in marketing these to young people. There remains a problem in a sector that is largely made up of small businesses, in getting these businesses to take on apprentices and this may yet make it difficult to meet the future demand for workers. In the first instance these are needed within urban Gloucestershire and would prevent ‘leakage’ of investment from the County but in the longer term there would be the potential to carry out construction work outside the County. A key strategic ambition should therefore be “to prevent leakage of construction work opportunities outside Gloucestershire by growing the size of the Construction Sector in urban Gloucestershire to meet the demand”. Care

42. The profile of Gloucestershire by age group, taking account of the increase in housing, is: Age-Group 2001 2006 2016 2026 0-15 111,300 108,050 101,400 107,400 16-64 355,500 367,050 378,800 389,600 65+ 98,200 102,850 125,050 145,400

The number of those over 65 is due to increase by over 22,000 by 2016, which will create a greater demand for social housing for the elderly, and on health services and care, which will need to be largely met by Urban Gloucestershire, particularly if the housing proposals in the Draft RSS are confirmed. The Care Sector will provide opportunities for employment, which has an impact on the economy, although many of the jobs are relatively poorly paid, and those working in the sector need the necessary skills and the effective provision of these needs to be monitored.

Migrant Workers

43. In recent years there has been a steady increase in migrant workers in urban Gloucestershire, 1000 registrations in 2004, 1367 in 2005 and 745 in 2006 up to July (these figures are for Gloucester and Cheltenham only). Most are employed in the distribution, leisure & tourism and

19 Construction Regional Skills Foresight 2004 CITB/ConstructionSkills 20 Investor Support Programme Report on the Construction Sector in Gloucestershire by Gloucestershire First, August 2004 11 DRAFT Gloucestershire First 26 April 07

construction sector and are vital to the growth of these sectors. However this increase in migrants also produces problems that are dealt with under the second strategic objective.

Micro-Businesses

44. Although the number employed in micro-business in urban Gloucestershire has reduced over the last 4-5 years there are still nearly 21,000 working in businesses employing 10 or less in Gloucester and Cheltenham alone, and some of these provide goods and services nationally and internationally and so make a significant contribution to the urban economy. Micro-businesses often face particular challenges because of their size; individuals have a wider range of responsibilities and the business support, previously provided by Business Links, is expected to concentrate on businesses employing more than 10 people from April 2007 although business start up advice and training will continue to be provided. Urban Gloucestershire needs a vibrant micro- business sector and this means the provision of affordable workspace that enables small businesses to start and to grow, facilities for networking, such as business clubs, where micro- businesses can share experiences and a general awareness of the importance of micro-businesses to the urban economy. A key strategic ambition should therefore be to “support, particularly through the provision of appropriate workspace, micro businesses to start up, survive and grow”.

Land & Premises

45. There is a serious shortage of land earmarked for workspace development, particularly manufacturing, in some parts of urban Gloucestershire but this would not be so significant if urban Gloucestershire was viewed as a whole and there was development in the current Green Belt, which may be the case once the Draft Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) is finalised. There is a risk, particularly where developers have options, that they try to use land for house building and not for workspace, although if the guidance in the RSS on the need for ‘mixed use development’ is followed this should not happen. There also needs to be recognition that housing cannot be placed too close to anything other than light industrial sites otherwise there will be constraints on the use of the site which will hinder inward investment. It is essential that urban Gloucestershire recognises the need to develop a coherent allocation of land to both housing and workspace, regardless of administrative boundaries but bearing in mind access issues, if this urban economic strategy is to achieve its aim. A key strategic ambition should therefore be to “agree a coherent spatial strategy for urban Gloucestershire that provides appropriate space for work and as well as housing and is delivered through LDFs ”.

Growing the Third Sector

46. The Third Sector (where organisations are driven by social rather than purely economic objectives) makes a distinctive contribution to GVA, communities, individuals and society as a whole that is not always recognised. It has a major contribution to make to ‘economic inclusion’ (see below) and this is growing as it is increasingly used for public service delivery. Its productivity is extremely difficult to measure. It is a hugely diverse sector comprising a combination of organisations such as the voluntary sector, trades unions, religious organisations and most importantly in the context of this strategy, social enterprises. These often fill a gap where there has been a market failure. Social enterprises are organisations that trade in markets to deliver social aims and a number were developed in urban Gloucestershire as a result of the Gloucestershire Neighbourhood Project, funded by SRB5. However, as more is expected of social enterprises in terms of public services delivery it is essential that their professionalism, capacity and processes be improved to meet the demand. There is also a need to develop the business and entrepreneurial skills of those running or starting social or community enterprises. A key strategic ambition should therefore be to “to grow the capacity and capability of the Third Sector to deliver public services, particularly where this contributes to increasing GDP and prosperity”.

12 DRAFT Gloucestershire First 26 April 07

Strategic Objective 2: To deliver the economic elements that support strong social cohesion in urban Gloucestershire in which the maximum number possible contribute to and benefit from the economy

Key Strategic Ambitions

47. The Key Strategic Ambitions, which it is suggested are necessary to deliver strong social cohesion in urban Gloucestershire in which the maximum number possible contribute to and benefit from the economy, are listed below; discussion on each follows. They are to:  Reduce by at least 50% the number of SOAs in the worst 10% nationally by 2015.  Take action to reduce the differential between the lowest household income and the average in urban Gloucestershire particularly in the 10 SOAs in the worst 10% nationally for income.  Support effective education and skills initiatives specifically for, and within, the 10 most deprived SOAs.  Support the take up of the economic elements in the Gloucestershire Food Vision particularly in the most deprived areas of Urban Gloucestershire.  Ensure that those who are most deprived in urban Gloucestershire have the opportunity to participate in the jobs that will deliver the regeneration projects and are subsequently created.  Support initiatives that provide homes that meet the ‘Decent Homes Standard’, schools that are as good as the average in the County, effective and accessible health care and good, affordable public transport in the most disadvantaged areas of urban Gloucestershire.  Develop a coherent spatial plan that meets the needs for housing, workspace and infrastructure across urban Gloucestershire and is recognised as fitting with the RSS and allowing access to the Regional Infrastructure Fund.

General

48. It may be suggested that ‘social cohesion’ is not economic and therefore should not feature strongly in an economic strategy. However material conditions are fundamental to social cohesion, particularly employment, income, health education and housing and many of these are economic as well as social and without social cohesion the economy suffers. The Indices of Deprivation 2004 (ID2004) are based on 37 indicators, which highlight characteristics of deprivation such as unemployment, low income, crime and poor access to education and health services. The headline measure is the Index of Multiple Deprivation which covers income; employment; health deprivation and disability; education, skills and training deprivation; barriers to housing and services; crime; and living environment. ID2004 does not use wards as its geographical unit but Lower Super Output Areas, which cover 1,000-3,000 people and provide a better appreciation of variations in deprivation at local level. There are 367 SOAs in Gloucestershire compared to only 142 wards. The location of the SOAs in urban Gloucestershire that are in the worst 10% nationally and in the County21 are shown in this table:

Measure Urban SOAs in the Urban SOAs in the worst 10% in Gloucestershire (Note 1) worst 10% nationally Index of Kingsholm & Wooton 3, Barnwood 4, Barnwood 5, Barton & Tredworth 1. Barton & Multiple Matson & Robinswood Tredworth 2, Barton & Tredworth 3, Barton & Tredworth 4, Barton Deprivation 1, Podsmead 1 & Tredworth 5, Barton & Tredworth 6, Matson & Robinswood 2, Westgate 1, Westgate Matson & Robinswood 4, Matson & Robinswood 5, Matson & 3, St Paul’s 2 (Total 6) Robinswood 6, Moreland 3, Moreland 4, Moreland 7, Hesters Way 1, Hesters Way 2, Hesters Way 3, Oakley 1, Oakley 2, Oakley 3, Springbank 2, St Mark’s 1, St Paul’s 2, St Peter’s 3, Swindon Village 2, Tewkesbury Priors Park 3 (Total 33) Income Matson & Robinswood Barnwood 4, Barnwood 5, Barton & Tredworth 1, Barton & 1, Matson & Tredworth 2, Barton & Tredworth 3, Barton & Tredworth 4, Barton Robinswood 5, & Tredworth 5, Barton & Tredworth 6, Kingsholm & Wotton 3, Moreland 4, Podsmead Matson & Robinswood 2, Matson & Robinswood 4, Matson &

21 GLMIU The State of the Urban Economy of Gloucestershire August 2006 13 DRAFT Gloucestershire First 26 April 07

1, Westgate 1, Robinswood 5, Matson & Robinswood 6, Moreland 3, Moreland 7, Westgate3, Hester’s Tuffley 4, Hesters Way 1, Hesters Way 2, Oakley 2, Oakley 2, St Way 3, Oakley 3, Mark’s 1, St Peter’s 3, Swindon Village 2, Dursley 4, Brockworth 4, Springbank 2, St Paul’s Churchdown St John’s 1, Tewkesbury Priors Park 3. (Total 37) 2 (Total 10) Employmen Kingsholm & Wooton 3, Barnwood 4, Barnwood 5, Barton & Tredworth 1, Barton & t Matson & Robinswood Tredworth 2, Barton & Tredworth 3, Barton & Tredworth 4, Barton 1, Moreland 7, & Tredworth 5, Barton & Tredworth 6, Matson & Robinswood 4, Podsmead 1, Matson & Robinswood 5, Matson & Robinswood 6, Moreland 3, Westgate1, Westgate 3 Moreland 4, Tuffley 4, Hesters Way 1, Hesters Way 2, Oakley 3, (Total 6) Springbank 2, St Mark’s 1, St Paul’s 2, St Peter’s 3, Swindon Village 2, Brockworth 4, Tewkesbury Priors Park 3. (Total 30) Health & Kingsholm & Wooton 3, Barnwood 4, Barnwood 5, Barton & Tredworth 1, Barton & Disability Podsmead 1, Tredworth 2, Barton & Tredworth 3, Barton & Tredworth 4, Barton Westgate 1, Westgate 3 & Tredworth 5, Barton & Tredworth 6, Kingsholm & Wotton 4, (Total 4) Matson & Robinswood 1, Matson & Robinswood 4, Matson & Robinswood 5, Matson & Robinswood 6, Moreland 3, Moreland 4, Moreland 7, Tuffley 4, Hesters Way 1, Hesters Way 2, Hesters Way 3, Oakley 1, Oakley 2, Oakley 3, Springbank 2, St Mark’s 1, St Paul’s 2, St Paul’s 3, St Paul’s 4, St Peter’s 3, (Total 29) Education, Barnwood 5, Matson & Barnwood 3, Barnwood 4, Barton & Tredworth 3, Grange 3, Skills & Robinswood 1, Matson Kingsholm & Wotton 3, Matson & Robinswood 6, Moreland 3, Training & Robinswood 4, Moreland 4, Moreland 6, Hesters Way 1, Oakley 1, Oakley 2, Matson & Robinswood Springbank 1, St Mark’s 1, St Peter’s 3, Swindon Village 2, 5, Podsmead 1, Tuffley Cainscross 4, Cam West 3, Stonehouse 4, Brockworth 4, 4, Tewkesbury Priors Park 2 Hester’s Way 2, Hesters (Total 32) Way 3, Oakley 3, Springbank 2, St Paul’s 2 (Total 11) Crime & Barton & Tredworth 2, Barnwood 3, Barnwood 5, Barton & Tredworth 1, Barton & Disorder Kingsholm & Wooton 3, Tredworth 5, Longlevens 2, Matson & Robinswood 2, Matson & Moreland 7, Robinswood 4, Matson & Robinswood 5, Matson & Robinswood 7, Westgate 1, Westgate Moreland 1, Moreland 3, Quedgeley, Fieldcourt 1, Westgate 2, 3, All Saint’s 3, Pitville College 2, Hesters Way 1, Hesters Way 2, Lansdown 4, Pitville 1, 3, Pitville 4, Springbank Springbank 1, St Paul’s 1, St Paul’s 2, St Peter’s 1, St Peter’s 4, 2, St Paul’s 3, St Paul’s Stroud Central, Tewkesbury Town with Mitton 4 (Total 37) (Total 11) Living Barton & Tredworth 4, Barnwood 5, Barton & Tredworth 1, Barton & Tredworth 2, Barton Environmen Barton & Tredworth 5, & Tredworth 3, Barton & Tredworth 7, Kingsholm & Wotton 2, t Barton & Tredworth 6, Kingsholm & Wotton 3, Moreland 3, Moreland 4, Moreland 5, Matson & Robinswood Moreland 6, Moreland 7, Westgate 1, Westgate 3, All Saints 3, 1, Moreland 1, Hester’s College 4, Hesters Way 2, Lansdown 4, Oakley 1, Pitville 3, Pitville Way 1, Lansdown 3, St 4, St Mark’s 1, St Paul’s 1, St Paul’s 4, St Peter’s 2, St Peter’s 4, Paul’s 3 Swindon Village 2, Tewkesbury Priors Park 3, Tewkesbury Town (Total 8) with Mitton 1 (Total 37) Income Moreland 4, Podsmead Barnwood 3, Barnwood 4, Barnwood 5, Barton & Tredworth 1, Deprivation 1, Hester’s Way 3, Barton & Tredworth 2, Barton & Tredworth 3, Barton & Tredworth Affecting Oakley 3, Springbank 4, Barton & Tredworth 5, Kingsholm & Wotton 3, Matson & Children 2, St Paul’s 2 Robinswood 1, Matson & Robinswood 4, Matson & Robinswood 5, (Total 6) Matson & Robinswood 6, Moreland 3, Moreland 7, Tuffley 4, Westgate 1, Westgate 3, Hesters Way 1, Hesters Way 2, Oakley 1, Oakley 2, St Mark’s 1, St Peter’s 3, Swindon Village 2, Brockworth 4, Churchdown St John’s 1, Tewkesbury Priors Park 2, Tewkesbury Priors Park 3 (Total 35) Income Barton & Tredworth 4, Barnwood 5, Barton & Tredworth 1, Barton & Tredworth 2, Barton Deprivation Kingsholm & Wotton 3, & Tredworth 3, Barton & Tredworth 5, Kingsholm & Wotton 4, Affecting Matson & Robinswood Matson & Robinswood 1, Matson & Robinswood 6, Moreland 3, Older 5, Moreland 7, Moreland 4, Moreland 6, Podsmead 1, Tuffley 4, Westgate3, People Westgate 1, Springbank Hesters Way 3, Lansdown 4, Oakley 1, Oakley 2, Oakley 3, Pitville 2, St Paul’s 2 4, St Paul’s 3, Swindon Village 2, Tewkesbury Prior’s Park 3 (Total 7) (Total 30)

14 DRAFT Gloucestershire First 26 April 07

Note 1. Those in the bottom 10% nationally are not listed again under the county bottom 10% but are included in the totals.

49. Of these indicators only income, employment, and education, skills & training are ‘economic’ but it is clear that if these are significantly improved many of the other non-economic indicators will also improve. Those involved in Community Development have a key role to play in achieving this. Any suggestion that Urban Gloucestershire does not suffer deprivation is clearly wrong. A strategic ambition should be “to reduce by at least 50% the number of SOAs in the worst 10% nationally by 2015”.

50. At the time of the 2001 Census 95% of the population of Gloucestershire described themselves as “White British”. Of the remainder about 16,000 were from a BME group, and around 13,300 were from a White Minority. About one-quarter of Gloucestershire’s ethnic minority population lived in Cheltenham, including the largest concentration of White Minorities and Chinese people in the County. Around 10% of the population of Gloucester was from an ethnic minority, particularly Black Caribbean and Indian groups. As far as deprivation is concerned the Black Caribbean population seem to be subject to the worst deprivation with the White & Black Caribbean and Bangladeshi populations not far behind. Since 2001 there has been a steady increase in the number of migrant workers in urban Gloucestershire, 1000 registrations in 2004, 1367 in 2005 and 745 in 2006 up to July (these figures are for Gloucester and Cheltenham only) although these represent only one-third of those coming to Gloucestershire. The majority (64.4%) came from Eastern Europe.

Low Household Incomes

51. There are no statistics on the numbers in urban Gloucestershire with low household incomes but 9% of those of working age in Gloucester and Cheltenham alone are claiming housing benefit and nearly 10.5% income support22. In addition there are some urban wards where the unemployment rate for males is nearly four times the average for Gloucestershire. In some parts of urban Gloucestershire 10% of the population earned less than £5.65 per hour in 2004. Low household incomes, particularly those that cannot achieve a level of disposable income, lead to a variety of problems, including crime, but they inevitably depress the economy. Better education and skills are addressed below but there are some more fundamental things that can be done to address the problem such as:  Ensuring people take up the benefits to which they are entitled.  Ensuring employees benefit from the National Minimum Wage.  Helping people with limiting long-term illness and disabilities into work (4.5% of those of working age in Gloucester and Cheltenham claim incapacity benefit).  Supporting access to childcare. A key strategic ambition should therefore be to “take action to reduce the differential between the lowest household income and the average in urban Gloucestershire particularly in the 10 SOAs in the worst 10% nationally for income”.

Improving Participation in the Economy, particularly through skills

52. Education and skills have already been discussed but there is no doubt that overcoming deprivation has to start with giving people the education and skills that enable them to get better and more permanent jobs. This in turn benefits the whole economy. Although there is a perception that education in Gloucestershire is generally good, the fact that urban Gloucestershire has 10 SOAs in the worst 10% nationally is clear indication that more needs and must be done. There are already some initiatives in place, such as Parklife, which offers more than just skills but too often these are not accessed by the really deprived, who lack the confidence to use them and in some cases cannot access them because they cannot afford to use public transport. A key strategic ambition should therefore be “to support effective education and skills initiatives specifically for, and within, the 10 most deprived SOAs”.

53. Those suffering deprivation often also have health problems, which are accentuated through poor diet and lack of exercise. The Gloucestershire Food Vision is designed to tackle the need for food

22 GLMIU The State of the Urban Economy of Gloucestershire August 2006 15 DRAFT Gloucestershire First 26 April 07

education, health, deprivation and high areas of diet related conditions. A key strategic ambition should be to “support the take up of the economic elements in the Gloucestershire Food Vision particularly in the most deprived areas of Urban Gloucestershire”.

54. There are a number of economic regeneration initiatives currently in place. The importance of these in helping to deliver some of the ambitions in this Urban Economic Strategy must be recognised and the opportunity they offer exploited. They are the Gloucester Heritage Urban Regeneration Company, which is regenerating the Railway Triangle, King’s Square Bus Station, Greyfriars/Gloscat, Blackfriars/Westgate Quay, , Gloucester Quays and the Canal Corridor. In Cheltenham the Civic Pride initiative is designed “to make people feel good about the places in which they live, work and relax”. In Stroud the Cotswold Canals Project will regenerate the Severn Thames Canal thorough the heart of that part of urban Gloucestershire. These are all enormously important to the Gloucestershire urban economy as they will increase trade, jobs of all types and make urban Gloucestershire a more attractive place to live and work. There are other regeneration initiatives: ‘Building Communities’, funded by SWRDA, delivering community capacity in Westgate Ward in Gloucester; Neighbourhood Management Pilot, funded by GOSW, supporting local neighbourhood initiatives in Barton, Tredworth and White City; EQUAL Programme Projects, funded by the European Social Fund, bids led by University of Gloucestershire to provide Adult Continuing Education and Training. There also Community Regeneration areas, which seek to address social deprivation particularly through learning, childcare provision and initiatives aimed at engaging with young people. The current level of investment in regeneration projects offers urban Gloucestershire the opportunity to tackle much of the deprivation provided that those suffering deprivation have the skills and the means to access the job opportunities. A key strategic ambition should be to “ensure that those who are most deprived in urban Gloucestershire have the opportunity to participate in the jobs that will deliver the regeneration projects and are subsequently created”.

Regenerating the Most Disadvantaged Areas

55. In addition to the above there are other ways in which to regenerate the most disadvantaged areas of urban Gloucestershire:  Public sector homes need to be brought up to and maintained to at least the ‘Decent Homes Standard’23 laid down by the Government, and for which they have provided funding.  The facilities, staff and results in the schools should match at least the average standard in the County.  Effective, accessible medical care and dentistry needs to be available through the NHS.  Good, affordable public transport access to jobs and skills training should be provided in these areas, where the need for public transport is likely to be greatest.  Local access to local training and advice/information A key strategic ambition should therefore be to “support initiatives to provide homes that meet the ‘Decent Homes Standard’, schools that are as good as the average in the County, effective and accessible health care and good, affordable public transport in the most disadvantaged areas of urban Gloucestershire”.

Planning Future Sustainable and Successful Communities

56. The current administrative boundaries mean that it is difficult to co-ordinate planning, particularly when combined with allocations of new housing numbers, which developers compete to provide without necessarily taking into account the provision of the necessary workspace. There is a need to:  Work collectively across urban Gloucestershire to encourage innovative approaches to development that deliver more sustainable patterns of development.  Increase the opportunities for high value work.  Locate employment, schools & other facilities that are accessible to the community by foot, bicycle or public transport.

23 ‘The Decent Homes Standard’ was introduced by the Government to improve public housing throughout the UK. There has been Government funding available to do this. 16 DRAFT Gloucestershire First 26 April 07

 Meet the growth in one person households that may be as great as 50% in some parts of urban Gloucestershire by 202624  Meet a growth of 11,000 (31%) by 2026 of those aged over 65. A key strategic ambition should therefore be to “develop a coherent spatial plan that meets the needs for housing, workspace and infrastructure across urban Gloucestershire and is recognised as fitting with the RSS and allowing access to the Regional Infrastructure Fund”.

Strategic Objective 3: To provide a quality of life in urban Gloucestershire that attracts and retains a highly skilled and entrepreneurial workforce

Key Strategic Ambitions

57. The Key Strategic Ambitions, which it is suggested are necessary to provide a quality of life in urban Gloucestershire that attracts and retains a highly skilled entrepreneurial workforce, are listed below; discussion on each follows. They are to:  Promote the quality of life in urban Gloucestershire.  Develop a reputation that urban Gloucestershire is a ‘green’ environment and maintain it.  Retain and develop excellent schools in urban Gloucestershire and improve the progression routes from education into jobs.  Grow urban Gloucestershire’s reputation for the quality of its shopping facilities.  Improve the road and rail access to the east.  Develop and maintain leisure and cultural facilities that attract residents to urban Gloucestershire.

General

58. As the population of the becomes more and more mobile the idea that people will live all their lives in the same area is less and less the reality. The most mobile are likely to be those seeking higher qualifications and career advancement after leaving school and who have ‘gone away’ to university and even had jobs overseas. They choose where they want to live and that choice will be influenced by a number of factors that can be grouped collectively under the heading of ‘quality of life’. Quality of life is one of the key drivers, along with sustainability of the Government’s Sustainable Communities programme. Urban Gloucestershire needs to offer a better quality of life than other urban or rural environments if it is to attract the brightest and most innovative people who are vital to creating and maintaining a prosperous urban economy in which everyone can benefit. The factors that make up quality of life are listed below in alphabetical order because the weighting an individual will give to each will vary according to their circumstances:  A ‘green’ environment that includes a lack of congestion, good public space and a built environment that is uplifting.  Access to excellent schools, colleges and universities.  Access to good health care and public services.  Easy to use and to travel in; lack of congestion.  Good access to the rest of the UK and overseas.  Good leisure and cultural facilities, sports, restaurants, theatres, concerts, museums, etc.  Quality of shopping facilities.  Safe, with low levels of crime.  Universities and colleges. It is clear from the discussion below that urban Gloucestershire already offers a better quality of life than many urban communities in England but it does not have this reputation. This suggests better marketing would be beneficial and a key strategic ambition should be to “promote the quality of life in urban Gloucestershire”.

A Green Environment

24 The Urban Economy of Gloucestershire August 2006 (GLMIU) Table 2.9 predicts that one person households in Cheltenham will increase from 17,150 in 2001 to 21,850 by 2026 and in Gloucester from 13,450 to 20,400. 17 DRAFT Gloucestershire First 26 April 07

59. Urban Gloucestershire does not have a reputation as a ‘green’ environment although parts of it are better than others. Measures that might contribute to an urban ‘green’ environment are:  Easy to recycle waste.  Street cleanliness. Parts of urban Gloucestershire have already adopted a zero tolerance policy on litter with impressive results although the litter along some routes can give a completely different perception.  Lack of congestion. Although the congestion may seem severe locally it is far less than in many urban areas.  Good parks and open spaces and the preservation and enhancement of established and historic townscape.  Lower than average noise pollution.  Low air pollution.  Low light pollution, although this would need to be balanced by the need for a safe environment.  Good availability of biofuels.  Easy accessibility to a high quality rural environment Urban Gloucestershire already scores well on many of these so a key strategic ambition should therefore be to “develop a reputation that urban Gloucestershire is a ‘green’ environment and maintain it”.

Access to Excellent Schools, Colleges and Universities

60. Urban Gloucestershire already has a significant number of excellent schools in both the private and the public sector and these already attract families to jobs in the County. There is a need to build on this strength and provide good progression routes from education into jobs. A key strategic ambition should therefore be to “retain and develop excellent schools in urban Gloucestershire and improve the progression routes from education into jobs”.

61. Universities and colleges provide a focus for clusters of creative and innovative businesses and attract innovative individuals. Urban Gloucestershire has a university, which is still establishing a reputation and as yet only attracts a limited amount of publicly funded research. Both Gloscat and Stroud College have been granted capital funds to enable substantial improvement to be made to their facilities, which will make them among the best-equipped colleges in the country.

Access to Good Health Care

62. Urban Gloucestershire contains two major NHS hospitals and a number of private hospitals.

Quality of Shopping Facilities

63. Retail is covered in paragraph 31 above. Parts of urban Gloucestershire already have high quality shopping facilities but there are gaps that need to be addressed as part of the various regeneration projects. A key strategic ambition should therefore be to “continue to grow urban Gloucestershire’s reputation for the quality of its shopping facilities”.

Easy to Use and to Travel in; Lack of Congestion

64. Connectivity is covered later in the strategy. Because it consists of four main centres travel between parts of urban Gloucestershire is and will remain a challenge.

Good Access to the Rest of the UK and Overseas

65. The poor rail service to London is already widely quoted by business people for not maintaining or expanding their businesses in urban Gloucestershire. The proposal to build a ‘parkway’ station would lead to a partial improvement but until the single-track section between Kemble and Swindon is turned into a dual track there will continue to be problems. The road connection to the East is also a bottleneck at Nettleton Bottom but an ‘improvement in principle’ has been agreed by all parties. A key strategic ambition should therefore be to “improve the road and rail access to the east”.

18 DRAFT Gloucestershire First 26 April 07

66. Urban Gloucestershire has motorway access to Birmingham and Cardiff International Airports but access to Bristol International Airport and to Heathrow is poor. Gloucestershire Airport is a general aviation airport. It has no scheduled services although in the past it has been used for charter flights. It is used for executive aircraft and thus provides an accessible service to businessmen who need to travel in this way.

Good Leisure and Cultural Facilities

67. The leisure and cultural facilities have already been covered in paragraphs 32-34 above. There are gaps, for example the Everyman Theatre does not have sufficient seating capacity to compete with theatres in Bath and Malvern. The key strategic ambition should be to “develop and maintain leisure and cultural facilities that attract residents and visitors to urban Gloucestershire”.

Safe, with Low Levels of Crime

68. People’s fear of crime is generally unrealistically high. An urban environment that is perceived widely as being safe will immediately attract new residents.

Cross Cutting Theme 1: Deliver the Urban Economic Strategy in a Sustainable Manner and within a Low Carbon Footprint

69. It is a basic premise of sustainability that long-term damage to the ecological systems will undermine long-term economic growth. Protection of the natural environment in the widest sense is therefore a fundamental building block for sustainable economic growth. Furthermore it is becoming increasingly clear that the Government is intent on introducing financial measures that will increase costs to force individuals and businesses to adopt practices that do less damage to the environment, particularly through global warming and waste. Urban Gloucestershire needs to recognise the competitive advantage to the economy that come from new government policies.

70. The challenge for urban Gloucestershire is to accommodate the growth in housing, population and jobs, whilst reducing the individual ecological footprint by the use of technology. This may seem impossible, but feeding the current world population using the yields of 1961 would require cultivation of 82% of the world’s land surface but modern agriculture achieves it by cultivating only 38%. The increases in output for a reduced input due to the Internet and broadband are not yet defined but are certain to be significant. However more will need to done to ensure that there is a significant increase in renewable energy per head and a reduction in waste. There will be economic benefit in doing this, as the cost of CO2 emissions is certain to increase for individuals and businesses. The challenge is made more difficult because:  There is too little knowledge, at least in UK, on what are the most cost-effective technologies to use by business or individuals.  There is likely to be a surge in new or improved environmental technology solutions for which unsubstantiated claims will be made.  There is a lack of competent installers of renewable energy systems.

71. Although these are major challenges urban Gloucestershire needs to recognise them as major economic opportunities and to turn parts of its manufacturing sector, with its innovative and technical heritage, to meeting a need that is global not just local. The creation of a new industrial site in urban Gloucestershire, run entirely by renewable energy and housing only businesses that are related directly to environmental technology, would be an initiative that would make a major economic impact.

72. The most distinctive ecosystem in Gloucestershire is water and the River Severn, which flows through a large part of urban Gloucestershire, is not only a significant English river but is prone to flooding, which has a detrimental impact on urban Gloucestershire and the wider Severn Vale. The EU Water Framework Directive is due to be implemented throughout the UK by 2015. The purpose is to set the current standard of water quality as the minimum and to improve with the aim of achieving at least a ‘good’ ecological quality by 2015. It should also address the problems of flooding.

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73. Key Strategic Ambitions. The key strategic ambitions needed to protect and enhance the environment of urban Gloucestershire, whilst accommodating over 30,000 new dwellings and the businesses to provide jobs for the additional population, should be to:  Build upon the existing provision to establish a source of accurate, unbiased information to organisations, businesses and individuals on the most appropriate and cost-effective renewable energy solutions.  Increase the delivery by training providers of the technological skills to support the environmental technology sector.  Support businesses wishing to develop in the environmental technology sector and a pro-active campaign to attract new business in the sector to establish them in urban Gloucestershire including the possible development of an environmental technology industrial site.  Ensure that all Local Development Frameworks include strong policies on the use of renewable energy at every reasonable opportunity and on sustainable construction.  Establish good communications with the River Severn River Basin Liaison Panel set up to advise the Environment Agency on implementing the EU Water Framework Directive.

Cross Cutting Theme 2: Provide strong, collaborative and consistent leadership that embraces the whole of urban Gloucestershire

74. The importance of strong leadership is made repeatedly in the report on ‘The State of the English Cities’. The challenge of transcending administrative boundaries should not be underestimated, but the rewards of doing so can be great, especially if the aim of using the complimentary strengths of each area to benefit the whole is achieved. However it is achieved it will mean existing local authority members agreeing to collaborate and deliver a single plan for the economic development of urban Gloucestershire (The Joint Improvement Board is already setting an example of what can be achieved). As the State of the English Cities Report states: “One message for English cities is that their counterparts in Europe are convinced that to be competitive in the global marketplace in future they have to organise and act at a wider metropolitan or sub regional level”. Furthermore if the benefits of a single urban strategy for Gloucestershire are to be delivered there has to be consistency; changes in the policies of Councils every four years could make progress at best uncertain and at worst could stop it completely. Meanwhile this strategy covers eight years and would need to be reviewed, updated and extended at regular intervals. Initially Gloucestershire First can provide the leadership, perhaps by the creation of an Urban Economy Advisory Panel, with representation from all four districts, the private and voluntary sector and other relevant parties, such as the GHURC, to draw up and agree an Annual Delivery Plan for this Strategy and which each Council endorses. In the longer term it may be necessary to create a Gloucestershire Urban Delivery Board. In the even longer term consideration might be given to seeking agreement initially locally and then nationally to urban Gloucestershire becoming a ‘City/Region’.

75. A Gloucestershire First Urban Economy Advisory Panel will not be effective unless it is built on strong collaborative partnerships particularly between officers in the different administrations and with the private, particularly business leaders and voluntary sector to:  Provide a single and effective point of contact on the urban economy with regional agencies, particularly SWRDA and GOSW.  Develop the Annual Delivery Plan and see that it is executed.  Improve mechanisms and introduce common processes, where appropriate, across urban Gloucestershire.  Capture good practice elsewhere.  Have the overall development of the economy of urban Gloucestershire as a first priority and adopt an innovative approach to achieving this.

76. Key Strategic Ambitions. The key strategic ambitions needed to provide strong, collaborative and consistent leadership that embraces the whole of urban Gloucestershire should be to:  Establish within Gloucestershire First a Gloucestershire Urban Economy Advisory Panel. 20 DRAFT Gloucestershire First 26 April 07

 Provide a single point of contact on economic matters for external agencies.  Create a properly resourced and effective partnership that embraces the public, private and voluntary sectors throughout urban Gloucestershire.  Explore how best to market and promote Urban Gloucestershire under a single brand.  Develop a single Annual Delivery Plan that is endorsed by local authorities and partners.

Cross Cutting Theme 3: Install the connectivity that leads to a cohesive urban economy and enables it to benefit rural Gloucestershire effectively

77. The State of the English Cities Report states: “Connectivity, both internal and external, is critically important for successful cities. This takes many forms including physical road, rail and air connections, electronic telecommunications, and possibly even more important, business networks”. There is a need to ensure ease of movement for businesses within and into urban Gloucestershire. Rail services and road connections to other conurbations, particularly London, need to enable economic growth. Concurrently there is a need to ensure rail, road and local public transport are improved to cater for the projected growth in urban Gloucestershire.

78. The poor rail service to London has already been discussed in paragraph 65. The proposal to build a ‘parkway station’ at Elmbridge is seen as part of the solution but it would offer much wider benefits by improving access to Gloucester and Cheltenham centres through a high quality bus service from a large park and ride site, thereby reducing congestion and cutting carbon emissions.

79. The road connection to the East is also a severe bottleneck at Nettleton Bottom. The County Council has persistently led the campaign for the bottlenecks in the road and rail system to be addressed and although a solution to Nettleton Bottom has been agreed by all parties, an achievement in itself, until both are regarded as regional priorities nothing is likely to happen25. Urban Gloucestershire has motorway access to Birmingham International Airport but access to is poor.

80. The County Council, who has the responsibility for strategic transport planning and provision, has prepared a Local Transport Plan (LTP) for the period 2006-2011. The urban bus strategy deals only with the links between Gloucester and Cheltenham rather than the need to be able to travel regularly between all the main centres of urban Gloucestershire; to link residential areas both with the main employment centres and services; and to provide public transport for recreational purposes. In 2001 23.2% of the households in Cheltenham and 24.2% of the households in Gloucester had no car and, although there has since been a rise in car ownership, future Government policies to reduce global warming will inevitably increase the pressure to use public transport as much as possible. There has been some recent evidence26 that bus services do not deliver workers to industrial or business sites, although the extent of this is not yet known and it is not clear whether this is in part due to a reluctance to walk to and from a bus stop. The standard measure of accessibility is whether a household lives within a 13-minute walk of a bus stop with an hourly or more frequent service.

81. Inevitably many people will continue to travel to and within urban Gloucestershire by car. The increase in Park and Ride sites, which is part of the Local Transport Plan, should enable more people to use them. There are other opportunities that might become feasible such as:  Making more use of the railway system to provide local links through the development of ‘halts’.  Using a ‘parkway’ station as a ‘hub’ for public transport in all directions.  A rapid transport link between Gloucester and Cheltenham.

82. Electronic connectivity is widely available in urban Gloucestershire but the speed is generally poor compared to other leading industrial nations. There are also business networks although some of these are based on part of urban Gloucestershire and there may be some scope for widening the catchment area.

25 The A417 between Gloucester/Cheltenham and Swindon is not listed in the Draft Regional Spatial Strategy as a “Regionally Significant Road Route” (see paragraph 5.5.2 of the RSS) 26 Gloucestershire First Investor Support Programme on the Finance & Business Support Sector – April 2006 21 DRAFT Gloucestershire First 26 April 07

83. Whilst connectivity within urban Gloucestershire is important so too is connectivity with rural Gloucestershire given that urban Gloucestershire will provide many of the services vital to rural communities. In addition the jobs for many of those living in rural communities will be in the urban area.

84. Key Strategic Ambitions. The key strategic ambitions needed to achieve the connectivity that is critically important to the economy of urban Gloucestershire should be:  Continue the campaign relentlessly for the bottlenecks on the A419 and the rail link to Swindon to be removed and so to improve the road and rail access to the east.  Produce an addendum to the Local Transport Plan that addresses the public transport needs of the whole of urban Gloucestershire.  Deliver a ‘parkway’ station that better serves the needs of urban Gloucestershire and can act as a ‘hub’ for local services.

Summary of Key Strategic Ambitions

85. Strategic Objective 1 - Create and sustain successful and competitive businesses that can take advantage of urban Gloucestershire’s strength to compete globally and regionally:  Increase the size of the ‘knowledge economy27’ in urban Gloucestershire by: o Marketing urban Gloucestershire’s strength in the finance and business services sector and encouraging finance and business services to locate in urban Gloucestershire to provide innovative backroom services particularly to businesses in the nearby city regions. o Recognise and provide for the needs of an advanced manufacturing sector in urban Gloucestershire and particularly through the LDFs to provide sites suitable for 21st Century manufacturing companies and knowledge economy businesses. o Increasing the number of Government/national public sector organisations in urban Gloucestershire. o Supporting and encouraging the development and growth of the Creative Industries sector in urban Gloucestershire so that it achieves an international reputation. o Making the environmental technology sector a significant contributor to the urban Gloucestershire economy.  Adopt the principles of Train to Gain as widely as possible to offer a holistic offer to employers to meet their business needs, including skills and training, particularly to the key sectors in urban Gloucestershire (advanced manufacturing/engineering, environmental technology, creative industries, finance and business services, construction, retailing, food & drink processing, and tourism).  Increase the profile of urban Gloucestershire as a retail destination, with good hotels and restaurants that complements Gloucestershire’s rural economy.  Prevent leakage of construction work opportunities outside Gloucestershire by growing the size of the Construction Sector in urban Gloucestershire to meet the demand.  Market urban Gloucestershire to tourists, visitors and businesses as a single coherent destination as part of the ‘Cotswold’ branding.  Create an environment, particularly through the provision of appropriate workspace, that encourages micro businesses to start up, survive and grow.  Agree a coherent spatial strategy for urban Gloucestershire that provides appropriate space for work as well as housing and is delivered through the LDFs.  Grow the capacity and capability of the Third Sector to deliver public services, particularly where this contributes to increasing GDP and prosperity.

27 Although a ‘knowledge economy’ is frequently referred to there is no agreed definition. It is generally seen as being made up of ‘knowledge driven production’ and ‘knowledge driven services’. For the purposes of this Strategy it includes Finance & Business Services, Advanced Manufacturing, Government Organisations, Public Administration & Health, Creative Industries and Environmental Technology. 22 DRAFT Gloucestershire First 26 April 07

86. Strategic Objective 2: To deliver the economic elements that support strong social cohesion in urban Gloucestershire in which the maximum number possible contribute to the economy:  Reduce by at least 50% the number of SOAs in the worst 10% nationally by 2015.  Take action to reduce the differential between the lowest household income and the average in urban Gloucestershire particularly in the 10 SOAs in the worst 10% nationally for income.  Support effective education and skills initiatives specifically for, and within, the 10 most deprived SOAs.  Support the take up of the economic elements in the Gloucestershire Food Vision particularly in the most deprived areas of Urban Gloucestershire.  Ensure that those who are most deprived in urban Gloucestershire have the opportunity to participate in the jobs that will deliver the regeneration projects and are subsequently created.  Support initiatives that provide homes that meet the ‘Decent Homes Standard’, schools that are as good as the average in the County, effective and accessible health care and good, affordable public transport in the most disadvantaged areas of urban Gloucestershire.  Develop a coherent spatial plan that meets the needs for housing, workspace and infrastructure across urban Gloucestershire and is recognised as fitting with the RSS and allowing access to the Regional Infrastructure Fund.

87. Strategic Objective 3: To provide a quality of life in urban Gloucestershire that attracts and retains a highly skilled and entrepreneurial workforce  Promote the quality of life in urban Gloucestershire.  Develop a reputation that urban Gloucestershire is a ‘green’ environment and maintain it.  Retain and develop excellent schools in urban Gloucestershire and improve the progression routes from education into jobs.  Grow urban Gloucestershire’s reputation for the quality of its shopping facilities.  Improve the road and rail access to the east.  Develop and maintain leisure and cultural facilities that attract residents to urban Gloucestershire.

88. Cross Cutting Theme 1: Deliver the Urban Economic Strategy in a Sustainable Manner and within a Low Carbon Footprint  Build upon the existing provision to establish a source of accurate, unbiased information to organisations, businesses and individuals on the most appropriate and cost-effective renewable energy solutions.  Increase the delivery by training providers of the technological skills to support the environmental technology sector.  Support businesses wishing to develop in the environmental technology sector and a pro- active campaign to attract new businesses in the sector to establish them in urban Gloucestershire including the possible development of an environmental technology industrial site.  Ensure that all Local Development Frameworks include strong policies on the use of renewable energy at every reasonable opportunity and on sustainable construction.  Establish good communications with the River Severn River Basin Liaison Panel set up to advise the Environment Agency on implementing the EU Water Framework Directive.

89. Cross Cutting Theme 2: Provide strong, collaborative and consistent leadership that embraces the whole of Gloucestershire  Establish within Gloucestershire First a Gloucestershire Urban Economy Advisory Panel.  Provide a single point of contact on economic matters for external agencies.  Create a properly resourced and effective partnership that embraces the public, private and voluntary sectors throughout urban Gloucestershire.  Explore how best to market and promote Urban Gloucestershire under a single brand.  Develop a single Annual Delivery Plan that is endorsed by local authorities and partners.

90. Cross Cutting Theme 3: Install the connectivity that leads to a cohesive urban economy and enables it to benefit rural Gloucestershire effectively:  Continue the campaign relentlessly for the bottlenecks on the A419 and the rail link to Swindon to be removed.

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 Produce an addendum to the Local Transport Plan that addresses the public transport needs of the whole of urban Gloucestershire.  Deliver a ‘parkway’ station that better serves the needs of urban Gloucestershire and can act as a ‘hub’ for local services.

Implementation

91. The suggested timetable for implementation of this Strategy is:

Serial Date Action By whom 1 6 Feb 07 Gloucestershire First invited to approve Consultation MD Gloucestershire Draft First 2 7 Feb-1 Apr 07 Public Consultation Steering Group 3 1-14 Apr 07 Comments from Consultation incorporated in Final Steering Group Draft 4 26 Apr 07 Gloucestershire First invited to approve Urban MD Gloucestershire Economic Strategy as ‘provisional’ First 5 May/Jun 07 County & District Councils consider provisional Urban CEs of County & Economic Strategy District Councils 6 Jul-Sep 07 Gloucestershire First Urban Economy Advisory Panel MD Gloucestershire formed First 7 Oct 07 Staffing of Gloucestershire First Urban Economy Advisory Panel 8 Nov 07–Jan 08 2008/09 Urban Economic Delivery Plan drafted 9 Jan/Feb 08 Final Urban Economic Strategy and the 2008/09 Urban Economic Delivery Plan approved by Gloucestershire First and subsequently endorsed by County and District Councils 10 Apr 08–Mar 09 2008/09 Urban Economic Delivery Plan delivered

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