Sustainable Northamptonshire Economic Action Plan (SNEAP) Progress and Next Steps December 2010 www.letyourselfgrow.com 3 Progress and Next Steps – December 2010 Contents C Summary Contents SNEAP: Summary 3 Corby East Midlands International Swimming Pool SNEAP: Building the Brand 41 Executive Summary 3 SNEAP: Enterprise and Innovation 52 Developing ownership of the SNEAP 7 1.0 Introduction 8 SNEAP: Employment Land and Premises 64 2.0 Background 8 SNEAP: Education and Skills 79 3.0 Wider Strategic Context 9 SNEAP: Town Centre Regeneration 87 4.0 Economic Changes since 2008 – Implications for SNEAP 11 5.0 Delivering the SNEAP 13 SNEAP: Transportation 104 1. Employment Land and Premises 15 2. Education and Skills 16 3. Enterprise and Innovation 17 4. Transportation 18 5. Town Centre Regeneration 19 6. Building the Brand 20 6.0 Next stages of development 21 Appendices 22 Appendix 1 - Background Analysis 23 Appendix 2 - Transformational Actions 25 Cover Image: iCon Centre for Sustainable Construction, Daventry www.letyourselfgrow.com 4 Executive Summary Executive Summary 5 ‘Transformational actions and interventions are required over Becketts Park Marina, Northampton and above “business as usual” to meet the challenges of future growth.’ Executive Summary Progress and Next Steps – December 2010 Progress and Next Steps – December 2010 Over the next 10 to 20 years Frameworks, a jobs trajectory for North desires, productivity (measured by Northamptonshire will and West Northamptonshire, and should Gross Value Added) would continue continue to grow, whether identify the interventions necessary and to fall behind UK and regional the frameworks required to deliver that averages. through natural changes to jobs growth. demographics or through • Far from improving as the county accelerated growth consistent Following a series of meetings led by a desires, productivity (measured by with a national growth Project Board of partners, along with GVA) would continue to fall behind strategy. The Sustainable workshops and other consultations UK and regional averages. with local partners across the public, Northamptonshire Economic private and voluntary sectors, the draft • Transformational actions and Action Plan considers the SNEAP was published in April 2008 and interventions are therefore required economic implications of confirmed that: over and above “business as usual” to such growth in the context meet these challenges. of a need for up to 100,000 • To achieve sustainable growth, the new jobs. The timescale for scale and nature of the jobs growth In summary SNEAP identified that the challenge meant Northamptonshire key imperatives for the county to achieve such a requirement will vary has to do all it has previously been long term sustainable economic growth depending on a variety of doing, but with greater coordination. will be the need for more and better jobs factors. with the concomitant challenge for these • If it did, on the most optimistic jobs to be generated in the right places, In July 2007, a number of organisations1 assumptions considered by so they can support truly sustainable The Sustainable Northamptonshire Economic Action Plan (SNEAP) is aimed at resolving underlying commissioned the development of SNEAP, the county would still communities by drawing on the local 2 structural weaknesses and equipping Northamptonshire with the infrastructure and capacity to a Sustainable Northamptonshire fall short of the required jobs targets, labour force. The consultation draft of Economic Action Plan (SNEAP) to deliver (as envisaged in 2007/08), by some the SNEAP (April 2008 version) can be enable it to compete economically in future years, whatever shape future growth may take. SNEAP the economic vision for the county, as set 19,000 jobs (20%). Such a shortfall found at: plays an important, action focused role for Northamptonshire by addressing these structural out (or being developed) in the planning would increase significantly if jobs weaknesses through identifying and implementing flagship or transformational actions above frameworks for North Northamptonshire were restricted as a result of www.northamptonshire observatory. and beyond ‘business as usual’ – building on all the aspects of the county’s growth, from a social, and West Northamptonshire. conscious policy decisions implicit in org.uk/publications/document. environmental and economic perspective. MKSM Sub-Regional Strategy to asp?documentid=1185 SNEAP is an action focussed economic divert growth from West document, and as such should not be Northamptonshire, in order to This report provides an update on the activity and development of the SNEAP since the seen as a Planning or Development counter deprivation and encourage publication of the draft consultation document in April 2008. The SNEAP provides an economic Control Document. The initial brief for the regeneration in North development vision for the county, it’s purpose and role being to set out a framework for delivering SNEAP stipulated that the study provide Northamptonshire, particularly in transformational actions to meet the opportunities and challenges of anticipated growth faced by evidence to inform the development Corby. the county. of statutory Local Development • Far from improving as the county 1 Partners include NEL, NNDC, WNDC - supported by emda, LSC & UoN - each with some specific responsibilities and collectively with overall responsibility for delivering economic development in Northamptonshire in support of the county’s local authorities. 2 Formerly ‘Strategic’, the name of the SNEAP has been amended to better reflect its aims and priorities as a plan for the implementation of transformational actions. www.letyourselfgrow.com 6 Executive Summary Executive Summary 7 ‘Key imperatives for the county ‘Six Themes will form the SNEAP Action Plan for future activity: will be the need for more and Employment Land and Premises; Education & Skills; Enterprise & better jobs, generated in the right Innovation; Town Centre Regeneration; Transportation; Building the places’ Brand.’ Achieving the county’s growth potential SNEAP is an action plan aimed at challenge for the county is to enable the The Project Board agreed that a paper be Progress and Next Steps – December 2010 Spatial Context Progress and Next Steps – December 2010 will have significant benefits for resolving underlying structural growth of the economy and communities produced under each theme heading to national and regional economies - West Northants North Northants Northamptonshire Sustainable weaknesses and equipping through promoting inclusion and address the range of policy developments Core Strategy Core Strategy Core Strategy Communities Plan making Northamptonshire a £20 billion Northamptonshire with the sustainability through a combination of and strategy issues that will have economy by 2021, although given infrastructure and capacity to enable it policy development and project delivery. significant impacts on the delivery of the impact of the recent recession Local Economic to compete economically in future years, activity within those themes for the it is likely it may take longer than Assessment(s) whatever shape the future growth may Following an extensive consultation county. anticipated to achieve this. However, in take. SNEAP plays an important, action period, the Project Board began 2007/08, Northamptonshire appeared focussed role for Northamptonshire by developing a process for taking forward These six Theme Papers, published as part Sub-Regional Sub-Regional to be falling behind its targets for jobs Economic Strategy(s) Investment Plan(s) addressing these structural weaknesses the recommendations of the SNEAP. of the Summary Report, will form the growth as set out in both the Milton through identifying and implementing This process was based on a number SNEAP Action Plan for future activity. Keynes South Midlands (MKSM) Growth flagship actions ~ building on all the of Transformational Actions, proposed The papers identify priority issues and Agenda and SNEAP. Despite this, and aspects of the county’s growth, from in the original consultation draft, that potential transformational actions over despite adjusting patterns of housing SNEAP Mainstream Economic a social, environmental and economic would achieve the additional jobs and the short, medium and long-term, and Development Activity by growth under new planning regimes, Transformational projects under the perspective. productivity growth ambitions required. underline the importance of effective themes of: Stakeholders substantial planning consents are - Commercial Sites and Premises The potential actions were assessed and monitoring of performance and impact. Inc. business support, inward investment, already in place across the county. - Urban Renaissance enterprise, innovation, learning and skills, SNEAP relates closely to existing scored by the Board for their impact on Therefore there is clearly an even - Transportation economic renewal and inclusion, economic strategies such as the creating a significant step change in the The papers will continue to evolve - Enterprise and Innovation transport, land and development etc. greater challenge to achieve jobs and - Learning and Skills Sustainable Communities Strategy for county’s economic growth. over time with input from partners, productivity growth in the period up to - Building the Brand Northamptonshire3 (including the Local taking account of external factors as 2021 and beyond. Area Agreement) the Northamptonshire