Economic Development Strategy 2006-2009 June 2006
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Economic Development Strategy 2006-2009 June 2006 Contents Foreword Introduction 1 About South Holland South Holland is a sparsely populated rural area, set in the south of Lincolnshire, in the Fenland sub-region of the English east midlands. It has many economic links across county and regional boundaries into Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. In particular there are many direct links with the city of Peterborough to South Holland’s immediate south. The eastern boundary of the district is the unspoilt coastline of the Wash. Some facts about the district: The area consists of 74,238 hectares made up of small rural communities and five towns: Spalding, Holbeach, Long Sutton, Crowland and Sutton Bridge. The district population is 79,400 (Mid-2003 population estimates) One third of the population live in the administrate centre of Spalding. In 2002 the average population density was 107 people per kilometre compared to 207 for the east midlands region and 380 for England as a whole. In the 20 years between 1982 and 2002 the population of the district grew by 27% and this growth is set to continue. The Census 2001 showed and average age of South Holland’s population as 42.8 years against an average for England and Wales of 38.7. The Mid-2003 population estimates showed 5% of resident population were children under five and 25% were of retirement age. The equivalent figures for England and Wales overall were 6% children and 19% of retirement age. In South Holland 3% of the resident population aged 16-17 years were school pupils or full-time students (Census 2001) compared with 7% of the population of England and Wales. In the academic year 2003/04 57% of pupils in Lincolnshire achieved 5 or more GCSEs graded A* to C compared to an average for England of 54%. The Census 2001 showed 97% of the resident population being “white British”. The district has had full employment for many years and relies on a significant community of EU migrant workers to support the seasonal agricultural economy of the district, however the exact number if unknown. The Indices of Multiple Deprivation rank South Holland district at 210 out of 354 English districts, thus giving it a marginally above “average” score. The average gross annual earnings of people in South Holland is lower than the national average at £20,204 compared to £25,170 (New Earnings Survey 2003). Sources of data used in this strategy (and potential further reading) are noted in Appendix 1. 2 Political and management structures within South Holland South Holland is a district council located in the county of Lincolnshire and within the administrative region of the East Midlands Government Office. The council has 38 elected Members made up of Conservatives 26 Independent 11 Labour and co-operative 1 Political direction and policy is driven by a Cabinet with a number of working groups in support. Aspects of the operational requirements of the economic development function are progressed through the Capital programme group, the Risk Management group and the Spalding Town Forum. South Holland District Council recognises that economic development is a complex, cross-cutting activity. There are close working relationships between the economic development team, the planning service, property services and community development. In addition, wherever possible, the Council works with its external partners to support and grow the local economy. **** insert district Map *** 3 Vision and Priorities Our Vision: To develop and promote South Holland as a thriving, living and working rural community. The South Holland District Council Corporate Plan aims to develop and promote its vision through four themes, and within this it has some specific objectives for its economic development strategy: Providing ….. To provide a safe, secure and healthy place to live Provide high quality affordable housing - it is essential for workers to be able to live close to their palace of work and so reduce reliance on commuting by car, especially when local wages are below the national average. Developing … to develop a thriving rural community Improve the diversity of employment - the district has an over-reliance on the agricultural and horticultural sectors and needs to grow higher paid and higher quality work opportunities. In so doing it may help reduce out commuting for work in Peterborough. Leading …. To be a leading edge authority providing value for money, quality services Listening … to listen and involve the community and work with partners Improve access to and delivery of customer services - SHDC is host to a range of partners at its Spalding offices that also deliver economic development services for local people. By acting in this way SHDC can provide a central “hub” of information for local people and help cut confusion in terms of provision. Within that context, the Council’ Key Priorities for its economy strategy are to: 1. Help create an environment in which existing businesses can grow 2. Support the start-up, and location, of new businesses in South Holland 3. Generate a high quality of life so that people will want to both live and work in the district. 4. Work with partners to tackle issues holding back economic growth These are our priorities because these are the priorities of the people of South Holland, the businesses already choosing to operate here and our partners. They have been agreed based upon:- The need to develop our Economic Development Strategy in a way that is consistent with our corporate objectives and with other policies and strategies including our Local Plan and our financial plans. Consistency with other service priorities. Consistency with the objectives of the Community Plan 4 Consultation with local people, businesses and partners during the finalisation of the strategy – the section “working with communities and other stakeholders” provides details of the consultation adopted for this strategy, while Appendix 2 lists those partners who responded directly. Collation of a range of research and knowledge about the local economy and South Holland’s economic role within the Fenland sub-region. How the Economic Development Strategy fits in Diagram 1 shows how the Economic development strategy fits in with the Council’s objectives and plans. The Economic Development Strategy is informed by and informs other key policies and strategies. The policy framework is a holistic set of documents that provide and integrated Corporate Plan. United Kingdom national and local economic polices are increasing shaped by international trade. Given the central role of the economy to the UK way of life, it is little wonder that many government departments and agencies as well as other organisations have a key influence on domestic economic policies. For example the government through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) looks at how the UK competes in a global marketplace – one in which china has just joined the World Trade Organisation and countries such as India are producing 3 million graduates a year. In addition to its role in import and export control and advice and international trade, the DTI also provides funding for the national Business Link network and science and innovation support which impact on the delivery of domestic economic development. The government also intervenes with the operation of the domestic market in terms of payment for employment. The Department for Work and Pensions (and bodies such as the Child Support Agency) works closely with employers and employees through the delivery of personal benefits such as pensions, and support for people who are looking for work through the Jobcentre Plus network. Despite that, the government has delegated the delivery of much of its local economic activity to either its Regional Government Offices or its network of Regional Development Agencies. The East Midlands Development Agency (EMDA) measures its success in terms of the regional economy’s performance against other regions in Europe. A long standing aim of EMDA has been to reach the top 20 in European ranking; it is currently in 28th position. At the time of preparing this strategy EMDA’s Regional Economic Strategy (RES) was being renewed with consultation closing on 18th April 2006. The information quoted in later parts of this strategy is taken from the consultation copy of the RES. In order to respond to very local need, such as that in the South Holland district, EMDA has contracted the delivery of much of its local work to sub-regional partnerships; the one supporting South Holland being Enterprise Lincolnshire. 5 Create a diagram of the economic strategy and how it fits with other Council strategies 6 Priority 1: help create an environment in which existing businesses can grow Options for involvement Nationally 80% of businesses employ 10 or fewer staff. Many do not want to grow beyond the owner’s span of control. However, while growth might not always be achieved in terms of new jobs generated, it can be achieved in terms of business efficiency thus often giving rise to increased turnover and profitability. This provides security of employment for existing workers and boosts the economy through increased productivity. For those businesses that do grow in terms of plant size and/or employment size, then suitable land and premises will be an issue. SHDC would not wish to see these existing business move out of district due to a lack of suitable sites. Planned actions Ensure that there is a range of suitable land and premises available for business expansion though the planning process. Where there is market failure, work with partners to develop suitable commercial premises. Support partners such as Business Link to provide specialist business advice. Encourage the on-going development of commercial services sector and local business to business networking though the establishment of local business forums.