Green Economic Growth Strategy Adopted December 2020 Cotswold District Council Green Economic Growth Strategy – Adopted December 2020 Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Vision ............................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................................... 5 Where we are now .................................................................................................................................................... 8 A Portrait of the District ...................................................................................................................................... 8 Economic Baseline.................................................................................................................................................. 9 National and Local Policy Context ....................................................................................................................... 13 Building a Britain Fit for the Future - National Industrial Strategy ........................................................... 13 Gloucestershire Local Industrial Strategy ...................................................................................................... 14 Gloucestershire Vision 2050 ............................................................................................................................. 14 Western Gateway ................................................................................................................................................ 15 Cotswold District Local Plan 2011-2031 ....................................................................................................... 15 Cotswold District Council Economy and Employment Land Update (April 2016) ............................. 15 Cotswold Business Delivery Plan (August 2017) ......................................................................................... 16 Climate Change Strategy .................................................................................................................................... 16 Key local assets ......................................................................................................................................................... 17 Cotswold Water Park ......................................................................................................................................... 17 Cotswold Airport ................................................................................................................................................ 17 Fire Service College, Moreton-in-Marsh ........................................................................................................ 17 Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester .................................................................................................... 17 RAF Fairford .......................................................................................................................................................... 17 Campden BRI ........................................................................................................................................................ 18 Cirencester College ............................................................................................................................................ 18 Key local companies ................................................................................................................................................. 18 Key partners .............................................................................................................................................................. 19 SWOT Analysis of the Cotswold Economy ....................................................................................................... 20 Strengths ................................................................................................................................................................ 20 Weaknesses ........................................................................................................................................................... 20 Opportunities ........................................................................................................................................................ 20 Threats .................................................................................................................................................................... 21 Recovery from the Coronavirus Pandemic ........................................................................................................ 22 The Impact of Covid-19 ...................................................................................................................................... 22 Phased approach to recovery ........................................................................................................................... 23 Page 2 Cotswold District Council Green Economic Growth Strategy – Adopted December 2020 Phases 1 & 2 - Pre-recovery and recovery ................................................................................................ 23 Growing Key Sectors .......................................................................................................................................... 25 Agritech.............................................................................................................................................................. 25 Cyber & Digital................................................................................................................................................. 26 Growing a Green Economy .......................................................................................................................... 27 Other sectors ................................................................................................................................................... 28 Enabling town centres to thrive ............................................................................................................................ 28 A Sustainable Visitor Economy .............................................................................................................................. 29 Infrastructure ............................................................................................................................................................. 32 Broadband .............................................................................................................................................................. 32 Mobile phone signal/4G/5G rollout ................................................................................................................. 32 Transport ............................................................................................................................................................... 33 Skills ............................................................................................................................................................................. 35 Inward Investment .................................................................................................................................................... 36 Support for business ................................................................................................................................................ 37 Innovation ................................................................................................................................................................... 38 Housing Growth ....................................................................................................................................................... 39 Inclusive Growth ....................................................................................................................................................... 39 Voluntary sector ....................................................................................................................................................... 41 Measures of Success ................................................................................................................................................. 43 Page 3 Cotswold District Council Green Economic Growth Strategy – Adopted December 2020 Introduction Economic development is at a crossroads in the Cotswold District - we can sit back and let others decide our future or take destiny into our own hands and promote a living growing exciting economy based on community-based commercialism; the greatest green growth revolution ever and real attraction for high net worth companies looking to relocate away from cities in a new digital world. Important though it is, Cotswold District is about more than the visitor economy. We have many companies who are at the cutting edge of innovation and we want to encourage more. There are opportunities to grow sectors such as agritech, cyber/digital, medical equipment and environmental