North Yorkshire Council
Transition (LGR) Overview and Scrutiny Committee
Monday 4 September 2023
North Yorkshire Economic Growth Strategy
Report of the Corporate Director of Community Development.
1.0 PURPOSE OF REPORT
1.1 To provide a progress update on the development of the North Yorkshire Economic Growth Strategy and seek views on the final draft of the Strategy.
2.0 BACKGROUND
2.1 The opportunity to create and facilitate economic growth is a key opportunity afforded by Local Government Reorganisation. With a range of factors creating economic uncertainty and inequalities across the new Council’s geography it is a necessity that the Council has a clear, focused set of priorities to drive its economic development ambitions.
2.2 There are existing ambitious plans for supporting business growth, key sector development, generating inward investment, firing up the jobs and skills agenda, prioritising regeneration and improving infrastructure and connectivity. Underpinning those ambitions, North Yorkshire needs a sustainable, high-quality offer for residents, businesses, and visitors to make the most of the economic potential.
2.3 A new economic strategy for North Yorkshire Council will help to support and accelerate the delivery of these goals. It will provide a clear strategic framework on which to build a fit-for-purpose Economic Development delivery model for the new Council, ensuring that it is well placed to proactively drive future economic growth across the area and the North.
3.0 PROGRESS ON STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT
3.1 Development of the strategy has been undertaken in five stages: inception and scoping; baselining and evidence review; emerging strategic framework; thematic deep dives; and strategy preparation and finalisation.
3.2 Receipt of the final draft of the strategy at the end of July places us in final stage of the process, working toward adoption at Executive and Council. The second draft is attached as Appendix A, however this will be subject to review by the Portfolio Holder and Management Board before being circulated to the Executive for approval at the October 2023 meeting.
4.0 CONSULTATION UNDERTAKEN AND RESPONSES
4.1 Consultations to inform the report thus far has occurred in three stages.
i) A first stage consisted of series of scoping discussions with strategic senior level stakeholders including the Leader, Portfolio Holder, and Chief Executive to understand and set out the ambitions and priorities for the strategy.
ii) The second round of consultations consisted of 15 semi-structured interviews (either 1-1 or small group interviews), three online workshops focused on Business, Innovation and Growth; Investment and Property; and on the proposed focus on a Agri-Food and Green Energy Cluster. Input was also obtained from attending delivery events of the team leading development of North Yorkshire’s Local Skills Improvement Plan to ensure key messages on skills could be fed in.
iii) A final round of consultations spanned June and July 2023 focusing on feedback on the first draft from Members, internal directorates, and key external stakeholders. This will ensure the strategy aligns closely with other Council strategies and with the Strategic Vision and Economic Plan for the new Mayoral Combined Authority.
5.0 CONTRIBUTION TO COUNCIL PRIORITIES
5.1 The Council Plan for North Yorkshire Council 2023 to 2024 lists Economy as one of its five key ambitions, with an ambition to deliver economically sustainable growth that enables people and places to prosper and that supports new and existing businesses to thrive and grow. One of the key priorities for the next four years, and a foundation for the Council’s ambitions for economic development, is to develop a new economic strategy for North Yorkshire.
5.2 The strategy vision is to be an innovative, carbon negative economy driven by our productive and entrepreneurial business base and the places & communities that make North Yorkshire distinctive. As such the strategy has themes and objectives which will contribute to the Place and Environment, Health and Wellbeing and People priorities of the Council.
6.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
6.1 There are no financial implications arising from this report.
7.0 LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
7.1 There are no legal implications arising from this report.
8.0 EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS
8.1 Consideration has been given to the potential for any adverse equality impacts arising from this strategy see Appendix B Initial equality impact assessment (EIA) screening form.
8.2 The EIA would indicate there are no equalities implications arising from this strategy.
9.0 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPLICATIONS
9.1 The vision stated at 5.2 above sets out the ambition of being a carbon negative economy which, when the strategy is adopted and implemented, will have positive implications for climate change.
9.2 Consideration has been given to the potential climate change impacts arising from this strategy see Appendix C Climate Change impact assessment.
9.3 Whilst it is difficult at a high-level strategy stage to assess the impacts, most activities that result from it should have a positive or neutral impact on climate change. Impacts from actions plans that flow from strategy will require more detailed consideration of their impact on climate change.
10.0 REASON FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
10.1 To inform members of Overview and Scrutiny of progress in respect of the development of the Economic Growth Strategy and to seek their feedback on the draft Strategy.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
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i) That the report is noted
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ii) Members are invited to provide feedback on the final draft strategy
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APPENDICES:
Appendix A – Final Draft Economic Growth Strategy
Appendix B – Initial Equality Impact Assessment screening form
Appendix C – Climate Change Impact Assessment initial screening form
Nic Harne
Corporate Director – Community Development
County Hall
Northallerton
Report Authors – Mark Haynes/Julian Rudd
Note: Members are invited to contact the author in advance of the meeting with any detailed queries or questions.