Warwickshire's Strategic Economic Plan opens for public views

The County Council is asking for the help of businesses in Warwickshire in identifying what the future economic priorities are for the county.

The council has developed a summary of where it feels the priorities are, focused around ambitious, inclusive and sustainable growth. It has also identified areas on which any action might be focused.

This new Economic Strategy, once developed, will be a Warwickshire-wide strategy, bringing together a variety of partners to deliver on the county's ambitions and realise its potential. To ensure this strategy is one everyone can get behind and support, the council wants to hear the views of Warwickshire’s residents and businesses. Once the survey closes, on July 30, the council will consider the feedback provided and utilise it to develop a final strategy.

To highlight the plans for the economic strategy, the survey will use Warwickshire’s Strategic Economic Plan - an abridged document that highlights the work that the county and its partners are doing with three key pillars to developing an economy that:  

· is fit for the future 

· will grow and create jobs for all of the county’s communities  

· will be sustainable and contribute to the county’s net zero carbon emission targets.   

The abridged plan and accompanying survey is open for engagement through an accompanying survey here. 

So, what are the three pillars?

The Ambitious Growth pillar encompasses supporting businesses with high growth potential to start or scale ie grow organically at a manageable rate and a future economic strategy will seek to increase the numbers of businesses accessing finance.  It highlights how the county council will continue to foster research and development.  

The infrastructure of the transport system and digital connectivity and ensuring that land supply meets the needs of growth are key aspects. 

Talent – attracting and retaining it with high-quality employment – is integral to Warwickshire’s growth and there are plans to work with the Department for Business and Trade to investigate potential for exporting. 

The Inclusive Growth pillar will target support for employment and will look to work on the outstanding success of the Warwickshire Supported Employment Service which has made such strides in the months since its launch in engaging some of the county’s residents who have previously struggled to find employment with businesses. It will also bring together local partners such as the Growth Hub and the Chamber of Commerce and national partners including the Department for Work and Pensions. 

Raising aspirations in low output areas of the county and developing clear career pathways will be among the targeted support for employment, as the strategy seeks to level up opportunities across Warwickshire. Regeneration of priority areas and empowering communities will be key to achieving this. The strategy will seek to encourage enterprise in such areas as well as in under-represented groups such as women or minority ethnic backgrounds. 

The developing jobs market is another core focus of the county’s planning with schools and colleges being supported to develop career activity that is relevant for the needs of the future. 

Finally, Sustainable Growth, which will underpin businesses’ transition to net zero, makes up the third pillar. Supporting low Carbon tech businesses and encouraging new ones while ensuring there are the skills in the job market to make the transition is key to the plans for the strategy.  Key partners will be assisted in decarbonising transport across the county.  Businesses will be supported to reuse, recycle and reduce materials.  Residents will be encouraged through various means across a range of council services to increase the use of active travel; businesses will be supported in a move to using sustainable freight.

Cllr Martin Watson, portfolio holder for economy at Warwickshire County Council, said:  “This engagement is absolutely vital to helping us to plan for Warwickshire’s future economy.  We need to know that what we are thinking is what is on our residents’ minds, be they businesses, school leavers and jobseekers, people looking to change careers or people who might be wondering what mitigation we are making so that our businesses do not adversely affect our environment. 

“I would like to think that all those people will be reassured when they read the plan but that is not to say that it is complete. With more input, we can create and refine a strategy that best suits not only our ambitions for Warwickshire's economy but also those of our residents and businesses that live here now or who will live here in the future.”