Agenda item

Report of the Cabinet Member for Economic Growth

The Committee considered an update on the work and progress of the Staffordshire County Council Economic Growth Programme and details on the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Growth Hub.  Members discussed the progress of specific projects, employment change over time and the calculation of employment outcomes.  New statistics showed that just 1.3 per cent of Staffordshire’s population was claiming out of work benefits. The Staffordshire claimant count figure was lower than both regional (2.8 per cent) and national (2.1 per cent) averages. This figure had remained the same for the last two months.  Since 2014, the county council had delivered or been involved in economy boosting-business development and infrastructure projects with a total value of more than £400million. For every £1 directly invested by the county council in the £204 million of projects currently ‘live,’ the county council had been at the heart of levering in £13.60 of private sector and other investment.  15 projects had now been completed, enabling growth at site including Redhill Business Park, IC5 at Keele, i54 South Staffordshire and Kingswood Lakeside in Cannock, and now Branston Locks - one of the most significant development sites in Staffordshire.    Over 6,650 jobs had already been created on the completed sites generating over £9 million worth of total business rates every year.  When fully developed and let, it was expected that £30 million of total business rates would be generated from these sites, a proportion of which would support local public services. Up to 19,000 jobs were expected when the decade-long programme is complete.   Now the infrastructure developments had generated more employment opportunities, a focus on bolstering small business and improving the skills of local people to meet demand was at the heart of the plan for the next six years.  The six sites of the Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Hub was supporting over 4,500 trainees, and over 6,000 small to medium sized businesses had received the help they need to grow and prosper through the authority’s administration of the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Growth Hub, on behalf of the Local Enterprise Partnership. 

The Committee received a presentation on the work of the Growth Hub, which outlined its principles, what it can offer to businesses, its achievements over the past 4 years, the sectors it had supported, and the number of helpline calls and referrals made.  Assistance through the Growth Hub was broken down into 3 broad “levels”, from an initial light touch assist which often involved initial signposting, through more detailed business diagnostics and workshops, to intensive business intelligence assistance which could provide up to 12 hours of targeted assistance to businesses. 

A member commented that it was good to see the economy doing well, and that it was important to monitor the quality of jobs.  It was however a concern that often sites that had been identified as employment sites were overturned at the planning stage for residential development, and it was queried how these could be protected.  The Cabinet Member for Economic Growth acknowledged that there was often pressure on business sites, but that this was a local planning authority decision.  It was also questioned whether the Council was doing enough work around Brexit options, for example if there was no deal.  The Cabinet Member reported that the Leader of the Council was actually in London that day to discuss Brexit with MPs.  Efforts were being made to ensure that the various business sectors were vibrant and resilient.  Members referred to a number of key projects in their local areas, and requested that a breakdown of jobs by district and employment sector be made available to all members.

RESOLVED – That:

a)    The work and progress of the Staffordshire County Council Economic Growth Programme and the Growth Hub be noted; and

b)    A breakdown of jobs by district and employment sector be provided to all members of the Council.