Issue - meetings

This report presents the draft Kirklees Inclusive Economy Strategy (KIES) to Scrutiny for comment and input.

Contact: Edward Highfield, Service Director Skills & Regeneration and Chris Duffill, Head of Business & Skills

The Panel was presented with information which outlined the Kirklees Inclusive Economic Strategy draft for consultation.  Cllr Graham Turner, Portfolio Holder for Finance and Regeneration, introduced the item advising the Panel that initially when work was being undertaken to review the strategy, it was decided that the vast majority of it was still relevant, therefore, it would be refreshed to bring it up to date. The basic fundamentals of wanting strong economic growth, creating well paid jobs and to drive the local economy are still there, therefore it is a refresh rather than a total redraft of the strategy.

Edward Highfield, Service Director for Skills and Regeneration, informed the Panel that the current economic plan expires in 2025, and therefore it is timely to refresh the strategy, and it will sit alongside the other top tier strategies.  As a result of being considered a top tier strategy, once finalised, the draft will need to progress to Cabinet for endorsement and finally to Full Council, and the view of Scrutiny is part of the development process.  Comments from the Panel and other comments received through other partnership forums will all be taken on board in a final draft that will go to Cabinet in the new year.

The aim of this is inclusive growth, a more inclusive form of growth in Kirklees to ensure that everybody in society is able to participate and benefit from the proceeds of a growing economy.  It is both a growth plan and more importantly it is about a more inclusive pattern of growth.

The Panel was informed that over the past six months there is now a stronger much clearer alignment between national, regional and local policy and trying to draft this strategy a year ago was more challenging.  Since then, there has been the publication of the National Industrial Strategy and a better understanding of the sectors the government is trying to promote on a UK basis, and it is easy to articulate where Kirklees has relative strengths in those key national industrial sectors.  Through the West Yorkshire mayor there has been work on a local growth plan and this strategy for Kirklees aims to articulate what the vision and strategy is for Kirklees and how it contributes to both the West Yorkshire and the national policy.

In terms of the structure of the document, there are a couple of organising principles:

-         the first is well established around people, place and partners.  When referring to people, that is around employment skills activity, helping people to participate in and benefit from a growing economy and anything that affects people either in or out of work.  Place would capture a lot of the regeneration ambitions, connectivity priorities, environmental activities and things that affect the place of Kirklees. In respect of partners, the majority of that section is on businesses, because business on an economic strategy is critical, and there are other partners around such as the university that are very important.  That section is on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7