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IN VIEW A BLUEPRINT FOR GROWTH
County Hall
A major three-year strategy outlining how Lancashire can unlock its full economic potential has been unveiled which includes a “re-think” of business support in the county.
The blueprint, which will run until 2025, sets out how the county council will look to meet the challenges and maximise opportunities for economic growth.
The local authority says it will work to support the business community by progressing its major economic projects and delivery programmes “at pace”. It will also engage with businesses to improve the “focus and value” delivered for Lancashire by the council.
Despite current growth conditions, the council says the medium-term outlook for the county’s economy “remains exciting”, with an established pipeline of development and infrastructure that has the potential to secure more than £20bn of investment over the next decade.
It includes a new wave of low carbon and security-based investments that are supplementing Lancashire’s economy, typified by the UK government’s decision to locate the new National Cyber Force (NCF) headquarters in Samlesbury. County Hall says that pipeline can be used to leverage further investment.
The strategy document sets out plans to make Lancashire the most supportive place to establish, grow and scale high quality businesses.
It says that will involve a “re-think” of business support, focused on areas of highest impact and delivered in partnership with district councils and funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) and County Hall.
We have a unique
opportunity over the next three years to capitalise on new industries and new business locations across the county
The aim is to bring services together to focus on providing coherent innovation support for small and medium sized companies.
The strategy document says: “Boost, Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub and our
Business Finance Support propositions have developed a strong brand and a reputation for quality support over the last ten years.
“In the next three years we aim to sustain that reputation and quality of service as the model moves from former European funding to closer working with district councils through the SPF.
“This offers an opportunity to explore new modes of delivery from pre-start, scaling and rural businesses, free of the European legislation which had previously prescribed how this delivery took place.”
Over the next three years the council will also “refocus” its innovation support services. It says that means bringing together existing resources to match businesses with the facilities and assets which have been built in recent years and to “make this broad spread of investment work as a coherent whole”.
The document says: “This would also include the way in which we use real estate owned by the council, such as its business parks, to develop an accelerator model for sectors such as digital and technology.”
When it comes to skills and talent, a priority is maximising the alignment of careers
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