North Yorkshire’s economic growth strategy to be revised

County Hall in Northallerton.

A strategy to stimulate North Yorkshire’s economy has been revised to focus on zero carbon ambitions and ensure all residents have the skills provision they need to succeed after finding a high rate of the area’s workers were significantly impacted by the pandemic.

North Yorkshire County Council’s leading members next week will hear its economic growth plan for the coming three years would focus on opportunities to develop new ventures linked to the low carbon economy and the environment.

Another area of work the authority aims to strengthen includes its support for businesses and communities through town centre regeneration, support for tourism and improved digital infrastructure.

A meeting of the council’s executive will hear the revised plan will bring the
council’s economic strategy better into line with that of the local enterprise partnership and the anticipated investment by Government following recent announcements such as the Levelling Up Fund.

Although the North Yorkshire Rural Commission is yet to publish its conclusions about improving the lives of residents quality of life across the county, the economic growth plan states it will take the inquiry’s findings into account.

A report to the executive meeting states how the prevalence of the
hospitality sector in North Yorkshire means that the effects of Covid-19 may be greater than the national average, with up to 40 per cent of jobs in the county furloughed at the peak of the pandemic, is among the highest of any local authority in the North of England.

The council’s executive member for Open to Business Councillor Andrew Lee said while the pandemic has had devastating impacts on some of the residents and businesses of North Yorkshire he was proud of the authority’s work and that of its partners to stabilise the economy.

He said: “Now, more than ever we must come together to provide the essential services across this large and varied population and find local solutions which is why this plan sits alongside and complements the economic recovery plan for North Yorkshire and the York and North Yorkshire and East Riding local enterprise partnership’s plan to reshape our economy.

“We have refocussed the enablers that sit at the heart of this plan in all areas, in particular to drive forward our zero carbon ambitions, ensuring all of our residents, whether out of school or retraining, have the skills provision they need to succeed.

“Above all we need an economic growth plan that gives the county council the agility to take advantage of the opportunities to reshape our economy over the next three years.”

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