A Proposed draft 20-year economic strategy for Cumbria has been approved by senior councillors at a meeting today (Monday, March 3).
The report – Going for Growth: Cumbria’s Economic Strategy 2025-2045 – was discussed by members of Cumberland and Westmorland & Furness Council’s joint executive committee at Voreda House in Penrith.
As well as approving the document they also voted in favour of developing a delivery plan to help bring it to fruition.
Isobel Brown, Enterprising Cumbria’s programme director, told members it had taken lots of hard work to get to this stage and, so far, it had been well received by both staff and organisations in the county.
She said that the delivery plan was important and added: “Because that’s what will bring the strategy to life.”
Councillor Jonathan Brook (Kendal South, Lib Dems) the leader of Westmorland & Furness Council, said it had been the subject of lots of consultation and added: “This document will be very important as we go forward.”
Councillor Emma Williamson (Kells and Sandwith, Labour), Cumberland Council’s deputy leader and children’s services, family wellbeing and housing portfolio holder, said that clearer language should be used when publicising the strategy as she had to search online to find out the meaning of one of the terms used in the report.
And councillor Andrew Jarvis (Windermere and Ambleside, Lib Dems), Westmorland & Furness Council’s’ deputy leader and cabinet member for finance, said: “I broadly welcome what is in this strategy.”
He agreed that it should be communicated clearly to residents and added: “They would feel that it doesn’t talk to them.”
Ms Brown said she felt that was “totally right” and councillor Janet Battye (Levens and Crooklands, Lib Dems), Westmorland & Furness Council’s cabinet member for children’s services, education and skills, said: “I am pleased to hear that we are going to publicise it.”
Cllr Brook proposed that they should agree the report’s recommendations and the rest of the committee agreed.
According to the report the strategy aims that by 2045 Cumbria will be what is described as “a modern and entrepreneurial economy where world-leading sector strengths and an outstanding natural environment drive shared prosperity for all people and places”.
The report states: “Cumbria is going for growth – defining the opportunity that large, dispersed regions can make to the UK’s modern industrial strategy, productive growth, and net zero.”
According to the report Cumbria is already seeing billions of pounds of investment including:
leading the next generation of the nuclear deterrent;
£250 million investment in town growth and regeneration;
£4.9 million investment in a new nuclear robotics and AI cluster;
and new plutonium immobilisation facility to support thousands of skilled jobs.
The report states: “This strategy builds momentum to deliver economic growth as well as innovating how we deliver services and supporting nature recovery.”
According to the report the strategy prioritises the sectors and clusters where there are significant opportunities, including advanced manufacturing, robotics, defence, clean growth and visitor economy, and addresses the binding constraints on growth and the barriers to investment in Cumbria including:
Infrastructure to support and enable growth projects – with shorter journey times, improved grid connectivity, and to support major investment in nuclear decommissioning and in the nuclear deterrent;
Faster productive growth – building on the sector strengths and growth opportunities, and supporting all businesses to innovate and become more competitive;
Defence and energy security – maintaining the UK critical role, preparing for future investment, and increasing local spend in supply chains;
Enhancing nature – building a growth plan that delivers 30×30, with increased investment, skills, and jobs in land-based industry;
Innovating in public service design and delivery – to equip people to be ready for these opportunities and ensure businesses have access to the skills they need;
Accelerating major housing developments in thriving places – supporting the two local authorities to deliver sites such as 10,000 new homes at St Cuthbert’s Garden Village and 800 new homes at Barrow Marina Village, and create places that people want to live, work and study, with creativity and culture built into plans.
by Ian Duncan (Local Democracy Reporting Service)
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