Issue - meetings

Report of the Assistant Director of Place (Economic Growth and Housing)

Further to Minute No. 33 of 16 January 2024 the Committee considered the report of the Assistant Director of Place (Economic Growth and Housing) that updated on the refresh of the Sefton Economic Strategy (the Strategy); and the production of a Sefton Inward Investment prospectus.

The report indicated that the Strategy refresh would ensure that it remained fit    for purpose in terms of its objectives and alignment with the emerging Liverpool City Region Economic Opportunities framework that would serve as a sounding board to help drive, amongst other economic activities, new inward investment activities across the city region. The report also identified the base review and analysis, the first phase of which being the methodology and review of the strategic context, examining current and developing strategies and frameworks; an analysis of sector specialism in Sefton and skills analysis.

The report also identified that the production of a Sefton Inward Investment prospectus, to assist in promoting the borough as part of LCR Combined Authority national and international investment activities and events, would also assist the council in its own inward investment and regeneration led activities; and set out list of sites identified for the prospectus; and the alignment of sites with sector opportunities.

The report concluded that the completed work would enable the Council to have a full suite of key investment opportunities which could be easily updated and added to; and that the intention was for them to be used for both strategic events such as the International Market for Real Estate Professionals and the UK Real Estate and Investment and Infrastructure Forum amongst others, while officers would also have access to ‘off shelf’ material in response to business growth and new inward investment enquiries.

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following issues:

·       The comparison of figures for Sefton’s hospitality sector with other comparable areas of the country

·       The methodology used to estimate the increase in visitor numbers (both day and staying) to Southport

·       The strategic objective of “Employment and Opportunities for Work” contained in the action plan was referred to and in particular, the success of Sefton should be acknowledged regarding the Rate of NEET and Not Known in the borough across our 16 and 17 year olds being the best in the City Region for this period and being ranked 3rd in the country out of 150 LAs.

RESOLVED: That