Work of Economic Development Team.

The Economic Development Team is a small team within the Economic Development and Regeneration Group (see attached structure chart).

The team works to implement the Council priority of “Increasing Prosperity”. The Corporate Plan states that we “are working to create employment and prosperity by attracting new businesses to the area and supporting local enterprise.”

The team helps developing and existing local business and also promotes North Somerset to businesses outside the area. For example, the team is a central point of contact and supports businesses in making contact with the right staff to respond to their enquiry/issue/development idea. Kestrel Court in Portishead is a direct outcome of this work. The Team informs local business about new legislation, services that can help them become more efficient and profitable, grants and other backing, and gives a focus to business success, for example through the journal Business Matters, and manages production of a Directory so local businesses can network, identify local supply chains, and also promote themselves through wide distribution to others in and outside of North Somerset.

The team support officers of the council with research, information, contacts etc and through giving advice for example on planning applications and labour market issues.

The team is increasingly providing the local detailed information and contact necessary for the developing work of the West of England. The West of England Office has recruited 2 inward investment officers who will promote the sub-region overall. For North Somerset to attract its share of inward investment and positive spin-offs for existing local business, local intelligence must be provided and strong connections maintained with property agents, local businesses, and skills agencies (eg Weston College).

The level of staffing for ED work in NSC was cut this year, with impact on the current and next year budget through removing the Principal ED Officer post. However, the team has sustained core services and taken on significantly more work e.g. supporting the development of the Local Area Agreement Economy and Enterprise Block and strategy development (Economic Development and Regeneration Strategy, and auditing the social economy ).

The Local Government White Paper clearly states the council will have to develop its partnership work both locally and sub-regionally in relation to Economic Development in its role of “Community Leader”. The work of the ED Team is not undertaken by the private sector so any further cut to the Team will have a direct impact on local and developing beusiness.

Feedback from local businesses about the direct services offered by the team is positive, and the team is the sole provider of these services in North Somerset. Local business confidence in NSC will be significantly undermined if NSC further cuts the budget for this work.

The work of the team is outlined below.

A. Direct Services to Businesses

1. Business Matters

Purpose: to celebrate the successes of local business, provide information on new legislation; make them aware of new developments or events of interest to the business community.

Key tasks:

· Research and edit the journal with business input

· Produce every March, July and November

· Send to approx. 3,000 businesses.

· Electronic version of Business Matters now produced (though this is not a popular change with all readers)

· Feedback is very positive, some businesses have bought paper versions for wider distribution to staff and customers.

2. Receive and respond to business enquiries

Purpose: to encourage and enable expansion of business within North Somerset, and market the area for incoming business development

Key tasks:

· Up to 30 enquiries a month leading to development eg initial contact and further support/negotiations with ED team negotiations led to Kestrel Court (Portishead) development of workspace – part of ongoing employment led regeneration input

· Property and land related, requesting copies of publications or statistics, information on business rates, planning/use classes (these we pass on to relevant departments or take ownership of and collect information and respond ourselves)

· International and national enquiries through the RDA – we provide information and advice as requested.

· Team contacts all new business coming to North Somerset to understand why they have come and what they might need from us in the future.

· Also, follow up calls to those who have requested information to see if anything further needed.

(See sub-regional section below for current/future developments)

3. Business Directory

Purpose: Publicise businesses locate in North Somerset to enable local business supply chains and networks, and promote them to external business/customers

Key tasks

· Monitor and maintain the contract to produce the bi annual directory. (Directory is prepared and published externally, but requires steer/monitoring of work, preparation of information to go to Burroughs. Contract will end 2009 following 3^rd issue)

· Contribute local information re additional businesses, new start ups etc. for inclusion in the Directory

4. Business Fact Sheets

Purpose: To sell the advantages of North Somerset to inward investors/developers

Key tasks

· Produce information on North Somerset economy and as a place, provided to business enquiries and companies re-locating to the area.

· Updated annually, provides information on council services and general facts and figures on North Somerset. Has provided businesses with a better understanding of the area and also other agencies and NSC staff with information to aid their work. Is useful as provides a wide range of information in one place.

This information has been used as the basis for promotion of Weston to Government Departments in November looking to re-locate as part of the Lyons review.

5. Business advice for start up/early development

Purpose: To support the development of new enterprise/business across North Somerset

Key Tasks:

· Negotiate, manage and monitor an SLA with North Somerset Business West for setting up and developing new private and social enterprise

· Negotiate an SLA with Voluntary Action North Somerset (VANS) to provide new funding and development support to social economy organisations to increase external investment in these.

B. Research and information

1. Statistics and data

Purpose: Understand current and emerging business needs and develop responses to these to improve profitability and increase the range of business in the area.

Key tasks

· Team provides employment and other local business information when requested and links with RDA and WEPo to share and develop data.

· Intelligence on business re-location and expansion through the register and general business enquiries.

This area of work will expand with a redeveloped post (previously dedicated EU/bidding post) to increase business liaison/support, enabling us to better understand local business needs and issues and develop improved working with NSC. This will help understanding of NSC services/regulations to benefit business.

2. Social Economy Audit and Development

Purpose: Identify barriers to growth of this part of the broader economy in order to attract bigger proportion of national funds for its development

Key tasks

· Managed all work for audit: including questionnaires, analyses, report and event.

· Future work built into the LAA, including a strategy 2007.

· Potential for investment/expansion of this part of the economy which has previously under-performed in bringing external funding into the area

3. EU and External Funding

Purpose: Inform colleagues of change and development at EU level to give early warning of change, and to maximise external funding opportunities in NSC and in the social economy

Key tasks

· Maintain follow of information and give early warning of change and development being prepared by EU, including direct briefings (e.g. re Transport, Port and Airport related issues).

· Maintenance of J4B funding database/programme for internal and external use and Officer Group for new funding streams

C. Internal support for NSC functions

1. Major Development

Purpose: Inform and support major development in North Somerset

Key tasks

· Provide advice to colleagues in terms of move to employment led regeneration for Weston through the Major development Group which co-ordinates cross directorate input to major applications, from ED perspective.

· Team is currently working to develop and support indicators that will determine triggers for housing development.

2. Support to the Planning Application process.

Purpose: to contribute economic development (ED) perspective/information to support planning applications to inform the planning recommendations/decisions.

Key tasks:

· Provide appropriate advice on employment/land/premises applications as they come in to support business case for development. There can be several per week.

· Provide ED advice to planners inc development control – including site meetings with developers and advice on proposals prior and during application (e.g. latest Tesco’s Clevedon re potential loss/ move of existing business units). Follow up enquiries with Planning Policy and Development Control prior to application, also in co-ordinating joint service meetings with business for initial discussions.

· Provide expert advice at planning inquiries, ED perspective generally in planning policy – e.g. Silver Street public Enquiry where ED cross examining resulted in council retaining final say on conversion of business units to housing if ever requested (not picked up by anyone else),

· Monitor market requirements through premises and land register to support maintaining employment land – this is a new area of work to help determine land use from first enquiry through to premises or land being used. Provides knowledge on what businesses are looking for in the area, and also of the type of businesses looking to move or expand in the area. Assists our promotions and informs our follow up calls to businesses on their ongoing development needs.

3. Cross directorate working

Purpose: to provide advice and support across the Authority to maximise ED opportunities and assist colleagues work

Key tasks

· Provide information and advice for policy and plan development e.g. Planning Policy re RSS and including Local Plan and now Local Development Framework and Action Plans.(e.g. Weston AAP), Development Control, Business Rates and Property team etc., to aid their work and their responses to enquires

· Provide link to sub regional and regional strategy and activity.

4. Local Area Agreement (LAA)

Purpose: Support and enable the NSC responsibility to develop and deliver the Economy and Enterprise Block of the LAA

Key tasks

· Team provides dedicated support to setting up, managing and co-ordinating all activities associated to the Economic Development and Enterprise Block. This includes general admin, negotiations with external agencies on indicators, targets and actions, working with partner organisations to prepare submissions

· A future role in maintaining this level of support in light of annual reviews of LAAs and proposed changes in the LG White Paper

Without the intensive dedicated support provided in the team it is unlikely it would have progressed as it has, as the detailed work has required expertise and knowledge available in the team.

D. Partnership Working:

1. North Somerset Partnership - Economic Development & Regeneration Strategy

Purpose: Develop a long-term agreed framework for action across all activity contributing to Economic Development to maximise local resources and avoid duplication/conflict in local actions

Key tasks

· Development of the Strategy and coordinating the development of action plans for its delivery

· A number of actions are assigned to this team which are highly valued by local businesses –

Future work includes facilitating the Economy and Employment Delivery Partnership of the North Somerset Partnership to support implementation of the 10 year EDR Strategy, including specific objectives on local business support and development.

2. West of England Partnership

Purpose: Maximise information and resources to bring investment, development, skills improvement and reduce poverty through coordinated action in the sub-region

Key tasks

Village Shop Grant

· Manage North Somerset input to this sub regional project to help village shops – which might include, for example, improving security, access, increase products.

IT@Work

· Supports through partnership work the IT@Work Online initiative that aims to increase the business uptake and use of broadband and Information Communication Technology within the region – especially in rural areas to support the rural economy.

New Land and Premises Register

· In house system now being replaced by West of England database. Will continue to require some inputting/checking data, but will provide us with more data and understanding of business needs and much improved reports. Will enable us to better target our future promotion of North Somerset, in terms of businesses and publications.

Rural Renaissance

· Role on Board and advice to project managers developing applications (runs until 2009).

· Includes evaluating and approving applications, North Somerset to benefit through grants to local groups around expansion and new business opportunities.

· Use of own work i.e. rural workspace to influence funding and project support.

E. Egs of additional successes 2005/06

· Supported young people and adults to develop skills and experience through the Young Enterprise Award and programme.

· Organised, delivered and reported on an Economic Summit to inform the EDR strategy

· Produced the Rural Workspace and small workspace audit/ strategy for North Somerset to influence the Rural Renaissance and other sub regional work.