Economic development strategy

This economic development strategy (EDS) is about how we will work with the business community, local partners and wider community to improve the economic prospects for everyone living and working in our borough.

The strategy is driven by our current council plan and its four priorities:

• local services that work for local people

• growing our people and places

• healthy, active and safe borough

• a town centre for all

The strategy focuses on gowing our people and places and a town centre for all.

In line with the council plan, this strategy sets out how we will work to make the borough an even better place for everyone who lives, works, studies or visits here. Our aims can only be achieved by taking advantage of every opportunity available and developing new ones through innovation and a more collaborative approach. We are committed to strong and sustainable economic growth for the borough, focusing upon opportunities around Keele University, Newcastle Town Centre and Kidsgrove.

Our aim is to strive for the borough to be a place where the economy is strong and sustainable, where local people have the skills and opportunities to take up good jobs with good wages and where everyone benefits from economic growth. This also means that we need to ensure that there are good homes for everyone.

To deliver this we will engage with our partners, locally and regionally, including businesses already in the borough, and work with them to develop their plans and encourage inward investment and the growth of our existing businesses for the benefit of our communities.

We will continue to work with our partners, including playing an active role in the Stoke and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (SSLEP). We will look for opportunities to secure funding from Growth Deal monies, the Growing Places fund, the emerging Stronger Towns and Shared Prosperity Fund to invest in the local economy.

We will work with the Constellation Partnership to ensure that North Staffordshire and South Cheshire secures strategic investment, housing and jobs.

We will work with Staffordshire County Council on our four shared priorities of Newcastle town centre, Keele, Knutton and Kidsgrove as detailed in our Newcastle Growth Deal.

We will seek to use our assets both in terms of commercial portfolio and community assets to support and improve the economic well-being of the borough. We recognise the provision of such facilities plays an important role in supporting small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), businesses and community based organisations that provide valuable services in our community.

Our recent partnership with Support Staffordshire, who have taken on the management of the Guildhall to rent out space to local voluntary and community groups, is a great example of council assets being used to provide much needed services at the heart of Newcastle town centre.

The strategy reflects our commitment to the Newcastle Partnership and contribution to the delivery of the two priorities, in the Sustainable Communities Strategy, to address vulnerability and economic growth.