Issue - meetings

To seek approval for stakeholder consultation in respect to the draft Economic Development Strategy 2024 – 2028 and accompanying action plan.

Purpose of report

To seek approval for stakeholder consultation in respect of the draft Economic Development Strategy 2024 – 2028 and accompanying action plan.

Decision

That Cabinet approves a four week public consultation exercise on the draft Economic Development Strategy and accompanying action plan set out in Appendix A of the report.

Alternative options considered and rejected

The option to not provide an Economic Development Strategy may risk loss of focus on achieving the aims of the Council within the quickest practicable timescales.

An alternative to not consult on the Economic Development Strategy may risk the loss of critical engagement with the public, partners and delivery agencies who would be vital in achieving the aims of the draft strategy.

Reasons for decision

The public consultation would enable stakeholders to consider and recommend changes and additions to the draft Economic Development Strategy.

An Economic Development Strategy would help to deliver a vibrant economy in the District, promoting health, wealth and prosperity. The previous Strategy ran to 2021.

On 20 February 2024 the Finance and Economic Overview and Scrutiny Committee received a significantly evolved version of the Strategy. This Strategy was also seen at a Cabinet Member Workshop in March 2024 where it was further refined prior to public consultation. The next stage was to take the Strategy to partners in the community, such as members of the public and business delivery bodies.

The consultation would run for a four-week period and would be published online. Comments would be captured using the Opus software system, which was also being used for the Local Plan consultation. This system enabled members of the public to comment directly on each proposal within the Economic Development Strategy.