We wanted to find out your views on the draft East Sussex Economic Development Strategy (EDS). This will replace the existing strategy.
Economic development is important to all of us as it affects our work, our businesses, careers, training and skills and the infrastructure needed to support the movement of goods, services and people around the county.
Who took part?
We wanted to hear from as many organisations involved in business and the economy as possible.
Background information
We have worked together with the business community, the five borough and district councils and the East Sussex Strategic Partnership Assembly to produce a draft strategy for East Sussex. We've done this in a range of ways:
- using evidence from the East Sussex Local Economic Assessment, which we consulted people about earlier in 2011
- consultation with teams within the County Council (such as transport and environment) and economic development officers at borough and district councils
- business workshop and a wider partners' workshop held in 2010, based on the East Sussex Strategic Partnership Assembly – these helped to shape the strategic priorities for action and the vision for the strategy.
- East Sussex Annual Business Surveys 2010 and 2011, each survey included over 1,000 businesses.
There have been profound economic, financial and policy changes in the UK, with long-lasting consequences for economic development policy and practice. The ways in which economic challenges will be addressed in the foreseeable future have shifted dramatically.
This includes setting up Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) to provide the regional strategic lead on economic development where LEPs can make a difference. All LEPs are public/private partnerships with responsibility for moving the economy away from reliance on the public sector by encouraging private sector job creation.
East Sussex, Kent, Essex, Thurrock, Southend and Medway form the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP). Its priorities are:
- focus on strengthening competitive advantage
- rural and coastal areas
- transport and broadband infrastructure
- skills.
These priorities are similar to the economic objectives outlined in the draft EDS at the bottom of this page:
- infrastructure (transport, broadband and commercial site development)
- sector growth, development and diversification
- improving skills and a more inclusive workforce
- the visitor economy (rural and coastal).
For more information, please read:
An equalities impact assessment is also being carried out on the strategy.
How you took part
The draft Economic Development Strategy is available to read at the bottom of this page. There were two ways to complete this survey:
- Complete the online survey
- Complete this consultation at your local library
This consultation closed on Friday 9 March 2012.
What happens next
Your responses will be considered and used to shape the final version of the strategy. This will be submitted to the East Sussex Strategic Partnership for agreement.
Workshops will be held in Spring 2012 to plan actions on how to implement the strategy.
East Sussex County Council