Executive Summary
Background
East Sussex Prosperity is a strategy with a long-term view. Looking to 2050, it seeks to secure inclusive and sustainable economic growth, setting out how over the next generation, East Sussex can secure better opportunities and living standards for people who live in the county, and how businesses can develop new routes to value creation.
East Sussex Prosperity: The vision to 2050
By 2050, East Sussex will be a place where people live and work well. It will be characterised by well-paid work and good opportunities; innovative and thriving businesses; and an excellent quality of life in an outstanding natural environment.
Within this long-term vision, the Strategy outlines the necessary steps to support sustainable prosperity today and in the future. Considering the impact of transformational changes in the environment, in technology, and the county’s demographics enables us to prioritise investment now to meet the needs of future generations.
Context
East Sussex has a population of around 550,000, supporting some 246,000 jobs and generating economic output of around £9.9 billion.
Beyond these headlines, the county enjoys a superb natural environment, with an excellent quality of life supported by outstanding coast and countryside and a thriving cultural offer.
It is also diverse: Eastbourne and Hastings-Bexhill are the largest urban areas, but no single centre dominates; most of the county is rural and protected within the South Downs National Park and High Weald National Landscape.
The county’s business landscape is diverse too: of the 23,000 enterprises, the great majority are small employers, but with growing specialist strengths in advanced manufacturing and digital technology. Outward connections to Brighton, West Sussex, Kent and London are also important.
Although East Sussex is an attractive place to live, it faces some significant economic challenges, which have been persistent over time:
- Productivity is relatively low: the amount of gross value added (GVA) generated for every job in East Sussex is 73% of the UK average. This is reflected in a persistent pay gap.
- Costs are relatively high. Relative to earnings, house prices are among the highest in the UK.
There are sharp economic disparities within the county, including significant concentrations of disadvantage, especially in Hastings.
This strategy seeks to address these challenges. It does so in the context of an economy which is likely to change radically, as the county adapts to climate change and the transition to net zero, the implications of an ageing population and changing working patterns, and the consequences of ever more sophisticated digitalisation.
Looking towards 2050: Priorities for the future
Two principles underpin the strategy to 2050: the need to achieve net zero and a commitment to embrace the principles of the circular economy across all activities.
Supported by these principles, the strategy seeks to achieve a county of opportunity and ambition and creativity and innovation:
This will be achieved through actions focused on:
- Prosperity for business: This means ensuring a flourishing micro-business environment, encouraging firms to scale up, adapting effectively to the challenges of climate change, and remaining attractive to responsible investment. This will require a sustainable and appropriate land supply pipeline, alongside support for innovation and growth.
- Prosperity for people: This means developing better opportunities for young people to stay and develop careers in East Sussex, attracting a skilled and diverse workforce to the county (including ‘returners’ to East Sussex) and enabling people to develop new skills and career paths over their lifetimes. Recognising the interplay between the housing market and the labour market and the need for an affordable mix of housing will also be critical in achieving this.
- Prosperity for places: This means recognising local distinctiveness and character, ensuring that all places in East Sussex are able to thrive and reach their potential, and that the county’s environmental assets are protected and enhanced. This includes making the most of the county’s creative, cultural and environmental opportunities and building the links between them and targeted investments in connectivity.
Across all these priority themes, delivery will need to be innovative and agile: the lifetime of this strategy will see new opportunities for investment and unpredictable events. Flexibility and responsiveness within a clear long-term vision will be vital.