Supporting and Developing the Local Economy
The Council is committed to working with local businesses and other partners to both provide advice and support during this recession and to help ensure that the local economy is well placed to take advantage of a future upturn:
Support and Advice available to Businesses
The Council works through its partner GWE Business West to provide a wide range of support and advice for local businesses. Around 1,000 businesses and potential new start-ups have been receiving help each year and this is likely to rise as a result of the recession. Information is available on the support and advice page www.gwebusinesswest.co.uk
Infrastructure Investment
The Council is investing in the area and, together with its partners, is making the case to Government for funding to improve facilities and infrastructure both to provide long term benefits and to help create jobs in the shorter term.
Major capital investment is continuing to be made to improve school buildings. This includes the current rebuilding of Writhlington Secondary School and a new classroom block at Fosse Way which is nearing completion. Major remodelling projects are to be undertaken at three primary schools and the Council has accepted a recent offer from Government to bring forward funding originally earmarked for future years, to enable early progress on other school projects.
Similarly, major transport investment is proposed, including the Bath Transportation Package (BTP), a £54 million scheme which includes a range of measures to tackle congestion in Bath by improving public transport and pedestrian access for residents and visitors of Bath and the surrounding area.
The Council has also worked with adjoining authorities to secure around £21m from the Government’s Growth Fund for investment to support new housing development in the West of England, with the potential for approximately £5m to be added to this. The Council is also working with the other West of England Authorities to make the case to Government for substantial investment in transport, housing, economic development and regeneration through the multi-million pound Regional Funding Allocation.
Development
The Southgate development is rapidly transforming part of Bath city centre and will create in the region of 1,500 new jobs. The Council, as a partner in the West at Work project www.westatwork.co.uk , will be seeking to work with the developer, Multi-Development, and its new tenants to maximise job opportunities for local people. Further information on how to take advantage of these opportunities will be available over the coming months.
Through its Gateway process, the Council provides a route for developers to bring forward new ideas for development and investment by encouraging dialogue with various departments within the Council at an early stage. For example, the Council is working with Cadbury on the development of the Somerdale site in Keynsham, with the aim of enabling a high quality mixed use development that includes new employment space to create a significant increase in the number of jobs on the site.
The Council is also pushing forward work on preparing future plans to guide and promote development on key sites across the district, providing greater certainty for investors to help enable development to happen more quickly whilst ensuring high quality http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/future
Economic Plan
Working with a range of partners, the Council is updating the Economic Strategy, ‘Towards 2013’ to produce a plan that is focused on actions to help the economy grow in a sustainable way over the long term.
Skills
The right skills are of vital importance both to individuals and to the future of our economy. Consequently the Council is working with a range of partners through the West at Work project www.westatwork.co.uk and other joint working arrangements to help people develop their skills, gain new skills and access job opportunities.