Economic recovery plan launched for region

The York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is highlighting the vision behind an economic recovery plan, with six areas of focus to tackle the economic impact of COVID-19.

Called “Greener, Fairer, Stronger”, the plan will shape the policy and future funding decisions for the York & North Yorkshire area and help stimulate the economy as the region emerges from the pandemic.

This follows LEP analysis which forecast a 13% reduction in the local economy due to Covid-19, 20,000 job losses in tourism and a 40% drop in the value of the sector this year.

The six areas of focus for Greener, Fairer, Stronger are:

• Support businesses to survive Covid-19 and thrive through resilience and innovation, delivering a greener, fairer, stronger economy.
• Help people into back into employment, to maintain or improve their quality of life.
• Rapidly reconfigure skills delivery to respond to changing demand and new ways of learning.
• Rejuvenate public spaces and town centres as places that work better, making them safe, greener and fairer for those who live work and visit in them.
• Bring an end to digital disadvantage, ensuring the region is better connected and digital technologies are accessible to everyone.
• Stimulate job creation and business growth, by accelerating the transition to a greener, carbon negative region.

David Kerfoot, chairman of the LEP, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has bought challenge in one way or another to every single one of us, yet it has undoubtedly impacted heaviest on those in our society who already had the least.

“It is absolutely crucial that this vision is realised. We must ensure those who have previously been left behind aren’t pushed further into the margins.

“We must seize the incredibly unique opportunity we have to grow and strengthen our economy, whilst positively mitigating against climate change.

“The LEP has always championed partnership and connections locally, working at ground level knowing that this builds up a picture that benefits the region and country as a whole. Only by working in collaboration across the whole region, can we meet our ambitions for recovery.”

Carolyn Frank, development manager for Federation of Small Businesses, said: “The region wide collaboration behind this vision is much needed.

“Strategies and plans will need to be bold, capitalising on our many assets especially the small business community who have shown such resilience and adaptability.

“A recovery vision that recognises this value and achieves cross regional buy in, will help us get back to business in a sustainable way, with great benefit to all our communities in York and North Yorkshire.”

Greener, Fairer, Stronger is being developed by the LEP in collaboration with local authorities, business, education and sector leaders.

It will influence any stimulus funding which could be made available from Government to invest in York & North Yorkshire, as well as shape policy for medium to long term investments.