Draft Economic Recovery and Development Plan for The Highlands

17th January 2013

The Highland Council has produced a proposed strategy for growth for the public and private sectors over the next five years to ensure Highland climbs out of recession with a stronger and more sustainable economic base and having the potential for growth. Following approval of the draft Plan at todays (Wednesday 16 January) Planning, Environment and Development Committee, it will now go out to key public and private sector partners for wider consultation before being adopted.

The draft strategy sets out a vision of Highland as an innovative, creative and progressive area whose quality of life together with its high quality environment, natural resources, skilled and well educated workforce are key factors to create the conditions for sustainable economic growth and inward investment.

Targets include creating and sustaining 5,000 jobs, construction of 5,000 houses and for Business Gateway to create 1,250 business start-ups and to assist 3,000 existing businesses with advice and support over the 5 year period. Other targets include graduate placements /internships, helping people into work, education or training through the Council’s Employability Service and extending the Living Wage to other public bodies and the private sector.

After highlighting some of the challenges facing the area, the document then goes on to look at what is going to be done, focussing on:
· Enabling infrastructure – including next generation broadband, improved connectivity by road, rail and air, support for Enterprise areas, ports and harbours, ‘sustainable procurement’, grid infrastructure enhancements, enabling role of housing and support for the construction sector.

· Support for Business – including export promotion, collaborative working with key stakeholders, close partnership working with economic forums, procurement training for businesses and providing support to key sectors such as tourism, food, energy, renewables, life sciences and also including the primary sectors.

· Skills & Employability – preparing young people for work through a 6 point commitment, developing skills academies in other sectors, collaborative working with the UHI and colleges, with a focus on employability.

· Creating Successful Places – looking at the role of Inverness and our towns, enterprise areas, urban regeneration and creating strategies for fragile and deprived areas.

Chairman of the Planning, Environment and Development Committee, Councillor Thomas Prag said: “We want to create and sustain an enterprising and growing Highland economy which has well paid jobs with a highly skilled and a trained workforce. This draft recovery Plan is important as it spells out the aspirations we have for the future of the Highlands and sets targets to ensure we make the most of all opportunities.

“We are not being unrealistic as we recognise the challenges facing us such as public sector job losses, the seasonality of employment, low wages, youth employment issues and areas of the Highlands that are deprived and geographically remote. Times are hard for all sectors during a recession but I strongly believe that here in the Highlands we are in a much better position than many. Problems are out-weighed by exciting opportunities like Nigg Energy Park, Scrabster, Kishorn and Ardersier, the roll –out of Next Generation Broadband. the Inverness UHI campus, the skills academies, life sciences, finance and business services, energy and renewables, creative industries and new leisure and lifestyle opportunities.

“Having an ambitious and confident economic strategy in place will go a long way to help us realise the potential of the Highlands and give a loud and clear message that we are a place people can work, live and spend leisure time in.”

Leader of The Highland Council, Councillor Drew Hendry added: “There is a clear commitment in our Programme, Working Together for the Highlands, for us to stimulate economic growth across the Highlands and this draft strategy sets out meaningful, and importantly, measurable actions to make this happen. We need to build confidence and one way to do this is to ensure we celebrate our successes and use them as a template for others to follow.”