Document

Part 1: The High LevelStrategic FrameworkConsultation Document – January 2010

209-- RS2010 Principles:RS2010_document 5/1/10 15:24 Page 1

ContentsForeword 1

The Strategy in summary 3

Section A: 7Context for the Strategy 1 What is RS2010? 8

2. The building blocks 10

3. Where the region wants to get to 13

4. How does it all fit together? 16

Section B: 17The Strategy1. Capitalise on the opportunities of 18

moving to a low-carbon economy and address climate change

2. Build on our sources of 21international competitive advantageand regional distinctiveness

3. Release the potential of our people 25and tackle poverty

4. Ensure the right housing and 31infrastructure for sustainable growth

Section C: 37Spatial Implications of the Strategy1. Sub-regional assets and opportunities 38

2 Intra and cross-regional opportunities 48

Section D: 49Strategic OptionsOption 1: Current position 50

(‘business as usual’)

Option 2: Focus on economic opportunity 53

Option 3: Focus on protecting environmental 57resources and taking full advantageof environmental opportunities

Option 4: Focus on regeneration and 61development to tackle socialdeprivation and inclusion

Section E: 65What Happens Next

Appendices 671. RS2010 Process 68

2. Key points from the evidence base 70

3. Indicative list of topics for which detailed 78policies may be set out in Part 2


Quality of life in the Northwest is very good –according to the New Economics Foundationsecond best of all the English Regions. We are,for example, quite rightly proud of our revitalisedcities and natural landscapes and this is theregion where we all choose to live. However thequality of life enjoyed by many is not shared byall 6.9 million people of the Northwest and, inaddition, the region faces other profoundchallenges over the next twenty years.

Many of the issues we face, such as inevitableclimate change and the need for security of energyand food supply, confront people throughout theUK, and indeed the world. We also need to ensurewe are equipped to deal with the challenges andopportunities arising from the recession. This regionwill meet these challenges and indeed, as thisStrategy makes clear, we intend to be at the forefrontof progress in moving to a low-carbon economy.

Other challenges are however more specific to theNorthwest. Our economy is not as productive as itcould or should be. There are too few people inemployment. We need more homes and they needto be affordable and better quality, particularly inrelation to energy efficiency. We continue to sufferfrom high levels of poverty, ill health and socialexclusion, with entrenched worklessness often nextto areas of economic success.

But this region also has internationally recognisedassets and opportunities. Liverpool andManchester are known across the globe. The LakeDistrict is an outstanding landscape that rivals thebest in the world. We have internationally importantwildlife habitats. Whether we are talking aboutCheshire, Cumbria, Manchester city region,Lancashire or Liverpool city region, what marks outthe Northwest – which is larger than half thecountries in the European Union – is its quality ofpeople and its diversity.

This diversity is a major strength. There is pride inthis region, not only in its history and itsachievements but in its potential. Home to theindustrial revolution, the rise of the co-operativemovement and the advancement of modernscience (amongst many other things), people in theNorthwest know that certain negative trends, suchas growing inequality between this region andothers as well as increasing inequality within theregion, can be addressed.

But all too often poverty, especially child poverty,ill health and inequality undermine our successes.So in addition to reducing carbon emissions,improving economic competitiveness anddelivering better housing, which the Governmentrightly insists the Regional Strategy addresses aspriorities, we believe tackling deprivation, by linkingopportunity and need, must also be an explicitmajor focus to our Regional Strategy.

Foreword


Therefore we are clear that over the next twentyyears this region must:l capitalise on the opportunities of moving to a low-

carbon economy and address climate changel build on our sources of international competitive

advantage and regional distinctivenessl release the potential of our people and

tackle povertyl ensure the right housing and infrastructure for

sustainable growth.

We must tackle all these, however, in a periodwhen less public expenditure will be available.So we will have to decide which to prioritise in theshort, medium and long-term. The region thereforefaces some difficult questions and choices. Theseare outlined in the Strategy, together with strategicoptions which explore the implications of puttingdiffering emphasis on economic, environmentaland social outcomes in delivering the Strategy.We will be particularly interested to hear your viewson these.

Meanwhile, we know that to make progresstowards sustainable economic growth, we musttake forward nuclear and renewable energyopportunities, develop the region’s internationalconnectivity, create a knowledge economy, developinternationally competitive sectors and companies,and maximise our assets in culture and sport aswell as the natural and built environment.

We also recognise that without good education,from early years to higher education, we cannotcompete as a dynamic economy nor enjoy life tothe full. Good health is similarly inextricably linkedto our future fortunes, both in terms of regionalwealth creation and specific personal fulfilment.The proposed Strategy has at its heart the beliefthat our environment and our economy bothcontribute to quality of life and social cohesion, andthat in the twenty first century we must at all timesthink globally but increasingly act locally.Connecting our remotest communities toopportunities for growth is part of this approach.

We are determined that the Regional Strategyshould be ambitious and make a substantialdifference. We believe we can, we should, andindeed we must deliver real change, so that by2030 the Northwest region is a better place to live,learn, work, visit and invest.

This Regional Strategy Part 1 consultation documentis a vital step in realising that ambition. It providesan overarching vision and proposes high-levelstrategic priorities where working together we canmaximise our opportunities and address ourchallenges. It will be followed later in 2010 by Part 2(and an accompanying Implementation Framework)which will set out detailed policies and actions,both thematic and spatial, to make things happen.Taken together, both as a guide for investment anda development plan, the Regional Strategy willbecome the blueprint for the region for the nexttwenty years, an absolutely key reference point notjust for us all in the region but also those in centralgovernment departments.

Undoubtedly, one of the major strengths of theNorthwest is the mature partnership working wehave developed. Not just the excellent relationshipbetween 4NW and NWDA, which is evidenced bythis, the first Regional Strategy in the country, butalso with, and between, sub-regions (including cityregions, counties and multi-area agreements(MAAs)) and a whole host of stakeholders from theprivate, public and third sector partners.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank allour regional stakeholders and sub-regional partnersfor their significant contribution in developing thisdraft. We now need wider input and views so thatPart 1 reflects the hopes and plans of all parts, allsectors and all people of the Northwest andbecomes not just a Regional Strategy but theRegion’s Strategy.

We look forward to hearing your views.

Robert Hough Chair, NWDA

Sir Richard LeeseChair, 4NW

2 Foreword


Section A sets out the context in which RS2010is being prepared. This builds upon thePrinciples and Issues Paper consultation inearly 2009, which led to agreement onoutcomes and values, as well as developing acomprehensive evidence base and identifyingthe key issues, challenges and opportunities weneed to address. It set out the followingoverarching vision for the twenty-year strategy:

‘The quality of life for the people of theNorthwest will be excellent and the region willbecome more prosperous, more equitable andproduce less carbon: by 2030 it will be a betterplace to live, learn, work, visit and invest’

Section B then sets out the proposed Strategy,which is based on the four strands on thefollowing pages. Please note that these strandsare not in priority order and all will be importantto the successful delivery of the Strategy.

The Strategy in Summary

We pose a series of questions in thisconsultation document. To submit yourviews visit:http://consult.nwregionalstrategy.com/portal


Responding to climate change is probably thebiggest single challenge facing the world over thenext 20 years. The first strand therefore sets theoverall context in which we will be operating andhighlights the specific opportunities and issuesarising from climate change.

Capitalise on the opportunities of moving to alow-carbon economy and address climatechange by: a. positioning the region to take full advantage of

the opportunities from low-carbon energy andtechnologies;

b. ensuring that the region understands and adaptsto the implications of unavoidable climatechange; and

c. ensuring that all sectors, including housing,transport and industry, are considering thechallenges and opportunities presented byclimate change and developing low-carbon,resource-efficient solutions and alternatives.

These priorities link directly to the outcomeregarding the development of a low-carboneconomy which promotes the sustainable use ofresources and minimises, and adapts to, theimpact of climate change

Within the context of climate change, the next threestrands set out the region’s Strategy for economic,environmental and social success.

Build on our sources of internationalcompetitive advantage and regionaldistinctiveness by:a. developing our strengths in internationally

competitive sectors in nuclear, advancedmanufacturing, biomedical, digital and creative,chemicals and automotive;

b. strengthening our concentration of knowledge-based assets driven by our universities andscience and innovation base;

c. improving our international connectivity throughthe Liverpool Superport, including John LennonAirport, and Manchester Airport; and

d. developing our world-class sporting/culture/quality of place offer and the attraction ofManchester, Liverpool, Chester and the LakeDistrict as international destinations.

These priorities link directly to the outcomeswhich make the region attractive to the privatesector and maximise our natural and builtenvironmental assets

Release the potential of our people and tacklepoverty by:a. increasing the potential of the workforce by

improving employment opportunities, enterpriseand skills;

b. building on our strong tradition of social enterprise; c. regenerating areas with deep-seated economic

and social challenges and building strongcommunities;

d. tackling the serious challenges raised by socialexclusion, deprivation, ill health and inequality; and

e. addressing the implications of demographicchange for our workforce and services.

These priorities link directly to the outcomeswhich put people and communities at the heartof the Strategy

Ensure the right housing and infrastructure forsustainable growth by:a. securing high-quality housing in locations which

support sustainable economic growth;b. ensuring high-quality digital connectivity to

stimulate enterprise, improve service deliveryand reduce the need to travel;

c. improving internal connectivity through asustainable transport infrastructure which betterconnects opportunity and need;

d. developing the critical infrastructure the regionneeds to support sustainable economic growth;and

e. developing the region’s green infrastructure toprovide economic, environmental and socialbenefits.

These priorities link directly to the outcomeswhich provide the right infrastructure for bothbusinesses and people

This cannot be a Strategy about everything thathappens in the Northwest. It needs to focus onwhere it makes sense to address issues at aregional level and not attempt to replicate activitythat is more appropriate for international, national,sub-regional or local levels. In practice, this meansthat regional action must:l be clearly grounded in the evidence l focus on the key strategic priorities for the region

and the supporting policies and actions requiredl add value and be regionally specific (not simply

an aggregation of sub-regional/local activity ordisaggregation of national activity)

l secure a joined-up approach based onpartnership working, alignment of funding andstakeholder involvement

l support the integration of economic,environmental and social priorities.

4 The Strategy in summary


An integrated Strategy will need to makejudgements about the balance between economic,environmental and social elements, which in turnwill influence delivery against the agreed outcomesas well as determine the spatial implications. Inmoving forward, we therefore need to consider therole of places and the relationship between them.Based on the evidence, the key spatial issues forthe region to address in RS2010 seem to be:

l the world-class cities of Liverpool andManchester, as the economic cores ofsubstantial city regions, and the internationalpotential of the Liverpool-Manchester corridorthrough the Atlantic Gateway concept;

l Preston’s role as a driver of regional growth;l Crewe, Chester, Warrington, Lancaster and

Carlisle’s role as key sub-regional hubs (and inthe case of Chester and Carlisle, the substantiallinks with Wales and Scotland respectively);

l the role of the Lake District and otheroutstanding natural and built assets incontributing to the region’s image and profile;

l those parts of the Pennine Lancashire,Blackpool, Barrow and West Cumbria as well asareas within the Manchester and Liverpool cityregions, which face substantial social andeconomic regeneration challenges; and

l physical and digital connectivity between (i) Manchester and Liverpool city regions (ii) North Cheshire and the city regions of

Liverpool and Manchester, (iii) Pennine Lancashire and Preston and the

Manchester city region, (iv) Preston and the city regions of Liverpool and

Manchester, and (v) rural areas and regional, sub-regional centres

and local centres.

We believe we can use this Strategy to drivecomplementary growth across the region, buildingon the strengths of each sub-region/functionaleconomic area to contribute to growth across thewhole region rather than pursuing growth in onepart of the region at the expense of another part.Based on input from sub-regional partners, SectionC looks at the spatial implications of the Strategy,both sub-regionally and cross-regionally.

We have developed strategic options to test thethematic and spatial implications of putting theemphasis in differing ways on economic,environmental and social outcomes respectively inorder to deliver the strategic priorities identified:

l Option 1: Current position (‘business as usual’)l Option 2: Focus on economic opportunityl Option 3: Focus on protecting environmental

resources and taking full advantage ofenvironmental opportunities

l Option 4: Focus on regeneration anddevelopment to tackle socialdeprivation and inclusion

These are described in more detail in Section D.The options are indicative, deliberately designed tobe distinctive and realistic in order to act as astimulus for thinking within the context of theStrategy’s priorities. In the light of the sustainabilityappraisal and consultation feedback on thesestrategic options, we will develop a preferredoption (which may be a combination of differentelements of one or more options) to help determinethe final selection of policies and actions to deliverthis Strategy.

Outstanding questions We are clear that this Strategy has to deliver long-term sustainable growth. This means thinkingholistically about economic, social andenvironmental issues and how they inter-relate.

In the last ten years or so we have seen growthdriven largely by increasing levels of debt andconsumerism. This has contributed significantly tothe current recession. We are clear that we have tolearn the lessons from the recession, and the lastten years, to drive growth in different ways in thecoming twenty years. However, we continue to livein a global economy, and need to be competitive inthat world, but with an increased emphasis onlocalism, such as stronger clustering of activities,increased home or local working/production(energy and food, for example) and increased focuson local communities. And in thinking about

Question 1:Do you agree that these four strands andkey spatial issues should provide the basisfor the Regional Strategy?

Question 2:Are there any priorities we have missed?


economic, social and environmental issues, they allcome together in places, so this Strategy rightlysets a spatial framework within which places in theregion can prosper.

We believe the suggested Strategy, including thepriorities and areas for action described in SectionB, will set us on a clear course to developing amore sustainable economy based on growth withinenvironmental limits whilst achieving social goals.However, we need to ensure we understand the fullimplications, including the choices we need tomake where there are potential conflicts within theStrategy, as well as the spatial and distributionissues which arise. We have therefore identified anumber of outstanding cross-cutting questionswhich need to be addressed in taking the Strategyforward (some of which are explored further in theStrategic Options in Section D). These are:

Spatial

a. How can we deliver the scale of new criticalinfrastructure (particularly electricity, waterand waste) that would be needed to drivegrowth in the regional centres of Liverpooland Manchester?

b. What is the role of North Cheshire? To whatextent should it focus on supporting theManchester and Liverpool city regions?

c. What is the role of Preston as a driver ofregional growth?

d. What is the role of Pennine Lancashire? Whatshould be the balance between developing thelocal economy and linking it better to growthopportunities in Manchester and Preston?

e. What is the future role of Blackpool and othercoastal resorts?

f. Given its assets in the nuclear and tourismsectors, how can we best ensure sustainablegrowth in Cumbria?

Thematic

g. How can we ensure that growth in prioritysectors and increased trade via ManchesterAirport and Liverpool Superport (which includesLiverpool John Lennon Airport) is consistent withthe sustainable use of resources and moving toa low-carbon economy?

h. What should be the balance between creatingjobs for all (employment focus) or creating higherskilled jobs (productivity focus)?

i. What should be the balance betweenindigenous skills development and attractingand retaining new talent and skills to the region?

j. How can we best tackle the underlying causesof worklessness which has blighted the regionfor the last twenty years? Should we bepursuing a strategy of creating jobs in localcommunities or allowing jobs to be createdanywhere in the region and linking unemployedpeople to those jobs?

k. To what extent should we be investing totackle areas of need/deprivation andsupporting struggling companies as opposedto investing in areas of opportunity andsupporting growth companies?

l. Given that over the next twenty years:l sea levels and temperatures are likely to rise,

with more extreme weather events, floodingand loss of land becoming more common;

l the working age population as a percentage ofthe total population will fall;

l public expenditure will fall substantially in thefirst part of this period;

how do we plan for these, all of which will putpressures on our use of resources?

Question 3:Are these the key outstanding questionsfacing the region? (See also Question 38.)

6 The Strategy in summary


A

Section AContext for The Strategy

1. What is RS2010?

2. The building blocks

3. Where the region wants to get to

4. How does it all fit together?


8 Context for the Strategy

1. What is RS2010?The Northwest is already, for most, a very goodplace to live, work, learn, visit and invest. It is a£119 billion economy with 6.9 million peopleand 250,000 businesses. We may rank relativelypoorly against some other regions in terms ofconventional economic indicators but when awider basket of indicators is used it is clear thatthe Northwest generally has a high-quality oflife and that people like living and working here.Whilst major challenges exist, we need to useour strengths to tackle weaknesses and seizeopportunities. The focus of RS2010 is thereforeon what makes this region distinctive in orderto maximise the economic, social andenvironmental wellbeing of all over the nexttwenty years.

The Northwest agreed as a region to prepare anIntegrated Regional Strategy back in 2008. It is nowa statutory requirement (Appendix 1 sets out thestatutory background in more detail) and is alogical progression which builds on the existingRegional Economic Strategy (RES) and RegionalSpatial Strategy (RSS) and develops and embedsa new Skills Strategy for the region. It has beendeveloped as part of a national framework andreflects national policy on areas such as nuclear,aviation, rail, housing and environmental limits.

RS2010 will provide a framework for action for thenext twenty years enabling decision makers toaddress the tough choices facing the regionespecially in a situation of tight public expenditure.It is a Strategy for the whole region but will includespatially specific priorities to reflect the strengths,challenges and inter-relationships of differentplaces and how they contribute to a prosperousand thriving region.

Of course, the global economic recession hasimpacted on businesses and communitiesthroughout the Northwest. Although output is nowreturning to previous levels the evidence suggeststhat employment levels may not return to 2008levels until 2018. Therefore, while the Strategy looksto the medium and long-term, we will need toensure that our three – five year implementationplans emphasise employment and other measuresto continue growth out of recession. The Strategyhas also sought to learn from the recession and,in aiming to create a more resilient economy, raisesrelevant issues such as the need to diversify fromover-dependence on certain industriese.g. defence and ensuring the right balancebetween local and global production.

Part 1 of RS2010 (this document) provides anoverarching vision and proposes strategic prioritieswhere working together we will maximise ouropportunities and address our challenges.

Part 2 and the accompanying ImplementationFramework will set out the detailed policies andactions to make things happen.

This Part 1 consultation document has been draftedby 4NW and NWDA working with Governmentdepartments and agencies, assisted by a RegionalStrategy Advisory Group of private, public and thirdsector partners. There has been wide engagementin the region on its development. It has beeninformed by the development of a comprehensiveevidence base, a summary of which is beingpublished alongside this consultation document,and follows on from consultation in early 2009 onthe region’s “Principles and Issues”1. This led toagreement on the key outcomes and values theregion wishes to achieve.

A

1 Principles and Issues paper January 2009 and Consultation report August 2009

Regional Strategy

Part 1 – High level strategic framework

Regional Strategy

Part 2 – Detailed supporting policies

Implementation Framework

(Actions implementing Regional Strategy)

TogetherformsSingle

RegionalStrategy

Tested viaExaminationin Publicprocess

NW Regional Strategy


A

It represents a new approach. For the first time,the issues of environmental, social and economicdevelopment are combined in one Strategy andRS2010 represents an overall regional framework towhich all parties and parts of the region will signup. It reflects the awareness that our environmentand our economy both contribute to quality of lifeand social cohesion and that these are equallycritical components; and that in the twenty firstcentury we must at all times think globally butincreasingly act locally.

Rather than writing a Strategy for ‘any region’, wehave sought to focus on how we can use theNorthwest’s major assets and opportunities to drivemutually reinforcing sustainable economic growthacross all parts of the region. That is economic

growth that can be sustained and is withinenvironmental limits but also enhances theenvironment and social welfare.

The emerging Strategy has been subject to aSustainability Appraisal (SA). It includes a StrategicEnvironmental Assessment (SEA), HabitatsRegulation Assessment (HRA), Health ImpactAssessment (HIA), Equality Impact Assessment(EqIA) and Rural Proofing. The SA has sought toidentify the likely significant effects and anypotential mitigation measures required, to ensurethe effectiveness of RS2010 in achievingeconomic, social and environmental objectives.The SA report is being published for commentalongside this draft Strategy.

SCOTLAND

North East

Yorkshire & The Humber

West Midlands

WALES

CarlisleCarlisle

KendalKendal

Barrow-in-FurnessBarrow-in-FurnessLancasterLancaster

BlackpoolBlackpool

PrestonPreston

BirkenheadBirkenhead

ChesterChester

St HelensSt Helens

StockportStockport

CreweCrewe

BoltonBolton

BlackburnBlackburn

WorkingtonWorkington

CumbriaCumbria

LancashireLancashire

ManchesterManchester

CheshireCheshire

Carlisle

Kendal

Barrow-in-FurnessLancaster

Blackpool

SouthportSouthportSouthport

Preston

LiverpoolLiverpoolLiverpool

Birkenhead

Chester

St Helens

Stockport

Crewe

Bolton

Blackburn

WarringtonWarringtonWarrington

WiganWiganWigan

MacclesfieldMacclesfieldMacclesfield

BurnleyBurnleyBurnley

Workington

WhitehavenWhitehavenWhitehaven Cumbria

Lancashire

Manchester

Cheshire

GreaterGreaterManchesterManchester

GreaterManchester

MerseysideMerseysideMerseyside

To Midlands, Londonand South East

To Sheffield

To Leedsand East

England’s Northwest in Europe

© Crown Copyright and database right 2009.Ordnance Survey Licence GD021102

England’s Northwest

KEY

City

Town

Motorway Network

Rail

KEY

© Crown Copyright and database right 2009. Ordnance Survey Licence GD021102 / 100022432

England’s Northwest


Strategic Priorities and Strategy

Vision

Consulta

tion

Consulta

tion

Issues, Assets, Opportunities, Challenges

Outcomes and Values

Principles and Issues

Evidence

Evidence

Evidence

Evidence


Evidence baseRS2010 will set out an overarching framework ofpriorities, policies and actions based on anunderstanding not only of our strengths and uniqueoffer, but also of the key challenges and issueswhich the region faces over the next twenty years.This understanding is based on a comprehensiveevidence base that has been developed over thelast couple of years.

This evidence base has been developed with wideengagement from partners and stakeholders acrossthe region. It has been subject to an independentpeer review (by a team led by the Centre for LocalEconomic Strategies) and we will be taking theirrecommendations into account in further developingboth the evidence base and the way it is beingused to inform strategy/policy development. Wehave engaged Forum for the Future in developing

future scenarios against which to test the emergingStrategy for flexibility and resilience.

A headline summary of the key points drawn fromthe evidence base is at Appendix 2, and a fullsummary of the evidence base is being publishedalongside this consultation document. The diagramabove shows how we have sought to use evidenceat every stage of the Strategy development process.

In addition, as stipulated by Government, both Part2, and the revised Part 1, of the Regional Strategywill be informed by the emerging work by localauthorities to develop statutory Local EconomicAssessments undertaken by local authorities inthe region, which will include an agreed set ofstatistical indicators that are aligned to those in theRegional Strategy.

A2. The building blocks


A

AssumptionsThis Strategy is based on a number of key underlying assumptions, originally set out in the earlier Principlesand Issues consultation paper, but which have been further developed through a programme of scenariowork. Whilst it is impossible to forecast the next twenty years accurately, there are certain trends which arelikely to continue:

• Forecasted regional baseline growth of 1.4% per annum for 2008 -15 and 2.1% per annum for 2015 – 2030.

• Increased competition from other economies will need to be addressed with innovative andknowledge-based advances by a highly skilled workforce.

• Innovation and technological change will continue at a fast pace with new ideas spreading rapidlythroughout the world.

• The cost of travel and movement of goods will increase and correspondingly, so will the importanceof digital connectivity, which will change the way we behave at work and home.

• Energy costs will rise as finite resources of fossil fuels become insufficient to meet demand and theworld begins a significant transition to low-carbon energy sources.

• The global climate will be different, with higher average temperatures, more storms, higher sea levelsand less predictable seasons. Measures to adapt to these changes will be initiated.

• Without intervention, increased demand for, and pressure on natural resources may compromise thecapacity of environmental assets to function effectively in their own right or to provide the servicesthat we rely on and consider valuable.

• The proportion of retired people will increase versus a smaller working-age population, in contrast tothe increasing working-age population in developing countries.

• Demand for housing and people’s expectations for higher-quality homes will continue to increase.

• Public spending will decrease, at least in the short-term, leading to less public sector employmentand procurement, and a reduction in funding for projects.

• Over the long-term, overall spending and employment is likely to grow in the education andhealth sectors as well as financial and professional services, transport and communications, leisureand tourism.



Assets and opportunitiesThe Northwest has a number of key assets andopportunities on which to build its future success.The region developed as a result of its access toenergy and raw materials, its climate and location(particularly in relation to the Americas), its widertrading links internationally, technical innovationand access to capital funds. Looking at the region’scurrent and potential strengths, the Principles andIssues consultation suggested that the Northwest’sunique contribution to the future UK, European andWorld economy is based on:

• the people – diverse culture, in-depth sportsoffer and trading heritage juxtaposed within hugemetropolitan areas and high-quality landscapes;

• our positive external image, with world renownedbrands such as Liverpool, Manchester, Chesterand the Lake District;

• a welcoming place to live, work, invest and visitwith an increasing appreciation, here andelsewhere, of our very good quality of life;

• relatively high skill, low cost business locationable to service the world due to improvingconnectivity and time zones;

• quality, variety and character of places andlandscapes with the potential to provide essentialenvironmental services for the economy andcommunities of the Northwest;

• the potential of brownfield land to enable growthwith minimal environmental impact;

• very considerable potential for low-carbon energygeneration including from large renewableschemes and new nuclear power;

• advanced manufacturing capacity includingknowledge economy sectors such asengineering, electronics, chemicals andconstruction;

• highly productive and growing bio-medicalindustry as well as a fast emerging, potentiallytransforming, media, digital and creative sector;

• commitment to, history in, and critical mass of,innovation, science, research and universityassets;

• low business density and the opportunity toboost enterprise and improve business start-upand survival rates;

• Manchester Airport and Liverpool Superportmake the region well placed as an access andexit point to serve the north of England in termsof international connectivity and trade;

• natural assets, including National Parks andinternationally important habitats, as well ascoastal resorts and city centre heritage;

• importance of food, farming and tourism in ruralareas of Cheshire, Cumbria and Lancashire; and

• strength of public, private and third sectorpartnership committed to maximising andsharing the benefits of Northwest futuredevelopment.

Individually these elements do not make theNorthwest unique but each offers significantopportunities and together they offer real potentialto make a step change in the future performanceand direction of the Northwest.

A


A

VisionWe have developed the short headline Vision put forward in the Principles and Issues paper to make itmore specific and all embracing. Our suggested Vision is:

Following consultation on the strategic options outlined in Section D, the final version of the Vision will alsohave spatially specific elements, amending or adding to the four bullet points below.

ValuesA set of key values were identified through the Principles and Issues consultation, to underpin and shapethe Regional Strategy to achieve the Vision. These highlight the importance of social inclusion, diversity andsocial mobility and the need to develop an increased sense of community and belonging. They argue theneed for the region to work together, learn from the recession and to maximise the contribution of theprivate, public and third sectors to future sustainable growth. In so doing, the region is asked to be bold inprioritising interventions and taking hard decisions to secure the vision.

3. Where the region wants to get to

The quality of life for the people of the Northwest will be excellent and the region will become more prosperous, more equitable and produce less carbon: by 2030 it will be a better place to live, learn, work, visit and invest, and where:• we are well on the way to a low-carbon economy and lifestyle, using our nuclear and other assets to

contribute to energy security and with low-carbon and resource efficient solutions embeddedthroughout our activities;

• there are jobs for all in a highly productive, well-skilled, knowledge-based economy, attractive to privateinvestment and internationally competitive;

• deprivation, especially child poverty, has been eradicated and with high levels of health and socialwell being;

• people have a good choice of high-quality, affordable and low-carbon homes, well connected tosustainable transport and with high-quality digital access for businesses and individuals; and

• we are living within environmental limits and have enhanced our natural and built environments.

• The region has built on the combined strengths of Liverpool and Manchester as world-class cities andPreston as a driver of economic growth.

• We have regenerated those areas and communities facing significant economic, environmental andsocial challenges.

• Growth opportunities around Crewe, Chester, Warrington, Lancaster and Carlisle have been fully exploited.

• We have thriving towns and socially and economically sustainable rural communities.

Question 4:Do you agree with this Vision? If not, how can it be improved?



A

OutcomesThe following are the twelve outcomes (again, identified through the Principles and Issues process) whichthe Regional Strategy will aim to achieve:

1. Developing a low-carbon economy, promoting the sustainable use of resources and minimising,and adapting to the impact of, climate change.

Making the region attractive to the private sector...2. Ensuring the Northwest has vibrant and attractive cities, towns and rural areas, capitalising on the

region’s rich cultural, heritage, sporting and university assets.

3. Increasing the levels of enterprise and trade and creating the right conditions for business growthand sustainability in the region. Capitalising on the region’s strengths and assets in internationaltrade, intellectual property, advanced manufacturing, bio-medical and digital/creative.

4. Increasing productivity, capitalising on the region’s innovation, science and research assets andexploiting the Northwest’s potential in the renewable and nuclear offer and worldwide opportunitiesfrom low-carbon technologies.

5. Protecting, enhancing and developing the quality of the Northwest’s outstanding environmental,natural and coastal landscape assets.

Putting people at the heart of the Strategy...6. Developing communities and places which are sustainable and safe, with less deprivation and

disadvantage within the region.

7. Creating a world-class skills base, improving education, attracting and retaining talent as well astackling gaps in basic, intermediate and graduate level skills.

8. Having a healthy population, with a reduction in health inequalities and capitalising on the economicopportunities from changing health issues.

9. Improving the range and depth of quality employment opportunities for all. Linking areas ofopportunity and need, significantly reducing low employment rates and improving the supply oflabour to businesses.

Providing the right infrastructure for both businesses and people... 10. Creating balanced housing markets across the Northwest that support economic growth, strengthen

inclusion and ensure that everyone has access to appropriate, well-designed high-quality, affordablehousing in mixed, sustainable communities.

11. Delivering a high-quality, reliable and efficient infrastructure, transport and digital networks whichcontribute to sustainable development and ensuring that the region is better connected, locally andinternationally.

12. Ensuring high-quality, efficient and responsive public services.


A

IndicatorsIt will be essential to monitor the implementation of the Regional Strategy through the achievement ofoutcome indicators. A proposed list of indicators has been developed by looking at current PSA targetmonitoring, availability of relevant and reliable statistics, and also through consultation, building on currentregional monitoring frameworks.

The proposed list of indicators set out in the table below will create the baseline monitoring of the Strategyand will be reported on annually at an outcome level. Over the coming months, a set of compositeindicators will be developed, building on and utilising current regional and national approaches, and reportingon the themes of environment, society and economy. The intention is to show the delivery linkagesbetween the outcomes.

RelatedOutcome Indicator

1 • CO2 emissions + CO2/GVA ratio • Landfill capacity• Municipal waste• Number of planning permissions

permitted contrary to the advice ofthe Environment Agency onflooding and water quality grounds

• Production of primary land wonaggregates (tonnes)

• Renewable energy production• Sales of secondary aggregates

2 • Adults regularly participating inactive sport

• Domestic overnight stays per region• Heritage assets• Town centre development: retail,

office, leisure

3 • Business survival rates• Patents applied or granted• Sector GVA performance

4 • GVA per head• GVA per hour worked or per employee• HESA graduate numbers

5 • Air quality• Brownfield land/PDL (amount of)• Natural Environment Index• River water quality

6 • Overall recorded crime per 1,000population

• Proportion of children at risk ofbeing in low-income households

• Relative ranking on the EconomicDeprivation Index

RelatedOutcome Indicator

7 • NVQ Level 2 and NVQ Level 4performance

• Proportion of graduates with a degree

8 • Alcohol consumption• Cigarette smoking prevalence• Mental health• Obesity prevalence – childhood

and adult

9 • Employment land availability• Employment rates of disadvantaged

groups• Number of working age on out of

work benefits• Overall employment rate• Total amount of additional

employment floorspace (and %on PDL)

10 • Affordable housing completions• Lower quartile house price to lower

quartile income• Net additional dwellings• New and converted dwellings on

previously developed land

11 • Broadband speed• Journey times• Progress on delivery of major

transport schemes through theRegionalFunding Allocation

• Public transport satisfaction

12 • To be monitored by the regionaldelivery of relevant national PSAtargets.

Question 5:Would these indicators accurately reflect the delivery of thePart 1 outcomes? If not, how would you improve the list?


The diagram below shows how the building blocks, vision, values, and outcomes described in this sectionare being brought together with the strategic priorities and options described in following sections todevelop Part 1.

4. How does it all fit together?

Assumptions

OutstandingQuestions


A

VIS

ION

OU

TCO

ME

S

IND

ICAT

OR

S

EVIDENCE

VALUES

Strategic Options

Strategic Priorities

Assets andOpportunities


B

Section BThe Strategy To achieve the vision and outcomes set out for theNorthwest, taking account of the assumptions,values, issues, challenges and opportunitiesdescribed, we need to pursue the Strategysummarised at the beginning of this document.

This section explains in more detail what needs to bedone under each of the four strands. Please note thatthese strands are not in priority order and all are

important to the successful delivery of the Strategy.However, responding to climate change is probablythe biggest single challenge facing the world over thenext twenty years. The first strand therefore sets theoverall context in which we will be operating andhighlights the specific opportunities and issues arisingfrom climate change. Within this context, the otherthree strands set out the region’s Strategy foreconomic, environmental and social success.

1. Capitalise on the opportunities of movingto a low-carbon economy and addressclimate change

2. Build on our sources of internationalcompetitive advantage and regionaldistinctiveness

3. Release the potential of our people andtackle poverty

4. Ensure the right housing and infrastructurefor sustainable growth


18 The Strategy

B1. Capitalise on the opportunities ofmoving to a low-carbon economy andaddress climate changeThe Climate Change Act 2008 commits the UK toan 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050,with an intermediate target of a 34% reduction by2020. We know that this means reducing our“carbon footprint” in the Northwest from just undersixty million tonnes a year in 1990 to less than fortymillion tonnes. ‘Do nothing’ is not an option andcould potentially cost the region £70 billion over thenext twelve years. Tackling the challenges andopportunities presented by climate change willrequire effective action at regional, sub-regionaland local levels, as well as international andnational. It will also require significant changes inbehaviour by organisations, businesses andindividuals, particularly in relation to household,industrial and transport emissions, if a low-carbonand resource-efficient economy and society is tobe made a reality.

We have already taken the initiative in respondingto climate change through our successful NWClimate Change Action Plan. However, we need tostep up our game if the region is to position itself tomake the most of the huge business opportunitiesin addressing the potential demand for low-carbonenergy, goods and services. A low-carboneconomy will require us to produce more usingfewer natural resources and minimising carbonemissions and will offer both economic opportunityand a better quality of life. We also need to be clearabout the impacts of unavoidable climate changeon the region, for example on the visitor economy,and ensure that we are well-placed to respond tothe challenges, risks and opportunities.

This Strategy sets the Northwest on a clear coursetowards the goal of a low-carbon region. It doesthis by:

a. positioning the region to take full advantageof the opportunities from low-carbon energyand technologies;

b. ensuring that the region understands andadapts to the implications of unavoidableclimate change; and

c. ensuring that all sectors, including housing,transport and industry, are considering thechallenges and opportunities presented byclimate change and developing low-carbon andresource efficient solutions and alternatives.

a. Low-carbon energy and technologiesThe Northwest benefits from a number of existingassets which provide a strong driver for establishinga low-carbon region. Despite being the secondhighest energy-consuming region, we are a netexporter of energy and home to some of the UK’smost significant facilities. We have a strong nucleartradition, with 50% of the UK’s civil nuclearworkforce and just about all stages of the nuclearcycle, from fuel manufacture through todecommissioning, present throughout the region:West Cumbria (fuel processing anddecommissioning); Heysham (generation);Preston (fuel manufacture); and Cheshire(fuel enrichment).

An extensive coastline and other assets providepotential opportunities to develop wind, marine,energy from waste and other renewable energytechnologies. These are supplemented by a strongresearch base at our universities andresearch/innovation centres. However, theelectricity network will require considerableupgrading if it is to support our low-carbon energyaspirations. Moves are already in hand to develop a‘smart grid’ and we need to take full advantage ofthe opportunities presented.

There are also significant opportunities for ourenergy and environmental technologies sector fromthe development of low-carbon goods andservices, some of which are explored in bulletpoint c. There are potentially significant economicgains from Northwest businesses leading thedesign and implementation of new products.


B

b. Adaptation and resilience to climate changeThe UK Climate Projections issued in June 2009show how our region’s climate could change underdifferent global greenhouse gas emissionsreduction scenarios. The central estimate projectsthat, by 2080, average summer temperatures in theNorthwest will increase by 3.7°C whilst summerrainfall will decrease by 21%. Meanwhile, averagewinter rainfall will increase by 16%, sea levels willrise by 30 centimetres and there will be moreextreme weather events. Even by 2040 summertemperatures will have increased by 2.2°C andthere will be 13% less rain. In winter there will be10% more rain and sea levels will be up15 centimetres.

Over the lifetime of this Strategy, the changingclimate will start to impact in a number of areas,including industry, health and wellbeing,biodiversity, water resources, agriculture, forestry,energy use and infrastructure. For example, over200,000 properties in the region are already at riskof flooding, and changes in rainfall patterns and therise in sea levels will increase this number in future.We have already seen the damage that floods cancause in local areas. There is also potential forincreased instances of very high urbantemperatures which could impact on businessproductivity and personal wellbeing.

Areas where we could focus action include:• making this a world-class region for nuclear technologies by seizing the opportunities from the new

nuclear build programme, including establishing West Cumbria as a centre of excellence for nuclearand other environmental technologies;

• improving security of energy supply by developing renewable and other low-carbon opportunities suchas tidal power opportunities in the Mersey and other estuaries, within recognised environmental limits;

• developing opportunities for small scale distributed energy generation; and

• building capacity in research, science, innovation, supply chains, skills and market development of low-carbon technologies, based on existing assets such as the Dalton and Joule Centres at ManchesterUniversity, the Energy Innovation Centre in Cheshire and the Nuclear Skills Academy in West Cumbria.

Areas where we could focus action include:• identifying and managing risks and increasing resilience for Northwest businesses, communities,

infrastructure and natural systems to ensure effective adaptation to deal with unavoidable climatechange for example through design and location of developments; and

• identifying and utilising the capacity of natural assets to assist with social and economic adaptation toclimate change.

Question 6:Do you agree with these potential areas foraction? If not, what changes would yousuggest and why?



20 The Strategy

B

c. Low-carbon and resource-efficient solutionsReducing energy demand and increasing efficiencyis part of the wider sustainable consumption andproduction agenda aimed at using our increasinglyscarce resources in a more sustainable way.Moving to a low-carbon economy not onlychallenges Northwest companies to develop moreefficient production methods with less waste anddecreased dependence on limited raw materials,but also provides the potential for significanteconomic benefit in terms of increasing resilienceand competitiveness. This includes thedevelopment of new products, such as solid statelighting, adapting existing products to respond tothe changing market, designing less resource-intensive alternatives and developing a high-quality digital infrastructure.

We face significant challenges and opportunities inimproving energy efficiency, demand managementand low-carbon generation, particularly inretrofitting our existing housing stock and when

considering the number of energy-intensiveindustries in the region. Reducing carbonemissions from transport, and the need to travel,is another major issue that needs to be tackled.Promotion of public transport, cycling and walkingwill be important as will planning our towns andcities in order to reduce the need to travel.

However private vehicle use will still continue to beessential over the lifetime of this Strategy so wealso need to look at how we make best use of ourroads and how we can encourage decarbonisationthrough the development of low-carbon andelectric vehicles and supporting infrastructure.We may need to consider linking any growth inhigh-carbon areas such as air travel essential forinternational connectivity to explicit support forcarbon reduction in other areas such asrenewables development so that our overall carbonreduction goal is not compromised.

Areas where we could focus action include:• building on our strengths in research and innovation to develop new low-carbon products and services

such as solid state lighting;

• reducing our demand for energy and other resources, and developing low-carbon solutions, in thedomestic, business and transport sectors so that we grow our economy in a sustainable way;

• developing a coordinated programme to retrofit housing stock and other buildings, to reduce energydemand and improve energy efficiency;

• strengthening support to business on eco-innovation and resource efficiency via Business Link;

• developing the skills to support the low-carbon economy;

• encouraging the deployment of ultra-low-carbon/electric vehicles and associated infrastructure, as wellas promoting alternatives to private car use and planning new developments in ways which reduce theneed to travel; and

• developing Next Generation Access (NGA) digital connectivity to increase access to businesses andservices and reduce the need to travel.



B

In order to develop the region effectively we mustretain and build on its world-class assets, toprovide a focus for driving internationalcompetitiveness and action by the private, publicand third sectors. In an increasingly global market,exports already play a major role in the Northwesteconomy and there is opportunity to furtherdevelop trading links with established marketssuch as USA and Europe as well as emerging high-growth markets such as India and China. Theregion has also attracted high levels of investmentfrom overseas and is in an excellent position to buildon this strong performance.

There are a number of specific sectors andtechnologies where the region is well placed tocompete internationally, as well as a range of otherassets we can develop and exploit. These range fromspecific concentrations of industrial sectors throughto combining the city, town, countryside, and coastalattributes of the Northwest to enhance the qualityof place. It is the combination of these assetswhich provides the distinctiveness and competitiveadvantage for the region. In this way the Northwestcan continue to make a unique contribution to theUK, European and world economy.

This Strategy seeks to build on our internationallycompetitiveness and regional distinctiveness by: a. developing our strengths in internationally

competitive sectors; b. strengthening our concentration of knowledge-

based assets driven by our universities andscience and innovation base;

c. improving our international connectivity throughManchester Airport and the Liverpool Superport(including Liverpool John Lennon Airport); and

d. developing our world-class sporting/culture/quality of place offer and the attraction ofManchester, Liverpool, Chester and the LakeDistrict as international destinations.

a. Internationally competitive sectorsWe have a number of industrial sectors where weare or have the potential to be world-class includingnuclear, which has already been mentioned.In addition, we have advanced manufacturing/engineering (including aerospace), biomedical anddigital, creative and media. We need to build on thebenefits of agglomeration to develop opportunitiesin these areas.

Areas where we could focus action include: • developing key internationally competitive sectors and their supply chains by supporting cluster

growth in competitive sectors and strengthening interaction with universities. This means focussing onadvanced manufacturing/engineering in Lancashire and Cumbria; biomedical in Liverpool city region,Cheshire and Manchester city region; digital and creative, building on the opportunities ofMediaCityUK; and chemicals and automotive in Cheshire and Liverpool city region;

• identifying emerging sectors where the Northwest can have competitive advantage e.g. unmannedaerial vehicles, solid state lighting;

• diversifying the advanced manufacturing sector in Lancashire to take advantage of future opportunitiesfor technology transfer and innovation;

• ensuring the skills system responds to future regional skills needs particularly those supportinginternationally competitive sectors; and

• promoting and supporting exporting to meet global opportunities, as well as attracting globalcompanies and knowledge-based business.


2. Build on our sources ofinternational competitive advantageand regional distinctiveness


22 The Strategy

B

b. Knowledge, science and innovationInnovation, science and technological developmentis the key to building an internationally competitive,knowledge-based, low-carbon regional economy.The Northwest has exceptional, globallyrecognised, science and knowledge assets in itsuniversities and research centres and we muststrengthen their links with international companies.We need to ensure the flexibility to respond to newindustrial and technological developments (e.g.composite materials, printable electronics) wherethere is a growing research base and potentiallystrong end-user market. This requires us to buildthe region’s capacity to innovate and to exploit the

results of that innovation. We also need to build theability of our businesses to compete in the globalmarket place, as well as enterprising people whocan exploit new opportunities. It needs a flexiblebusiness support infrastructure which responds tothe changing demands of the economy.

We need to attract, develop and retain skilledpeople, and encourage aspiration among theyoung with a particular focus on science technology,engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects asbuilding blocks for the success of these sectors,research and development and innovation.

Areas where we could focus action include:• supporting knowledge transfer, exploiting the science base and enhancing business/HEI collaboration,

including through the region’s science parks and our world-class universities.

• supporting technology specialisms in the growing Northwest higher education sector.

• maximising opportunities from globalisation and emerging markets and helping the region's researchand development businesses to access global innovation networks.

• ensuring supportive public sector procurement by, for example, encouraging SMEs to bid for contracts.

• a business support service through Business Link which:

– encourages entrepreneurship and innovation

– encourages technology transfer between sectors

– provides access to finance; and

• promoting high-quality employment opportunities and stimulating the supply of skilled labour.



B

c. International connectivityMaintaining and developing the region’scompetitiveness requires excellent connectivity withthe rest of the country and the world. Within thecontext of national policy on aviation and ports, thesustainable development of Manchester Airport andLiverpool Superport (including Liverpool JohnLennon Airport) to facilitate international trade andinward investment, is an essential component of

this Strategy. As noted earlier, we will need to findways of balancing the need for internationalconnectivity with reducing carbon emissions.Opportunities for strengthening low-carbon globalconnections will be seized through development ofthe high-speed rail network from the Northwest toLondon (and onward connections to Europe).

d. Sport, culture and environmentThrough the reputation of its cities and towns, itsindustrial heritage, the excellence of its sportingand cultural offer and the high-quality of its naturaland historic environment, this region is knownthroughout the world. We should not underestimatethe strength of our assets, which support a strongvisitor economy and tourism industry, as well asbeing a major attractor of investment, business,workers and improving quality of life of new residents.

Liverpool and Manchester are world-class cities,their football clubs are major international brandsand our pop/rock music heritage underpins thestrong tradition we have in culture and arts. Theextent and quality of our universities, and thenumbers of students they attract, also contributeto a strong quality of place.

We have a number of world-class golf courses,first-class cycling facilities, horse-racing,international rugby and cricket venues and anemerging adventure sports sector. We have shown

through the Capital of Culture, the 2002Commonwealth Games and hosting British golfopens how we are capable of organising highlysuccessful major international events which attractinvestment and create a legacy of sustainablebusiness opportunities.

We have an outstanding natural and historicenvironment. One-third of the region is designatedfor its landscape quality and we have a host ofinternationally designated wildlife sites, importantwoodland resources and existing and potentialWorld Heritage Sites. We have an extensive andunique coastline, which provides a range ofeconomic, social and environmental assets.The region’s coastal area is complex and constantlychanging, both in terms of the physical processesit is subject to and the broad mix of assets, usesand economic activity it encompasses.

Areas where we could focus action include:• ensuring the Northwest is well-connected nationally and globally by developing Manchester Airport

and Liverpool Superport as international gateways; and

• supporting the development of high-speed rail connections from the Northwest to London and Europe.



24 The Strategy

B

Areas where we could focus action include: • developing the offer of Liverpool, Manchester, Chester and the Lake District as international

destinations which support a vibrant visitor economy and promote the Northwest as a great place tolive, visit and invest;

• developing our sporting offer, based on our world-class facilities and proven ability to host majorinternational events;

• developing our cultural offer based on an outstanding historic environment, our arts and museums andstrong industrial heritage, including developing Carlisle, Chester and Lancaster as ‘heritage cities’;

• developing Blackpool as a twenty-first century resort;

• safeguarding and improving our natural and physical environments, and developing their multi-functional role, recognising that environmental and coastal assets support our economic andsocial goals;

• promoting sustainable farming and food production and its role in managing the countryside,increasing food security and promoting health in the region;

• ensuring the region continues to attract high-profile international events, including being a host venuefor the 2018 Football World Cup; and

• improving the quality and distinctiveness of our visitor destinations and visitor experience, including‘business tourism’.

We have a strong agricultural tradition which helpsmaintain a high-quality rural landscape, as wellcontributing to our food security. We also have astrong green belt system which helps protect thecountryside, prevent urban sprawl and supportregeneration: we recognise that local authorities

will wish to work together to ensure there issufficient land to accommodate anticipated growth,which may require reviews of green belt boundarieswhere growth cannot be accommodated in a moresustainable way.



B

Although the previous section talked aboutcompetitive sectors and places, it is actually itspeople who are the region’s major source ofcompetitive advantage. Strong communities andproductive individuals are essential to addressingthe challenges of climate change and buildingsuccessfully on the region’s competitive assetsand distinctiveness. The 6.9 million people who livein the Northwest provide the key ingredient toensuring the region continues to be a desirableplace in which to live, work, visit and invest.Our people are one of the region’s greatest assets,but the potential often remains unfulfilled. Theopportunity and challenge is to develop, harnessand release the talent of all.

This Strategy seeks to release the potential of ourpeople by: a. increasing the potential of the workforce by

improving employment opportunities, enterpriseand skills

b. building on our strong tradition of socialenterprise

c. regenerating areas with deep-seated economicand social challenges and building strongcommunities

d. tackling the serious challenges raised by socialexclusion, deprivation, ill health and inequality

e. addressing the implications of demographicchange for our workforce and services.

a. Employment, enterprise and skillsIn the light of the new national Skills Strategy, amore detailed regional Skills Strategy andInvestment Plan, articulating and prioritising skillsdemand for the region is being developed, and willbe embedded within RS2010 Part 2.

Having an effective labour market is essential for ahealthy economy. Ensuring there is sufficient supplyof labour, with the right skills, enterprising attitudesand ambition now and in the future to meet thedemand for employers and the Northwest economyis essential to attract inward investment, protectand grow high-growth sectors, increase innovationand drive up enterprise. Our ability to achieve amore inclusive society is also ultimately dependentupon employment and productivity: how manypeople are in work and how productive they arewhen they are working. Skills are essential to both.

There is clear evidence to show the link betweenskills, enterprise, productivity, social mobility andquality of life. The acquisition and development ofskills is therefore key to the delivery of this Strategy,whether it is meeting the needs of globallycompetitive industries or supporting people toparticipate fully at work and in their community.The skills developed in the Northwest will not onlyrespond to current demand in the labour market tosupport economic recovery from the recession butalso focus on sectors and markets we expect tosustain future economic growth.

With regional employment rates not forecast torecover to 2008 levels until 2018, it is alsoimperative to provide the conditions for businessesto grow and continue to strengthen the linksbetween employment and skills. The region mustensure that jobs created deliver an improved rangeand depth of sustainable employment opportunitiesfor all, including entry level and higher skilled jobs.There are also significant opportunities to begained in encouraging organisations to utilisefamily-friendly, flexible working policies not only tosupport increased employment but also to create aculture where innovation and enterprise can thrive.

The challenge in the Northwest over the nexttwenty years is considerable, as fewer youngpeople join an increasingly ageing workforce.Whilst it is important to continue to raise the skillslevels of the workforce to meet labour marketrequirements, it is equally necessary to ensurecompanies develop and utilise the skills of theirworkforce to maximum effect to achieveproductivity gains and business growth.

A change in behaviour and attitude is also requiredas more businesses need to build their future oninnovation and creativity, including those in thepublic and third sectors who will have to do morewith less as public expenditure comes underunprecedented pressure.

This needs to cover a number of strands: improvinghigh-level skills including innovation, leadership,entrepreneurship and enterprise; graduateattraction and retention; employability skills;developing the future workforce including raisingaspirations among the young and improving theskills of the existing workforce.

3. Release the potential of our peopleand tackle poverty


26 The Strategy

B

Areas where we could focus action include:• meeting the skills requirements of the future labour market particularly with regard to internationally

competitive sectors, the emerging low-carbon economy and high employment sectors (such ashealthcare, education, leisure and tourism, food, retail, construction, logistics and financial andprofessional services);

• raising individual aspirations and attainment of skills, especially amongst 16-19 year olds through high-quality information, advice and guidance leading to informed choice and sustainable employment;

• stimulating employers to release the potential of their workforce at all levels, by investing in innovation,leadership and management, and entrepreneurial skills;

• providing the support that the workless need to gain sustainable and rewarding employment withskills, especially those from the groups and communities most adversely affected by unemployment,a lack of work or underemployment;

• ensuring high-quality, responsive, labour market led skills provision;

• working with young children and their parents to improve educational attainment outcomes and deliverincreased opportunities;

• encouraging greater utilisation and retention of graduates within the Northwest, supporting them intonew jobs, internships and entrepreneurial activity; and

• encouraging and supporting, innovation, enterprise and self-employment.



B

b. Social enterpriseThe region still has significant social issues totackle but also has many strengths on which tobuild. The Northwest was the birthplace of theindustrial revolution and this was, in large part, dueto the entrepreneurial and innovative nature of itspeople. This radical and creative tradition has beena thread running through the region since that timebut has contributed more than individualachievement. A strong sense of collective actionand collaboration has also characterised theNorthwest and is reflected in this region being thebirthplace of the Co-operative movement andGroundwork Trust, as well as a strong role for socialenterprise. Fostering this kind of community andcivic spirit plays to an advantage that sets theNorthwest apart from many regions.

Local authorities have a leading role in addressingthese challenges through local strategicpartnerships. The region’s strong third sector, socialenterprises and associated community networksprovide a vital resource in developing wellbeing atgrassroots level and have excellent access and up-to-date knowledge of the issues which affectcommunities and neighbourhoods. (95% ofNorthwest social enterprises work in urban areasand 45% in the areas of greatest deprivation).

Areas where we could focus action include:• developing a world-class third sector/social enterprise sector to play a stronger role in the region;

• drawing on cultural assets including sporting facilities, to combat worklessness, promote volunteering,graduate retention and contribute to civic pride;

• ensuring public sector procurement and commissioning in line with the regional compact for public/third sector to ensure appropriate support for all members of the community; and

• adopting a positive policy in favour of mutuals and co-operatives with support through Business Linkand other interventions.



28 The Strategy

B

c. Regeneration and communities Despite the majority of job creation taking placearound cities and conurbations, local employmentrates have not improved significantly. There are alsoparticular challenges for areas remote from themajor growth opportunities. The challenge remainsto enhance the links between opportunity andneed, recognising the importance of tacklingsocial problems as part of promoting sustainablegrowth. There is an obvious gain for the regionwhen these opportunities are closely aligned to themajor long-term assets of comparative advantagesuch as MediaCityUK.

In the past, through RES/RSS, we have focused onregenerating those places with particular challenges.In the current economic conditions, however it iseven more vital that we make sure regenerationinvestment is targeted in the right places, andmake tough choices about where to invest.

Even in a time of reduced public expenditure, thepublic sector will remain significant, and has acritical role to play not only as a catalyst for actionbut as a significant employer, and through thedelivery and procurement of key goods and services.

The Government’s aim is to reprioritise regenerationinvestment to where there are opportunities fortransforming the economic prospects of areas withlower economic performance. This will be achievedby targeting market failures and improving the co-ordination of funding and delivery. In particularthe Government has set out four factors that can beanalysed to help partners work together to prioritiseand target investment. They are the:

• levels of deprivation;

• strength of the wider sub-regional economy;

• economic and social characteristics of the area;and

• dynamics of the area (whether it’s getting betteror worse).


Areas where we could focus action include:

• continuing to regenerate those areas and communities facing significant economic, environmental andsocial challenges, including lagging rural areas, parts of Pennine Lancashire, Blackpool, Barrow andWest Cumbria as well as areas within the Manchester and Liverpool city regions; and

• ensuring that investment in future is more targeted:

– at the right spatial level and as close to local communities as is practicable through, for example,accessible public services

– tightly focused on economic outcomes, worklessness and vulnerable housing markets, as well asrecognising the importance of historic built environment in regeneration

– recognising we cannot transform everywhere but investing in places where it will have most impactby supporting those communities where the most severe poverty and worklessness persists andwhere there is the opportunity to deliver long-term change.


B

d. Social exclusion, deprivation, ill healthand inequality

Strong local communities provide the fundamentalbuilding blocks, not only for a competitiveeconomy, but also for tackling the inequalitieswhich exist across the region. The Principles andIssues consultation highlighted the persistentsocial challenges which must be met if ouroutcomes are to be delivered. These include poorhealth, worklessness, poor housing, low skills andpoor local environmental quality.

It is easy to view many of the social issues facingthe region as detrimental factors when in fact theyshould be considered opportunities. For example,if the region can raise employment rates amongthose with a disability to the England average thiswould add 50,000 to the workforce. Similarly, giventhe proportion of Incapacity Benefit (IB) claimantswith a mental or behavioural disorder in theNorthwest is above the England average thisrepresents an untapped potential source ofworkers. Overcoming negative employer attitudesand promoting positive support in the workplacewill be critical to meeting this objective.

Furthermore, a key component to achievingwellbeing, empowerment and strength incommunities will be the continued engagement ofindividuals enabling them to make contributions tocivic, community and family life, tackling stigma anddiscrimination and other barriers to full participation.

A healthy society is more likely to be aneconomically prosperous society. It has beenestimated that approximately 50% of the economicgrowth in the United Kingdom over the last twohundred years can be attributed to improved healthand nutrition. The region was at the forefront ofglobal thinking on public health from the mid-nineteenth century onwards, in implementingschemes of municipal works to improve the widersocial determinants of health, in particular inrelation to housing, sanitation and alleviating airpollution. The Northwest now needs to be at theforefront of a new public health agenda whichaddresses “modern” health issues such asalcohol, obesity and mental health and wellbeing,where unfortunately the Northwest is worse thanother regions. High-quality health researchthrough the NHS and improved standards ofhealthcare will drive economic growth as well asprovide for a healthier population and decreasedlevels of worklessness.


Areas where we could focus action include: • tackling barriers to work to ensure worklessness significantly reduces in those parts of Cumbria,

Lancashire, Liverpool and Manchester city regions with high concentrations of workless;

• raising employment rates for individuals with disabilities and from the black and minority ethnic(BME) population;

• realising the potential of women to contribute at all levels to the economy of the Northwest;

• improving the health of all through all regional agencies supporting NHS Northwest public health andhealth inequalities agenda;

• reducing the proportion of IB/Employment Support Allowance claimants to below the England average;

• delivering intensive support for all those groups with low employment rates; and

• providing accessible public services.


30 The Strategy

B

e. Demographic changeThe Northwest is becoming increasingly diverseand, there is considerable evidence that thosecities and regions that embrace the social, culturaland economic benefits of diversity are moreinnovative and more successful.

Over the next 20 years the population of the regionis forecast to increase from 6.9 million to 7.6 million.By this time, those over 65 will number 1.7 millionin comparison to 1.1 million now and those agedover 85 will double from 145,000 to 296,800.The ratio of those over 65 as a percentage of thetotal population will significantly increase from16.5% in 2009 to 22.3% in 2030, whilst under 25swill fall from 31.4% in 2009 to 29.1%. This will have

a significant impact on the size and make-up ofthe future workforce with implications for skillsdevelopment as well as housing requirements. Meanwhile the non white population (currently 8%)will increase, reflecting increased numbers ofmixed marriages, traditions of larger families insome ethnic minorities and inward migration.Ethnic minority-led companies already add aninternational dimension to many sectors, in othersthey are at the forefront of innovation. It willtherefore be essential that the region embracesdiversity and sees it as a social, cultural andeconomic asset. This includes recognition of thecontribution older people make to quality of life.

Areas where we could focus action include:• maximising employment and skills opportunities created by an increasingly diverse population

including retaining older workers and their skills in the workforce;

• celebrating diversity as an economic as well as social and cultural asset;

• maximising the business benefits from the forecast expansion in the heath care sector associated withan ageing population;

• realising the potential of as under-employed groups, whether disabled people, the minority ethnicpopulation or women, to increase the prosperity of the region;

• delivering the skills required to meet the growth in sectors resulting from an ageing population such ashealth and social care, hospitality and leisure industries; and

• addressing the demographic imbalance in rural areas.



B

We need to ensure that we have the rightinfrastructure in place for sustainable economicgrowth. This Strategy seeks to do that by:a. securing high-quality housing in locations which

support sustainable economic growth;b. ensuring high-quality digital connectivity to

stimulate enterprise, improve service deliveryand reduce the need to travel;

c. improving internal connectivity through asustainable transport infrastructure which betterconnects opportunity and need;

d. developing the critical infrastructure the regionneeds to support sustainable economic growth;and

e. developing the region’s green infrastructureto provide economic, environmental andsocial benefits.

a. HousingThere are over 3 million households in the region,and this is projected to increase in line with thedemographic trend towards more single-person,older households and single-parent families, so asubstantial amount of new housing will be needed.Indicatively the range of new housing completionswill need to be between 23,000 per annum (currentagreed RSS figure) and 29,000 per annum (thehigh end of the National Housing and PlanningAdvice Unit advice from Government).

We also need to improve the housing offer tosupport our aspirations for a growing, knowledge-based, low-carbon economy and more inclusivesociety. Quality is important to ensure that thehomes we deliver meet the aspirations of peopleacross all tenures, income and age groups.Ninety per cent of the anticipated housing stock in2030 is already built so improvement to existinghousing is critical in achieving our carbonreduction, socio-economic and health aspirations.The quality, age and nature of our housing stockwill present particular challenges requiringcoordinated joined-up responses across a range ofsectors and agencies.

We need to link housing to our wider objectivesunder this Strategy. This means providing high-quality accessible homes in neighbourhoodspeople choose to live in. Linking housing toeconomic growth, regeneration and employmentopportunities will be important, as well as ensuringthat people can access health, transport,education, green infrastructure, natural environmentand training services. We need to do more toenable people to keep living in their own homes,particularly the older people, socially excluded andvulnerable. All these priorities must work togetherto support the place-making agenda, creatingvibrant and sustainable communities for people tolive, work and play in.

Areas where we could focus action include:• ensuring new housing is well-located in relation to need, employment opportunities, transport and

services, and is well designed, high-quality, affordable housing in sustainable mixed and vibrantcommunities in urban and rural areas;

• improving our housing offer to maximise its role in regenerating communities and supportingeconomic growth

– to attract and retain talent to support growth sectors

– to meet the needs and aspirations of the local communities, by continuing to support therestructuring of vulnerable housing markets as part of the wider regeneration and place-makingagenda, with particular focus on housing market renewal areas in Liverpool and Manchester cityregions, Blackpool, Pennine Lancashire, Barrow and West Cumbria;

• making the best use of all available resources in the region to provide high-quality housing supportservices that deliver positive outcomes and enable people to succeed at living independently;

• improving the quality and energy efficiency of our new and existing housing stock across all tenures sothat they contribute effectively to the reduction of carbon emissions while also ensuring that they helpreduce fuel poverty and help improve the well being of our communities;

4. Ensure the right housingand infrastructure


• supporting work to improve the condition of stock across all tenures including the retrofitting of energyefficiency measures that will improve the SAP rating of homes, make homes more fuel efficient andthus help reduce carbon emissions;

• ensuring that the private rented sector plays a full role in extending housing choice by driving up qualityand management standards;

• ensuring a range of housing options to meet the needs of the ageing population and those with careneeds with the aim of caring for people closer to home reducing the numbers of people in institutionalcare; and

• recognising the specific needs of those living in rural areas, such as the wish to continue living therewith access to affordable homes, resulting in more sustainable rural communities.

32 The Strategy

B



Areas where we could focus action include:• enhancing access to super fast broadband NGA as soon as possible, with 90% coverage being

exceeded in the medium-term, and 100% coverage achieved in the long-term;

• ensuring the technology used to deliver NGA is capable of delivering the connectivity required tosupport world-class applications to which businesses and consumers need access, focussing initiallyon the opportunities offered throughout the region by MediaCityUK;

• leading the rest of the UK in the widespread use of NGA by all sectors of society by stimulatingdemand to increase usage and promote investment;

• introducing policies and standards to make the most of private sector activity, with NGA considerationsa condition of public investment and planning; and

• ensuring the benefits of NGA are spread across all communities and enables better access to services.

B


b. Digital connectivityIn a global, low-carbon society, where connectivityis often via the internet, there should not need tobe companies, communities or people who are‘remote’ from markets, work or learning. High-speedNew Generation Access (NGA) digital connectivitywill increasingly offer opportunities for allbusinesses, communities and individuals in theregion, particularly those in remote rural areas, andwill be essential to underpin our aspirations to buildan internationally competitive economy.

Improved NGA coverage in the region will deliverincreased productivity, higher level skills, scienceand innovation, employment opportunities for all,and more cohesive, empowered and activecommunities. Businesses will benefit fromimproved supply chain linkages, improved researchand development collaboration with other firms andinstitutions and reduced costs through new andflexible ways of working.

Particular benefits of NGA will be felt across theNorthwest’s competitive information-intensivesectors such as digital and creative industries,advanced engineering and manufacturing,biomedical and business and professionalservices. Global companies view access to high-speed telecommunications as a critical factor indetermining new investment. The opportunity costof businesses failing to effectively deploy ICT inthe Northwest is estimated to be 3% of GVA perannum, between £3 billion and £4 billion perannum for the Northwest.

NGA will also improve the ability of individuals toaccess employment and connect to onlinenetworks for a range of entertainment, social andeducational content. It will give consumers theability to use new ‘tools’ at work and home, and, inallowing for economies of scale and cost reductionin online delivery of government services such ashealthcare and education, will improve quality oflife and promote social inclusion.


34 The Strategy

B

c. TransportTransport underpins our quality of life and economicprospects and we want to give people and businessmore low-carbon choices about when, where andhow to travel, or to transport goods both within theregion and also nationally/internationally.

With greenhouse gas emissions from transportrepresenting 21% of total UK domestic emissions,decarbonising transport must be part of thesolution. This will be a major change, but moving toa low-carbon economy and transport system alsopresents huge opportunities; not just to addressclimate change but for our prosperity, health, andthe wider environment.

The Government has recognised that if we get thisright, by 2050 we can expect to see a fundamentallydifferent transport system in our country. Road andrail transport will be largely decarbonised. Thetechnical challenges are greater for aviation andshipping, but these modes too will have seen atransformative improvement in efficiency. TheGovernment’s ‘Delivering a Sustainable TransportSystem’ (DaSTS) approach presents regions with

new opportunities to develop transport systemswhich best support the sustainable economic andsocial development of the region, whilst takingaccount of the need to reduce carbon emissions.

Access to high-quality education and jobs remainsa priority for the region and is one of the areaswhich the Regional Strategy addresses through itscommitment to accessible integrated regionaltransport. Highly skilled people attracted to, andworking in, the region do not always want to livenear where they work, presenting challenges forpublic transport as well as requiring developmentsto promote decarbonised or low-carbon car use.Reducing the need to travel, especially by car,should encourage people as far as possible tomeet their needs locally and make best use ofexisting capacity. A shift to more sustainablemodes of transport for both people and freightshould be secured and an integrated approach tomanaging travel demand should be encouraged aswell as reduced congestion and road safety andjourney time reliability improved.

Areas where we could focus action include:• developing a transport framework that:

– improves connectivity to, between and within the city regions, and between rural areas and urbanhubs, including between Pennine Lancashire and Preston/Manchester and between north Cheshireand Liverpool/Manchester;

– maintains existing transport infrastructure in good order;– improves connectivity, journey time reliability and tackles congestion and overcrowding in the

region’s main road and rail corridors particularly within and between the city regions of Liverpool andManchester (including the Manchester Rail Hub);

– secures a shift towards the use of more sustainable modes of transport, including reducing the needto travel, especially by car, to encourage people to meet their needs locally and make best use ofexisting capacity;

– secures safe and efficient access between residential areas and key destinations, including centresof employment, schools, shops and other services;

– improves accessibility to employment and services, particularly for people with disabilities and inisolated communities;

– improves surface access and interchange arrangements at the international and national gatewaysof Liverpool and Manchester, and other regional gateways; and

– integrates the management and planning of transport networks;

• securing a shift to more sustainable modes of transport for both people and freight as part of anintegrated approach to managing travel demand and improving road safety; and

• encouraging all new development in locations which are genuinely accessible by public transport,walking and cycling, with priority given to locations where such access is already available.

Question 20:Do you agree with these potential areas for action? If not, what changes would you suggest and why?


B

d. Critical infrastructureWe will need to target infrastructure provision toprovide clean water, safe handling of our wasteand sewage and protection from flooding, as wellas the supply of electricity and other energy.The Northwest faces substantial infrastructurechallenges to accommodate growth.

Pressures associated with growth will beexacerbated by an old water and sewer infrastructuresystem, together with the urgent need to reduce

the amount of waste going to landfill and theunavoidable impacts of climate change includingincreased risks of droughts and flooding.

We also need to ensure the supply of high-qualityemployment land and buildings to ensure thatsustainable economic development is notconstrained, including the broad location ofregionally significant economic development.

Areas where we could focus action include: • developing innovative approaches to providing and managing critical infrastructure to support the

delivery of future growth and new development without harm to the environment, particularlyfocussing on the water supply, electricity supply and waste challenges for the city regions of Liverpooland Manchester;

• understanding and planning for increased flooding in coastal and other vulnerable parts of the region;and

• determining the broad location of strategic employment sites.



36 The Strategy

B

e. Green infrastructureGreen infrastructure is one of the key environmentalinfrastructures that are essential for sustainabledevelopment. We have a strong greeninfrastructure network, made up of green spacesthat lie within and between the Northwest’s cities,towns and villages, which provide opportunities forpeople to interact and benefit from the naturalenvironment and green space. These assetsunderpin a strong natural economy which supports

businesses and jobs due to the critical relationshipbetween economic prosperity, sustainabledevelopment and multi-functional greeninfrastructure. Urban greening can for example helpreduce temperature rises in our cities. Greeninfrastructure, however, needs to be planned likeother critical infrastructures to ensure that benefitsare delivered, in particular, with regard to identifiedstrategic regional needs.

Areas where we could focus action include:• promoting the benefits of green infrastructure and ensuring the region protects and enhances its green

infrastructure networks to support sustainable economic growth, improve health and wellbeing andincrease food and fuel security;

• developing the role of green infrastructure in providing solutions for “pinch points” – areas wheresignificant investment and development is expected but there are issues such as flood risk whichmust be addressed; and

• repairing, protecting and managing our landscape and biodiversity where the natural environment isvital to economic development and tourism.



Section CSpatial Implicationsof the Strategy

C1. Sub-regional assets and opportunities

2. Intra and cross-regional opportunities

As the evidence work makes clear, there is nosingle clear economic geography but placesare where the delivery of outcomes happensand where economic, environmental and socialpriorities can be brought together in anintegrated and balanced way. The importanceof regional “hubs” has been reinforced and theneed to build on their assets and tackle the

constraints on their ability to become moreprosperous and increase quality of life needto be addressed. This section looks at thespatial implications of the strategic prioritiesset out in section B, focussing first on the five sub-regions and then on intra and cross-regional opportunities.


38 Spatial Implications of the Strategy

C

We must recognise the need for variablegeographies in looking at particular issues such aseconomic development, housing and transportwhich do not map neatly onto the five recognisedsub-regional areas of Cheshire and Warrington,Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester andLiverpool city regions. We also must recognise thatsub-regions are sometimes working on differentboundaries in taking forward city regions, multi-areaagreements or other initiatives to address specificchallenges and opportunities in their areas.However, it is useful to use the existing administrativeboundaries to set out the spatial implications of the

strategic priorities set out in this document and toensure that key sub-regional priorities, asestablished in sub-regional strategies, are reflectedin the Regional Strategy. For example, it has beenagreed as part of the Manchester statutory cityregion process that the Greater ManchesterStrategy should be embedded in RS2010.

This section takes account of the evidence work onhow places function and shows how the prioritiesdescribed earlier play to the assets andopportunities of each sub-region to drive mutuallyreinforcing growth across the region.

Cheshire and Warrington

1. Sub-regional assets and opportunities

A627(M)

Crewe

Northwich

Warrington

Macclesfield

Congleton Peak DistrictNational Park

Lancashire

Greater Manchesterch

Merseysideey

CHESHIRE WEST CHESHIRE EASTChester

d

Peak DistrictNational Park

University of Chester

Towns and Cities

Motorway Network

National Parks

Cheshire and Warrington Boundary

Regional Connectivity

National Connectivity

KEY



C

Key assets/opportunitiesl A population which is more highly skilled and

more entrepreneurial than the regional average.l A generally attractive living environment with

homes which cater for not only local needs butmeet the aspirations of workers across the cityregions of Manchester and Liverpool.

l A range of high-productivity and technologicallyadvanced large businesses in key sectors suchas biomedical, chemicals, automotive, financialservices, energy and nuclear and creativeindustries.

l A dynamic population of small businesses andstart-ups, including many in new technologiesand services.

l A geographical location which provides stronglinks to regional, national and internationalmarkets, with particularly good connections toLondon and the South East.

Key challenges

l An economy in parts of the sub-region whichis now growing more slowly than other parts ofthe region.

l Parts of the sub-region which have high levels ofdeprivation, poorer educational attainment andlow levels of enterprise.

l Poor connectivity between the places wherepeople live and where they work, especially bypublic transport.

l High levels of carbon emissions.l A large stock of brownfield land following earlier

decline of manufacturing, and the impact of thecurrent recession on key sectors, especiallyautomotive and banking.

What needs to be done which the Strategy could now deliver?• Concentrate on Cheshire and Warrington’s key growth sectors: including biomedical, energy, tourism

and the environment.

• Build connectivity, including ICT (enabling maximum broadband capacity, and links to MediaCityUK)and physical transport improvements (to link into the Liverpool and Manchester city regions).

• Develop skills, specifically utilising the skills and experience of the 50+ age group, and re-engagingearly retirees and those made redundant into the local economy.

• Develop Chester as a regional commercial and international ‘heritage city’, attract private sectorinvestment into Warrington town centre, define the role of Crewe and maximise the economic growthpotential of the mid-Cheshire towns.

• Use the sub-region’s brand and image as an attractor of investment and skilled workers

Question 23:Have we identified the key assets,opportunities and challenges, and whatneeds to be done, in this sub-region?If not, what changes would you suggest,and why?



C

Cumbria

0

Workington Penrith

Kendal

Carlisle

Windermere

Ulverston

Whitehaven

Barrow-in-Furness

Lancaster

Cockermouth

Lake DistrictNational Park

Yorkshire Dales

Northumberland

Cumbria

Lancashire

Scotland

© Crown Copyright and database right 2009. Ordnance Survey LicenceGD021102 / 100022432

Towns and Cities

Higher Education Institutions

0 The University of Cumbria

Motorway Network

Carlisle Airport

Hadrian’s Wall

National Parks

Cumbria Boundary



KEY


C

Key assets/opportunities

l Energy and the opportunities of the low-carboneconomy:– new nuclear power generation on the west

coast is a major aim, not just for Cumbria, butalso for the region and, indeed, nationally;

– world leader in nuclear decommissioning witha cluster of globally significant educationalfacilities and energy related companies; and

– potential for creating energy and heat fromrenewable sources including wood, water,wind and waste.

l The Lake District National Park, which is a world-renowned national asset and the basis of astrong visitor economy.

l Raising the attractiveness of DestinationCumbria as a place to work, live, visit and invest: – improved connectivity through high-speed

broadband and effective road, rail and airconnections;

– provision of additional and improved higherand further education opportunities includingthe further development of the University ofCumbria, Nuclear Academy, National NuclearLaboratory, Dalton Cumbria Facility and Kendaland Furness Colleges and Academies;

– Cumbria being recognised internationally asthe UK’s principal destination for outdoorsports and adventure activities (with an‘Adventure Capital’ brand to encouragehealthier living); and

– developing tourism through provision ofimproved accommodation and key projects.

Key challenges

l A range of underlying economic challengesarising partly from the geography and history ofthe county and partly from external factors thathave had a negative impact over the past twodecades: – competition from low-cost airlines and global

tourism; – the decline of traditional manufacturing

industries, steelworks and mining; and – the decommissioning of the Sellafield

nuclear site. l The challenge to secure a sustainable level and

pattern of development that creates balancedcommunities and meets needs, including theneed for jobs throughout Cumbria.

What needs to be done which the Strategy could now deliver?• Exploit the opportunities of energy and the low-carbon economy, including nuclear, environmental

technologies and renewables through the Energy Coast initiative.

• Support Carlisle to develop its ‘heritage city’ offer.

• Exploit advanced engineering opportunities in Barrow.

• Improve FE/HE skills including through developing the University of Cumbria.

• Build on the international profile of the Lake District to raise the attractiveness of ‘Destination Cumbria’as a place to live, invest, work and visit.

• Support the protection and enhancement of the Lake District National Park.




C

Greater Manchester

3

5

214 0

Wigan

Bolton Bury

Salford Quays

Trafford Park

Oldham

Salford

Stockport

Ashton-under-LyneManchester

Rochdale

Altrincham

LancashireWest Yorkshire

East Midlands

Merseyside

Cheshire

Cheshire

CENTRALSALFORD

NEW EASTMANCHESTER


Manchester Airport


Towns and Cities

Motorway Network

Greater Manchester Boundary

Urban Regeneration Companies

Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder (HMR) Areas



0 The University of Manchester

1 Manchester Metropolitan University

2 The University of Salford

3 University of Bolton

4 Royal Northern College of Music

5 The Open University in the North West

KEY


C


l Regional centre: core of conurbation formsstrongest regional centre in UK, employing about160,000 people.

l World-class universities, including the UK’slargest university, University of Manchester.

l Major transport assets: airport, rail hubs(Piccadilly, Victoria), Manchester Ship Canaland major roadways.

l Logistics hubs: Salford and Trafford Quays.l Knowledge economy workforce: approximately

700,000 people employed in key new-economysectors (e.g. ICT, digital media, health services,financial and professional services, low-carbonindustries).

l MediaCityUK: critical infrastructure for creative,digital and new media.

l Strong and diverse economic base: largestconcentration of firms and businesses engagedin ICT, digital media and financial andprofessional services outside London.

l Health sector: important medical researchsector with strong links between medicalfacilities and universities.

l Cultural: major events and venues such asThe Lowry, War Museum North, ManchesterInternational Festival, Bridgewater Hall,contributing to cultural richness and diversity.

Key challenges

l Boosting productivity: firms in GreaterManchester do not exploit high agglomerationeconomies as effectively as firms elsewherein the UK, resulting in lower productivity thanexpected given the size of GreaterManchester’s economy.

l Importance of skills: Manchester does wellin terms of skills compared to other cities inthe north, but not compared to the Southeastand Bristol.

l Transport links: improvements in inadequatetransport networks within Greater Manchesterwould provide the largest economic payoff.

l Housing: insufficient houses in the placespeople want to live. Need for high-qualityhousing in places where people at all levels ofthe market, including the highly skilled andtalented, will choose, and can afford, to liveand invest.

l Deprivation and economic polarisation: all local authority districts in Greater Manchesterhave seen rates of worklessness reduce until thevery recent past, but with increasingly polarisedneighbourhood and individual outcomes.

What needs to be done which the Strategy could now deliver?• Improve the early years experience for hard-to-reach groups, particularly in the most deprived areas.

• Improve life chances in the most deprived areas by investing in lifelong skills development and otherforms of support so that people can compete in the modern labour market, thereby linking opportunityand need.

• Increase the proportion of highly skilled people in the city region and attract, retain and nurture thebest talent.

• Significantly improve transport connectivity into and within the city region.

• Expand and diversify the city region’s economic base through digital infrastructure, including theopportunities provided by MediaCityUK, and growing science and innovation capacity.

• Increase the international connectivity of the Manchester city region’s firms, especially to the newly-emerging economies.

• Achieve a rapid transformation to a low-carbon economy, focussing on the built environment.

Question 25:Have we identified the key assets, opportunities andchallenges, and what needs to be done, in this sub-region?If not, what changes would you suggest, and why?



C

Lancashire

Yorkshire

Carlisle

Cumbria

Blackpool

Preston

Clitheroe

Chorley

Burnley

Blackburn

A627(M)

Lancaster

0

1

2

Cumbria

Lancashire

Manchester

Merseyside© Crown Copyright and database right 2009. Ordnance Survey Licence GD021102 / 100022432

Towns and Cities

Motorway Network

Port of Heysham


Urban Regeneration Companies (URC) Areas


Lancashire Boundary



0 Lancaster University

1 University of Central Lancashire

2 Edge Hill University

KEY


C


l Advanced manufacturing: strengths inaerospace, electronics, automotive, advancedflexible materials, chemicals, rubber and plasticsand food and drink.

l Nuclear: Westinghouse, fuel processing andsupply chain opportunities.

l Blackpool: nationally recognised tourismdestination.

l Preston: city status, with links to London andGlasgow, administrative centre of the sub-region.

l Three strong universities with opportunities forknowledge transfer with industry, supportingadvanced manufacturing, MediaCityUK links.

l Outstanding environmental landscape: rural,coastal, urban assets, two Areas Of OutstandingNatural Beauty, four regional parks.

l Lancaster ‘heritage city’, capitalising on privatesector investment.

Key challenges:

l Severe levels of deprivation in some parts,primarily Pennine Lancashire and Blackpool.

l Poor health, with life expectancy 10 years lessthan national average in some parts ofLancashire (Pennine Lancashire and Blackpool).

l Reliance on advanced manufacturing:vulnerability through dependency on specificcompanies including BAE Systems.

l High levels of economic inactivity in parts of thesub-region, primarily Pennine Lancashire,Blackpool, parts of Preston and West Lancashire.

l Skills: low-level skills attainment, poor GCSEresults, low levels of participation in FE/HE insome parts of the sub-region.

l Poor connectivity and housing in some parts,particularly Pennine Lancashire and Blackpool.

l Better linking of areas of acute need with areasshowing strong growth prospects, making betteruse of existing east-west transport links withinLancashire and existing/new links to theManchester and Liverpool city regions.

What needs to be done which the Strategy could now deliver?• Grow the number of ICT small and medium size enterprises, building on the success of InfoLab at

Lancaster University and the growth at Lancaster Science Park.

• Support the development of advanced manufacturing and energy opportunities.

• Increase skills levels through increased FE/HE participation, particularly in Pennine Lancashire.

• Entrepreneurial activity and re-engagement in the labour market as a result of the LEGI initiative.

• Develop Blackpool as twenty-first century resort, enhance Preston’s role as a driver of regional growthand develop Lancaster’s ‘heritage city’ offer.

• Support housing market renewal activity in Pennine Lancashire to secure a better balanced housingmarket linked to growth and regeneration opportunities.

• Improve rail connectivity between Pennine Lancashire and Preston and Manchester.

• Exploit green infrastructure to improve productivity and the attractiveness of Lancashire as a placeto invest.




C

Liverpool city region

ManchesterAirport

A R N S I D EA N D

S I L V E R D A L E

F O R E S T O FB O W L A N D

Lancaster

Liverpool

KnowsleySt Helens

Widnes

Runcorh

Sefton

Southport

Birkenhead

Lancashire

Ireland andIsle of Man

Greater Manchester

Cheshire and Warrington

MerseysideMerseysideMerseyside


Liverpool John Lennon Airport

Ports


Towns and Cities

Motorway Network

Urban Regeneration Companies


Liverpool City Region Boundary



KEY


C

Key assets/opportunitiesl The impact of Liverpool European Capital of

Culture 2008, along with the area’s uniqueportfolio of cultural, leisure and sporting assets,present a major opportunity for future economicgrowth in the culture and visitor economy.

l Major progress has been made in revitalisingLiverpool city centre with £1bn investment intoLiverpool One together with the development ofthe Arena and Convention Centre.

l The planned expansion of the Mersey Ports andLiverpool John Lennon Airport present anopportunity for an internationally significantSuperport. Alongside this, the Mersey Gateway,a second Mersey river crossing, will be deliveredby 2014.

l £10 billion worth of private investment inLiverpool and Wirral Waters will transform theMersey Waterfront and deliver 44,000 jobs.

l Natural resources and existing business basepresent major opportunities in the low-carboneconomy; through harnessing the wind and tidalpower potential of the River Mersey, and theLiverpool city region’s research andmanufacturing strengths in photo-voltaics andmarine technology.

l The city region’s internationally significantknowledge economy is underpinned by threeuniversities and boosted by recent investmentsin the Daresbury Science and InnovationCampus, National Bio-manufacturing Centre,Liverpool Science Park and Liverpool School ofTropical Medicine.

l Since 2003, almost 7,000 homes have beenrefurbished, more than 2,000 new homes havebeen built and a similar number of older homeshave been cleared. The city region has threehousing growth points to meet future housingdemand.

Key challenges l Reduce GVA gap between the city region and

the UK, which currently stands at around£4,770 per capita. Approximately half of the gapis due to the difference between local andnational productivity levels.

l In 2007, the employment rate in Merseysidestood at around 68.1% compared to 74.4% inGreat Britain.

l Although the business start-up rate has beenconsistently higher than the England average,the gap in business density continues to rise.

l The Liverpool city region is lagging across allskills levels, some 4 – 7 percentage pointsbehind the UK average.

l Housing quality, choice and range remain anissue for parts of the city region.

l Deprivation remains largely unchanged in recentyears. The 2007 Index of Multiple Deprivationshowed that nearly 1 in 3 of the 1% mostdeprived Super Output Areas within England andWales, and 9 of the 20 most deprived, are withinLiverpool city region.

What needs to be done which the Strategy could now deliver?• Improve the visitor economy, to build on international interest from European Capital of Culture status

in 2008, including investment in infrastructure (e.g. hotels) and new markets (e.g. business tourism).

• Exploit low-carbon opportunities, including tidal, off/onshore wind, waste-to-energy, and theenvironmental technology sector.

• Develop Superport, including associated linkages with the airport and logistics/distribution sector.

• Reduce levels of worklessness and improve enterprise levels.

• Develop the knowledge economy, building on the strong bioscience base, focusing on providingbusiness incubation and growth facilities, improving graduate retention and high value jobs in tourismand port-related developments.

Question 27:Have we identified the key assets, opportunities andchallenges, and what needs to be done, in this sub-region?If not, what changes would you suggest, and why?



C

We cannot deliver all our priorities by action atregional or sub-regional level. For some issues,there will be opportunities and benefits by workingacross sub-regions or by working with neighbouringregions and countries. These include the following:l The Atlantic Gateway has, in Manchester and

Liverpool, two global cities separated by onlythirty miles. This unique area has two internationalairports, a port, strong towns as well ascomprehensive road and rail connectivity.The Atlantic Gateway has the potential todeliver greater levels of trade and enhancedinternational/national significance throughcollaboration, through and alongside city regionplans, to deliver new levels of sustainableeconomic growth.

l The important linkages between:

(i) West Cheshire and North East Wales.This cross-border area contains the strategichub of Wrexham-Deeside-Chester, includesBroughton and extends to Ellesmere Port.The future development and potential ofmany of these communities is inter-dependent, something which is recognisedin the Wales Spatial Plan. Whilst the centreshave quite different characteristics, they areconsidered to bring a combination ofstrengths to the cross-border sub-region;

(ii) North Cumbria, Scotland and the NERegion of England. Carlisle acts as a sub-regional centre for business, shopping,leisure, culture and tourism; and as aregional transport gateway with links toScotland and North East (and on toNorthern Ireland and North Europe);

(iii) Manchester city region, PennineLancashire and West Yorkshire.The prosperity of the North as a whole willbe increasingly driven by the economicperformance of the Manchester andLeeds city regions and the growth belt thatconnects them to the Sheffield and Liverpoolcity regions, the smaller, outlying growthcentres around York, Chester and Preston,and the Tyne and Wear city region in theNorth East. Improved transport connectivitywill be important in unlocking productivitybenefits gains across this area; and

(iv) Manchester city region, East Cheshireand the Peak District. Dominated by theuplands of the Peak District National Park,their high landscape value means the area isunder pressure as a recreational destinationfor people from all surrounding regions.The popularity of the area attractscommuters who choose to live within thearea (e.g. in Macclesfield) and travel tomajor employment centres, includingSheffield and Manchester, for work.

l The Northern Way, which provides a frameworkfor the three northern regions to collaborate onshared priorities to promote the sustainableeconomic development of the North. Work isfocused on areas where we can gain a greatercompetitive advantage by investing, influencingand researching jointly to maximise value fromnationally significant assets and opportunities.Current priorities are innovation (where ourachievements have received national recognitionas a successful model of cross-regionalworking), transport, energy and regeneration.We will want to explore with the North East andYorkshire and Humberside regions where theremight be added value in taking forward thepriorities in this Strategy on a joint basis.

l The Irish Sea can be viewed as a ‘commonresource’ or opportunity for all surroundingregions to work together for mutual benefit.There is a long history of common activity in andaround the Irish Sea, such as fishing, transport,energy migration and culture. We now need tobuild upon this cooperation to enable all regionssurrounding the Irish Sea plus the Isle of Man,to work together in all sectors – not onlydeveloping new projects, but improvingawareness of developments in other sectorswhich may have a wider impact.

Question 28:Are these the most significant intra andcross regional opportunities?

2. Intra and cross-regional opportunities


D

Section DStrategic optionsIntroductionWe believe the suggested priorities and areas foraction described in Section B will set us on a clearcourse to developing a more sustainable economybased on growth within environmental limits whilstachieving social goals. However, we need to ensurewe understand their implications, including thechoices we need to make where there are potentialconflicts as well as the spatial and distribution issueswhich arise.

There is also a legal requirement – both in thelegislation requiring regional strategies and alsothe sustainability appraisal/strategic environmentalassessment legislation – to prepare and engageon alternative options as part of regionalstrategy development.

Strategic options are designed to set out the rangeof choices which could be considered. In the contextof preparing, for the first time, a single integratedregional strategy, they allow us to look at the spatialand sustainability implications of putting emphasisin different ways on economic, environmental andsocial factors. We have therefore developed fouroptions designed to be distinctive and realistic, toact as a stimulus for thinking and to help tease outthe implications of the key strategic choices facingthe region.

Details within options are indicative, and must be readnot in isolation but within the context of strategicpriorities and other elements of draft Part 1. Thestrategic options are subject to a specific sustainabilityappraisal as part of the overall sustainability appraisalof RS2010 Part 1. This will provide a valuableindependent assessment of the strengths andweaknesses of each option in terms of meeting arange of sustainability objectives. The final strategicframework of RS2010 may be a combination ofdifferent elements of one or more options.

In developing the options, we have sought to capture:

l what is in the current Regional Spatial and RegionalEconomic Strategies;

l the economic, environmental and socialimplications of the thematic and spatial prioritiesset out in this Strategy;

l the outstanding questions set out earlier inthis document.

The four strategic options are set out in detail on thefollowing pages and are structured in a commonformat setting out key distinctive features of theoption concerned.

Option 1: Current position (‘business as usual’)

Option 2: Focus on economic opportunity

Option 3: Focus on protecting environmentalresources and taking full advantageof environmental opportunities

Option 4: Focus on regeneration anddevelopment to tackle socialdeprivation and inclusion


50 Strategic options

D

This option reflects the overall approach of thecurrent Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) andRegional Economic Strategy (RES). It wouldsupport sustainable economic growth, enhancingthe environment and securing social inclusion.This option would be achieved through acontinued focus on the key regional towns andcities. It aims to maximise the re-use of previouslydeveloped urban land, make the most effective useof the existing utility infrastructure and provide abasis for reduced travel and improved publictransport systems.

The first priority for growth and developmentwould be the regional centres of Manchester andLiverpool. These centres provide the largesteconomies in the region, have the capacity todrive the continued diversification of the region’seconomic base and are already competinginternationally. This option would seek to continueto strengthen those markets and build on theopportunities which they create. In doing so, itwill be important to ensure that a ‘ripple-effect’ iscreated so that the benefits of growth anddevelopment in those areas are spread outacross the region.

The second priority would be the inner areaswhich surround the regional centres of Manchesterand Liverpool. Investment in these areas will helpreduce inequalities and deprivation and addressunsustainable commuting patterns associatedwith decentralisation and will help support growthand development in Manchester and Liverpoolcity regions.

The third priority would be other towns and cities:Altrincham; Ashton-under-Lyne; Blackburn;Blackpool; Bolton; Burnley; Bury; Carlisle; Chester;Crewe; Ellesmere Port; Lancaster; Macclesfield;Northwich; Oldham; Preston; Rochdale; Runcorn;St Helens; Skelmersdale; Southport; Stockport;Warrington; Widnes; and Wigan. These towns andcities are important centres in their own right andmeet the needs of the population in theirrespective areas. They act as a focus for residential,economic, retail, leisure and cultural developmentto serve their own areas. Investment would alsobe encouraged in Barrow-in-Furness, Workingtonand Whitehaven to address regeneration andworklessness in the Furness Peninsula andWest Cumbria.

Development in rural areas would be concentratedwithin key service centres and would be of a scaleand nature appropriate to fulfil the needs of localcommunities for housing, employment andservices, and to enhance the quality of rural life.Smaller scale development to help sustain localservices, meet local needs or support localbusinesses would be concentrated in identifiedlocal service centres.

Development in coastal towns would seek to enhancetheir economic base and regenerate coastalcommunities within the context of coastal change.

Limited development outside of the areas identifiedin this option would be acceptable to meet localneeds and support economic growth for a variety ofland uses but will not be a priority.

Implications of the optionThis option seeks to deliver a sustainable pattern ofgrowth and development which would aim to:l maximise the re-use of existing resources

including previously developed urban land,buildings and infrastructure;

l reduce the need to travel by locating housesand jobs in town and city centres and their innerareas with improvements made to publictransport systems;

l create good quality places where people andbusinesses will choose to live and invest in;

l encourage safe, sustainable communities invibrant and attractive towns and cities;

l target deprived communities and address skillsand quality of life, including reducing the healthinequalities; and

l provide opportunities for mitigation andadaptation to climate change throughaddressing the condition and energy efficiencyof existing resources.

However, it raises some fundamental challenges:l How can we deliver the scale of new critical

infrastructure (particularly electricity, water andwaste) that would be needed to drive growth inthe regional centres of Liverpool and Manchester?

l What is the role of North Cheshire? To whatextent should it focus on supporting theManchester and Liverpool city regions?

l What is the role of Preston as a driver ofregional growth?

Option 1: Current position (‘business as usual’)


D

l What is the role of Pennine Lancashire? Whatshould be the balance between developing thelocal economy and linking it better to growthopportunities in Manchester and Preston?

l How can we ensure that growth in prioritysectors and increased trade via ManchesterAirport and Liverpool Superport is consistent withthe sustainable use of resources and moving toa low-carbon economy?

l How can we best tackle the underlying causesof worklessness, which has blighted the regionfor the last twenty years? Should we bepursuing a strategy of creating jobs in localcommunities or allowing jobs to be createdanywhere in the region and linking unemployedpeople to those jobs?

The option in more detaill Indicative housing distribution: approximately

three-quarters to be located in the Manchesterand Liverpool and their inner areas and theremainder in regional cities and towns whereurban brownfield capacity exists which canrealistically be developed. This is not just aboutdelivering housing numbers, but creating viablesustainable communities that people can live in.

l Greenfield implications: focus will be onpreviously developed land within citiesand towns.

l Brownfield implications; focus for developmentwill be on urban brownfield land, particularlylocated within Manchester, and Liverpool andtheir inner areas.

l Location of strategic employment sites:regionally significant economic development willbe located close to sustainable transport nodeswithin the urban areas of Manchester andLiverpool city regions, Greater Preston, PennineLancashire, Lancaster, Carlisle, Barrow-in-Furness and Workington and Whitehaven.

l Transport and other infrastructure requirements:investment will be focused on transport corridorsserving the conurbations and in particular onimproving public transport networks in theManchester and Liverpool city regions. Emphasiswill be placed on improving infrastructure,including digital connectivity.

l Regeneration opportunities: urban regenerationwill be focused on areas of need in theManchester, Liverpool City Regions as well asPennine Lancashire, Blackpool, Barrow-in-Furness and West Cumbria.

l Environment: the option focuses principally uponthe existing urban areas and their immediateenvironments, thereby minimising any negativeimpacts upon the region’s most sensitiveenvironments. There will be significant scope foraddressing the environmental profiles of urbanareas and enhancing the quality of urban greeninfrastructure networks, which may help torelieve additional recreational pressures onEuropean sites. Concentration of developmentwithin the urban areas is likely to haveimplications for local air and water quality whichmay require significant investment in publictransport and utilities infrastructure. The impactof flood risk will also be a key consideration.The Regional Flood Risk Appraisal, which iscurrently being produced, will inform this.

How will the option deliver againstthe outcomes?1. Low-carbon economyl Focus on promotion of low-carbon and

renewable energy. l Focus on reuse of existing resources including

previously developed land, buildings andinfrastructure.

l Aim to reduce the need to travel and thereforetraffic growth by locating development towardstown and city centres.

l The option will capitalise upon opportunities for ashift away from the movement of goods andfreight by road.

l Development on brownfield land will need to beenergy efficient. This will include opportunities toimprove the energy efficiency of the exitinghousing stock.

2. Vibrant and attractive cities, towns andrural areas

l Focus of sustainable economic developmenttowards the key regional towns and cities,particularly Manchester and Liverpool and theirinner areas will ensure that these areas arevibrant and attractive.

l Whilst development will be predominantlydirected towards urban areas, the needs of ruralareas must also be considered. Focus will be onkey service centres and local service centresidentified within local development documents.



D

3. Creating conditions for business growthand sustainability

l New employment opportunities will beconcentrated within towns and cities and innerareas to allow business growth and reduce trafficgrowth by creating sustainable travel patternsbetween these employment opportunities andresidential areas.

4. Increasing productivity and capitalisingon the region’s innovation, scienceand research assets

l Focus on existing towns and cities will mean arenewed focus on the region’s existing strengthswith particular emphasis on the region’sinnovation, science and research assets.

5. Protecting, enhancing and developing thequality of the region’s environment

l Focus on re-use of existing resourcesand infrastructure including previouslydeveloped land.

l Focus on improving the environmental profile ofthe towns and cities. Opportunity to enhancegreen spaces within towns and cities.

l Impact of flood risk will need to becarefully considered.

6. Sustainable and safe communitiesand places

l Focus on reducing crime levels in town and citycentres will aim to reduce making areas saferand more attractive and improve the quality oflife in these areas.

7. World-class skills basel Lack of basic skills and qualifications are high in

towns and cities, particularly Manchester,Liverpool and Preston and their inner areas.

l Whilst the region’s strengths will be built on withthis option, initiatives will need to focus on howbest to engage the participation of hard to reachgroups in education and training.

8. Healthy populationl The town and city centres of the region have the

most deprived communities, which contributesto less healthy populations. Focus on theseareas will aim to address this issue and improvethe quality of life.

9. Quality employment opportunities for alll As above, skills will need to be improved to

better link employment opportunities for all.l Access to employment opportunities located

within towns and cities and their inner areas willneed to be addressed.

10. Balanced housing markets l Housing will be largely focused within towns and

cities the inner areas of towns and cities in closeproximity to employment opportunities.

l Emphasis will be placed on creating viablesustainable communities that people can live in.

11. High-quality and reliable and efficientinfrastructure, transport and digitalnetworks

l The focus will be on the most effective andefficient use of existing and proposedinfrastructure, including digital connectivity.

l Condition and quality of infrastructure may bea concern.

l Transport resources may also be an issue.

12. High-quality, efficient and responsivepublic services

l Reduction in public funding and resourcescould be a significant issue, particularly in areasalready over reliant on the public sector.

Question 29:Will this option deliver the outcomes andpriorities of the Strategy?

Question 30: What are the strengths and weaknesses ofthis option?


D

This option is based on increasing the internationalcompetiveness of the region as well aspositioning it as a growth driver for the North andnationally. It would seek to build on the benefits ofagglomeration to maximise the region’s strengthsand assets in a changing global market: highereducation; research and development; advancedmanufacturing; biomedical; digital and creativeindustries; nuclear and renewable energy; culture,sport and the visitor economy; and the region’smajor ports and airports.

It would focus investment and developmentprincipally in and between the Liverpool andManchester city regions (including Warrington andthe northern parts of east and west Cheshire). Thiscould be expected to factor in high levels of privateinvestment especially in the two regional centresand other key locations, and would locate substantialdevelopment close to areas with extremely highsocial needs and worklessness. Alongside Liverpooland Manchester, Chester would be developed asan international destination for visitors.

The region’s main ports and airports at Liverpool,Manchester, and Manchester Ship Canal would beencouraged to grow.

It would seek to bring the Liverpool and Manchestercity regions, and their labour markets, closertogether, through the development of enhancedpublic transport links into and between the tworegional centres, building on the commitment toelectrify the Liverpool – Manchester railway lineand the extensions to Metrolink. The major roadsystem would be managed so that it catersproperly for strategic traffic whilst encouraging car-based commuters to switch to public transport.

It would aim to better link areas of need andopportunity and address issues of entrenchedsocial and physical deprivation, especially inLiverpool, Knowsley, Birkenhead, Salford andManchester, as well as Pennine Lancashire.

Growth in Greater Preston (Preston, Chorley, SouthRibble) and other parts of Lancashire would seekto capitalise upon strengths in advancedmanufacturing, digital and creative industries,business services, higher education and retail; andPreston’s role as the central transport hub forLancashire by road and rail.

Growth in Carlisle, Lancaster and Crewe wouldfocus on the locational opportunities arisingfrom their transport connections, as well as theirlocal assets.

Build upon the existing Energy Coast in WestCumbria and Furness, to develop the opportunitieselsewhere along the Northwest coast to harnessthe region’s assets and expertise in nuclear andlow-carbon technologies as a driver for economicgrowth and regeneration.

Blackpool and Southport have significant assets,the challenge is to define their future role.Investment and development would be focusedupon maintaining and enhancing Blackpool’s roleas a national tourism destination, and Southport’srole as a regional tourist destination.

In rural areas there would be a focused effort totake advantage of economic potential in asustainable way. A number of small towns in ruralareas would be identified which have the potentialfor growth, alongside the ability to support areas ofneed. Within and adjacent to the Lake DistrictNational Park investment would be focused uponenhancing and diversifying the tourism offer tofurther develop its role as an internationaldestination.

Implications of the optionThis option seeks to deliver a sustainable pattern ofgrowth and development which raises somefundamental challenges:l How can we deliver the scale of new critical

infrastructure (particularly electricity, water andwaste) that would be needed to drive growth inthe regional centres of Liverpool andManchester?

l What is the role of North Cheshire? To whatextent should it focus on supporting theManchester and Liverpool city regions?

l What is the role of Preston as a driver ofregional growth?

l What is the role of Pennine Lancashire? Whatshould be the balance between developing thelocal economy and linking it better to growthopportunities in Manchester and Preston?

l What is the future role of Blackpool and othercoastal resorts?

l Given its assets in the nuclear and tourismsectors, how can we best ensure sustainablegrowth in Cumbria?


Option 2: Focus on economic opportunity



D

l What should be the balance between creatingjobs for all (employment focus) or creating higherskilled jobs (productivity focus)?

l What should be the balance betweenindigenous skills development and attractingand retaining new talent and skills to the region?

l To what extent should we be investing to tackleareas of need/deprivation and supportingstruggling companies as opposed to investingin areas of opportunity and supportinggrowth companies?

The option in more detaill Indicative housing distribution: the option

concentrates a high proportion of housingprovision in and between the Liverpool andManchester city regions (including Warringtonand the northern parts of east and westCheshire) (70%); in Greater Preston (Preston,Chorley, South Ribble) (10%); in Carlisle,Lancaster and Crewe (5%); and the rest of theregion (15%). Delivering the appropriate mix anddistribution of new housing will be about muchmore than simply meeting housing targets.Throughout the Northwest, housing growthwould be delivered in locations to supporteconomic growth thus widening the quality anddiversity of the region’s housing offer, with aparticular focus upon the provision of high-quality family housing, in order to attract andretain an internationally mobile workforce.Creating viable and attractive sustainablecommunities will be a priority.

l Greenfield implications: the development ofbrownfield sites would continue to be a priority.However, some selective greenfielddevelopment would be considered insustainable locations for housing andemployment to deliver a genuinely sustainable,diverse and high-quality housing offer. Furtherwork will be required to determine this.

l Brownfield implications: there are substantialreserves of brownfield land suitable fordevelopment in the areas between Liverpool andManchester. Closer to the regional centres,brownfield land should be reclaimed for greeninfrastructure to mitigate climate change.Whilst the recycling of previously developed landwill continue to be a high priority within theregion, there will be a diversification of end uses,with a specific focus on the creation of urbangreen infrastructure networks.

l Location of strategic employment sites: theexisting distribution of strategic regional sites,together with other major development

opportunities, is consistent with this option.Housing growth would be concentrated near tothese main employment opportunities.

l Transport and other infrastructure requirements:the focus would be on public transport and park-and-ride in the core area, including the mid–Mersey area. In line with the principles in theEddington Report, this would focus transportinvestment in areas with higher economicpotential, severe congestion and high aggregateaccessibility. In a time of restricted resources thiswill inevitably reduce resources for investmentelsewhere, including rural road building. Furthergrowth in the capacity of the region’s majorinternational gateways – the Port of Liverpooland Liverpool and Manchester Airports – mayneed to be supported by improved surfaceaccess and interchange arrangements. Takentogether all this would improve reliability andtackle congestion in the main transport corridors.There will be a requirement for significantinvestment in improving digital connectivitythroughout the entire region. Flood risk is anissue in parts of the area. There is likely to be ashortfall of drainage, water and electricitycapacity in certain locations. Significantinvestment in digital infrastructure will benecessary to deliver the connectivity required tosupport the world-class applications to whichbusiness and consumers need access.

l Regeneration opportunities: there will be acontinued focus upon the physical andeconomic regeneration of those areas whichsuffer the deepest and most entrenchedeconomic, social and environmental deprivation.

l Economic opportunities/implications: theregion’s key employment generators and assetsare largely concentrated in the Liverpool andManchester and the area between them,including the main HEIs, the regional centres,private sector research and development, andthe region’s principal ports and airports.

l Environment: this option would focusdevelopment in areas with substantial brownfieldresources and low environmental constraints.A reciprocal effort would protect and enhancecritical environmental assets, including theLiverpool World Heritage Site and the MerseyEstuary SSSI/SPA/Ramsar sites. There would bea greater focus upon increased urban greeninfrastructure, for amenity, value for money,sustainable drainage and ecological reasons,as well as to combat climate change bymicroclimate cooling amelioration. Large scaleenvironmental initiatives, including forestationand wetland creation, to improve the quality of


D

open land as well as the urban environment,would be developed. Concentration ofdevelopment within the urban areas is likely tohave implications upon local air and water qualitywhich may require significant investment inpublic transport and utilities infrastructure.The identification of a ‘preferred option’ will beinformed by the outcomes of the Regional FloodRisk Appraisal currently being produced.

How will the option deliver againstthe outcomes?1. Low-carbon economy: l The option will capitalise upon the region’s

existing and emerging assets in the nuclear andrenewable energy sectors.

l The option will capitalise upon opportunities for ashift away from the movement of goods andfreight by road.

l Physical regeneration of the region’s moredeprived areas will present opportunities forimproving the energy efficiency of the exitinghousing stock.

l There will be a need to strengthen support tobusiness on energy and resource efficiency, andtheir resilience to climate change.

2. Vibrant and attractive cities, towns and ruralareas: the continued focus upon the strengthsand assets of the region’s principal towns andcities, and those areas of greatest regenerationneed presents significant opportunities formaking the Northwest an attractive place to live,work, invest and visit.

3. Creating conditions for business growth andsustainability: the focus on the opportunitiesand assets of the region’s principal towns andcities will support the growth in the existing andemerging sectors that are likely to creategenuine competitive advantage – nuclear andrenewable energy, advanced manufacturing,higher education, research and development,digital and creative industries.

4. Increasing productivity and capitalising onthe region’s innovation, science and researchassets: the focus on the opportunities andassets of the region’s principal towns and citieswill support the growth in the existing andemerging sectors that are likely to creategenuine competitive advantage – nuclear andrenewable energy, advanced manufacturing,higher education, research and development,digital and creative industries.

5. Protecting, enhancing and developing thequality of the region’s environment: the optionfocuses principally upon the existing urban areasand their immediate environments thereforeminimising any negative impacts upon theregion’s most sensitive environments. There willbe significant scope for enhancing the quality ofurban green infrastructure. Concentration ofdevelopment within the urban areas is likely tohave implications for local air and water qualitywhich may require significant investment inpublic transport and utilities infrastructure.

6. Sustainable and safe communities andplaces: focused investment in those areas ofgreatest regeneration need will presentsignificant opportunities for interventions toaddress crime and safety in the areas wherethese problems are most pronounced. Raisingthe overall wealth of the region is likely to havea significant impact upon long-term trends ofcrime and community safety.

7. World-class skills base: this option providesthe spatial framework to support thedevelopment of a strong and sustainableeconomy which will provide a diverse range ofhigh-quality employment opportunities. This willrequire support through an effective regionalskills strategy that meets the needs of theregion’s employers.

8. Healthy population: focused investment inthose areas of greatest regeneration need willpresent significant opportunities for interventionsto address health issues in the areas wherethese problems are most pronounced andentrenched. Raising the overall wealth of theregion is likely to have a significant impact uponlong-term trends of health. The option alsopresents significant opportunities for improvinghousing and open spaces within the region’smost deprived areas.

9. Quality employment opportunities for all:this option provides the spatial framework tosupport the development of a strong andsustainable economy which will provide adiverse range of high-quality employmentopportunities, building upon the region’s existingand emerging strengths and assets. There willbe a need to address barriers to work to reduceoverall worklessness and raise employmentrates for women, individuals with disabilities, andthose from the BME population.



D

10. Balanced housing markets: there is a needto significantly raise the quality and diversity ofthe region’s housing offer to attract and retain askilled and talented workforce. Whilst it isacknowledged that the inner areas of theprincipal towns and cities will continue to play asignificant role in meeting these needs, theremay be a need to consider some release ofgreenfield sites in sustainable locations.There will be a requirement to ensure housingdevelopment is well-located in relation to need,employment opportunities, transport and services,and is high-quality, diverse and affordable.

11. High-quality and reliable and efficientinfrastructure, transport and digitalnetworks: the focus will be on public transportin and between the three key cities and betterlinking areas of need with areas of opportunity.In a time of restricted resources this willinevitably reduce resources for investmentelsewhere, including rural road building. Thedevelopment of enhanced digital connectivitywill be central to achieving sustainableeconomic growth.

12. High-quality, efficient and responsive publicservices: reduction in public funding andresources is likely to be a significant issue,particularly in areas already over reliant on thepublic sector.




D

This option is based on protecting and enhancingthe region’s environmental assets, encouragingmore sustainable resource use and exploitingenvironmental opportunities to support thesustainable economic growth of the region.

A strong emphasis would be placed on brownfieldland reclamation to minimise the release ofgreenfield land for development. Strong protectionwould be given to valuable landscapes and wildlifehabitats as well as green infrastructure and urbangreen space. The option would seek to minimiseany adverse impact on air, water and soilresources from investment and development.It would restrict development that exceeds thecapacity of water, energy and waste infrastructureto cope. A strong emphasis would also be placedon encouraging household and businesses toimprove resource efficiency.

The main focus for new development would be theconurbation cores and regional centres ofManchester and Liverpool with developmenttargeted to brownfield sites in urban areas. Theoption would also support sustainable urbanextensions in and around the city regions ofManchester and Liverpool and theBlackpool/Greater Preston/Pennine Lancashireconurbations especially where this would lead tothe reclamation of degraded landscapes.

Opportunities for promoting green infrastructure todeliver economic, social and environmentalbenefits from the network of green spaces that liein and between the region’s cities, towns andvillages would be fully exploited. There would be anemphasis on improving the environmental quality ofthe most deprived areas, with significantinvestment in new and green infrastructure. Noise,air and light pollution would be minimised.

Opportunities to reduce carbon emissions bydeveloping renewable and other low-carbonenergy sources would be fully exploited, includingthe development of the Northwest coastlinestretching from the Solway Firth to the Dee Estuary.There would also be a strong focus on reducingenergy demand and increasing resource efficiencyacross the domestic, business and transportsectors, as well as fully exploiting the opportunitiesfrom energy and other low-carbon andenvironmental technologies.

A strong emphasis would be placed on usingnatural assets to minimise carbon emissions (forexample, through carbon sequestration in peatbogs and woodland creation) and to adapt to andreduce flood risk (for example, by creating floodplains upstream of vulnerable urban areas). Newdevelopment in flood plans would not be permitted.

In rural areas, development would be focused onkey and local service centres where it can beaccommodated without negative impact on localenvironments and landscapes. Sustainablepatterns of providing new living and workingaccommodation in dispersed locations in ruralareas would be encouraged. This would besupported through improved digital/NextGeneration Access connectivity, coverage andspeed within the context of a low-carbon economy.The diversification of food production would alsobe encouraged but not at the expense of locallandscape quality and biodiversity.

In coastal areas, it would be important toconsider the future role of coastal resorts andto minimise threats from, and the impact of,increased coastal erosion.

Implications of the optionThis option seeks to deliver a sustainable pattern ofgrowth and development which raises somefundamental challenges:l How can we deliver the scale of new critical

infrastructure (particularly electricity, water andwaste) that would be needed to drive growth inthe regional centres of Liverpool andManchester?



l Given that over the next 20 years:– sea levels and temperatures are likely to rise,

with more extreme weather events – floodingand loss of land becoming more common;

– the working age population as a percentage ofthe total population will fall;

Option 3: Focus on protectingenvironmental resources and taking fulladvantage of environmental opportunities



D

– public expenditure will fall substantially in thefirst part of this period;

how do we plan for these, all of which will putpressures on our use of resources?

The option in more detaill Indicative housing distribution: the level of

growth would need to be determined so thatenvironmental limits would not be breached. Themajority of growth will be located in areas withlarge amounts of brownfield land in the cityregions of Manchester and Liverpool and theBlackpool/Greater Preston/Pennine Lancashireconurbations. This is not just about deliveringhousing numbers, but creating viablesustainable communities that people can live in.There would also be a focus be on refurbishingdomestic properties to reduce the vacancy ratein dwellings to a minimum level. Excellent low-carbon design and sustainable constructionstandards would be required in new housingdevelopment. Well designed high-densityhousing would be supported.

l Greenfield implications: greenfield land wouldonly be released to allow sustainable urbanextensions, especially in areas of degradedlandscape and in order to reduce the need totravel or overcome other environmentalconstraints i.e. flood risk. Development would bepredominantly focused on brownfield land.

l Brownfield implications: focus for developmentwould be on previously developed land. Somebrownfield land would be protected where thishas an important recreational use or provides animportant habitat. Some brownfield land couldalso be reclaimed for green infrastructure tomitigate climatic change.

l Location of strategic employment sites:regionally significant economic developmentwould be located close to sustainable transportnodes within the urban areas of the Manchesterand Liverpool city regions, the Blackpool/GreaterPreston/Pennine Lancashire conurbations andLancaster, Carlisle, Barrow-in-Furness andWorkington and Whitehaven.

l Transport and other infrastructure requirements:less emphasis would be placed on roadbuilding. Instead, transport problems would beaddressed through demand managementmeasures, improvements to the public transportnetwork and the promotion of walking andcycling. Emphasis would be placed on improvinginfrastructure, including digital connectivity. Anyimprovements in transport and other infrastructurewould minimise impact on the environment.

l Regeneration opportunities: regenerationwould be focused on areas of need in bothurban and rural areas and particularly wherecommunities face significant environmentalchallenges. Emphasis would be placed onimproving the environmental quality of the mostdeprived areas.

l Economic opportunities/implications: limiting theamount of economic growth to ensure thatimpact on the environment is minimised mayrestrict the ability of the region to competenationally and internationally.

l Environment: this option assumes that the needto protect environmental resources and enhanceenvironmental quality is fundamental inpreserving the character of the region andsetting the acceptable scale of growth.

How will the option deliver against theoutcomes?1. Low-carbon economyl Focus on promotion of a low-carbon economy

whilst minimising negative impacts on theenvironment.

l Promotes opportunities to reduce carbonemissions by developing renewable and low-carbon energy sources.

l Strong emphasis on reducing the amounts ofwaste generated and increasing reuse of existingresources including previously developed land,buildings and infrastructure. There would be anemphasis on refurbishing unfit domesticproperties to reduce the vacancy rate indwellings to a minimum level.

l The quality and energy efficiency of theexisting housing stock across all tenures wouldneed to be made to effectively contribute tomake homes more fuel efficient and help reducecarbon emissions.

l Aim to reduce the need to travel and thereforetraffic growth through a sustainable spatialdistribution of employment and housing growth.

l The option would capitalise upon opportunitiesfor a shift away from the movement of goodsand freight by road.

l Physical regeneration of the region’s moredeprived areas would present opportunities forimproving the energy efficiency of the existinghousing stock.


D

2. Vibrant and attractive cities, towns andrural areas

l Placing an emphasis on the environment wouldmake cities, towns and rural areas vibrant andattractive and would improve the quality of lifefor all.

l The implications of demographic change wouldbe addressed to ensure that any negative impacton the environment is minimised.

3. Creating conditions for business growthand sustainability

l Economic opportunities in the knowledge-based‘green economy’, low-carbon, renewable energy,environmental technologies and environmentaltourism would be maximised.

l Economic development would be restricted toareas of high growth and only where thedevelopment could be accommodated withoutexceeding the capacity of the local environmentto accommodate the development.

l Limiting the amount of economic growth toensure that there is no adverse impact on theenvironment may restrict the ability of the regionto compete nationally and internationally.

4. Increasing productivity and capitalising onthe region’s innovation, science andresearch assets

l Environmental technology is a key sector withinthe economic base of the region and would bebuilt on with this option.

l Focus would also be placed on land remediationand renewable energy.

5. Protecting, enhancing and developing thequality of the region’s environment

l Strong emphasis on environmental protectionand maximising opportunities of environmentalassets, which would ensure that the regionprovides a good quality of life for all.

l Limits would be set on levels of growth in orderto protect the environment and minimise energyconsumption in the region.

l A strong emphasis would be placed on usingnatural assets to minimise carbon emissions andto adapt to and reduce flood risk.

l No development would be completed inlocations with insufficient water resourcesor in flood plains or areas at risk from risesin sea level.

l Valued landscapes protected by restrictingaccess to them and diverting development toless well used areas in the region.

l Waste minimisation and re-use achieved throughthe development of a range of alternatives formaterials recycling and composting.

l Air and water quality and habitat preservationwould be key considerations.

l Opportunities for promoting green infrastructureto deliver economic, social and environmentalbenefits from the network of green spaces thatlie in and between the region’s cities, towns andvillages would be fully exploited.

6. Sustainable and safe communitiesand places

l Focus on reducing crime levels in those areasthat currently suffer from some of the most acutesocial, economic and environmental deprivationwould aim to reduce making areas safer and moreattractive and improve the quality of life in theseareas. Better links from these areas to areas ofopportunity and growth could also be made.

7. World-class skills basel Whilst there would be focus on the region’s

strengths with this option, initiatives would needto focus on how best to engage the participationof hard to reach groups in education andtraining. Access to training in rural areas wouldneed to be considered.

l Skills developed in environmental technologiesand land remediation.

l Skills in sustainable and organic food productionwhich helps to address food security issues andmaximises and manages the opportunities oflandscapes would also be developed.

l Opportunity and need would need to be linkedin a sustainable manner.

8. Healthy populationl An emphasis on improving local environmental

quality would encourage healthy lifestyles andaim to mitigate the impacts of road traffic on airquality, noise and health.

l Emphasis would be placed on improvingthe environmental quality of the mostdeprived areas.

l This option would aim to ensure that the majorityof the population has access to good qualityopen space and recreational opportunities.

9. Quality employment opportunities for alll As above, skills would need to be improved to

better link employment opportunities for all.l Access to employment opportunities would need

to be addressed.



D

10. Balanced housing markets l Emphasis would be placed on creating viable

sustainable communities that people can live in.l Focus would be on refurbishing unfit domestic

properties to reduce the vacancy rate indwellings to a minimum level.

11. High-quality, reliable and efficientinfrastructure, transport and digitalnetworks

l Development would be located in order to makethe best use of existing infrastructure.

l The focus would be on the most effective andefficient use of existing and proposedinfrastructure, including digital connectivity.

l Less emphasis would be placed on roadbuilding. Instead, transport problems would beaddressed through demand managementmeasures, improvements to the public transportnetwork and the promotion of walking and cycling.

l Emphasis would be placed on improvingdigital connectivity by strengthening the accessand coverage of high speed New GenerationAccess (NGA).

l A green infrastructure network, made up ofgreen spaces that lie within and betweenthe Northwest’s cities, towns and villages willbe promoted.

l The condition and quality of existinginfrastructure may be a concern, especially ifnew development is to be located on previouslydeveloped land.

l Transport resources may also be an issue.

12. High-quality, efficient and responsivepublic services

l Reduction in public funding and resources couldbe a significant issue, particularly in areasalready over reliant on the public sector.

l Would need to be primarily funded through thepublic sector resources, which may limit theextent to which the vision can be achieved.




DOption 4: Focus on regenerationand development to tackle socialdeprivation and inclusionThis option is based on exploiting the opportunitiesand potential for areas which have been identifiedas priorities in need of regeneration, containingsome of the most deprived communities in theNorthwest and England.

The emphasis would be on areas of entrencheddeprivation. Significant regeneration, newdevelopment improvement programmes, includingpublic sector investment would be targeted to bringabout transformational change in these areas,support social and economic regeneration andencourage growth which contributes to deliveringsustainable and cohesive communities.

A strong priority would be given to housing marketrenewal and restructuring; skills development andtraining; and the promotion of health and wellbeingacross regeneration priority areas. This would besupported by the provision of infrastructure andservices to attract and retain the workforce.

The key focus for investment, renewal and newdevelopment would be in areas associated withexisting regeneration programmes including: l parts of the Manchester city region, including

Manchester/Salford/Oldham/Rochdale;l parts of Liverpool city region, including North

Liverpool/South Sefton/Inner Wirral/Knowsley;l Pennine Lancashire; l Blackpool; andl Barrow-in-Furness and West Cumbria.

The future role and the implications for regenerationand restructuring of key coastal towns will also be akey feature in Blackpool and Morecambe.

In addition, attention would be given to parts ofthe outlying urban industrial and suburban housingareas, where high level concentrations ofdeprivation dominate.

In rural areas resources would be targeted toaddress socio-economic and equality issues inthose areas where pockets of deprivation and pooraccess to opportunities and services exist.

There would be limited scope for investmentoutside of those areas identified in this option.However new development would be acceptable tomeet local needs and support economic growth.

Implications of the optionThis option seeks to present a sustainable patternof development and growth which should:l create good quality places where people and

businesses will choose to live and invest in,within the context of climate change and aglobal economy;

l stabilise and encourage sustainable, cohesivecommunities;

l target support to deprived communities andvulnerable people;

l promote social wellbeing, equality of opportunityand celebrates diversity, including reducinghealth inequalities;

l maximise the appropriate re-use of existingbuildings and previously developed urban land;

l provide significant opportunity for mitigation andadaptation to climate change throughaddressing the condition and energy efficiencyof the existing stock;

l make the most effective use of the existing utilityinfrastructure, improving and repairing existingtired and worn out infrastructure; and

l provide a basis for reduced travel and improvedpublic transport systems.

However it raises some fundamental challenges:l What is the role of Pennine Lancashire? What

should be the balance between developing thelocal economy and linking it better to growthopportunities in Manchester and Preston?


l What should be the balance between creatingjobs for all (employment focus) or creatinghigher skilled jobs (productivity focus)?

l What should be the balance betweenindigenous skills development and attractingand retaining new talent and skills to the region?

l How can we best tackle the underlying causesof worklessness, which has blighted the regionfor the last 20 years? Should we be pursuing astrategy of creating jobs in local communitiesor allowing jobs to be created anywhere in theregion and linking unemployed people tothose jobs?



D

l To what extent should we be investing to tackleareas of need/deprivation and supportingstruggling companies as opposed to investingin areas of opportunity and supportinggrowth companies?

The option in more detaill Indicative housing distribution: 60% of all new

housing provision (based on RSS) will beexpected to take place in identified regenerationpriority areas. 40% in other regional cities andtowns in the first instance where urbanbrownfield capacity exists and can realistically bedeveloped and then more widely to meet localneeds. This is not just about delivering housingnumbers, but creating viable sustainablecommunities that people live in.

l Greenfield implications: this option seeks tominimise the impact and need for additionalgreenfield land release.

l Brownfield implications: this option wouldmaximise the use of existing stock, leading to areduction in the vacant properties, and re-development of appropriate brownfield land.

l Location of strategic employment sites: promoteemployment opportunities concentrated withinurban conurbations, close to urban cores.

l Transport and other infrastructure requirements:investment focused on improving access ofdeprived communities within identifiedregeneration priority areas to areas ofeconomic opportunity. Emphasis will beplaced on improving infrastructure, includingdigital connectivity.

l Regeneration opportunities promoted across allregeneration priority areas. Emphasis will be onquality and place-making to deliver successful,thriving places for peoples to live and invest in.To deliver this, resources will be targeted ondeprived communities in order to encouragesustainable cohesive communities.

l Environment: this option focuses principally onexisting urban areas thereby minimising anynegative impact upon the region’s most sensitiveenvironments. There will be significant scope forenhancing the quality of urban greeninfrastructure networks, which may contribute tothe wider quality of places and provide additionalrecreational opportunities. Concentration ofdevelopment within the urban areas is likely tohave implications upon local air and water qualitywhich may require significant investment inpublic transport and utilities infrastructure. Theimpact of flood risk will also be a keyconsideration and will be informed by theemerging Regional Flood Risk Appraisal.

How will the option deliver against theoutcomes?1. Low-carbon economy: this option provides

the opportunity to deliver balanced andsustainable growth, focussing investment andnew development to support the renewal andregeneration of places and communities andon the promotion of low-carbon and renewableenergy. Regeneration programmes will needto evolve to include a coordinated regionalprogramme to retrofit housing stock to reduceenergy demand and improve energy efficiencywhich has the potential to deliver significantwider benefits in terms of fuel poverty andpoor health.

2. Vibrant and attractive cities, towns and ruralareas: emphasis should be on restructuringlocal economies and housing markets, renewaland place making and should take account ofenvironmental and coastal assets that cansupport our wider economic and social goals.

3. Creating conditions for business growth andsustainability: investment in skills training anddevelopment and health and wellbeing shouldbe aligned to support regeneration, socio-economic growth and quality of place-makingacross deprived communities which togethershould provide favourable conditions forbusiness investment. This should be specificallytargeted to those groups and communities mostadversely affected by unemployment, a lack ofwork or under-employment. Such programmeswill need to recognise the support that theworkless need to gain skilled, sustainable andrewarding employment. They should also drawon cultural assets to combat worklessness,promote volunteering, graduate retention andcontribute to civic pride.

4. Increasing productivity and capitalising onthe region’s innovation, science and researchassets: these areas will require significant publicsector investment to generate the spin outbenefits from improving the quality of places,health and skills levels.

5. Protecting, enhancing and developing thequality of the region’s environment: the focuson re-use of existing buildings and appropriatere-development of brownfield land useminimises the need for greenfield land takewhilst presenting the opportunity to enhancegreen spaces offer. The promotion of a stronggreen infrastructure network made up of greenspaces that lie within and between the


D

Northwest’s cities, towns and villages will provideopportunities for people to interact and benefitfrom the natural environment and green space.

6. Sustainable and safe communities andplaces: focused investment in the regions mostdeprived communities and areas of greatestregeneration need will present significantopportunities for interventions to address crimeand safety in the areas where these problemsare most pronounced. Secure safe and efficientaccess between residential areas and keydestinations, including centres of employment,schools, shops and other services is an essentialcomponent of this. Raising the overall wealth ofthe region is also likely to have a significantimpact upon long-term trends of crime andcommunity safety. Increased awareness andresilience of NW communities to climate changewill need to be carefully considered. The impactof flood risk will need to be carefully considered.

7. World-class skills base: this will require aconcentration of resources on deprivedcommunities to raise the generally low level ofbasic skills associated with these areas. There ispotential to improve from this level and ensurethe skills system responds to future regionalskills needs particularly those supportingadvanced industries and low-carbon technologies.

8. Healthy population: deprived communities,poor quality housing, concentrated levels ofunemployment and lower skills base generallyequates to less healthy populations, soinfluencing behavioural change, targetinginvestment and resources in these areas couldlead to improvements in health and wellbeing inthese areas.

9. Quality employment opportunities for all:skills levels, potential, ambition and accessibilityare key issues which through targeting ofresources could result in significant opportunitiesfor unlocking potential. Realising the potential ofunder-employed groups whether disabledpeople, older people, the minority ethnicpopulation or women or by tackling the barriersto work to stimulate the supply of skilled labour,ensure worklessness significantly reduces andraises employment rates in order to increase theprosperity of the region.

10. Balanced housing markets:- renewal andregeneration is a dominant theme across thisoption but given the level of investmentfocused on these areas there is the opportunityto change perceptions and widen the marketappeal of these areas. Housing marketrestructuring to support growth and quality ofplace-making, particularly adjacent to urbancores is a key feature and should result in animproved housing offer that seeks to maximiseits role in regenerating communities andsupporting economic growth, as well asmeeting the needs and aspirations of thelocal communities (including enabling peopleto succeed at living independently), bycontinuing to support the restructuring ofvulnerable housing markets as part of thewider regeneration and placemaking agenda.Emphasis will be placed on creating viablesustainable communities that people canlive in.

11. High-quality and reliable and efficientinfrastructure, transport and digitalnetworks: this option makes the most effectiveand efficient use of infrastructure, includingdigital connectivity, linking areas of need withareas of opportunity. NGA will improve theability of individuals to access employment andconnect to online networks for a range ofentertainment, social and educational content.It will give consumers the ability to use new‘tools’ at work and home, and, in allowing foreconomies of scale and cost reduction in onlinedelivery of government services such ashealthcare and education, will improve qualityof life and promote social inclusion.

12. High-quality, efficient and responsivepublic services – public sector services tendto be a dominant feature of local economies inregeneration priority areas. Therefore anyreduction in public funding and resources willbe a significant issue so it is important thatfuture investment is targeted: not trying totransform everywhere but investing in placeswhere it will have most impact by supportingthose communities where the most severepoverty and worklessness persists andwhere there is the opportunity to deliver long-term change.



D



Question 37:Within the context of the Strategy, whichoption, or combination of options, do youconsider best delivers the needs of theregion? If that option(s) has weaknesseshow could they be improved?


E

Section EWhat happens next?


66 What happens next?

E

We would like your views and comments on the questions set out in this document, which arelisted below:

The Strategy in SummaryQuestion 1: Do you agree that these four strands and key spatial issues should provide the basis for the

Regional Strategy?

Question 2: Are there any priorities we have missed?

Question 3: Are these the key outstanding questions facing the region?

Section A: Context for the StrategyQuestion 4: Do you agree with this Vision? If not, how can it be improved?

Question 5: Would these indicators accurately reflect the delivery of the Part 1 outcomes? If not, how would you improve the list?

Section B: The StrategyQuestions6-22: Do you agree with these potential areas for action? If not, what changes would you suggest

and why?

Section C: Spatial implications of the StrategyQuestions23-27: Have we identified the key assets, opportunities and challenges, and what needs to be done,

in this sub-region? If not, what changes would you suggest, and why?

Question 28: Are these the most significant intra and cross-regional opportunities?

Section D: Strategic optionsQuestions29,31,33,35: Will this option deliver the outcomes and priorities of the Strategy?

Questions30,32,34,36: What are the strengths and weaknesses of this option?

Question 37: Within the context of the Strategy, which option, or combination of options, do you considerbest delivers the needs of the region? If that option(s) has weaknesses how could they beimproved?

In addition, there are two final supplementary questions on which we would welcome views:

Supplementary questionsQuestion 38: In light of your responses so far, how do you feel we can best tackle the outstanding

questions on page 7?

Question 39: Do you have any other comments?

Your responses will be considered in preparing a revised Part 1, to be signed off by the 4NW andNWDA Boards in Spring 2010. It is intended that the revised Part 1, together with a draft Part 2 anddraft Implementation Framework, will be issued for a formal twelve-week statutory consultation inSummer 2010.

Your views and comments should reach us by Friday 26 February 2010 and can be made in two ways:

a. Via our consultation website: http:/consult.nwregionalstrategy.com/portal.

b. We would encourage responses via the website as far as possible. However, you can also write to us at:

RS2010 Part 1 ConsultationNorthwest Regional Development AgencyRenaissance House, Centre Park, Warrington WA1 1XB

If you have any questions or need any further information, please contact:Brenda Buckley, Regional Strategy Development Officer, [email protected]: 01925 400279


Appendices

1. RS2010 Process

2. Key points from the evidence base

3. Indicative list of topics for which detailedpolicies may be set out in Part 2


68 Appendices

Regional Strategies: the statutory backgroundThe Local Democracy, Economic Development andConstruction Act 2009 places a statutory duty on4NW (the Regional Leaders Board) and NWDA toproduce a single Northwest Regional Strategywhich sets out a long-term strategic framework forthe region to promote sustainable economic growthand contribute to sustainable development.

The Regional Strategy will be part of the statutorydevelopment plan for every local authority in theNorthwest. Therefore, local developmentdocuments (LDDs) must be in general conformitywith this Strategy.

The draft Regional Strategy guidance proposes thatthey should in particular:l include specific targets in relation to GVA,

housing numbers and reducing carbon emissions; l set out a vision for the region based on a

proper analysis of the opportunities andchallenges it faces;

l be based on evidence particularly that generatedat sub-regional and local authority level;

l be concise and spatially specific;l conform to national policy whilst reflecting

regional priorities; l detail policies on sustainable economic growth,

housing and on climate change mitigation andadaptation;

l identify priority areas for regeneration basedupon relative deprivation and inequalities;

l audit future infrastructure demand, includingenvironmental infrastructure, and ensure that theStrategy is responsive to current and futurechallenges;

l set out policies for widening access to culture,media and sport as well as protecting andenhancing the built and natural environmentincluding biodiversity; and

l focus on the key strategic priorities for the regionand the interventions it proposes.

Geographic coverage of RS2010In line with the above legislation, the regionalboundary adopted for RS2010 differs from thestandard Government Office Region.

For this purpose, the Northwest comprises: thecounties of Cumbria and Lancashire; themetropolitan districts of Greater Manchester andMerseyside; the unitary authorities of Blackburn-with-Darwen, Blackpool, Cheshire East, CheshireWest and Chester, Halton and Warrington. It covers

the whole of the Lake District National Park but notthose parts of the Yorkshire Dales and Peak DistrictNational Parks that fall within the Northwest region.

The Regional Strategy process explainedThis initial (Part 1) Regional Strategy sets out whatthe region needs to do if it is to improve the economyand our housing stock at the same time as reducingour carbon emissions and deprivation. RS2010does not, and nor should it, describe the numerousactivities that are and will continue within the region.It seeks only to identify where working together atregional level can make a substantial difference.

The Regional Strategy should be read as a whole.Cross referencing has been kept to a minimum andduplication avoided as far as possible.

Taking account of responses to this consultation,the preferred vision, strategic priorities and optionswill be agreed by 4NW, the Regional LeadersBoard, and the NWDA Board in spring 2010.

Meanwhile the ongoing sustainability appraisalprocess will continue. This ensures that strategydevelopment is being undertaken with fullawareness of the potential impact on theenvironment, on equalities, on health, on habitatsand on the region’s rural areas.

‘Part 2’ of the Regional Strategy will contain moredetailed thematic and spatial policies on specificissues, such as housing, connectivity/transport,climate change, productivity and poverty, and willbe published (along with the revised Part 1 andImplementation Framework) in Summer 2010 for aformal consultation process lasting twelve weeks.

The finalised versions of both Parts 1 and 2 willthen be submitted in Autumn 2010 to anExamination in Public process.

For each of the proposed strategic interventions,we will seek Government support, not only in wordbut through departmental commitments such thatwe have an agreement between the region andnational government setting out what it is thattogether we will achieve in our mutual interest.

Sustainability AppraisalThe Sustainability Appraisal (SA) forms an integralpart of the preparation of RS2010. It is a legalrequirement and is a process for establishing andreporting on the social, environmental andeconomic effects of the Strategy, including itscosts, benefits and risks and for testing andimproving its sustainability.

Appendix 1: RS2010 Process


Section 77(2) of the Local Democracy, EconomicDevelopment and Construction Act 2009 requiresresponsible regional authorities to carry out anappraisal of the sustainability of the proposals intheir draft Regional Strategy. The outcomes of thisappraisal must be set out in a report whichshould be published for consultation alongside thedraft Strategy.

The purpose of a sustainability appraisal is broadly:to identify and report upon the likely significanteffects of the proposed Strategy and any potentialmitigation measures required; to assess theeffectiveness of the Strategy in achieving theagreed economic, social and environmentalsustainability objectives; and to set out a range ofindicators for monitoring the implementation of theStrategy’s proposals.

In addition, the European Union’s Directive on theenvironmental assessment of plans andprogrammes (Directive 2001/42/EC), which cameinto force in England and Wales in July 2004through the Environmental Assessment of Plansand Programmes Regulations 2004 (StatutoryInstrument 2004 No. 1633), requires that a strategicenvironmental assessment (SEA) must be carriedout for all plans and programmes:

l which are prepared for agriculture, forestry,fisheries, energy, industry, transport, wastemanagement, water management,telecommunications, tourism, town and countryplanning or land use and which set theframework for future development consent ofprojects requiring EIA, or

l which in view of the likely effect on internationalnature conservation sites require an appropriateassessment of the implications for those sites.

Directive 92/43/EEC (the Habitats Directive) on theConservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Faunaand Flora requires that any plan or project notdirectly connected with or necessary to themanagement of a designated habitats site, butjudged as likely to have a significant effect uponany designated site, either individually or incombination with other plans or projects, must besubject to an assessment of any implications uponthe site and its conservation objectives.

The Sustainability Appraisal report thataccompanies the draft RS2010 Part 1 meets therequirements for Sustainability Appraisal (SA),Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) andHabitats Regulation Assessment.

In addition to Sustainability Appraisal, the RS2010has also been subject to –

l Equalities Impact Assessment (EqIA), thepurpose of which is to identify any potentialpositive equality impacts associated with apolicy, strategy or project; any potential risks toequality; and any alternatives or additionalmeasures to reduce or avoid these risks.

l Health Impact Assessment (HIA), the purpose ofwhich is to ensure decision making at all levelsconsiders the potential impacts of decisions onhealth and health inequalities. It may alsoidentify actions to enhance positive effects andreduce or eliminate negative effects.

l Rural Proofing: a mandatory part of thestrategy/policy making process introducedthrough the Rural White Paper in 2000, ruralproofing requires that consideration is given to:whether a strategy/policy is likely to have adifferent impact upon rural areas because ofparticular rural circumstances or needs; anyimpact is assessed to determine whether theyare significant; and adjustments are made to thepolicy/strategy to address specific rural needsand circumstances.

In 2008, the NWDA on behalf of the RegionalStrategy Advisory Group appointed a team ofconsultants led by Bridge Economics/URSUS toundertake the Sustainability Appraisal of theemerging RS2010. The consultants are advised bya Steering Group comprising representatives fromNWDA, 4NW, GONW, Natural England,Environment Agency, English Heritage, SustainableDevelopment Commission, Sub-regionalpartnerships and NW TUC.

The Sustainability Appraisal has formed anintegrated part of the Regional Strategy makingprocess with iterative inputs into the developmentof strategic options and priorities. As aconsequence, changes to the emerging Draft Part 1content were made to address the commentsbeing raised. Subsequently a full SA has beenundertaken on the final version of draft Part 1 andthis is being published alongside this document.


Outcome 1. The development of a low-carboneconomy, which promotes the sustainable useof resources and minimises and adapts to theimpact of climate changeThe key points emerging from the evidence are: l we have reduced our carbon footprint by

2,860,000 tonnes since 1990 but this is set toincrease over the next decade under “businessas usual” forecasts, although recent policy-drivenenvironmental modelling also predicts a drop of12% in energy demand by 2020;

l ‘Mini-Stern’ reviews suggest that the ‘do nothing’option could cost the region up to £70 billionover the next 12 years;

l we are becoming less energy-intensive as wellas a net exporter of energy, consuming 35,000GWh and producing 43,000 GWh of electricity,with the region home to some of the mostsignificant facilities in the UK for fossil fuels,nuclear and renewable generation;

l we currently produce only a few percent of ourenergy from renewable sources but there aresignificant opportunities to build on our existingnuclear strengths and develop new renewabletechnologies, based on the ‘Energy Coast’, toimprove our energy supply, support economicgrowth and reduce carbon emissions;

l based on a high emissions scenario, by 2080,average summer and winter temperatures willincrease by 4.7% and 3.1%, with averagesummer rainfall decreasing by 28% and averagewinter rainfall increasing by 26%, and with moreextreme weather events;

l the electricity network requires considerableupgrading, including connections for new low-carbon sources of supply;

l there is a need to improve energy efficiency forboth businesses and households, producingcost savings and reducing carbon emissions,with opportunities for retrofitting housing stock toyield environmental and social advantages (forexample, 16% of the region’s households arefuel poor); and

l road transport currently accounts for 25% of allCO2 produced so the transport sector must be apriority for reducing emissions.

Outcome 2. Vibrant and attractive cities, townsand rural areas, capitalising on the region’s richcultural, heritage, sporting and university assetsThe key points emerging from the evidence are: l the Northwest has a range of cultural assets

unmatched anywhere outside London withnumerous national galleries, museums, theatresand high profile events like the European Capitalof Culture, Manchester International Festival andCultural Olympiad programme;

l a strong tourism industry, with for example theNorthwest being the third most visited region fordomestic overnight stays (37 million), andManchester and Liverpool now the second andthird most frequently visited destinations byoverseas visitors in England alongside the LakeDistrict’s continuing strength as a majordestination;

l the Northwest benefits from an extensive rangeof historic assets, with 25,000 listed buildingsand 2 World Heritage Sites, which contribute£1.6 billion per year to regional GVA;

l the sports industry in the Northwest iscomprised of over 8,000 companies, employing98,000 people and generating an annualturnover of £6.5bn, underpinned by the world-class brands of Manchester United and Liverpoolfootball clubs;

l the number and quality of the region’suniversities has a significant impact inattracting/retaining students and generatingsignificant economic and regeneration benefitsthrough substantial capital expenditure (£260min 2007/8);

l despite the strong assets, participation rates inboth culture and sports are relatively low,particularly in more deprived communities, butthere are opportunities to develop this;

l there are opportunities to make more of theheritage appeal of Chester, Lancaster, Carlisleand Southport; and

l the region’s extensive and valuable rural assetsare consistently top of mind images withinperception surveys highlighting their importancein marketing of the region. The Lake District inparticularly is one of the most favourableassociations with the Northwest.

Appendix 2: Key points from theevidence base

70 Appendices


Outcome 3. Increased levels of enterprise andtrade, creating the right conditions for businessgrowth and sustainability in the region. This willcapitalise on the region’s strengths and assetsin international trade, intellectual property,advanced manufacturing, biomedical anddigital/creativeThe key points emerging from the evidence are: l sectors of both national (plastic/printable

electronics, digital and creative and low-carbon)and international significance (advancedmanufacturing, chemicals, composites andbiomedical) provide the concentration, size andproductivity to give competitive strengths andthe ability to further develop capacity in high-value areas of global growth, which couldpotentially boost the region’s economy;

l the region has an advanced manufacturingsector of international significance, with BAESystems for example as a major player in theinternational as well as national defence industrywith a direct GVA contribution to the UKeconomy of £2.4 billion and 48% of thecompany’s UK staff based in the Northwest;

l media, digital and creative is seen as a growthsector internationally, and MediaCityUK providesgreat opportunities for the Northwest to accessthis market;

l business start-up rates have been consistentlypoor over the last five years, with an average of37 less starts per 10,000 (16+ population)compared to England’s 43;

l the Northwest does not punch its weight withregard to business turnover: between 2001 and2007 the region’s share of enterprises grewmarginally from 10.7% to 10.9% of the UK totalbut the share of turnover they produced declinedfrom 9.3% to 8.4%;

l the culture of enterprise in the Northwest lagsbehind leading regions with fewer individualsbelieving they have the skills to start anenterprise: 41.8% in 2008 compared with 51.7%for London;

l leadership and management skills in the regionneed to improve. If the region were in the topquartile in terms of management and leadershipperformance this would add £1bn to theeconomy; and

l social enterprise is an area of opportunity in theregion, particularly in regenerating deprived areasas research has shown that individuals withlower rates of engagement in the formal labourmarket are more likely to be social entrepreneurs.

Outcome 4. Increased productivity, whichcapitalises on the region’s innovation, scienceand research assets and exploits theNorthwest’s potential in the renewable andnuclear offer and worldwide opportunities forlow-carbon technologiesThe key points emerging from the evidence are: l although the gap in GVA per capita growth rates

has narrowed in recent years, with the Northwestoutperforming the England average in 2006 and2007 (5.0% and 5.8% Northwest compared with4.7% and 5.4% in England), the region has asignificant output gap with England(£19.7 billion), Approximately 70% of theregion’s output gap is due to lower productivity,with the remaining 30% a result of demographicand labour market factors;

l labour productivity in the Northwest remains 9%below the England average. The region has arelatively unfavourable occupational mix, with asmaller proportion of workers in high-leveloccupations;

l in 2008, 25.6% of the working age populationheld NVQ level 4 qualifications compared with28.7% for England overall. It is estimated that a1% relative increase in NVQ level 3 and 4qualified working age population would increaseGVA by £0.29 billion;

l the region is rich in science and technology andhas a strong base in business research anddevelopment: between 2001 and 2006 theNorthwest experienced the third largest growthof all English regions (4.1% per annum);

l there are emerging strengths in biomedical: overthe last five years the region has experienced arapid expansion from £201m in 2001 to over£500m, a 10.2% per annum growth rate;

l we have a number of internationally importantorganisations in high-value sectors, includingAstra Zeneca, which is a global centre forbiomedical research and development, andUnilever;

l significant opportunities exist in high-productivity sectors, especially nuclear where theregion has 50% of the civil nuclear workforce,and biomedical where the region has a highconcentration in terms of employment and GVA;and

l the key role played by manufacturing sectorsand the dependence on a number of large firmsfor high-value added activity presents risks forthe regional economy.


72 Appendices

Outcome 5. Protected, enhanced anddeveloped the quality of the Northwest’soutstanding environmental, natural and coastallandscape assetsThe key points emerging from the evidence are: l the natural environment generates an estimated

GVA of £2.6 billion and supports 109,000 jobs,as well as providing a number of ‘ecosystemservices’ such as food production, waterregulation and landscape value;

l 29% of the region is designated as National Parkor Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty for itsoutstanding landscape value, includingEngland’s largest National Park;

l the Northwest coast, estuaries and rivers areinternationally important for wildlife, with over80% of the coastline being internationallydesignated and supporting importantpopulations of wildfowl and wading birds;

l the region contains 35 of the 40 UK BiodiversityAction Plan terrestrial and freshwater habitatswith, for example, nearly half of England’s blanketbog and lowland raised bog resources;

l climate change presents particular challenges tothe natural environment, with a potential sealevel rise of up to 68cm by 2080 and significantthreats from flooding, with some 224,500properties already at risk and with an increasedfrequency of flooding likely to destroy coastalhabitats;

l growth presents challenges for the region’senvironment, including water resources andpressure to develop in floodplains; and

l the region has a strong green infrastructurenetwork, allowing people to use greenspacewhere they live, as well as over 20,000km ofpublic rights of way.

Outcome 6. Communities and places which aresustainable and safe, with less deprivation anddisadvantage within the regionThe key points emerging from the evidence are: l the Northwest is a more equal society than most

other regions, especially in terms of incomedistribution for which it displays a fairerdistribution of wealth across households than forEngland. This is recognised as one of thefundamental determinants of socio-economicprogress, and plays a large part in the Northwestachieving 2nd place in the New EconomicsFoundation’s Regional Index of SustainableEconomic Wellbeing (RISEW);

l the region has above average crime rates(91 crimes per population compared to 85 forEngland) with 45% of these crimes taking placein Greater Manchester. However crime has fallenacross the region at a greater rate than forEngland as a whole;

l some of the most deprived areas in the countryare in the Northwest particularly in Liverpool,Manchester, Knowsley, and Blackpool andBlackburn which are the 1st, 4th, 5th, 12th and17th most deprived districts respectively. Otherareas with notable hotspots of deprivationinclude Salford, Preston, Pennine Lancashire andBarrow-in-Furness. Certain areas in the regionare showing improvement, particularly districts innorth and central Lancashire and Cheshire butother areas like Pennine Lancashire, NorthGreater Manchester and Blackpool are becomingsteadily more deprived;

l although generally affluent there are verysmall pockets of deprivation in rural areasin the region which do not show up ontraditional measurements;

l child poverty has improved in recent years but330,000 children in the Northwest live in relativepoverty and these disadvantaged children aremost likely to live in urban areas in GreaterManchester, Merseyside or Pennine Lancashire.Children living in deprived areas are far less likelyto achieve 5 GCSE grades A* – C;

l income inequality varies across the region from5 times more in Congleton to 8 times more inAllerdale, with the overall Northwest ratio 6:1;

l rural districts such as Congleton, Ribble Valley,and South Lakeland which are proximate tourban centres tend to have the lowest incomeinequality (but higher incomes overall) and thehighest quality of life according to indicators likelife expectancy, child poverty and crime rates;and

l the region has a large and influential voluntary,community and faith sector which provides anumber of opportunities for impact withindeprived communities, with evidence that itoutperforms the private and public sectors indelivering employment and other services.


Outcome 7. A world-class skills base, withimproved education, which helps to attract andretain talent as well as tackling gaps in basicand graduate level skillsThe key points emerging from the evidence are: l the region has a strong HEI base, with the 2nd

highest number of students outside London and40% studying STEM subjects (6% higher thanEngland average);

l FE colleges are amongst the best in the countrywith the highest proportion of Beacon Colleges,and 2 institutions delivering MBA qualificationsare amongst the top 30 internationally;

l the region is faced with fewer young peopleentering the labour market at 16-19, exacerbatedby increased entrants to higher education. Butthe region is doing better at retaining graduates(with numbers increasing from 65% to 68%): thisreflects the position across the region as a wholeand local areas may show a different picture, andalthough we have lower levels of managers, theyare becoming more qualified;

l skills levels amongst adults and young peoplehave improved in recent years but there aremore people without qualifications than theEngland average, and there are relatively lowernumbers of those with level 4 qualifications (only25%, ranked 5th in England);

l attainment by young people at Level 3,excluding A Levels, by age 19 is fairly low in theNorthwest. In 2007 the region was ranked 6th ofthe nine English regions in terms of theproportion of young people achieving Level 3between 16 and 19;

l there is a higher proportion of young people notin training, education or employment in theregion (just under 8%) and there are low levelsof aspiration; and

l senior managers are becoming more highlyqualified and reducing the gap with the Englandaverage but businesses find it difficult to attractand retain staff for higher level occupations.

Outcome 8. A healthy population, withreduced health inequalities and whichcapitalises on the economic opportunitiesfrom changing health issuesThe key points emerging from the evidence are: l the Northwest’s population suffers from poor

health and health inequalities. Just over 9% ofthe potential workforce is claiming incapacitybenefits. The region also has high levels ofabsenteeism due to ill health;

l the concentrations of ill health and therelationship with economic and social wellbeingpresent big challenges, such as an inability toaccess the labour market due to health issuesand life expectancy being largely influenced bywhere an individual is born;

l life expectancy rates continue to improve but, at78.2 years, remain below the national average of79.7 years;

l the poorest places for health in the regioncorrelate with high levels of deprivation.Therefore we must see health issues within awider context and tackle the causes rather thanjust the symptoms;

l severe mental health symptoms are higher in theNorthwest; alcohol consumption is ranked jointworst; there is low physical exerciseparticipation; and smoking prevalence has fallenbut remains high relative to the national average;and

l as an employer, the NHS is one of the largest inthe region and there is a large concentration ofspecialist health centres, particularly in Liverpoolcity region, and significant opportunities withinthe region in biomedical and health-relatedresearch and innovation.


74 Appendices

Outcome 9. An improved range and depth ofquality employment opportunities for all. Therewill be links between areas of opportunity andneed, with reduced employment rates and animproved supply of labour to businessesThe key points emerging from the evidence are:l the current recession led to 30,000 job losses

between May 2008 and May 2009 and manyanalysts forecast that unemployment willcontinue to increase in the short to medium-termuntil the recovery takes effect;

l the region has a high unemployment rate(8.7%, against the England rate of 7.9%) and anemployment rate of 70.8%;

l approximately 33% of jobs growth over the last5 years has taken place in cities and majorconurbations. Preston has the highest jobdensity. Despite strong jobs growth, employmentrates for local residents of Liverpool andManchester have not significantly risen;

l the region is heavily reliant on public sectoremployment; for example, Blackpool andSefton derive more than 40% of theiremployment from the public sector. Public sectorhas been the source of recent jobs growth whilstthe private sector saw a slight decline in jobsover the last 5 years;

l the Northwest has poor employment ratesagainst the England average amongst thedisabled (44.6% against 51.1%), ethnicminorities (55% against 61%) and older workersaged between 50 and 65 (67.3% against 72%)and

l there are significant opportunities in key growthsectors such as energy and environmentaltechnologies, digital and creative, plus anumber of world-leading employers includingBAe and Astra Zeneca, to create high-qualityjobs for the region.

Outcome 10. Balanced housing markets acrossthe Northwest that support economic growthand strengthens inclusion that ensures thateveryone has access to appropriate well-designed high-quality, affordable housing inmixed, sustainable communitiesThe key points emerging from the evidence are:l the number of households in the region grew

18% between 1976 and 2006 to 3 million; l the socio-demographic profile of the region is

changing with an ageing profile and a forecastincrease in one person households from thecurrent level of 32% to 39%;

l the housing stock is the oldest in the countryoutside of London, with an average age of 64years in 2007, with disproportionate numbers inthe lowest council tax bands;

l the economic recession has impacted seriouslyon new house building in the Northwest, as wellas the volume of house sales;

l there is a high incidence of non-decenthousing in the private sector, which impacts notjust on the built environment but on carbonemissions, the health of the population and thewider economy;

l the Northwest has the largest number ofhouseholds living in fuel poverty in England with472,000 households classified as fuel poor,which accounts for 16% of total households;

l although overall the Northwest is one of thelower priced regions in England based onaverage house prices, this conceals widedisparities. Access to housing that residents canafford is an issue in both high demand areasand in the many places with low averageincomes; and

l there is a need to increase and vary supply andto improve stock quality to meet growingdemand and widen housing choice, withparticular opportunities in the six designatedhousing growth points. Housing market renewalpathfinders are rejuvenating housing marketsand supporting regeneration of their areas.


Outcome 11. High-quality, reliable and efficientinfrastructure, transport and digital networkswhich contribute to sustainable developmentensuring that the region is better connected,locally and internationallyThe key points emerging from the evidence are: l 64% of travel (by passenger per km) is by road,

33% by air, 2% by rail and 1% by water. Theregion has good rail and road connectionsthrough the West Coast Main Line and extensivemotorway network;

l since 1996 the volume of traffic on the region’smajor roads has increased by 16%, leading tosevere congestion on main routes, and this isexpected to worsen as traffic is projected toincrease a further 27% by 2020;

l since 1990 the demand for bus travel hasreduced while the number of rail journeys hasincreased by 20% but capacity issues on the railnetwork are a significant concern for growthparticularly if modal shift continues;

l the region has strong international connections,with Manchester Airport currently handling over20 million terminal passengers per annum,Liverpool John Lennon Airport 5.5m passengersand Blackpool around 500,000 passengers;

l the region’s ports handled 45m tonnes of cargo(8% of total), but 21 million tonnes of this wasdistributed inland by road, adding to traffic androad transport emissions. The post-Panamaxfacilities at Liverpool, part of the Superportconcept, will create significant new opportunitiesfor the region;

l 82% of Northwest businesses use computersand 76% have internet access, with 87% of sitesusing broadband for their connectivity.Businesses with highest level of ICT adoptionhave the highest growth prospects;

l there are significant challenges for water, energyand waste infrastructure, particularly insupporting growth in Manchester and Liverpoolcity regions; and

l transport contributes 32% of carbon emissions,which is projected to increase to 39% by 2020.Majority is from road transport but continuingairport growth will present considerablechallenges for carbon budgets.

Outcome 12. High-quality, efficient andresponsive public services The key points emerging from the evidence are: l heavy reliance on public sector employment.

Public sector jobs account for 21% of all jobscompared to the England average of 18.9%;

l there are opportunities to attract furtherkey public sector organisations to relocate tothe Northwest;

l unclear how or where the forthcoming reductionin public funding will impact. Current expectationis that health and education will stay relativelylevel with main impact on defence, transport andlocal authorities;

l Mixed standard of service delivery:

– 12 district – councils receiving performanceratings of good or excellent

– 30 primary schools among the poorestperforming nationally based on KS2 nationalcurriculum test results

– 112 secondary schools listed as NationalChallenge schools

– 6 NHS trusts in the bottom 10% of all EnglandNHS trusts; and

l an ageing population will potentially put morepressure on public services with a particularlybig impact such as Cheshire and Cumbria.


Cheshire and WarringtonWith a population of 880,000, Cheshire andWarrington is made up of three local authorities:Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester andWarrington. There are five key functionaleconomies:l Chester and the Deeside Hub (including

Ellesmere Port) l Warringtonl Crewe Gateway and the South Cheshire

Growth areal the mid-Cheshire towns of Middlewich,

Northwich and Winsfordl North East Cheshire/Cheshire Peaks

Cheshire and Warrington is home to a range ofhigh productivity and technologically advancedlarge businesses in key sectors such asbiomedical, chemicals, automotive, financialservices, energy and nuclear and creativeindustries. Its businesses generate over 16% of theNorthwest’s economic output and its people makeup a significant proportion of the ‘knowledgeeconomy’ workforce which drives the city regions ofManchester and Liverpool. Chester would seem tobe underperforming given both its size andperformance profile, while Warrington plays asignificant role as a strong employment andbusiness hub.

The increase in knowledge-centric jobs in thefuture will mean the sub-region as an aspirationalplace to live will continue to attract high numbers ofknowledge workers. It also needs to prepare for anageing workforce. Housing Growth Points shouldhave an impact on housing supply, and thenumbers of workers available to achieve growthaspirations, and enabling high-value, innovativebusiness starts and growth in the sub-region’s highproductivity sectors are a priority.

CumbriaAt almost 7,000 square kilometres and a populationof 500,000, the County of Cumbria includes sixDistrict Councils plus the Lake District NationalPark. Renowned for its world-class landscapeCumbria is geographically isolated from regional,national and international markets with its keyrelationships being with North Lancashire, NorthEast England and South East Scotland.

Cumbria has internationally competitive strengths inmarine engineering and nuclear industries with keynatural resources such as water, wind and minerals.With over 15 million visitors per year there is stronginterdependency between land based industriesand associated supply chain businesses involvedin food and drink, retail, hospitality, outdoor andcultural provision. Cumbria has experiencedsubstantial in-migration of older people, and manyyoung people going to university elsewhere do notreturn. Achieving a better balance in the sub-region’s demographic make-up is a priority.

Carlisle performs the only hub function in the northof the region; however its size in terms of linkagesand GVA and its distance from other places meanthat its benefit to other areas is much smaller. It isnone the less important in a sub-region with a lackof dense conurbations from which to create criticalbusiness mass.

Greater ManchesterGreater Manchester (GM) with a population of2.58 million comprises ten local authorities. It is acoherent economic geography, with substantialtravel across local authority boundaries for work,education, and recreation. The economicgeography of the sub-region has a number ofdistinct permutations reflecting local housingmarkets, business linkages, travel to workmovements, administrative areas, and travel tolearn patterns. The area has extensive publictransport, road and motorway networks whichprovide a high level of connectivity between theten local authorities and allow significant crossboundary travel.

The urban core of Manchester and Salford,supported by Trafford and to a lesser extentStockport forms the economic core of the region.GM comprises almost 40% of Northwest GVA andis the central driver of the Northwest economy. Inlabour markets terms, 38% of the region’s jobs arein Greater Manchester. GM’s reach and impact isfelt much further than anywhere else. Its economicinfluence extends to parts of the High Peak,Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cheshire and Warrington.Evidence has demonstrated the importance ofManchester to the region, but also the functions ofits surrounding places contribute to its strength. There is a heavy reliance on global performance

76 Appendices

Summary of Places andSub-regional Forecasting Work


and labour supply from neighbouring areas,predominantly Cheshire, and its associatedtransport and connectivity issues. The growth ofthe conurbation is also at risk due to utilities andbroadband infrastructure capacity.

LancashireLancashire has a population of nearly 1.5m peopleand includes fifteen local authorities. There arefive distinct economic sub-areas: Lancaster andMorecambe, Fylde Coast, Greater Preston/CentralLancashire, Pennine Lancashire and WestLancashire. These sub-areas display clear economiclinkages with other parts of the region, specificallyManchester and Liverpool city regions and Cumbria.

Lancashire has a number of key economicstrengths and assets including a concentration ofhigher value added manufacturing activity, with aworld-class aerospace sector which is the largestoutside of the South East. In addition to aerospace,there are concentrations of advancedmanufacturing in electronics, automotive, nuclear,advanced flexible materials, chemicals, rubberand plastics and food and drink. The sub-region isalso home to an emerging ‘office economy’ ofbusiness and professional services and asignificant tourism sector built upon a historic cityand coastal resort offer and a high-quality andattractive rural environment.

The sub-region’s rural areas are a rich source ofenterprise in traditional rural industries and in arange of niche knowledge based sectors, with thecombination of highly desirable service centres andsemi-rural residential locations providing a choiceof lifestyle that cannot be accommodated in thelarger conurbations.

Lancashire’s demographic profile puts the sub-region at a significant advantage. Whereas the restof the region is experiencing ageing population,Lancashire is experiencing the reverse, especiallyin areas such as Pennine Lancashire, which ishome to a significant young Asian population.

Merseyside/Liverpool city regionThe Liverpool city region covers the core city ofLiverpool and Local Authority Districts of Halton,Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens, and Wirral: an areawith a combined population of 1.5 million people,

around 667,000 in employment and a combinedeconomic value of around £20 billion. Around thiscore lies a wider functional economic area coveringWest Cheshire, West Lancashire, Warrington, andparts of North Wales that has a combinedpopulation of 2.4 million people, 1.15m jobs and aneconomic contribution of an estimated £37 billion.

Over the past ten years the Liverpool city regionhas experienced an economic renaissance. In theperiod 1996-2006 economic wealth grew by over58.5% and business density by 21.3%, alongsidesignificant improvement in education and skilllevels. Growth in both of these indicators has beengreater than in the Northwest overall. Liverpool hasbeen the engine of this growth, currentlycontributing £8 billion to the Northwest economy.

The Liverpool city region economy has grownstrongly in recent years building on significantlevels of public sector investment. Liverpool has asubstantial GVA but does not benefit from stronghinterland places, its linkages and benefits comefrom a fairly narrow group of places. This wouldsuggest that economically developing Liverpooland its hinterland offers great potential. Currentlythe sub-region has a heavy reliance on publicsector investment, which is at threat and privatesector employment is linked to a small number oflarge employers.

Whilst Liverpool city region has achieved somemajor successes over the last few years, thesub-region still faces significant challenges,and is starting from a low base. There is a needto generate a significant number of jobopportunities to address high levels ofworklessness, and a need to raise productivity byimproving residents’ skills and encouraging thegrowth of high value added businesses.

Liverpool city region’s recent success has beenlargely due to public investment and it is relativelycertain that this will not continue at the same scaleinto the future. There are a number of opportunities,including the potential relocation of civil servicefunctions to the sub-region, potential investment inthe Royal Liverpool Teaching Hospital, and thepotential to link procurement and skills programmesto Liverpool city region’s strong health andbiomedical sector and other public sector institutions.


78 Appendices

Draft Part 1 sets out the high-level strategic policyframework, whilst the Part 2 policies will furnishdetail both in terms of spatial and thematic policydimensions. The potential approach to Part 2policies is described briefly below. This list isindicative, not exhaustive, and reflects requirementslaid down in legislation and central governmentguidance. It does not at this stage commit RS2010to developing policies on all the topics identified.

Part 2 could include detailed policies (thematicand spatial) covering the following:

1. Capitalise on the opportunities of movingto a low-carbon economy and addressclimate changeProactive and innovative actions on climatechange and energy, through a strategy thatmakes a significant contribution to climatechange mitigation and helps meet theGovernment’s greenhouse gas targets andcarbon budgets, as well as the Government’sobjectives on adapting to the impacts of climatechange. In doing so we would seek to buildupon and refine current regional policy on:l Incorporate (and review as appropriate)

recently refreshed Climate Change Action Planwhich deals with both adaption and mitigation.

l Energy policy including energy efficiency,energy infrastructure and renewable energy(including broad locations). [There may need tobe consideration of any further energy relatedpolicy matters in the light of the current draftconsultation on National Policy Statements].

l Sustainable consumption and production –incorporating the Sustainable Consumptionand Production Action Plan – Minerals including the need to set out a

sub-regional apportionment of regionalaggregates figures.

– Incorporate (and adapt as appropriate)recently revised Regional Waste Strategy –including policies on Waste managementand the need to account for broadlocations for regionally significant wastemanagement facilities.

2. Building on the Northwest’s competitiveadvantage and distinctivenessHow sustainable economic growth can be bestdelivered, taking into account employment andthe key drivers of productivity – innovation andknowledge transfer, skills, enterprise, investmentand competition.l Setting out the key economic sectors for

investment and potential spatial implications.l Portfolio of strategic regional sites.l District level employment land allocations.

[A final version of the new Planning PolicyStatement 4 (PPS4) is expected soon –the draft version set out this expectation].

l Tourism and leisure and its contribution towellbeing of residents and the economy.

l Retail development may need to be coveredgiven current and potential new nationalplanning policy (PPS6 and the expected finalversion of PPS4).

l Priorities for the protection, enhancement andaccess to the built and natural environment,including biodiversity.

l Priorities for widening access to culture, media,sport and leisure.

3. Releasing potential and tackling povertyHow sustainable economic growth can bebest delivered, taking into account that it is thepeople that are the region’s major source ofcompetitive advantage but their potential oftenremains unfulfilled.l A Regional Skills Strategy will be developed

and embedded in RS2010.l Tackling poverty, equality, diversity and

social inclusion.l The new public health agenda for

the Northwest.l Identification of areas or communities within

the region that should be a priority foreconomic growth, regeneration, renewal andinvestment. Areas should identified, basedupon relative deprivation, worklessness,economic and environmental inequalities,health and social inequalities, social exclusion,social cohesion, skills levels, housing stock,isolation from areas of opportunity and theadequacy of infrastructure provision.

Appendix 3: Indicative list of topicsfor which detailed policies may be setout in Part 2


4. Securing the right housing and infrastructureHow the region will meet its housing need anddemand and achieve a wide choice of high-quality and suitable homes in good repair acrossboth new and existing stock to createsustainable, well-connected and inclusive mixedcommunities. In doing so we would seek to buildupon and refine current regional policy (in RSSand Regional Housing Strategy) on:l Housing numbers distributed to district

(including the Lake District National Park) andhousing market area geographies (as requiredby PPS3).

l Continuing the regional policy approach onensuring the right mix of type, tenure and sizeto encourage the development of balancedhousing markets.

l Continuing the regional policy approachon the need to address existing housingstock and housing renewal andneighbourhood regeneration.

l Affordable housing including considerationof targets for the region and housingmarket areas.

l Gypsy & Traveller and Travelling Showpeoplepitch provision (as set out in Partial Reviewof RSS).

l Supported housing/supported people. l How housing will contribute to wider RS goals

especially low-carbon, inclusion and health.

How the Strategy’s plans for sustainableeconomic growth, housing and otherdevelopment have taken account of availableinfrastructure, including environmentalinfrastructure, and its capacity and whatstrategic requirements, demand reduction,management and provision of infrastructureand services are needed to support the futuredevelopment of the region, including transport,waste, water and minerals. In doing so wewould seek to build upon and refine currentregional policy on:

l The region’s environmental assets (landscape,coast, natural environment, historic environment,and trees, woodlands and forests).

l Green infrastructure as a potential resourceand how to develop it further.

l Sustainable transport policy frameworkcovering integrated transport networks,managing travel demand, public transportframeworks, management of the highwaynetwork, airports, ports and waterways,freight transport including intermodal freightterminals, and priorities for transportmanagement and investment.

l Water management issues based on anintegrated water management approach (watersupply, waste water treatment, and flood risk).

l Relationship between coastal areas andemerging marine spatial planning agenda.


The Northwest Regional Development Agency Renaissance HouseCentre ParkWarrington WA1 1QNTel: +44 (0)1925 400 100Fax: +44 (0)1925 400 400

www.nwda.co.ukwww.enw.co.uk/visitwww.enw.co.uk/investwww.nwregionalstrategy.com

4NW Wigan Investment Centre Waterside Drive Wigan WN3 5BA Tel: +44 (0)1942 737928

www.4nw.org.uk

4NW is the Regional Leaders Board for England's Northwest

This document is available in large print, braille, audio tape and the following languages;Bengali, Chinese, Gujarati, Somali, Urdu and Hindi. Please contact the NWDA Marketing Department on 01925 400100


Date post:	21-Mar-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	northwest-regional-development-agency
View:	213 times
Download:	1 times

Document

Documents