Planning economic development strategy and policy without effective baselines and ratios for effective comparison is groping blindly in the dark. This is work I can do well and enjoy!

1. Rossendale, Lancashire
• To facilitate discussion about how best to promote
Rossendale as a place for business
• Explore Rossendale business population baseline
• Needs a meaningful comparison with surrounding
Local Authority areas
• To give clear indications of strengths and
weaknesses in local economy, leading to:
• Appropriate economic development priorities
• Identification of what is special about Rossendale

2. IDBR
• The data contained in these tables are produced from a snapshot of the
Inter Departmental Business Register (IDBR) taken every year in March.
• The main administrative sources for the IDBR are VAT trader and PAYE
employer information passed to the ONS by HM Revenue & Customs
under the Value Added Tax Act 1994 for VAT traders and the Finance Act
1969 for PAYE employers; details of incorporated businesses are also
passed to ONS by Companies House.
STATISTICAL UNITS
• A group of legal units under common ownership is called an Enterprise
Group.
• An Enterprise is the smallest combination of legal units (generally based
on VAT and/or PAYE records) which has a certain degree of autonomy
within an Enterprise Group.
• An individual site (for example a factory or shop) in an enterprise is
called a local enterprise unit.

3. Local Enterprise Units:
Rossendale
Category Micro Small Medium Large
Employee Size Band 0-9 10-49 50-249 250+ Total
2012 2,230 335 65 5 2,635
2011 2,210 325 75 5 2,615
2010 2,255 320 65 5 2,645
2009 2,340 330 70 5 2,745
2008 2,355 330 65 5 2,755
Change 08-12 5% Decline 1.5% Increase Static Static 4.5% Decline
• Taken from statistics provided by the Interdepartmental Business Register.
• Shows the number of enterprise units in Rossendale by employee size and how
that’s changed since 2008 (they changed the way they counted it then so there’s no point in going further back).
• Includes all VAT registered and PAYE entities, including self-employed, so it’s the
nearest measure to the total organisation population for the borough.
• There’s not been a great deal of change during the recession, apart from a slight
decline in the micro population and a slight increase in the small population.

4. Local Enterprise Units
Comparison
Category Micro Small Medium Large Working
Age
PopulationEmployee Size Band 0-9 10-49 50-249 250+ Total
Rossendale 2,230 335 65 5 2,635 44,300
Hyndburn 2,035 405 90 10 2,540 51,100
Burnley 2,225 470 95 10 2,800 55,700
Pendle 2,430 440 90 15 2,975 56,800
Bury 5,325 850 185 20 6,380 118,500
Rochdale 5,155 1,020 220 30 6,425 136,100
Calderdale 6,570 1,125 250 30 7,975 131,300
• Shows total number of Local Enterprise Units in Local Authority Areas around
Rossendale at end March 2012.
• Shows Working Age Population figures (from NOMIS) at mid year 2011.
• To get a meaningful comparison, need to convert data to assume all areas have
the same Working Age Population as Rossendale.

5. Local Enterprise Units
Comparison
Category Micro Small Medium Large
Employee Size Band 0-9 10-49 50-249 250+ Total
Rossendale 2,230 335 65 5 2,635
Hyndburn 1,764 351 78 9 2,202
Burnley 1,770 374 76 8 2,227
Pendle 1,895 343 70 12 2,320
Bury 1,991 318 69 7 2,385
Rochdale 1,678 332 72 10 2,091
Calderdale 2,217 380 84 10 2,691
• Showing the number of Local Enterprise Units if each area had the same
Working Age Population as Rossendale, to enable comparison.
• Clearly shows a strength in Micro Enterprises in Rossendale balancing
weaknesses in other Local Enterprise Unit size bands.

6. Rossendale Local Enterprise Units
(2012)
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
Rural
Production
Construction
Motor
Wholesale
Retail
Transport, Storage
Accom & Food
Info, Communication
Finance & Insurance
Property
Prof, Sci, Tech
Business Services
Public Admin
Education
Health
Arts, Ent, Recreation
• Only major change: Health sector increased by 18% since 2009.

7. Rossendale: Strongest
Sectors
Construction Wholesale
Transport, Stor
age
Business Services Health
Rossendale 305 165 115 190 195
Hyndburn 238 126 87 121 195
Burnley 247 139 52 147 179
Pendle 226 136 74 156 168
Bury 256 144 75 161 150
Rochdale 221 132 88 130 171
Calderdale 304 155 84 152 155
• If these local authority areas all had same Working Age Population as
Rossendale
• These are the sectors where Rossendale is strongest in comparison to the
other local authority areas.

8. Rossendale: Strong Sectors
Rural Production Prof, Sci, Tech Education
Rossendale 100 260 310 75
Hyndburn 52 234 165 69
Burnley 44 215 183 68
Pendle 136 242 207 62
Bury 22 166 316 65
Rochdale 34 205 202 49
Calderdale 83 273 295 76
• If these local authority areas all had same Working Age Population as
Rossendale
• These are the sectors where Rossendale is second strongest in
comparison to the other local authority areas.

9. Rossendale: Weakest Sectors
Motor Retail Finance & Insurance
Rossendale 85 280 45
Hyndburn 100 316 52
Burnley 84 330 60
Pendle 94 324 47
Bury 93 316 60
Rochdale 85 267 55
Calderdale 100 312 69
• If these local authority areas all had same Working Age Population as
Rossendale
• These are the sectors where Rossendale is weakest in comparison to the
other local authority areas.

10. Rossendale: Medium Sectors
Accom, Food
Info,
Communication
Property Public Admin
Arts, Ent,
Recreation
Rossendale 145 100 75 20 170
Hyndburn 160 61 61 17 147
Burnley 155 80 60 24 163
Pendle 125 78 66 16 164
Bury 144 120 105 11 181
Rochdale 133 75 70 26 148
Calderdale 187 143 81 25 196
• If these local authority areas all had same Working Age Population as
Rossendale
• These are the sectors where Rossendale is mid table in comparison to the
other local authority areas.