Herefordshire Business Board hosted an event on Friday 28th February to consult and give businesses the opportunity to shape and influence the Strategic Economic Plan for Herefordshire and the wider Marches area. Graham Wynn, the chair of the Marches LEP and Alistair Neill, the Chief Executive of Herefordshire Council addressed the event to give their unique view of the challenges we face.

1. Herefordshire Business Summit
Friday 28th February 2014

2. Welcome
Peter Brown
Herefordshire Business Board

3. The Marches Strategic Economic Plan:
“Accelerating Growth though
Opportunity”
Graham Wynn OBE – Chair, Marches LEP

4. “A strong, diverse and enterprising business
base, operating in an exceptional and
connected environment, where the transfer
of technology and skills foster innovation,
investment and economic growth”
The Vision for the Marches LEP

6. Our Business Community
•28,000 businesses
•£10 billion contribution
•Large national & multi nationals
•86% employ less than 10
•11.5% self employment

8. Core Strengths
•Advanced Manufacturing
•Agriculture / Agri-Tech /
Food & Drink
•Defence & Securities

9. Opportunities
•Tourism & Leisure
(including B/T)
•Environmental
Technologies
•Social Enterprise

10. Our LEP Board
Sub Groups
•LEP Funding Forum Chair - Cllr Roger Phillips, Herefordshire Council
•Marches Skills Board Chair- Prof. Ian Oakes , University of Wolverhampton
•Marches Planning & Housing Partnership Chair- Peter Roach , Bournville Village Trust
•Hereford Enterprise Zone Board Chair – Bill Jackson, Jackson Property
•Marches Local Transport Body Chair- Cllr Bill McClements, Telford & Wrekin Council
• Agri-Tech, Food & Drink Chair – Dr David Llewellyn, Harper Adams University
Council Leaders
Cllr Tony Johnson -
Herefordshire
Cllr Keith Barrow -
Shropshire
Cllr Kuldip Sahota -
Telford
Chair
Graham Wynn OBE
Co-opted Business Champions
Dr David Llewellyn, Harper Adams
University
Peter Roach, Bournville Village Trust
Higher Education Champion
Professor Ian Oakes - University of
Wolverhampton
Hereford Enterprise Zone
Bill Jackson, Chairman
Business Board Chairs
Peter Brown-
Herefordshire
Mandy Thorn -
Shropshire
tbc - Telford

11. Our Successes
•£ 25 million new money
•Growing Places Fund
•Hereford Enterprise Zone
•Marches Redundant
Building Grant Scheme

12. So What’s Holding
Herefordshire Up?
•Transport Infrastructure
•River Phosphates Challenge
•Critical Mass
•Young People ↓ Retired↑
•Low Average Wages
•Educational Attainment

13. Our SEP Proposition
•Build 72,000 more homes
by 2031
•Business support to deliver
38,000 jobs
•Upskill our Workforce
•Reduce Youth Unemployment

14. What We Have
Asked For
•Marches Investment Fund
•New partnership with Government to deliver
more growth
•A Community Budget to address Youth
Unemployment

15. Community Budget
•To address youth unemployment
•16-24 yr olds – co-ordinated support
•Support employers to create
apprenticeships
•Addressing barriers to employment

16. Final Comments
Thank You for Your Attention

17. A Masterplan for Herefordshire
Alistair Neill
Chief Executive Herefordshire Council

19. Building our economic master-
plan
• Business Summit, 28th Feb 2014

20. Building our economic master-plan
• Working through our LEP
• Providing the LEP with the ammunition to do its work.
• Giving us the tools to ‘sell’ the benefits of investing in
Herefordshire.

21. Strong foundations
• £252 mill capital investment scheduled
• 8,775 new jobs planned
• 114 hectares of employment land
• 16,500 new homes

22. Looking ahead – let’s be ready
• 2010 – public debt: £600 bill
• 2015 – public debt: £1,300 bill
• ……..Rising at £280 mill per day
• ………..Costing £50 bill p.a. to service the interest.
• Big changes inevitable – we need to stand out as a
competitive county among competing regions.
• Business needs to be in driving seat – supported by the
public sector

23. council is dealing with huge
funding cuts
• Herefordshire Council fully engaged with need to radically
change and reduce its costs.
• On target to reduce expenditure by over £67 mill by 2016/17.

24. 3 goals for our master-plan
1. Agree our economic priorities and our focus
2. Plan how to deliver these
3. Present these coherently to Investors

25. What Priorities?
•2 are showstoppers – if we really build our ambitions around
them, they can become our rocket launchers:-
• Educational Attainment
• Skills

26. The New university of
Herefordshire
• Key to success
• Can become one of the biggest cogs driving our economic
machine.
• Fundamental for the right skills.
• Fundamental to have them in Herefordshire.

27. Our Masterplan will have worked
if…
•…..we succeed in closing the earnings gap with the West
Midlands and UK:-
•
• £20,000 Herefordshire
• £25,000 West Midlands
• £27,000 UK

28. Our economic master-plan
proposal
• 15 years, split into 3 blocks of 5 years.
• Incorporating our scheduled plans.
• Building on our ambitions.
• Showing how they connect.
• Containing our stretch goals.

29. Private sector needs to own it,
lead it.
We’ll support getting there.
• Now it’s your turn –
• how can we drive economic development by building
Herefordshire’s Economic Master-plan?

30. Breakout Session Themes:
• Transport and Infrastructure
• Broadband
• Housing
• Business Support
• Construction
• Environment
• Education, Employability and Skills
• Funding and Finance

31. Feedback & Q&As
Chaired by: Peter Brown
Graham Wynn, Marches LEP
Alistair Neill, Chief Executive Herefordshire Council
Cllr Tony Johnson, Leader of Herefordshire Council

32. What Next?
Graham Wynn
Marches LEP

33. Close
Peter Brown
Herefordshire Business Board