The document outlines a plan for Surrey Connects to achieve Smart Economic Growth in Surrey, England. It aims to double the value of Surrey's economy to £52 billion by 2030 without damaging the environment or quality of life. Smart Economic Growth means using technology and innovation to increase productivity. Surrey Connects will focus on knowledge-based industries and driving innovation in key sectors like IT and life sciences. This will add economic value without increasing strain on infrastructure and housing.

1. Surrey Connects
Surrey Connects
Forward through
Smart Economic Growth
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2. Surrey Connects
Surrey Connects: Forward through Smart Economic Growth
Executive Summary
Surrey has a strong economy and an excellent environment. It is simultaneously the most
wooded county in England and also the largest contributor to the national economy outside
London. 73% of Surrey is designated as green belt and yet the county has a higher
annual output than Birmingham.
The county has an enviable location and good road and rail connections. It is on the
shoulder of London, with both Heathrow and Gatwick airports on its borders. One third of
the M25 runs through Surrey and much of the South East and London is within easy
commutable distance.
Surrey has a highly skilled workforce. More than 70% of its residents are educated to NVQ
level 2 or higher.
This unique combination of advantages brings considerable challenges. Surrey is a highly
desirable place to live, but house prices are very high and there is a shortage of affordable
key worker housing. The County’s road and rail network are heavily congested with some
of the highest levels of traffic in the UK. The combination of the greenbelt and previous
development means that meeting the aspirations of the business sector and residents for
new development will be a challenge.
Smart Economic Growth will help to achieve a sustainable Surrey rather than growth at
any cost.
Smart Economic Growth is extracting ‘more from less’. It means using technology, and
innovative ways of working to increase productivity without damaging the quality of life or
the environment in Surrey. Surrey Connects will optimise the potential of people, land,
space and technology. A focus on sustainability creates business value, equally in times
of economic difficulty as in periods of growth. It does this by driving innovation that can
inform a market-leading position.
This future growth of Surrey’s economy must be carefully targeted and directed to make
the most of the county’s intrinsic strengths without adding to its problems. In particular,
Surrey needs Smart Economic Growth – a focus on innovation, technology and
knowledge-based industries. In an already overcrowded county, the focus will be on high
value/ low volume sectors, new business start-ups, IT, financial services, pharmaceuticals
and corporate headquarters. This approach will add considerable economic value without
putting further strain on the already pressurised transport networks and housing market.
Businesses and local authorities in Surrey have come together to form Surrey Connects.
The aim of this new partnership is to achieve Smart Economic Growth in Surrey, with the
ambition of doubling the real value of Surrey’s economy to £52 billion by 2030, without
damaging the county’s unique advantages of environment, location and strong transport
links.
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3. Surrey Connects
Our ambition
By 2030, Surrey will have doubled the value of its economy to £52bn. To achieve this
Surrey Connects will be the exemplar Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) for Smart
Economic Growth.
Surrey Connects will accelerate the growth of Surrey’s key sectors by driving innovation,
enterprise and global competitiveness.
Surrey Connects will:
grow Surrey’s innovative and knowledge economy.
create the most educated and flexible workforce in Europe.
make Surrey the best place in the UK to start, finance and grow a business
ensure Surrey is recognised globally as a world-class sustainable business location.
Smart Economic Growth
Smart Economic Growth is extracting ‘more from less’. It means using technology, and
innovative ways of working to increase productivity without damaging the quality of life or
the environment in Surrey. Surrey Connects will optimise the potential of people, land,
space and technology.
Surrey Connects will create the right conditions for business to grow. Surrey’s already has
a number of intrinsic assets. A diverse range of businesses – with a strong knowledge
base, highly skilled residents, and a dynamic Higher and Further Education sector – with
three world-class universities. Surrey also has attractive environment and offers a good
quality of life. Surrey has locational advantages with proximity to London, adjacency to
two global airports and pivotal position on the strategic road and rail network. Like other
areas in the southeast, Surrey’s economic influence is complex and extends well beyond
its boundaries.
Global Competitiveness Driving Enterprise
100% super fast broadband coverage Higher business survival rates
Promotion of Surrey as a inward investment Stimulation of business creation
location Delivery of flexible workspace to accommodate
Delivery of major infrastructure projects – new businesses
through Transport for Surrey Getting the right local business support offer
Smart Economic Growth
Knowledge Economy Innovation Culture
Development of a world-class business/ Higher rates of R&D spend
management school Support for innovation agenda
Increasing the number of people ready for Increase of patent/ IP applications
employment at all skill levels
Development of the Community of Innovation
Maximise university, education and business and the Ambassador Academy
linkages through the Surrey Employment &
Skills Board
Smart Economic Growth is a new and evolving approach. Surrey Connects will explore,
understand, and then drive forward, what this means in practice for economic development
across Surrey. It may include new forms of development and the application of local
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4. Surrey Connects
authority housing, transport and planning powers in new ways. The aim of Surrey
Connects is to create a new space in which business and local government can come
together to develop and implement this approach.
This challenge is not unique to Surrey – it is, we believe, shared by Hertfordshire,
Buckinghamshire, much of Berkshire and many other areas in and close to London.
However, Surrey is the only would-be LEP to identify Smart Economic Growth as the
absolute priority and the primary focus for its business plan.
By adopting Smart Economic Growth as the driver for future economic success, we would
see Surrey Connects as a trailblazer LEP; one that will support the development of jobs in
key growth sectors, thereby providing the necessary skills to meet the challenge for
sustainable growth. This challenge transcends LEP boundaries; Surrey Connects will
pioneer the practical application of Smart Economic Growth to the benefit of other LEPs.
Our area
With a resident population of 1.1m, annual output of £26.5bn and approaching 600,000
jobs, Surrey’s economy is sizeable and impressive. It generates more value than the
economies of Birmingham (£20.1bn), Liverpool (£8.6bn) and Leeds (£17.8bn). Surrey is
the single largest net contributor to the Exchequer (some £6bn), second only to London.
Surrey is bigger than other edge-of-London and single upper tier authority areas with a
county-based LEP – bigger than Hertfordshire and almost twice the size of Oxfordshire.
Surrey therefore has scale. With scale comes huge potential impact in affecting
accelerated and sustainable economic growth.
Businesses, people, investors and our elected politicians recognise Surrey as a place, not
as an administrative unit. Surrey’s already well established businesses, ranging from 250
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5. Surrey Connects
international corporates through some 60,000 successful SMEs, are happy to identify
Surrey as their home.
Surrey is both a key component of the wider southeast economy and a functional
economic area in its own right. It has substantial daily in-out commuting flows and very
strong business-to-business linkages. With immediate access to two international airports,
global connectivity is a defining feature of economic life within the county. Surrey is home
to many multinational corporate HQs including BP, Siemens, Pfizer, Unilever, Proctor and
Gamble, McLaren, Electronic Arts, Toyota, Sony, and Samsung Electronics.
Surrey enjoys a well qualified workforce with 39% of the resident working age population
qualified to NVQ Level 4 (degree level) and above. 73% are qualified to at least NVQ
Level 2 (increasingly the minimum for employability). Only 7.8% of Surrey’s working age
population has no qualifications. Surrey also provides a skilled workforce for London and
its neighbouring areas, in excess of 190,000 workers out commute, and 145,000 workers
commute into Surrey.
Currently, over half of all jobs in Surrey are in the top occupational categories: managers
and senior officials; professional occupations; and associate professional/ technical
occupations. Over the next 20 years, there is be a further shift towards the higher end
occupations, as knowledge based sectors drive innovation and enterprise. Surrey
Connects will develop young people to enable them to gain sustainable employment and
develop their careers.
Our aspiration is that by 2015, all of Surrey’s 16-19 year-olds should be in education,
employment or training.
This means that Surrey’s businesses will be able to find local people with the right mix of
skills, which in turn will reduce road congestion problems, as fewer employees will
commute into Surrey from further afield. Our Further Education colleges will have an
important role to play in progressing skills levels. Supporting economic growth through
productivity improvements, a key element of smart growth, means that similar levels of
GVA growth can be achieved through better use of the Surrey workforce.
Surrey’s unique spatial position encompasses three interlinked functional economies
(north into London and Heathrow Airport, east into Coast to Capital and Gatwick Airport,
and west into Hampshire/ Enterprise M3). These three economies are different from each
other. All are facing future challenges and a proactive – but a tailored approach to Smart
Economic Growth is essential for future success.
It is for this reason that Surrey Connects is strongly supportive of Enterprise M3 in the
context of west Surrey, and Coast to Capital with its focus on the east of the county. By
working together we can improve economic development in a more strategic way.
Enterprise M3, Surrey Connects and Coast to Capital will then form a strategic partnership
that stretches from the Thames Valley to the South Coast. Each LEP will clearly have its
own identity and priorities. Each will also be able to specialise in particular areas, such as
Surrey Connects focus on Smart Economic Growth, so that the combination is stronger
than the sum of its parts.
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The Drivers for Smart Economic Growth
Surrey’s success and intrinsic assets have created a number of problems. The county has
high levels of traffic congestion, expensive housing and a lack of affordable housing, which
leads to the importing of key workers. These challenges have been amplified by Surrey
being the most densely populated county in the south east. At the same time 73% of
Surrey designated as green belt compared to 16% of the southeast as a whole.
The high quality environment limits the availability of land for new housing or business
development this means a high cost of land for development and premises. The relatively
highly skilled workforce and low levels of unemployment mean that Surrey is not attractive
for sector that require large amounts of land and relatively lower skilled workers.
Surrey’s rate of economic growth is being outpaced by comparable regions. Faced with
this challenge, the Surrey business community and its public sector partners are
committed to marshalling the resources of the county to secure innovative, sustained and
sustainable economic growth. We believe that the creation of a LEP, Surrey Connects,
will act as a catalyst in this process.
Central to the challenge of securing the sustainable economic growth of Surrey is the
concept of Smart Economic Growth. The LEP will make this concept a reality. It will need
to deploy its full range of powers and duties to support economic growth, whilst mitigating
adverse impacts of development. But that alone will not be enough. Delivering Smart
Economic Growth will require a new form of collaboration between business and local
government.
A new form of alliance between business and the public sector is needed. Surrey
Connects will secure engagement and effective dialogue between business and local
government. This will allow business to have a greater say in how local government uses
its statutory functions to promote economic growth. For example Surrey Connects will
provide business with a strong voice in strategic planning, along with a clear role in
facilitating transport and infrastructure investment. For its part, the public sector will bring
together economic development operations to shepherd resources to affect change.
Surrey Connects, with high quality business leadership and expertise, has the potential to
create the conditions in which that collaboration can happen.
To achieve the Smart Economic Growth ambition Surrey Connects will focus its efforts on
its prime growth sectors, through Driving Innovation, Enterprise and Global
Competitiveness, and capitalising on Surrey’s Knowledge Economy. This in turn will help
accelerate the growth of our knowledge economy, which is important to the overall
success of Surrey, the greater southeast and UK plc.
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SMART ECONOMIC
GROWTH
Global
Competitiveness
Driving
Enterprise
Knowledge
Economy
Innovation
Culture
Innovation Culture
Surrey has an established history of innovation and delivering innovative results.
Innovation is the key to delivering the necessary solutions for the ambition of Smart
Economic Growth; the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills defines innovation
as ‘the process by which new ideas are successfully exploited to create economic, social
and environmental value’; Surrey has a demonstrable track record in this, with
entrepreneurial, R&D, service and manufacturing activity that has included significant
public and private sector investment:
Motorsport and aviation: from the birthplace of British motorsport; the R&D and
manufacture of the world’s first vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) jet, the Hawker
Harrier, though to the development of space satellites.
Military vehicles: The Defence Evaluation and Research Agency site at Chertsey –
which specialised in tank design, and technical and engineering advice, to concept
design, evaluation and in-service approval of vehicles.
Food and drink: Leatherhead Food Research – the food research organisation
founded to support the global food and drink sectors in Marketing, Technical
analysis and research through to market data and regulatory guidance – and
Campden BRI, at Nutfield, which has built on its scientific base to become the
foremost provider of scientific support and technical services to the brewing industry
worldwide.
Life sciences/BioMedical: The Pirbright Laboratory is the government research
establishment investigating diseases in farm animals and is an international
reference laboratory for the diagnosis of diseases in an emergency.
Computer gaming: Guildford and the Surrey Research Park is fast becoming the
central hub of computer gaming in the UK. A number of the smaller successful
game studios (i.e. Bullfrog, Criterion Software and Lionhead Studios) have been
acquired by global brands (EA Games and Microsoft).
Space: The Mullard Space Science Laboratory (MSSL) – part of the University
College London – was established in Dorking in 1966; it has an international
reputation for excellence and has participated in over 35 satellite missions and over
200 rocket experiments. MSSL has the unique capability of designing, building and
testing instruments and other spacecraft systems on site.
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Support for innovation and high growth companies is currently through the network of
Innovation & Growth Teams, and Surrey Connects will endeavour to continue this support
(including the community of innovation, coaching for high growth, access to finance and
the Ambassador Academy) to make sure its companies can continue delivering for UK Plc.
Surrey Connects will support the creation of a dynamically skilled and flexible workforce
that meets the needs of Surrey businesses. Served by responsive universities, local
colleges and training providers. Surrey Connects will build on the strong links between the
three universities – University of Surrey, Royal Holloway - University of London and the
University of the Creative Arts – science, research and local industry. In particular we will
support the skills needed to support our Smart Economic Growth strategy and its globally
competitive sectors. This will be done through a reinvigorated business led Surrey
Employment and Skills Board, which will report to, and be supported by the Surrey
Connects Board. This will focus on building the necessary skills to drive an innovative
economy, and make optimum use of the available workforce, and also engage with the
specialist colleges i.e. College of Law and The Academy of Contemporary Music.
Global Competitiveness
Surrey has a mission to be a world-class economy. But, in global terms Surrey is slipping
in the international competitiveness stakes. The World Knowledge Competitiveness Index
(2008) shows that the southeast of England was ranked 74th out of 145 global regions
(down from 40th rank in 2004). If the relative rank of the southeast is falling, then it follows
that Surrey – as a major component - is also falling. Working in partnership with
neighbouring LEPs our international competitors are:
Surrey Connects will work to retain, nurture and grow businesses in its globally competitive
target sectors, as the foundation for Smart Economic Growth. Surrey Connects will deliver
key economic infrastructure projects, including one of the fastest broadband networks in
Europe by 2013; this will enable Surrey businesses to innovate and both create and
access new markets. Surrey Connects will take control of the work of Transport for Surrey
– improving pan-Surrey connectivity to deliver the rail hubs of Woking and Redhill,
progress sustainable transport solutions (including Electric Vehicles and charging point
infrastructure).
Surrey Connects will work with the newly focused UKTI in promoting Surrey and attracting
and retaining new businesses, notably firms with stable or rising market shares in their
particular sector. It will seek to generate high value inward investment, mainly from the
BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China). This will mean generating new high quality jobs
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in Surrey, as well as strengthen the capability of Surrey businesses to grow their exports.
The rise of inland Chinese cities, such as Zibo Zhoucun with which Surrey has a
Memorandum of Understanding for cultural and commercial development, brings a fresh
opportunity for mutual economic growth and cooperation.
The focus on Smart Economic Growth this will help to achieve a sustainable Surrey rather
than growth at any cost. This will also provide a vehicle for working with existing
employers to retain them within the county, as well as attracting new smart companies to
Surrey with a focus on sustainability which creates business value, equally in times of
economic difficulty as in periods of growth. A new inward investment offer will be created
providing the opportunity for Surrey to build a national and global reputation as the UK
centre of sustainable excellence. ‘Sustainable Surrey’ will promote more efficient use of
existing resources – when the five capital stocks of natural, human, social, manufactured
and financial capital are equally balanced, the greater the likelihood of wealth being
generated in a sustainable fashion. For example, the need for innovation and imaginative
solutions to fill, and re-use of existing empty office accommodation – which is a growing
issue across the county – and the re-use of previously developed land.
A recent and pioneering report 1 found that the UK is the global leader for e-commerce and
that UK businesses are actively using the Internet to expand their sales overseas. The
report found that the UK Internet economy was worth £100 billion in 2009, representing
7.2% of UK GDP – more than construction, transport or utilities – and that this share is
expected to grow to 10% of GDP by 2015. Critically, the report found SMEs that are high-
web users experience higher growth and more international sales than those that are less
active Internet users. Surrey Connects will provide access to superfast broadband to all
businesses and residents in the county by 2013, to:
stimulate the creation and development of new enterprises, particularly in rural
areas
help rebalance the Surrey economy through supporting export growth and
international expansion
drive better supply chain efficiency
enable superior business interaction with customers.
enable a flexible workforce, reduce the need to travel and the need for more office
space
enable more people either to work from home or work remotely.
Driving Enterprise
Surrey has a long tradition of entrepreneurship supported by a strong record of new
business creation over a number of years. Surrey’s annual rate of business start-ups per
10,000 adult population averaged 54 between 2000 and 2007, compared to a southeast
and UK figure of 38. Surrey is home to an estimated 60,000 workplaces, of which around
53,000 are VAT or PAYE registered enterprises. The vast majority of Surrey businesses
(88%) are micro businesses employing fewer than 10 people.
To build on our history of entrepreneurship, Surrey Connects will help small and medium
sized Surrey businesses to start and thrive, through better and more targeted business
support and improved access to finance. As a first step, businesses will be asked what
support is most needed and how this is best provided and funded locally.
1
The Connected Kingdom: How the Internet Is Transforming the UK Economy, Boston Consulting Group, Oct 2010
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Knowledge Economy
The main factors to growing a knowledge economy are people, intellectual capital,
property/ infrastructure, and money and business expertise. Within Surrey, land and
labour are both in short supply, hence the focus for Surrey Connects on Smart Economic
Growth.
Surrey’s boroughs and districts are among the most competitive in the UK, based on the
percentage of knowledge-based businesses. Six of the 11 Surrey districts are in the top
25, with Elmbridge ranking sixth out of 380 districts, with 36% of all businesses being
knowledge-based. Woking ranks 10th with 34%, Surrey Heath ranks 17th with 32.6%,
Waverley ranks 18th with 32.5%, Guildford 19th with just over 32% and Epsom and Ewell
has almost 30%.
The UK Competitiveness Index (a composite measure of competitiveness broader than
solely percentage of knowledge-based businesses) rank cities, and, in 2010, ranked
Guildford as the most competitive centre in the UK outside London. Indeed, Guildford is
cited in the study as ‘being one of the most important sites for high-technology and
knowledge-based economic activity’. Hence, Guildford will be the focus for development
of the core knowledge-based Surrey economy, building on Guildford’s continued economic
strength, its innovation base, entrepreneurial flair, world-class university and location both
for major international companies and high growth start ups on the Surrey Research Park.
Growth Sectors
Our important growth sectors (both in terms of GVA and employment) are:
Computing, professional services and banking and finance are sectors in which Surrey
performs well in terms of productivity (at £77.6k per job, £56.1k per job and £107k per job
respectively in 2010). Other key growth sectors include retailing, distribution, construction,
other business services and miscellaneous services – these consist of lower productivity
jobs (albeit still above the UK average) but currently account for 38% of Surrey’s GVA.
Supporting these sectors will assist Surrey in rebalancing its economy. Attracting,
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supporting and advancing the development of supply chains to support the growth sectors
will be vital.
Computer Games Industry: In 2008, the UK computer games industry generated £2bn in
global sales, and ranked third in the global development league. But it has since slipped
to sixth place. A strong computer games cluster exists in Surrey, which is home to
Electronic Arts, Kuju Entertainment, Ubisoft and Media Molecule. Surrey Connects will
seek to enable this sector to grow further and to avoid the relocation of these companies
overseas, as has happened in recent years with some UK studios, such as Eidos, which
developed the TombRaider franchise. The games industry is part of a wider creative and
cultural arts sector across Surrey
Aerospace: The UK has the second largest aerospace industry in the world. Key players
in this sector are Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) and the Mullard Space Science
Laboratory (MSSL). SSTL, is the world leader in small satellite technology; it started in
1985 as a commercial spin off from the University of Surrey, and has become a global
player in its own right, demonstrating the active links in Surrey between innovation,
research and industry. SSTL is part of a wider cluster involving BAe and QinetiQ both
based in Farnborough. QinetiQ is a member of the Surrey/ Hants Community for
Innovation and Growth and, along with SSTL, is one of its big business ambassadors.
Pharmaceuticals: The UK has the third-highest share of global pharmaceutical R&D
expenditures. This sector represents a key element of Surrey’s economy, with a Novartis
research centre in Camberley and the HQ for Pfizer’s UK operating business in Tadworth.
Advanced Manufacturing: The McLaren Group, based in Woking, embraces a collection
of niche, hi-tech companies each maximising the benefits of the global name and
reputation that McLaren has established in the cutting edge technology sport of Formula 1.
Through the application of the principles of total commitment, quality and excellence, the
McLaren Group has established itself at the forefront of British engineering and
technology.
Stingray Geophysical was established in early 2006 to commercialise fibre-sensing
technology licensed from QinetiQ, the UK and Europe’s largest science and technology
organisation. Solutions based on this technology is assisting oil companies to maximise
the recovery of oil from their producing reservoirs. Stingray is based on the Surrey
Research Park in Guildford.
Electrical and Mechanical Engineering: In delivering a sustainable and smart economy,
low carbon transportation is vital. Frazer-Nash Research, in Mytchett, is developing Digital
Hybrid power trains, and Gordon Murray Design, in Shalford, is a world leader in
automotive design with complete in-house capability for design, prototyping and
development – in ‘an efficient and innovative way’.
Financial and Business Services: This is a significant sector within Surrey in terms of
employment and value, with companies such as Esure, Friends Provident and Bank of
America (Merrill Lynch), Thompson Ecology, are based in the county. A substantial
number of Surrey’s highly skilled residents commute to London to work within this sector.
It is important that Surrey is a place in which knowledge and technology based firms can
grow and prosper. Surrey Connects will ensure early stage investment finance and high
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growth and leadership coaching is available to knowledge-based businesses with the
capacity and will to grow. We will also ensure that our growth sectors have access to a
skilled workforce so that growth prospects can be realised. Surrey Connects will do this, in
part, by facilitating education and business partnership activities.
However, we will not neglect the diversity of sectors and skills which contribute to the
Surrey economy. For example: the tourism sector provides not only for leisure, and
friends and family tourism, but also supports a significant business visitor economy; there
are a range of energy (oil & gas) related companies in Surrey, and a number of smaller
oilfield services companies; and the Voluntary, Community and Faith sector provides a
diversity of services to meet needs; and there are emerging opportunities that social
entrepreneurs and enterprises will fulfil.
In meeting the challenges we face, our focus must not be diluted or fragmented, if Surrey
is to achieve its ambitions. Surrey’s economy competes on a global scale, thus there is a
need for cohesion across Surrey to ensure there is advocacy for the whole of the county
when it comes to investment decisions and to advance economic growth across all of
Surrey. The geographical boundaries of existing LEPs are less important than creating
appropriate structures that enhance Surrey’s ability to complete against the world’s most
successful economic regions; as a largest net contributor to the Exchequer, this is vital for
the future prosperity of our businesses and residents and for those of the UK as a whole.
Surrey Connects: Tangible Outcomes
Surrey Connects will deliver tangible outcomes to advance the Surrey economy. The
focus for economic development will be Surrey’s core knowledge and innovation base, its
entrepreneurial flair and its location for major international companies. For example:
100% superfast broadband coverage, higher business survival rates, development of a
world-class business/management school, and higher rates of R&D spend and venture
capital investment. In taking forward the Smart Economic Growth principle, Surrey
Connects will work with local partners on the regeneration plans of individual town centres.
Importantly, Surrey connects will need to understand and map the rising threat from key
global competitors, some of whom may draw investment away from Surrey.
Global Competitiveness Driving Enterprise
Higher business survival rates
100% super fast broadband coverage
Promotion of Surrey as a inward investment Stimulation of business creation
location Delivery of flexible workspace to accommodate
Delivery of major infrastructure projects – new businesses
through Transport for Surrey Getting the right local business support offer
Smart Economic Growth
Knowledge Economy Innovation Culture
Development of a world-class business/ Higher rates of R&D spend
management school Support for innovation agenda
Increasing the number of people ready for Increase of patent/ IP applications
employment at all skill levels
Development of the Community of Innovation
Maximise university, education and business and the Ambassador Academy
linkages through the Surrey Employment &
Skills Board
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The Added Value of Surrey Connects as a LEP
To achieve Smart Economic Growth will require full and creative business leadership. It
will also demand the full array of local government powers and levers in relation to
housing, planning, skills, transport and the environment. Surrey Connects LEP is the right
vehicle for this. It will provide the space for the dialogue and joint work that hitherto has
not happened. It will also provide the focus on Smart Economic Growth that is not being
covered by neighbouring LEPs.
Surrey Connects is therefore the key to a new relationship between business, the county
and district councils and other partners, if business leadership along with the full range of
local government’s statutory powers is to be directed to develop and implement Smart
Economic Growth.
Significantly, four Surrey districts (Spelthorne, Runnymede, Elmbridge and Epsom and
Ewell) that border London, and that are heavily influenced either by the economy of the
capital and/ or the presence of Heathrow Airport, do not currently sit within the geography
of an approved LEP.
LEP COLLABORATION – ADDING VALUE TO DELIVERY
Smart Economic Growth is essential if the Enterprise M3 (which includes the Surrey
districts of Guildford, Woking, Waverley and Surrey Heath) and Coast to Capital (which
includes the Surrey districts of Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead and Tandridge) LEPs
are to achieve their priorities.
Surrey Connects will work with these and other LEPs (notably the London Enterprise
Partnership and the Thames Valley, Berks LEP, for example, on surface access to
Heathrow Airport as a significant proportion of the airport’s workforce commutes from
Surrey) to ensure that Smart Economic Growth is delivered. Surrey Connects will not seek
to compete with the other LEPs, but will work with them both to ensure genuine synergies,
and that arrangements are put in place so that the four Surrey districts not currently in a
LEP are linked to their programmes, when appropriate. Both Surrey businesses and
Surrey County Council are represented on the boards of Enterprise M3 and Coast to
Capital.
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Surrey Connects will create additional and catalytic actions that will accelerate sustainable
economic growth. These actions will be developed through partnership working, and
through a number of action groups that will give the necessary focus to achieve the
ambition.
Our businesses have confirmed that a strong need remains for a Surrey-wide Local
Enterprise Partnership, to ensure all businesses in Surrey can be part of a business led
partnership that will drive forward Smart Economic Growth.
Surrey Connects will work with the private sector to bring forward projects that are
attractive to the market or address market failure.
While the Surrey economy is performing well, we know it can do better. The county’s
business community and its public sector partners are determined to shift gear and rise to
the economic challenge. At several consultation events over the last 12 months, there has
been a clear enthusiasm from the business community that the collective resources of the
county are to be marshalled behind a concerted and ambitious effort to secure sustainable
economic growth. The overwhelming view was that the establishment of Surrey Connects
– a LEP for the county – was the key to galvanising action to enable Surrey to realise its
full potential through Smart Economic Growth.
This conclusion was reached in the knowledge that two existing LEPs – Enterprise M3 and
Coast to Capital – already cover parts of the county.
Governance and Delivery
Surrey Connects will be governed by an independent private/ public Board and with a
business Chairman – reflecting business needs and balancing strategy and delivery
requirements. With business and enterprise at the centre, it will utilise available public
resources to unblock barriers to business growth and develop shared delivery
arrangements for the local economy to increase job and wealth creation.
Surrey established a business-led Shadow Board, in April 2011, for Surrey Connects; this
has utilised the existing infrastructure and partnership arrangements across Surrey to
ensure that a fully operational LEP can be established by the autumn of 2011.
For Surrey Connects, the governance arrangements are being designed with a number of
important objectives in mind:
to secure the contribution both of the small and medium sized enterprises, national
and international businesses in the county
to craft a new relationship between the public and private sectors in order to lead the
realisation of Smart Economic Growth
to make a virtue of the fuzzy boundaries between Surrey Connects, Greater London
and the Coast to Capital, Enterprise M3, Thames Valley Berkshire LEP and the
Gatwick Diamond.
The shadow board has overseen the development of this revised Surrey Connects
strategy and the appointment processes of a prominent business chair, and board. The
Board will comprise 15 members (a business chair, seven business representatives, three
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15. Surrey Connects
representing the public sector (county and district councils), two from the key Business
Representative Organisations, and two representing Higher and Further Education).
The first meeting of the full Surrey Connects board will take place in September 2011.
The Board will set the strategic ambition for, and oversee the delivery of Surrey Connects.
Themed project groups will be established to drive forward key activities, and a detailed
delivery plan will be developed by the new Board and local delivery partners.
Headline Ambition Smart Economic Growth
Global Knowledge Driving Innovation
Key Drivers Competitiveness Economy Enterprise Culture
An annual Surrey Connects Forum will report to partners and stakeholders on the delivery
of the business plan and overall progress towards meeting the strategic ambition.
The Board will manage a newly created economic development budget of £1m per annum,
which is being provided by Surrey County Council. Business having identified a priority
project to safeguard local jobs on the Surrey Research Park, the first two years of this fund
will be used to improve access to the Park, which is seen as a key factor in staff retention.
The full scheme cost is £4m and this demonstrates a unique public/private partnership
scheme with Surrey University. Further projects will be supported in future years.
Surrey Connects will take a direct role in the development of transport improvements by
steering Transport for Surrey. This will give Surrey Connects a real and tangible influence
over the county’s strategic infrastructure.
Working with Government is key to ensuring that Surrey Connects delivers in achieving its
ambitions. We will build on the existing strong relationships with Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills; Department for Communities and Local Government, UK Trade &
Investment, Department for Transport, Department of Environment, Department for
Culture Media and Sport.
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16. Surrey Connects
Getting Going
Having had its economic wake up call, business and local government in Surrey are keen
to get going. The overwhelming view at the consultation events, referred to above, was
that a start should be made now.
We would welcome government endorsement for Surrey Connects.
We will know when we have succeeded in our mission of Smart Growth Economy when
we have…
secured the necessary levels of investment in economic infrastructure
maintained and improved its above trend economic growth levels
businesses that are innovative and creative and are prepared to:
invest in raising skill levels
work together to tackle labour supply problems
reduce their environmental footprint
aspire to having a good quality of life for all.
Appendices
1. List of Supporting Businesses / Local Authorities/ Organisations for Surrey Connects
2. Selected Quotes from the Supporting Businesses / Local Authorities/ Organisations
3. Local Economic Assessment – Executive Summary
Contacts
Mark Pearson Iain Reeve
Chief Executive Assistant Director
Surrey Economic Partnership Strategy, Transport & Planning
Surrey Technology Centre Surrey County Council
Surrey Research Park County Hall
Guildford Penrhyn Road
Surrey GU2 7YG Kingston upon Thames
Surrey KT1 2DN
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August 2011