Businesses in Warwickshire are being asked to give feedback on plans to grow the regional economy.
Dave Ayton-Hill, Director of Economy & Place at Warwickshire County Council, was a guest speaker at Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s Mid-Warwickshire Branch meeting, which took place at Ashorne Hill Conference Centre.
He talked through the current strengths of the regional economy and how a new Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) for Warwickshire would help to build on those successes and create a more sustainable and inclusive economy – and underlined he need for business to help shape the plans.
The Warwickshire economy, the meeting heard, generates £19 billion in output and has strengths in automotive and future mobility, tourism and hospitality, digital and in the rural economy and agriculture.
The new SEP, said Ayton-Hill, would aim to support start-up and scale-up businesses with potential for high growth as well as investing in infrastructure and connectivity to help enable economic growth.
It would target support for employment to make sure all communities benefit from business success and would also support the transition towards Net Zero.
Ayton-Hill said: “We have set a direction of travel for the SEP that builds on the success of Warwickshire, which is one of the fastest growing regional economies in the country.
“We want to ensure that more people can benefit from our economic growth and that we support businesses on the journey to Net Zero. Ultimately, we want an economy that can grow even more quickly and becomes more inclusive and sustainable.
“Of course, we want to hear from businesses on this because their views a vital in ensuring that we get this right.”
The meeting also heard from Dr Isabella Moore CBE, who has launched a community interest company called Olderpreneur Alliance which aims to encourage and support more over-50s to start their own businesses.
Moore, a past president of the Chamber, said: “I have carried out detailed research into why people over-50 don’t tend to start businesses – it can be anything from confidence through to not knowing where to access to support. We want to change that.
“Not only does running a business keep older people active and engaged, it also adds significantly to the UK economy. We are currently running a proof of concept test in Scotland, and how that fares will form the basis of how we progress.”
Jim Scott, the chairman of Leamington Football Club, outlined the role the club plays in the community and discussed progress on the planned community stadium off Gallows Hill.
Neil Curtis, Managing Director of Net Visibility, chaired the meeting.
He said: “We were fortunate enough to have three excellent speakers who have real insight to the Mid-Warwickshire branch.
“I’d encourage businesses across Warwickshire to take time to fill in the SEP survey as it is an opportunity to shape the future of the county’s economy.”
The survey can be found here: https://ask.warwickshire.gov.uk/insights-service/strategic-economic-plan/
Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce hosts quarterly meetings in each of its five Branch regions - Coventry, Rugby, North Warwickshire, Mid Warwickshire and South Warwickshire - which are open to all Chamber Members to attend. The Chamber’s Branch Network provides businesses with the ideal space to learn about and debate business challenges and opportunities facing their locality.
To find out more about forthcoming meetings, head to https://www.cw-chamber.co.uk/chamber-branches/ or contact Sean Rose, Head of Policy, on seanr@cw-chamber.co.uk
Pictured: Members of the Chamber’s Mid-Warwickshire branch at Ashorne Hill Conference Centre