Foreword
We are delighted to introduce the North Lincolnshire Economic Growth Plan 2023-2028.
The plan is designed to capitalise on the strength of the economy here in North Lincolnshire so that we can enable existing businesses to create new well-paid, high-skilled jobs and attract others to invest and take advantage of the many benefits our location and skills base offers.
At the heart of the plan is decarbonisation, recognising it as a global opportunity to develop sustainable new industries, new jobs and a new future.
This ambitious plan takes advantage of the challenges being faced across the world and backs businesses to grow, to supercharge job creation and improve living standards further.
We continue to work closely with Government to create the right conditions which will boost the economy here in North Lincolnshire and improve prosperity for everyone, particularly young people embarking on their careers.
By building on the industrial heritage and expertise, this plan will further position North Lincolnshire as a global gateway to worldwide opportunities.
Cllr Rob Waltham MBE
Leader of North Lincolnshire Council
Our vision
North Lincolnshire is a place with strong and sustainable economic growth, leading to wellbeing and prosperity for our businesses, residents and communities.
North Lincolnshire in numbers
Supporting our plans for economic growth
The Economic Growth Plan provides a strong framework for economic growth across North Lincolnshire. This is supported and achieved through several key documents.
Our objectives
- Create opportunity
- Increase productivity
- Create higher paid jobs
- Create high-value & high level skills
- Improve infrastructure
- Net zero
- Create growth
- Positive health & wellbeing
Our journey from 2018
The world has experienced unprecedented social, economic, political and environment change through the last Economic Growth Plan (2018 – 2023).
The coronavirus pandemic brought about massive change in how we live our lives and rapid change to the way businesses operated. More recently businesses, communities and families have had to deal with global inflation and challenges in the labour market during the recovery post pandemic.
There have been many positive results here in North Lincolnshire however, with the aims and objective in the previous Economic Growth Plan having been met. It positioned the area to withstand many of the challenges.
Our successes
Priority 1 A place where people, places and products are connected globally to deliver sustainable economic growth
Further enhance North Lincolnshire as a global trade gateway - connecting businesses across the UK, Europe, and worldwide.
Our intent
Sustainable and trusted connections boosting competitiveness and security of local supply chains. Working with local businesses to embrace new and existing trade links and support businesses to take advantage of opportunities available to them.
Our interventions
- Encourage and promote international trade to support local business import/export security
- Enable the opportunities at Humberside Airport to create a stronger proposition for international connectivity and trade
- Work in partnership to deliver the Humber Freeport
- Promote North Lincolnshire as an inward investment destination
- Encourage circularity and synergy between local business to strengthen supply chains
- Work in collaboration to maximise the growth potential of the South Humber Bank
- Enabling continued sustainability of manufacturing through the development of Advanced Manufacturing
Deliver high quality, sustainable, resilient infrastructure.
Our intent
A modernised, efficient, accessible and affordable transport network which complements and embraces all modes of transport and a utilities infrastructure which meets the demands of consumers and businesses both today and in the future.
Our interventions
- Strengthen the business community’s digital infrastructure
- Seek to provide gigabit-capable connectivity across all areas in North Lincolnshire
- Make the case for improving access to the National Grid and demonstrate the potential benefits that are unlocked
- Develop a new Local Transport Plan
- Improve existing and create new sustainable transport solutions to connect strategic employment locations to residential areas
- Target improvements to the transport network to reduce constraints to growth and sustain and improve transport routes
- Develop the strategic economic north-south and east-west road and rail corridors that connect places across North Lincolnshire and beyond
Secure greater freedoms and flexibilites at a local level.
Our intent
A Greater Lincolnshire devolution deal which will provide powers and funding to enable North Lincolnshire to unleash its full economic potential.
Our interventions
- Collaborate to secure a Greater Lincolnshire Devolution Deal
- Establish and maintain effective relationships to collaborate both locally, regionally, and nationally
- Further strengthen collaboration and partnership with Government
- Partner with businesses to strengthen economic evidence and inform local policies and decision making
Priority 2 A place where businesses and residents make positive changes to create a cleaner, greener, healthier and more sustainable future for North Lincolnshire
Move to a net zero economy.
Our intent
Thriving businesses and communities with significantly reduced levels of greenhouse gases. Advanced progress towards sustainable energy for all coupled with energy efficiency improvements and an increase in green energy jobs delivering on the UK’s net zero target.
Our interventions
- Supporting the Humber 2030 Vision
- Identify opportunities to collaborate and secure funding to support businesses to decarbonise and make a positive contribution to the areas net zero ambition
- Explore and promote investment opportunities in new technologies, such as battery storage and hydrogen and explore opportunities to connect our strategic employment sites to green energy solutions
- Encourage uptake of greener or cleaner modes of transport, by improving facilities for active travel (walking and cycling) and electric vehicle charging infrastructure
- Promotion and piloting of innovative methods of reducing transport related carbon emissions
- Encourage and promote greater use of public transport to travel to work
- Encourage modern methods of construction to support the delivery of new homes
- Support existing homeowners to improve their properties energy efficiency
Enable high quality and environmentally sustainable homes in flourishing communities.
Our intent
Good quality, energy efficient homes, complemented with leisure, education and community facilities available where existing and future residents want to live.
Our interventions
- Enable the delivery of 396 new dwellings annually
- Deliver the Housing Strategy
- Encourage high quality designed housing through the planning system by adopting and implementing the new local plan
- Collaborate to deliver high quality housing to support our flourishing communities
- Provide a range of affordable housing opportunities fit for a growing workforce and their families to buy
- Provide a local planning policy framework which identifies and allocates key housing sites to meet our local needs and to help support the creation of sustainable communities
Promote health, wellbeing, and a good quality of life.
Our intent
A desirable place to live, with high average incomes and good living standards. Creating positive conditions which contribute to people’s health and wellbeing, their productivity and their ability to participate in the labour market.
Our interventions
- Promote access to opportunities which enable residents to improve their health and wellbeing and creates a resilient workforce
- Develop and maintain the quality of our public realm and open spaces creating excellent parks and green spaces that are green flag standard
- Enable and promote access to high quality leisure and culture activities and infrastructure
- Ensure North Lincolnshire is an attractive place to live and work to retain and attract skilled workers, including graduates
- Encourage local businesses to promote more workplace initiatives to ensure that employees and employers are aware of the benefits of good physical and mental wellbeing in the workplace and the impact this has on increased productivity
Priority 3 A place which enables and encourages businesses, residents and communities to achieve their full potential
Ensure everyone has the opportunity to learn, work, upskill, re-skill and build a career.
Our intent
People have the right skills to build a career to enrich their lives and reach their full potential. Businesses can access and grow the skilled workforce they need to remain competitive, drive productivity and respond to changes and opportunities now and in the future.
Our interventions
- Development and delivery of an approved private sector driven Skills and Employability Plan
- Promote the opportunities in and routes to, access skills, training, apprenticeships and other career pathways enabling higher level employment
- Explore opportunities to better connect our skilled older residents to employment opportunities within the county
- Ensure that local schools and colleges are providing ‘future proofed’ skills provision that can accommodate new opportunities for growth
- Facilitate programmes that assist businesses in staff recruitment and upskilling locally
- Enable a more comprehensive range of training opportunities to help workers move on in their careers
- Apply the Skills and Employability Plan into every major development to increase opportunities for apprenticeships, work experience and access to highly skilled jobs
Drive growth and innovation in our key sectors.
Our intent
A strong, diverse, and sustainable economic base driven by innovation and new technologies. Increased productivity levels, services and business growth creating high level, high value added jobs.
Our key growth sectors
- Construction
- Digital
- Energy & Chemicals
- Food
- Health & Care
- Manufacturing & Engineering
- Ports & Logistics
Our enabling sector
- Visitor economy
Our interventions
- Transform business support for new and existing businesses, growing and attracting high-value sectors that support the creation of high-value jobs
- Provide employment sites in the right locations that meet the needs of established and growing businesses and bring forward key regeneration sites for development
- Explore and promote funding opportunities to enable local businesses to grow, innovate and diversify through good information, advice and guidance and grant funding where available
- Co-ordinate and signpost businesses to events which raise aspirations, awareness and opportunities to innovate and seek the benefits of sustainability practices
- Work with universities to promote innovation and research to help businesses bring new products to market
- Enable an environment where local businesses have the opportunity to create systematic change towards a resource-efficient and circular economy delivering a decrease in carbon emission and creating jobs
Regenerate town centres
Our intent
A thriving town centre established as a quality centre for learning, living, leisure and business. Enhanced market towns and wider rural areas enabling a significant quality of life offer, attracting and retaining a thriving working age population and creating high value employment opportunities for all.
Our interventions
- Deliver the Future High Street and Towns Fund
- Support businesses to act as place leaders linking businesses with communities to inspire the future workforce
- Develop a prioritised pipeline of culture investment propositions
- Work closely with Discover Lincolnshire to ensure North Lincolnshire is an integral part of all plans and benefits from emerging opportunities within the sector
- Develop plans to support the transformation of our Market towns and villages
- Ensure the Local Plan provides a flexible approach to planning enabling development of Scunthorpe Town Centre and maintaining it as a priority destination
Governance
Oversight and governance for the Economic Growth Plan will be through the Councils’ Economic Executive Group which meets on a quarterly basis through the year and more frequently if required. Terms of reference for the Group set out purpose, plan, responsibility and membership.
Priority 1
Impact
North Lincolnshire has a strong, competitive and productive economy that is well connected both digitally and multimodally.
Performance measures
- Increase in inward investment
- Increase in Gigabit broadband connectivity
- Enable the delivery of 131.5ha of additional employment land over the plan period
- Improved transport network
Priority 2
Impact
North Lincolnshire has a good quality of life where the air is cleaner and homes are decent on every rung of the ladder.
Performance measures
- Reduction in carbon emissions
- Enable the delivery of 396 homes per annum
- Improved mental and physical health and wellbeing
- Increase in the number of residents owning their home
Priority 3
Impact
North Lincolnshire residents have the opportunity to reskill or upskill to level 3 and beyond.
Performance measures
- Increase in the numbers of adults qualified to NVQ Level 3 or above
- Increase in the number of higher skilled jobs
- Improved productivity (GVA)
- Increase in business start-ups & high levels of business survival