Our 'Supporting councils with business engagement' report captured learning from councils' contact with businesses over the course of the pandemic and their plans going forward. Gloucestershire County Council was one example. In 2021, they adopted a new approach to engage with businesses to better understand the issues impacting the county.
Background
Gloucestershire County Council established a statutory joint committee in 2014 to ensure that the seven constituent members could co-ordinate action to deliver the strategic economic plan (SEP) and the growth deal. Partners include Cheltenham Borough Council, Cotswold District Council, Forest of Dean District Council, Gloucester City Council, Gloucestershire County Council, Stroud District Council, Tewkesbury Borough Council and the GFirst Local Enterprise Partnership.
The county council took a strategic leadership role in establishing a committee across district, borough and city council partners. The Gloucestershire Economic Growth Joint Committee (GEGJC) also has responsibility for the monitoring and scrutiny function for the recently produced economic recovery plans, to support the local economy in its recovery from the pandemic.
Pre-pandemic
Pre-pandemic, there was limited direct input from business on the topics considered at the GEGJC although there was strong representation from and through the local enterprise partnership, GFirst LEP.
During the pandemic
During the pandemic, direct contact between the county council and its partners identified a series of issues across different sectors. Tourism businesses struggled, and continue to struggle, to recruit the workforce needed to operate hotels, restaurants and bars to satisfy the visitor economy; the agriculture sector is facing uncertainty around the reduction in the Basic Payments Scheme and climate change priorities are encouraging a review of the potential for green jobs across the county.
Moving forward
In 2021, the county council adopted a new approach to engage with businesses to better understand the issues impacting the county. This also coincided with a number of newly elected members joining the joint committee and a desire to inform them of the local issues and opportunities. This approach involved:
- theming individual meetings by sector based on the key employment generators in the county
- conducting a deep dive into that sector to highlight the size, value and employment across the sector as well as setting out the challenges and opportunities facing those businesses locally
- inviting sector leaders to present their particular perspective, drawing on the reality of operating a business in Gloucestershire
- stimulating debate with elected members to explore how businesses can be supported with their key challenges and making links with wider activity across the county to support their growth and sustainability
- continuing to work with sector groups to ensure that actions identified can be followed through with economic development officers from the districts and the county.
Over the year, the sectors that have presented to GEGJC include cyber, tourism and hospitality, and farming and agriculture. The next sectors in the programme are green jobs and manufacturing and engineering.