Northumberland County Council

Local growth

The Council seeks to focus on supporting the development of a robust and diverse economy and sustainable communities across Northumberland.

The council aims to maximise the benefits of securing employment and training opportunities for residents of Northumberland through planning obligations, land sale conditions and procurement clauses.

Social clauses for jobs and training
The Public Service (Social Value) Act (2012) requires local authorities to consider how services they commission and procure can improve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of the area.

The council is committed to using these powers to create training and employment opportunities, improving the local skills base, supporting more residents into sustainable jobs, and increasing opportunities for local supply chains.

Contract tenders include ‘social and economic’ questions to demonstrate how these benefits can be realised and contracts include clauses to secure benefits for residents in:

new employment opportunities
apprenticeships
training opportunities
work experience placements.

Contractors must also demonstrate how they will work with local supply chains and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to benefit Northumberland’s economy. In turn, the council is committed to working together with contractors to deliver these outputs and offers support in the training and recruitment process. The approach can bring benefits to the council and its residents, local business and contractors.

Northumberland County Council is working with organisations such as The Construction Industry Training Board and North East Procurement Organisation to develop the approach further.

For further information, contact:

Kevin Higgins, Economic and Inclusion Policy Team, 07786 020787
kevin.higgins@northumberland.gov.uk

We produce economic policy and research for the Council and other partners.

This includes the Northumberland Economic Strategy and the Northumberland Economic Assessment. This is one of the functions provided by the Economy and Regeneration Service within the County Council.

The service also acts as a co-ordinating point between council services, its delivery bodies (including Advance Northumberland) and regional organisations, including the North of Tyne Combined Authority and North East Local Enterprise Partnership.

The Northumberland economic strategy 2019-2024

The new 2019-2024 strategy was formally approved by the councils cabinet in December 2018. The new strategy updates the previous 2015-2020 strategy which was refreshed during 2018 involving engagement and discussion with elected members, partners and businesses. The final published executive summary of the strategy, full document and supporting information is available below:

Northumberland Economic Strategy - Press Release
Northumberland Economic Strategy - Executive Summary
Northumberland Economic Strategy - Full Strategy
Supporting Information - Northumberland Economy Data Summary
Supporting information - Northumberland Towns Economic Baseline 2019

Northumberland Economic Assessment

The Northumberland Economic Assessment is research which details the county's economy. Much of the recent evidence is set out in the Economic Strategy and the Economic Assessment is regularly updated.

For more information please visit the Northumberland Knowledge pages

Hexham High Streets Heritage Action Zone

The High Streets Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) Programme is a nationwide initiative to secure lasting improvements to historic high streets, funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and run by Historic England.

Northumberland County Council and partners, Hexham Town Council and Hexham Community Partnership developed a successful submission to the national programme to deliver a £2.4m programme of improvements to boost the town centre and enhance the Conservation Area, focusing interventions on the target corridor of Priestpopple, Battle Hill and Cattle Market.

Please read the Hexham HSHAZ Scheme Overview for more information.

You can also email: hexhamhshaz@northumberland.gov.uk

Additional information and guidance on the national High Streets Heritage Action Zone Programme is available at: www.historicengland.org.uk

Advance, the Northumberland Development Company

Advance Northumberland is the council's development company and is tasked with helping to drive economic development and prosperity across the county.

For further information, please visit the Advance website

North of Tyne Combined Authority

The new North of Tyne Combined Authority spans Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland.

For more information please visit the North of Tyne devolution website

North East Local Enterprise Partnership (NELEP)

The North East Local Enterprise Partnershipp (NELEP) is working with partners to develop a more competitive economy for the North East, helping to create more and better jobs for everyone.

For information please visit the NELEP website

North East Combined Authority (NECA)

The North East Combined Authority (NECA) is the legal body that brings together the four councils which serve County Durham, Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland.

For more information please visit the NECA website

Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS)

The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) brings together responsibility for business, industrial strategy, and science and innovation with energy and climate change policy.

For information about the department please visit the Dept for BEIS website

North East Mental Health Trailblazer

The North East Mental Health Trailblazer project (NEMHT) offers individually tailored employment support to those aged 18+ with mild to moderate health conditions.

This project will pilot an approach to support jobseekers with mental health conditions into employment through integrated support, within the North East LEP area. It is part funded by the European Social Fund as part of the 2014 - 2020 European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme in England.

A referral into the NEMHT is an opportunity to receive support from mainstream mental health therapy services within Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT), alongside employment support.

An Individual Placement Support (IPS) model of employability is provided, which is internationally recognised as the most effective way to support people with mental health conditions to gain and keep paid employment.

In order to access this service, you can request a referral from Jobcentre Plus or an IAPT therapist.

Future High Streets Fund

Please see below for information about the Blyth Town Centre expression of interest to the Future High Streets Fund:

Covering letter Rt Hon James Brokenshire
Blyth High Street expression of interest

List of appendices
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Appendix 3
Appendix 4
Appendix 5
Appendix 6
Appendix 7
Appendix 8
Appendix 9
Appendix 10
Appendix 11

Contact us

Rob Strettle
Principal Policy Officer
Economic and Inclusion Policy Team
Economy and Regeneration Service
Northumberland County Council
County Hall
Morpeth
NE61 2EF

T: 01670 624749
M: 07770 642773
E: rob.strettle@northumberland.gov.uk