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 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 - Full Strategy
Supporting Information - Northumberland Economy Data Summary

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

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

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

For more information please visit the North of Tyne devolution website

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

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

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

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

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

We identified a need to establish new baselines for performance of centres in each of the main towns. During 2019/2020 we collected footfall data from a range of large and small towns across the county. The results are in the footfall report: Northumberland County Councl Footfall Report - 2020