Durham County Council is taking an inclusive approach to its economic strategy and Councillor Elizabeth Scott tells PETER BARRON why it’s so important for businesses to have their say

AS someone who has spent most of her life in Durham, and ran her own company for 13 years, Elizabeth Scott is well placed to understand the challenges facing businesses in the county.

And when it comes to plotting a new, inclusive economic strategy for County Durham, Elizabeth, Cabinet member for cconomy and partnerships, wants the voices of local business leaders to be heard loud and clear.

At the end of January, Durham County Council launched ‘The Big Econ-versation’ – inviting more than half a million residents to have their say on a wide range of issues that affect their lives, from job creation to opportunities for young people.

The conversation will continue until April 22, with answers being used to help shape the authority’s economic strategy – and those running businesses are being urged to play their full part.

County Durham contributes £9 billion annually to the regional economy, supporting 174,000 jobs in 14,565 businesses. However, Councillor Scott, whose business background is in economic development and regeneration, believes there is still a lot of untapped potential.

“Part of the solution depends on growth from within – what we can do ourselves, internally, to grow our economy,” she says. “Therefore, it’s vital that we hear real-life experiences from businesses. What can the council do better? What opportunities are being missed? How can we do more to enable businesses to grow and improve the economic well-being of County Durham for the benefit of all its residents?”

In March, the council also started a series of structured consultations by going out to trade bodies and business organisations, as well as using Business Durham – the local authority’s business support service – as a conduit to gather views and information.

“We are already hearing some very clear messages about the demand for more employment land,” says Councillor Scott.

A first draft of the economic strategy will be produced this summer and, following a formal consultation process, the final document is expected to be launched in the autumn.

As the council develops its strategy, Councillor Scott has been heartened by the “very impressive” resilience shown by County Durham businesses during the pandemic, not least the adaptability of those contributing to the visitor economy.

“Part of County Durham’s strength is in the diversity and rurality of the area, and parts of the county have really benefited from the trend towards staycations over the past two years,” says Councillor Scott, who is a director of Visit Durham.

“For example, in July and August, Beamish Museum had record visitor numbers, and it’s because people are wanting to explore their local area more.”

Culture is a key focus for the council and its partners, with events such as Lumiere boosting the economy by millions of pounds. The county’s bid to be UK City of Culture 2025, meanwhile, has helped strengthen its reputation not only as a visitor destination but as a place of creativity and innovation.

“Culture and heritage are such important economic drivers for us, so we want as much feedback as possible on what more can be done to harness culture-led regeneration,” she says.

The county council is also a Premier Partner in The Northern Echo’s Level Up campaign to promote the North-East’s case for greater Government investment, so that businesses can flourish and enable more well-paid and sustainable jobs to be created.

“It’s important to showcase the region and shine the spotlight on the opportunities we have here for investment at a national level. We, therefore, welcome The Northern Echo’s Level Up campaign that is delivering some very positive and important messages. It shows we are on the same team, and I want Durham County Council to be an important player,” says Councillor Scott.

However, she insists that the county must also not lose sight of the need to find its own solutions.

“Yes, of course, we need to lobby hard with the Government about the need for investment, but we also have to explore what we can do for our ourselves.”

The Big Econ-versation is at the heart of coming up with those answers, and businesses can play their part by going to: www.durhamecon-versation.co.uk

  • Any business interesting in becoming a partner of The Northern Echo’s Level Up campaign, please contact Pete Noble at pete.noble@localiq.co.uk

Innovative Durham housebuilder urges
businesses to join the Big Econ-versation

AS the head of a fast-growing company in Durham, Scott Bibby is encouraging local businesses of all sizes to have their say in helping to shape the economic future of the county.

Scott is managing director of innovative modular housebuilder CoreHaus, which opened its first UK manufacturing site at Jade Business Park in Murton, near Seaham, last year and has since recruited a highly skilled team.

And he feels it is essential that businesses across County Durham – regardless of size – add their voice to a three-month long conversation on the County Durham Inclusive Economic Strategy.

Through ‘The Big Econ-conversation’ that was launched in January, Durham County Council wants businesses to share challenges and provide ideas which could help shape a strategy for the county now and for future generations of business leaders, entrepreneurs and residents.

Scott said: “It’s important that businesses across the county have their say and work with Durham County Council to create a strategy that’s inclusive for everyone – regardless of size, sector or location. Ultimately, if you don’t say what you want, you can’t expect the results you’re after.

“We opened our first manufacturing site at Jade Business Park last year as part of ambitious scale up plans. With such a great facility located in the heart of the North-East, with a competitive rate and skilled labour market, it felt like the perfect choice.

“The county has a highly skilled and rich labour market, which has allowed us to employ a diverse and experienced team from the surrounding area, but there’s still high levels of unemployment across County Durham. For us, it is crucial that we train and develop talent from within and, ultimately, create those opportunities for people locally.

“We’re looking to scale up production over five years to build 1,000 homes per year and employ up to 300 workers from across the North-East. Availability of good quality housing is vital for economic growth in the county and it’s crucial that we work with the council and Business Durham to create an economy that is made for each and every business and one that is futureproofed for generations to come.”

The economic strategy for the future will harness the county's strengths and address areas for improvement. Shaped by residents and businesses, the strategy will become a comprehensive, inclusive plan to help County Durham achieve its growth ambitions.

It will also enable the county to secure further investment and support from regional and national private and public sector organisations.

  • Residents and businesses can join the big econ-versation now by visiting www.durhamecon-versation.co.uk, by emailing Econ-versation@durham.gov.uk or calling 03000 260000.  People will be able to give their views in response to questions around the themes of people, prosperity, places, promotion and partnerships as well as our impact on the planet. The deadline for views and comments is 5pm on Friday 22 April.