Knowsley Replacement Unitary Development Plan - Knowsley Council

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
CURRENT ISSUES
6.4
Over recent years significant progress has been made
in tackling the legacy of economic decline from the
1970s and 1980s. Over 4,500 jobs have been created
in new developments since 1995, and the Council and
its partners have carried out significant work in
upgrading the environment of the industrial areas in
Knowsley. However, a number of significant issues
remain as follows:
• The Borough has an under representation of
growth industries, such as information and
communications technology, biotechnology,
financial and professional services and
creative industries;
• The unemployment rate (at 4.0% - see footnote 3 )
is higher than the average for Merseyside as a
whole (3.7%), and is significantly higher than the
North West and national averages (2.4% and 2.3%
respectively). Male unemployment is
approximately three times the female rate (6.2%
and 1.9% respectively) and a high percentage of
unemployment claimants are under 25 years of
age (34.0%). Second and third generation
unemployment is not unusual;
• Unemployment is particularly high in certain
areas; Cantril Farm ward (now known as
Stockbridge) has a rate of 8.3%, while Princess
ward has a rate of 7.3% (see footnote 4 ) (over
three times the North West average); and
• The number of people claiming Incapacity Benefit
(IB) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) was
more than two and a half times the number of
people claiming Job Seekers Allowance in 2001,
with rates for claiming IB and DLA both over
twice the national average. IB and DLA claimants
generally cannot work full time and this
illustrates that the amount of non-employed
people in Knowsley is larger than the Job Seekers
Allowance rate.
TACKLING THE ISSUES
6.5
The Council intends to strengthen the local economy
by promoting new employment generating uses,
particularly within the target growth sectors
identified by the North West Development Agency’s
Regional Economic Strategy (2003), and by meeting
the needs of established employers. The Council has
identified the following priorities and needs:
• To provide more high quality sites
and premises;
• To improve “gateways” to the Borough and
transport corridors;
• To implement physical regeneration strategies for
the Industrial Parks, incorporating improvements
to the landscape, provision of services to
development sites, better security, and
improvement/remediation of vacant sites;
• To improve and provide new tourism and
leisure facilities;
• To improve business start up rates and create a
more vibrant enterprise culture; and
• To improve public transport linkages between
employment areas and non-employment areas to
improve access to jobs for those without cars and
to encourage use of more sustainable forms of
transport for those currently using cars.
KEY ECONOMIC SECTORS AND
“CLUSTER” DEVELOPMENTS
6.6
Key economic sectors, identified by the North West
Development Agency in the Regional (Economic)
Strategy (2000) 5 , are now listed in the Regional
Spatial Strategy for the North West.
These sectors include:
• Established target sectors, which are important
because of their existing scale and contribution to
the regional economy, and
• Target growth industries, which have the greatest
potential for growth.
The sites identified in this chapter of the UDP are
capable of meeting the likely need for the former to
expand or relocate to more appropriate premises and
to attract the latter to the Borough.
6.7
The update of the Regional (Economic) Strategy,
published in 2003, encouraged the provision of
clusters. Clusters are geographically concentrated
groups of industries that trade with each other or
which share the same infrastructure, customers or
skills base and whose linkages enhance competitive
advantage. This critical mass provides the right
operating environment for growth companies and
provides opportunities for new start-up companies
and inward investment. The industries which are
suitable for cluster development are identified in
figure 6.1. An opportunity for cluster development in
Knowsley exists with the Jaguar plant in Halewood
and the possibility of attracting suppliers to Knowsley.
Potential provision for this is made with the allocation
of land adjacent to the factory for employment use.
Figure 6.1: Established Target Sectors
• Chemicals;
• Textiles;
• Aerospace;
• Mechanical and other engineering industries,
including marine industries;
• Energy;
• Automotive;
• Food and drink; and
• Land-based industries (primary agriculture
and forestry and diversification of the
rural economy).
Growth target sectors:
• Environmental technologies;
• Life science industries (biotechnology and
pharmaceuticals);
• Medical equipment and technology;
• Financial and professional services;
• Tourism;
• Computer software and services/internet
based services (Digital industries); and
• Creative industries, media, advertising and
public relations.
Industries suitable for “cluster” development
Aerospace, Automotive, Aviation, Chemicals,
Construction, Creative Industries, Digital
Industries, Energy, Environmental Technology,
Financial and Professional Services, Food & Drink,
Healthcare (including Biotechnology), Maritime,
Sport, Textiles, Tourism.
Source: North West Development Agency Regional
(Economic) Strategy (2000) cited in the Regional
Spatial Strategy for the North West (March 2003) and
Regional (Economic) Strategy 2003.
3 All unemployment figures given are the Jobseekers Allowance claimant rate. Source: NOMIS, July 2004
4 This information is only available based on the old Knowsley ward boundaries (dating before the re-organisation of the
Borough’s wards in 2003)
5 The Regional (Economic) Strategy (RES) was published by the North West Development Agency in 2000. The RES was
updated in 2003, with certain changes such as a change in emphasis from supporting established business (target)
sectors and growth target sectors to a strategy for encouraging clusters of businesses. The Regional Spatial Strategy
for the North West (published in 2003) was adopted in March 2003, and supports key economic sectors and clusters.
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KNOWSLEY REPLACEMENT UNITARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN: Adopted June 2006
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