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Strategic Activity

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Operating at a strategic level, the primary role of LEP is to lead on the development, implementation and review of the Lancashire Economic Strategy, which complements the Regional Economic Strategy for the North West. LEP also manages sub-regional projects where appropriate and acts as the vehicle for the delivery of the Central Lancashire City Region Development Programme - part of the Government's Northern Way initiative.

The LES represents an important vision for the future of the sub-region. The purpose of the Strategy is to provide a co-ordinated approach to the development of the sub-regional economy as a whole, identifying those programmes and projects that are of at least sub-regional significance and hence form the agreed Partnership priorities, three spatial and three thematic:

> Blackpool World Class Resort Destination
Blackpool: 21st Century Resort Destination – development and delivery of the Fylde Coast Multi-Area Agreement (MAA) and implementation of the Blackpool Taskforce Report. The focus of the MAA is on raising the economic prosperity of the Fylde Coast through developing the area’s identity of place, growing the economic and business base, investing in skills and employment and strategically prioritising investment to tackle transport, planning and housing issues.

For full details view the Blackpool World Class Resort Destination page

> Preston City Vision / Central Lancashire
Preston and Central Lancashire – building upon the dynamic growth area of Preston, South Ribble and Chorley, a significant programme of investment is planned, in which the transformation of Preston City Centre represents the number one development priority. This builds upon the planned investment through the Tithebarn retail scheme and goes much further in defining a central Commercial Quarter, a place to do business, alongside a new Residential and Civic Quarter. Further, “Riverworks” is an ambitious development project that seeks to capture the latent potential north and south of the river, for residential, leisure, tourism and employment uses.

For full details view the Preston City Vision / Central Lancashire page

> Pennine Lancashire Transformational Agenda
Pennine Lancashire – implementation of the Pennine Lancashire Multi Area Agreement (MAA) to transform the economy and housing market in Pennine Lancashire. Substantial investment is planned through the Pennine Lancashire Development Company and Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder, finding innovative solutions to housing market re-structuring. Improved economic prosperity and connectivity will be delivered by further enhancing the economic contribution of the manufacturing sector and developing embryonic sectors which bring higher added value, together with increasing the availability and take-up of higher education in the area.

For full details view the Pennine Lancashire Transformational Agenda page

> Aerospace & other Advanced Manufacturing
The advanced manufacturing industry in Lancashire is a powerful force with the highest concentration outside the South East of England.

It accounts for more than a quarter of local Gross Value Added (GVA) and continues both directly and indirectly to dominate economic activity and wealth creation within Lancashire. Advanced Manufacturing is highlighted as a key economic driver for both the North West region and the Lancashire sub-region and is specifically highlighted within the Regional Economic Strategy and also the Lancashire Economic Strategy.

For full details view the Aerospace & other Advanced Manufacturing page

> Skills
The LES identifies ‘Skills’ as one of the key drivers to move the Lancashire economy up the value chain. Productivity is driven by a range of factors and key among this is the people resource and how their knowledge and skills contribute to making firms competitive.

For full details view the Skills page

> Tourism and the Rural Economy
Tourism and the Rural Economy are recognised as being of strategic importance to Lancashire and therefore form one of the Partnership’s six strategic headline economic priorities.

Tourism is one of the largest employment sectors in Lancashire. In 2005, the total number of tourism-related jobs was almost 52,000 or 8.6% of all employees in employment in the sub-region, which were supported by 63.8 million visitors who accounted for £2.49 billion spend per annum.

For full details view the Tourism and the Rural Economy page


It is concerned with the economic well being of the sub-region as a whole and provides the sub-regional context, which will inform the development of local economic priorities.

Designed to improve the economic competitiveness and performance of the economy by developing its key economic assets and opportunities within a clearly defined spatial framework based on complementary roles and functions, there has been a real intent within the Strategy to understand the ‘geography’ of the economy.

What has emerged are five relatively self-contained sub-areas, – namely Lancaster, Fylde Coast, Central, Pennine and West – which clearly display quite distinct economic structures and therefore opportunities. The Strategy recognises the unique contribution of these five sub-areas and presents an approach that seeks to capture the clear complementarities that exist in an integrated manner.

The constituent authorities within these five sub-areas are increasingly working together in order to develop strategies and actions for the sustainable economic growth of their areas. There is a common goal that binds the sub-areas together under one fundamental challenge for the sub-region, that is:

“MOVING THE LANCASHIRE ECONOMY UP THE VALUE CHAIN”