Economic Growth Unpicked
Claim
Objective 2 of the masterplan (Technical Appraisal page 15) seeks to encourage diverse economic growth based upon the following strategic priorities as identified in the Cumbria Strategic Economic Plan (2014-2024)
• advanced manufacturing
• energy
• rural and visitor economy
• strategic connectivity
Reality
The plan was developed by the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) with an objective of unleashing Cumbria’s economic potential and deliberately focuses on areas of existing strength. In summary:
Advanced manufacturing:
– underpins many of the existing industrial activities in key sectors; defence, nuclear, biopharm, motor sport and energy
– location of these industries lie predominantly in the south and west Cumbria areas
– the local supply chain to major industrial sites (BAE and Sellafield) have a strong advanced manufacturing pedigree and growth opportunities
– priority to support development of Ulverston and Barrow areas
– no opportunities identified for Penrith
Energy:
– plan focuses on nuclear and energy excellence building on the expertise at Sellafield
– technology diversification in off shore wind, renewable energy and defence in collaboration with Britain’s Energy Coast (BEC)
– no opportunities identified for Penrith
Rural and visitor economy:
– visitors to the Lake District and North Pennines
– prime focus on tourism with agri-food industry importance recognised
Strategic connectivity
– utilising the M6 corridor
– to build on Carlisle Airport initiatives
– specific action to support Penrith infrastructure and junction improvements to enable delivery of up to 2392 new homes
Whilst Eden district and the masterplan may have aspirations to take advantage of all four areas the Cumbria Strategic Economic Plan recognises opportunities in only the bottom two.
Eden District Council’s masterplan wants to create 7000 new jobs bringing high paid industries to Penrith. These will not come from the Cumbria Strategic Economic Plan, it is almost half way through and there is no evidence provided of any growth in Penrith as a result, even in the two areas where we would expect Eden to take advantage. Expecting to bring new industrial jobs in advanced maufacturing and energy is just wishful thinking, there is no foundation in Penrith to build on. We have already shown that another one of Eden’s economic growth strategies is completely flawed (nuclear jobs Twaddle #1). There is no underpinned economic growth plan specified in the masterplan so why do we need another 13000 people to live in a new town high up above Penrith?
It is just possible we might get jobs like these if we can persuade an entrepreneur in the field to settle here.
The way EDC has encouraged Tourism is utterly feeble…we are writing a separate Twaddle on this.
We could possibly use the skills of our vets to get a genetics and animal health science area to develop and grow at Newton Rigg.
All this needs entrepreneurs to do it. It has taken the Town’s most successful entrepreneur 40 years of hard graft to create 1,200 jobs here. 7,000 jobs from the Masterplan…what nonsense.
https://keeppenrithspecial.org/2018/09/19/master-plan-twaddle/
https://keeppenrithspecial.org/2018/09/24/masterplan-twaddle-2/
https://keeppenrithspecial.org/2018/10/01/twaddle-3-population-growth-figures-unpicked/
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