Issue - meetings

An inclusive economy in North Tyneside

Meeting: 14/07/2021 - Economic Prosperity Sub Committee (no longer active) (Item 4)

4 Inclusive Economy Strategy pdf icon PDF 59 KB

To review and comment on the Council’s approach towards developing an inclusive economy in North Tyneside.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

At its meeting on 24 May 2021 the Cabinet had approved an approach towards developing an inclusive economy in North Tyneside. Julie Dodds, the Council’s Service Manager: Inclusive Economy and Business Growth, presented the background to the strategy, details of the Council’s approach and the steps to be taken to implement it.

 

The sub-committee heard that the approach sought to build a more inclusive North Tyneside, particularly using the local economy as a route to making that happen. The report to Cabinet set out a framework for a range of projects and activities across all the Council’s departments aimed to making North Tyneside and its economy, more inclusive. It contained a framework approach organised across seven fundamental areas; Education, Employment, Safety, Social equity, Housing, Connections and Environment.

 

In considering the Council’s approach members of the sub-committee asked questions and made comments when the following issues were discussed in more detail:

a)     The differences in the approach now proposed to tackling inequalities and deprivation compared to those approaches adopted over the past 25 years;

b)     The role of the sub-committee in monitoring indicators of deprivation and inequalities and evaluating the impact of the strategy;

c)     How the Council’s approach, as part of a wider regional drive for more and better jobs, would address the issue of lower wage rates within North Tyneside compared to other parts of the country;

d)     The opportunity for the Council to bid for funding from the Levelling Up Fund and the Council’s designation within Category 2 of the priority list of areas. The Council could collaborate with other authorities with a higher priority rating to bid for funding;

e)     How statistics and averages often failed to accurately reflect the inequalities that existed in areas of the borough;

f)      The need for investment in adult and further education to provide skills and training opportunities for those who did not gain qualifications in school; and

g)     The wider national and global economic landscape within which the Council would need to work collaboratively with its public and commercial partners to deliver an inclusive economy.


Meeting: 24/05/2021 - Cabinet (Item 7)

7 An inclusive economy in North Tyneside pdf icon PDF 536 KB

To seek approval for the approach towards developing an inclusive economy in North Tyneside

Minutes:

Cabinet considered a report seeking approval for an overarching approach to building a more inclusive North Tyneside, particularly using the local economy as a route to make that happen.  It provided a framework for a range of projects and activities which aimed to make North Tyneside and its economy, more inclusive.

 

Following a peer review in 2018, a clear recommendation for the Authority was to develop and implement an inclusive economy strategy for the Borough.  Building upon the good work already achieved and the commitments already made in promoting inclusivity and tackling deprivation, this strategy aimed to act on that recommendation and provide an approach in which North Tyneside could achieve some real gains in becoming an inclusive economy.

 

A great deal of international policy development had gone into thinking about inclusive economic growth.  Focus had shifted to look at the quality of economic growth and not just its rate. This meant an economy that worked for and included everyone, where the benefits of the economy were spread, so that all communities flourished and grew equally.

 

The single biggest excluding factor in North Tyneside was deprivation. Around 1 in 10 residents lived in an area that was ranked as the most deprived in England and an estimated 18.7% of children in North Tyneside were living in poverty in 2018/19. This approach aimed to tackle that and respond to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which had only served to heighten the gap. In addition, this approach would concentrate on supporting those 9 Protected Characteristics created by the Equality Act 2010. 

 

This framework for change was organised across seven fundamental areas, key to promoting an inclusive economy; Education, Employment, Safety, Social equity, Housing, Connections and Environment.

 

Success in creating an inclusive economy would mean:

 

·         Every resident had the right to a good education, closed the attainment gap between students from deprived and affluent areas and made sure that young people had the skills, experience and qualifications to take up quality training and jobs.

·         Every resident had the right to employment in a safe working environment, with opportunities for progression, paid a fair wage and feeling valued. 

·         Every resident had the right to the feeling and experience of safety in their communities.

·         Every resident had the right to social equity, including commitment to fairness, justice and equality from employers, education and training providers.

·         Every resident had the right to good quality and affordable housing, providing a place to grow and learn throughout the life course.

·         Every resident had the right to social and digital connections which maximised opportunities to fully participate in their communities.

·         Every resident had the right to a sustainable environment, where the Borough’s growing economy did not come to the detriment of the climate.

 

The strategy set out the challenges across each of these rights and how the Authority would achieve these successes as a Council, including current and proposed interventions and activities, links to existing strategies and polices and ways in which the Authority could work with partners  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7