Details of North Somerset Council's indicated Economic Development Corporate Priorities.

The Council's corporate priorities for economic development are:

     
• Protecting key employment sites and working with the private sector to deliver well planned employment areas
• Increasing the overall number of new jobs created in order to reduce out-commuting
• Promoting jobs-led regeneration and managing population/housing growth
     
The Council's Economic Development Team provides a wide range of services to promote the economic prosperity throughout North Somerset.
   

This includes:

  
• Publishing a local business directory and 'Business Matters' a quarterly business newsletter
• Annual fact sheets on the North Somerset area
• Supporting and promoting social enterprise
• Providing information guidance and advice to business start ups and ongoing development through North Somerset Enterprise Agency
• Promotional activities to encourage inward investment
• Support the West of England Partnership
• Invest West website, http://www.investwest.org/, which has an online property database providing details of available commercial and
industrial property.
• Encouragement for a variety of urban and rural workspace development to meet various needs
   

The Council also supports:

  

Communications Infrastructure

     
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Working with its partners to improve road and rail links and develop facilities at the Royal Portbury Dock and the Bristol
International Airport

•

Support to IT@Work to promote the use of broadband technology has been developed jointly with partners in the sub-region

          

Skills Development and Employability

   
• Training and recruitment network with local employers
• Ready4Work project to improve access to training and employment
         

Urban and Rural Regeneration

         
• Weston Area Development Framework - a planning framework for the development of major new sites for employment and housing
• ฃ5 million in funding secured for improvements in Weston-super-Mare from the South West Regional Development Agency Civic Pride programme
• Rural Renaissance programme supporting farm diversification, local food and drink, rural workspace and rural tourism
• Completion of a ฃ13million Single Regeneration Budget programme in Weston-super-Mare
• Future improvements to sea defences along Weston-super-Mare sea front
    

Tourism Promotion

       
• Delivery of Blue Skies Tourism Strategy - working jointly with partners in the public and private sectors
• Promoting North Somerset as a visitor destination
• Offering support/advice to new and existing tourism related businesses