Economic Strategy Priority Actions

Update October 2019 to September 2020

Action Ref		Detail		Lead partner		Task		Target Outcomes		Updates & Next Steps
PA1 Year 1		Establish an innovation programme and Civic Innovation Demonstrator		Lead:  Better Brighton, Brighton & Hove City Council, Digital Catapult Brighton Wider partners: Chamber, BHEP, Sussex Innovation Centre, Green Growth Platform, Central Research Laboratory, Brighton and Sussex Universities, external partners such as Future Cities Plus X delivery partners: Brighton & Hove City Council (Delivery Body), U+I Group Plc (Developer) and University of Brighton		Secure agreement to mapping & tracking innovative and potentially transformational projects. Work with partners to seek investment in developments that can lead to wider city and/or city region benefits		Joined up and coherent approach to city innovation which build on existing city capacity. Long-term impact on ‘big’ city issues: inclusion, productivity and resilience. Visibility of the city as a leader in disruptive thinking. Investment in innovative and transformational projects by investors		Innovation Programme: Better Brighton & Hove is developing an Innovation Programme.  In the context of the pandemic, the Board is furthering discussions around green tech in the city; exploring opportunities to contribute expertise and/or support projects collaboratively. Next steps: The Board has been reflecting on the (post-Covid) recovery work being undertaken in the city and considering ways in which members can support this work. Digital Catapult: There are 18 case studies of start-ups or existing businesses which have utilised and benefitted from the Brighton Immersive Lab. Plus X Brighton update: Brighton & Hove City Council is a delivery partner for Plus X Brighton which opened in June 2020 and is a seven-storey innovation hub. It provides high quality workspace tailored to the unique needs of Brighton’s creative and entrepreneurial businesses.  The building has around 100 memberships on flexible plans.  Plus X Brighton has also successfully launched its scale up innovation programme, BRITE.  The Brighton Research Innovation Technology Exchange (BRITE) is a business innovation programme for ambitious and established businesses primarily based in the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership region.
Action Ref	Detail		Lead partner		Task		Target Outcomes		Updates & Next Steps
PA2 Year 2	Unlock stalled development sites through investment partnerships with Government and regional partners		Lead: Brighton & Hove City Council, Greater Brighton Economic Board, Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership and wider City Region partners Wider partners: developers, agents, landlords		Following the success of the Burgess Hill agreement how can the city region unlock other sites with complex land ownership/ expensive remediation and other challenges Brighton & Hove City Council & Greater Brighton Economic Board to take forward discussions with the LEP & Govt re-investment opportunities		Acceleration of strategic development sites; delivery of more homes & commercial space in line with need A more dynamic approach to addressing strategic growth opportunities and constraints across Greater Brighton; ultimate outcomes – increased investment in infrastructure and strong delivery pipeline		Greater Brighton Housing & Growth Sites Working Group: The Greater Brighton Housing & Growth Sites Working Group was established in November 2019.  It brings together representatives from the Greater Brighton local authorities (Adur, Arun, Brighton & Hove, Crawley, Lewes, Mid Sussex and Worthing) to focus on issues relating to housing supply and delivery.  The Group is aimed at: sharing learning and best practice; providing peer support and review; identifying and progressing opportunities for collaboration and joint-work, and; completing discrete pieces of work as and when required.  The Group meets quarterly and has discussed topics including sustainability and compulsory purchase orders.  The next meeting was due to be held on 26 October 2020, when the Group will be joined by Homes England.  Homes England will share information on their new structure and priorities, as well as on their funding programme and wider support available. In addition, the city council has worked with Hyde Housing to reshape the ‘Homes for Brighton & Hove’ joint venture.  The JV will now become a development company, building homes and selling them to the council and Hyde to overcome viability issues that were blocking two key sites (346 homes) from coming forward.  This means that Hyde can use their Homes England grant funding to deliver the homes.  This was agreed by the council’s Housing and Policy and Resources Committees in October 2020. The council has a number of initiatives in addition to the joint venture that are delivering new homes these include: · New Homes for Neighbourhoods – 227 homes completed in 14 projects on empty or underused council owned sites with over 600 homes in the pipeline over the next four years  · Hidden Homes – 15 homes completed so far.  11 homes are due for completion in 2020/21 with more small sites identified · Council owed temporary and emergency accommodation – 25 homes completed so far with 48 further homes due for completion in 2020/21.  Further options will be identified  Next steps: To establish the Joint Venture as a development company and start the process to unlock the 346 stalled homes. Greater Brighton Investment Programme Local Growth Fund (LGF) allocations for projects in Brighton & Hove made as part of the Growth Deal Rounds 1, 2 and 3 are listed below: · New England House Growth Centre - £4.9m · Digital Catapult & 5G Testbed - £1.8m · Circus Street Innovation Centre & Regeneration - £2.7m · Plus X - £7.7m · Valley Gardens – Phases 1 & 2 - £8.0m · Waterfront - £12.1m · Heritage Centre Stage – Corn Exchange & Studio Theatre - £3.0m · Pelham Campus Redevelopment - £5.0m · Brighton 5G Fibre Ring - £832,647

Action Ref	Detail	Lead partner	Task	Target Outcomes	Updates & Next Steps
PA3 Years 1 & 2	City Region Trade and Invest Team	Lead: Brighton & Hove City Council Economic Development Team, City Region Authorities & Leaders Partners:  Brighton & Hove Economic Partnership, Coastal West Sussex, Gatwick Diamond, Chambers, Wired Sussex, Department for International Trade, Coast to Capital	Develop the City Region narrative and key messages Develop a Trade and Investment Service	Creation of jobs and new investment Increase in business locating to the city and city region Increase in levels of trade to EU and Non-EU countries	Trade & investment: · Wide stakeholder engagement exercise with Greater Brighton Members and other regional stakeholders (Business Chambers, Gatwick Diamond, Department for International Trade etc), to develop the place narrative · Presentation of initial ideas and final narrative at two Greater Brighton Economic Board Meetings during this period · Engagement with Greater Brighton Officer Group (several times) and other officers on both the place narrative and inward investment desk draft proposals · Training the Greater Brighton Support Team and other officers on how social media, particularly LinkedIn to be used as a resource for contact generation and tracking, and helping officers improve their online profiles · Prepared a simple Customer Relationship Management (CRM) dashboard to record new leads and track/monitor progress.  Key metrics captured include number of new prospects identified, number contacted, number validated, potential job creation · Engagement with the Communications Team on how best to communicate the agreed narrative for the City Region Outcomes: Place narrative and inward investment strategy both produced and agreed by the Greater Brighton Economic Board. Next Steps: · Support the Greater Brighton Support Team to identify possible leads, make initial contact, record and monitor progress · Support the narrative to become embedded within the comms team and member organisations · Draft a template for a monthly dashboard, outlining new opportunities by sector and geographic region of origin Business & Intellectual Property Centre (BIPC) Brighton & Hove: Brighton & Hove City Council’s Economic Development Team is supporting Jubilee Library in setting up a Business & Intellectual Property Centre at the library, as part of the British Library BIPC National Network. The BIPC Brighton & Hove will provide business support to entrepreneurs and small and medium sized enterprises with free access to market research, journals, directories, reports and company databases and a programme of free and low-cost events and workshops. BIPC Brighton & Hove is a pilot centre.  It has responded to the changing circumstances due to the pandemic, by delivering virtual events.  BIPC Brighton & Hove recently launched its events programme.  The first was hosted by Neil Infield, Manager of the BIPC in London who talked about IP ‘How to protect your business’. The second event was hosted by Emily Rampat, Account Manager at IBIS World who talked about ‘Business Plan Success’ showing how IBIS can be used to conduct research. Next steps: The new BIPC refurbishment is nearing completion.  It is located on the upper floor at Jubilee Library. Reset. Restart Programme The British Library recently launched a Covid-19 business recovery programme called Reset. Restart. The aim is to help small and medium enterprises to transform, future-proof or grow their business through the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. The British Library is offering a series of 10 free webinars. For a local Reset. Restart programme, the BIPC Brighton & Hove sent an Invitation to Quote to local business organisations to deliver workshops, one-to-one clinics and facilitated networking to local businesses. A preferred supplier has been selected.

Action Ref	Detail	Lead partners	Task	Target Outcomes	Updates & Next Steps
PA4 Year 1	Adult Learning & Skills Partnership	Partners:  Brighton & Hove City Council (Skills & Employment), providers; Sussex Council of Training Providers, key sector and business representatives	A workshop to identify the Greater Brighton skills priorities was held November 2019. Following the event, a paper was produced and submitted to Greater Brighton Economic Board to inform the 5-year strategy Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership has created the Skills 360˚ Board – quarterly meetings take place with the Skills Manager at C2C with colleagues from Economic Development & Employment & Skills.	The Strategy’s original aim was to set-up a City Skills for Productivity Commission to act as a scrutiny committee and formulate recommendations for action to steer future skills, training and employment provision across the city Following this in 2019 the Adult Learning & Skills Partnership (ALSP) was restructured as a strategic body and the Economic Strategy Project Board agreed a City Skills for Productivity Commission would not be a standing group as the creation of a new skills group would add duplication. Aim is to create a more dynamic and proactive working between providers and employers; skills and employment outcomes for residents; suitability of workforce for businesses / sectors	Coast to Capital LEP receive government funding to act as the Skills Advisory Panel (SAP) for the Coast to Capital area, bringing together employers and skills providers to understand and address key local skills challenges, with the aim of developing evidence based analysis to advise and support providers to deliver the skills required by employers. They have recently launched a LEP wide skills strategy and action plan 2020-2025.  The government proposal to enable people without a level 3 qualification to access free provision in 2021 and the ongoing implementation of T Levels, means that the national and local provision landscape will adapt to respond to the priorities attached to funding. Locally, some providers already work together to ensure that the offer reflects local skills requirements and that progression routes are in place, and the Department for Work and Pensions commission sector-based training for their clients from local providers. Locally, employability and skills partners/networks will contribute to a two-year City, Employment and Skills Recovery Plan which will identify and address local priorities.

Action Ref	Detail	Lead partner	Task	Target Outcomes	Updates & Next Steps
PA5 Year 1	Developing long-term community capacity and citizen leadership	Brighton & Hove Connected is leading on social value / community wealth building Partners: Civil Society leaders Brighton Chamber is leading on the Brighton & Hove Living Wage Campaign	Work with Procurement on implementing models that help build community wealth and social value Increase take up of the Living Wage by local employers	Increase in participation levels, and more efficient partnership working across the Civil Society sector, reduced reliance on public sector to lead / facilitate delivery Increase in sustainable employment	Community Wealth Building update: The Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) prepared a draft report of Brighton & Hove’s potential to develop community wealth, entitled ‘Community Wealth Building in Brighton & Hove’ (December 2019). Next Steps: Brighton & Hove City Council will explore what options are available. Living Wage update: Living Wage Campaign held a 600^th milestone celebration event. The Brighton & Hove Living Wage campaign has increased to 652 employees signed up. Next Steps: Brighton Chamber will host a virtual coffee morning during Living Wage Week in November. Brighton Chamber will also liaise with workspace providers in the city asking them to promote the Living Wage campaign to their members.

Action Ref	Detail	Lead partner	Task	Target Outcomes	Updates & Next Steps
PA6 Year 1	Promote the development of a circular and sustainable economy	Brighton & Hove City Council’s Sustainability & Economic Development Teams are leading Partners: Universities, key sector and business representatives	Circular Economy principles approved by the Greater Brighton Economic Board Work with the universities to identify and take forward city demonstrators and identify resources	Brighton & Hove recognised as one of the most established and progressive Circular Economy cities Growth in the number of business processes, trade and infrastructure that adopts a circular economy approach	The Council with support from Circular Economy Brighton & Hove is developing a Circular Economy (CE) Routemap for the city. Circular Economy Routemap update: Five Built Environment Accelerator Sessions took place to introduce officers and partner organisations to develop new circular economy approaches. The workshop themes were: Highways & Road Maintenance, Major Infrastructure Projects, Planning Policy & Heritage, Properties & Housing and Procurement. Officer re-engagement sessions were held in September with staff from Procurement, Planning, Property, Transport and the Built Environment to discuss the Circular Economy Routemap. Next steps: The Circular Economy Routemap is being taken to the Policy & Resources Committee on the 3^rd December 2020.