Plan set out for thousands of jobs

Shropshire Council's newly-appointed group manager for business growth and prosperity Gemma Davies has compiled an economic growth strategy for the county, which was approved by the authority's cabinet this week and will now go out to a public consultation.

Its stated intention is to increase the county's economic output or gross value added by 12 per cent from its current value of £6 billion, and to attract £300 million worth of private sector investment.

It also outlines plans to create 3,700 new jobs in the county, and to build 1,375 new homes a year.

"Shropshire has a strong economy and when you look at unemployment it is very low – lower than the national average," Ms Davies said.

"We have an active working-age population and some businesses that are extremely successful. The challenge we have got is economic productivity has not kept pace with that – it is about the quality of economic output.

"The building blocks are there. We are not having to create attractive environment or quality assets – they are already here."

Among the actions making up the economic growth plan is an outline of six sectors which are either growing or already under-represented, including advanced manufacturing including agri-technology, food and drink processing – an area which Shropshire already supports – health and social care, the visitor economy including luxury goods, environmental technology and the creative and digital industries.

The plans target key growth sites including Oswestry Innovation Park, the M54/A5 corridor, and the areas of north east Shropshire which could benefit from their proximity to HS2.

Infrastructure also plays a significant role in the plans, including by pushing for better broadband and mobile signals for the county, while promoting the county to investors is also a key priority of the plan.

Ms Davies added: "Smaller companies want to grow and want more space, and we have to be able to fulfil their requirements otherwise we will lose them to elsewhere.

"But we also need to attract new companies in and we talk in the growth strategy about the need to promote Shropshire to investors from outside the county, and being really clear about what we have to offer.

"It is a competitive environment in terms of securing investment. What would attract a company to Shropshire over anywhere else?"