Council agrees blueprint for South of Scotland's economic future
Friday, June 2 2006
The South of Scotland Competitiveness Strategy 2007 - 2013 sets out a seven-year plan to make the Scottish Borders, and its neighbour Dumfries and Galloway, successful in competing for trade, investment and tourism in the European and worldwide markets of the future.
It is based on seven key priorities. To:
* Retain and attract more people of working age
* Grow a knowledge economy in the South of Scotland
* Maximise the benefits of connections to city regions and other economic centres, including mainland Europe
* Realise the full potential of indigenous business sectors and maximise the contribution to Scotland's priority industries,
in particular food, tourism, textiles and renewable industries
* Build a distinctive, high-quality, sustainable place to live, work, visit and enjoy
* Develop the coastal and land-based assets of the South of Scotland.
Each priority is broken down into specific measures, along with a series of indicative costs and potential sources of funding. The first project under Priority Two is to develop a co-located further/higher education campus at Netherdale, Galashiels, with further expansion of the Crichton Campus in Dumfries. The cost is calculated at £60 million over seven years.
The document is the work of the South of Scotland Alliance, whose members include Scottish Borders Council, Dumfries and Galloway Council, Scottish Enterprise Borders and Scottish Enterprise Dumfries and Galloway. It was approved at a meeting of SBC last Thursday [25 May].
The new strategy is the result of a meeting between representatives of the South of Scotland Alliance and Graham Meadows, Director-General of Regional Policy at the European Commission, in Brussels in June 2005.
Mr Meadows encouraged the Alliance to set out its vision and direction for the South of Scotland, along with a programme of
initiatives and projects for economic development to help the European Commission and national bodies decide funding for next
period of European Structural Funds support, 2007 - 2013.
In a foreword co-written by David Parker, Leader of Scottish Borders Council, with the heads of the other Alliance members,
the Competitiveness Strategy says, "The next seven years will be a critical time for the economic well-being of both Dumfries
and Galloway and Scottish Borders. The challenges we face are to position our areas to compete effectively with the rest of
Europe and the World in terms of trade, investment and tourism, and to ensure that there is a dynamic and entrepreneurial
attitude within our communities and local businesses. This means that considerable support will be required from a range of
public and private sector partners at the European, national and local levels.
This will be used to improve transport and communications, business infrastructure, regeneration and place investments, assist companies and to improve the education and skills of our people.
"The provision of the co-located High and Further Education facilities at the Crichton, Dumfries, and in Galashiels will be key economic drivers. We believe that, if effectively implemented, the Competitiveness Strategy will mean that the South of Scotland makes a significant contribution to the economic development of Scotland."
The Strategy recognises that the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway both face a range of common issues, such as evolving rural policies, engaging with city regions, globalisation and increased competition and changing European and national funding regimes for economic development and regeneration.
The South of Scotland has significant opportunities and strengths that can be used to develop its area and improve its competitiveness. These include its relative proximity to major cities such as Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle, significant land assets, a high quality environment, good local services, strong communities and businesses, and the energy and skills of its people.
The Strategy will now be discussed with national agencies, the Scottish Executive, UK Government and European Commission to secure their support for it and the measures it contains.
For more information, please contact Douglas Scott, SBC Team Leader - Working with the Borders Community. Tel: 01835 825155.
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