30.05.07
Launch of Strategy and Action
The ambitious vision for the economy of Cornwall and the
Isles of Scilly from now until 2021 has been launched.
The compilation of the latest edition of Strategy and Action
has been led by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Economic
Forum and its underlying aim is 'to achieve sustainable prosperity
for all in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly'.
The document aims to build on the partnership work carried
out to regenerate this region's economy during the Objective
One Programme and to continue this work through the following
Convergence programmes.
Thelma Sorensen, chair of the Forum, describes the document
as "a real road map to wealth creation. It is ambitious
of course and some of its objectives will only be achieved
in the long term but I am an optimist who feels that most
can be achieved if we apply ourselves.”
Below is her speech made at Tuesday's (May 29th) launch.
To download a full copy of Strategy and Action click here.
Thelma Sorensen:
"As chairman of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
Economic Forum, I am proud and delighted to welcome you to
Kingsley Village this afternoon for the launch of our newly
revised economic strategy for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly
- Strategy and Action.
"And I am very encouraged by the large number of
people I see here today - a real demonstration that you acknowledge
Strategy and Action as having an important part to play in
the development of the economy of Cornwall.
"I am also much heartened by the fact that our attendance
is equally made up by representatives from both the public
and private sectors.
"This underlines the fact that we can only achieve
the prosperity we all want by working closely together in
an atmosphere of mutual trust.
"This latest edition of Strategy and Action is the
result of a tremendous amount of hard work undertaken by a
large number of people across the region.
"It has taken longer than originally planned but
we were determined to get it right. Even to the extent of
getting it eventually evaluated by the London School of Economics.
"But, before I go any further, my first important
task is to give very many thanks to the Economic Forum's secretariat,
primarily Lucy Harris, the manager, who has worked extremely
hard and with great enthusiasm to bring this very demanding
task to such a successful conclusion.
"But I am sure that Lucy and all the members of
the forum would also agree that we have relied heavily on
the unfailing good natured support and commitment of Michelle
O'Brien.
"I also want to take this opportunity to thank you
both for the organisation of this event and for masterminding
the production of this very attractive and well designed document.
"I also wish, as chairman, to thank all those other
people who contributed to the drafting groups, the final editing
board and Cornwall County Council's research unit LINC (the
Local Intelligence Network Cornwall) - Robin Miller and Kathryn
Meredith.
"I would like to go on naming all those individuals
who have been involved but I hope they will all accept that
we are extremely grateful and very much appreciate their tremendous
input to this piece of work.
"A major benefit of this inclusive approach and
a long consultation process has been the buy-in of the strategy
by the partners in the Forum, very necessary if it
is going to have meaning and influence.
"When we launched the last revision of 'Strategy
and Action' at Newquay Cornwall Airport, I pointed out that
we were beginning to see visible examples of economic regeneration
taking place all around us.
"This regeneration is continuing and, in the years
between 1995 and 2005, our GVA (gross value added) growth
rate was faster than the national average.
"But, we started from a very low baseline and our
economy is still fragile.
"There is still a long way to go.
"Great things have been achieved through the Objective
One Programme, and may I take this opportunity to warmly congratulate
everyone involved in Objective One, which has been judged
by Europe as the best performing programme in the UK.
"It has certainly raised the profile of Cornwall
and the aspirations of our people.
"And, never a day goes by when Cornwall doesn't
feature somewhere in the national media.
"Last Sunday, there was even a double page spread
in The Independent which highlighted how the Cornish diaspora
want to get in on the act by having our world heritage site
status extended to their own Cornish mining communities across
the world - real recognition.
"And, who can doubt the advantages accruing to young
people and the economy from the Objective One investment in
Jamie Oliver's inspired Fifteen Cornwall restaurant?
"Cornwall is now gaining a reputation which is second
to none in the quality of locally sourced food and gourmet
restaurants.
"Kingsley Village, the excellent facility we are
in at the moment, is a private sector project which has been
supported by Objective One.
"And, make no mistake about it, the engagement of
the private sector is critical to the success of any economic
regeneration programme.
"And we must make sure that we perform as well in
the forthcoming Convergence programmes.
"We won't be starting cold as we did in Objective
One, we will have had several years of establishing strong
partnership working under our belt and this is a tremendous
asset to build on.
"I would like to take this opportunity to wish all
those charged with taking this forward, not least the managing
authority, the Regional Development Agency, every success
in the coming years.
"But we must not forget that the future economy
of Cornwall is wider than being just recipients of European
funding programmes and this is reflected in Strategy and Action.
"As I said earlier, we chose Newquay Cornwall Airport
to launch our last revision of Strategy and Action and I am
personally delighted to see that project is progressing beyond
our wildest dreams of three years ago.
"Congratulations are very much in order for those
who have done so much in making this happen and I have to
mention the development team at Cornwall County Council, the
Regional Development Agency and the Cornwall County councillors
who have had difficult decisions to make but have, nonetheless,
stood by their commitment to the airport.
"And one of our speakers this afternoon, Councillor
Andrew Mitchell has been a real champion of the project.
"We identified 10 top priorities three years ago
and, looking at them again, we can see that a lot have already
been achieved.
"The A30 is being dualled on Goss Moor - isn't it
looking good?
"The Dobwalls by-pass is currently underway - an
amazing piece of civil engineering.
"Also, The development of CUC phase 2, and the dualling
of the Probus Burngullow railway line.
"We now have every confidence that the improvement
to the sea links to the Isles of Scilly will go ahead and,
of course, the actnow Objective One broadband
project has been a resounding success.
"Local partnerships in towns and the rural areas
have been enhanced, although there is still work to do.
"We are essentially a rural area and any economic
regeneration must take this into account.
"We still have a way to go in delivering quality,
well designed workspace and, despite the physical infrastructure
improvements I have already mentioned, you wouldn't expect
me to say that we don't want more.
"Businesses still say that our infrastructure is
a barrier to investment and this must be taken on board.
"I could go on but my own agenda is still to equip
our workforce and young people to meet the demands of the
high quality businesses we want to see grow in Cornwall and
to overcome our low wage economy.
"We have wonderful opportunities in Cornwall - a
fantastic environment which is the envy of the rest of the
country.
"The Combined Universities in Cornwall and the opportunity
to build on that, within the context of climate change, to
develop environmental and renewable energy technologies.
"In fact, we have a great deal to be grateful for.
"I see 'Strategy and Action' as a real road-map
to wealth creation - it is ambitious of course (but what is
wrong with that) and some of its objectives will only be achieved
in the long term but I am an optimist who feels that most
can be achieved if we all apply ourselves.
"I am extremely proud and honoured to be the chairman
of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Economic Forum at this
exciting time and commend Strategy and Action to you.”
Editor's notes:
Clare Morgan
Media Relations Manager
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Mobile: 07973 813647
Telephone: 01872 223439
cmorgan@cornwall.gov.uk
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