Promoting and sustaining the economic and social wellbeing of the community by working in partnership on area based and themed initiatives safeguarding and creating employment opportunities and securing appropriate investment.

The approach seems to be working. Shrewsbury's popularity as a business location is growing and the number of business units increased by 63.3% between 1991 and 1996, compared with an increase of 55.7% in the West Midlands as a whole. There are now 3,533 business units in Shrewsbury and Atcham, accounting for one third of the total number in Shropshire. The largest growth has been in real estate, renting and business activities, with an increase in the number of units of 137.6%, with hotels and restaurants also experiencing high rates of growth (78%).

There are a number of reasons why growth is above the regional average. Firstly, by working in partnership with a range of business support agencies and networks, we offer an efficient and effective economic development service to meet the business community's needs. In addition, we are able to offer a number of high quality business park developments throughout the town. We also support appropriate developments in the countryside, such as the business sites at Dorrington, Crosshouses and Atcham, which are still growing.

One of the key challenges for the future will be how we deal with increasing globalisation, given that developing countries will continue to provide 'cheaper' goods. Perhaps part of the answer lies in Shropshire's companies being able to develop niche markets.

For ease, this section is divided into five economic areas:

Business Development

The service sector accounts for 80% of all jobs in the Borough. The majority of the jobs are in public administration (33%) and distribution including retail, hotels and catering (25%), although one of the fastest growing areas at the moment is the care sector. Only 12% of employment is in the manufacturing sector, which is low compared to the county and regional averages.

The economic vulnerability of relying on the service sector is a cause for concern (although the service sector can be more flexible as it is not necessarily capital intensive), particularly with such a low manufacturing base. This economic vulnerability was demonstrated by the effect of the foot and mouth disease crisis on tourism. The impact on the local economy was by no means restricted to the rural areas of the Borough.

To address this problem, we will focus more effort on attracting inward investment in sectors that complement as well as reinforce the Borough's existing economic base. We will work with both Advantage West Midlands, the regional development agency, and the Shropshire Investment Bureau, which is responsible for co-ordinating countywide investment activity. Whilst the number of enquiries received via these organisations is relatively high, there is no room for complacency, as competition within the region is fierce.

Support and advice to small companies which are hoping to expand and diversify will also be a priority - the Small Business Service will have an instrumental role here. Indeed, by providing a broad range of business services and adopting a positive approach to business development we can help to facilitate all of these processes.

Rural Businesses

As a result of recent agricultural crises, it is clear that agriculture will change - the foot and mouth disease crisis, in particular, will have a long-term effect on business structures and the environment. What is not clear, however, is how the countryside will be managed given that revenues from farming are likely to continue to decline. To a large extent, these are issues that will need to be tackled at a national and international level. However, Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council has adopted a rural strategy and following a rural business survey, three main areas of concern were identified - the lack of a skilled workforce, the lack of high quality business premises and crime. These are issues that can be tackled more locally by:

• Examining diversification initiatives (and exploring whether they are appropriate and viable)
• Increasing training opportunities to re-skill the local workforce
• Re-using redundant agricultural and other buildings
• Exploring opportunities for sustainable tourism
• Improving access to, from and within rural areas
• Stimulating rural childcare provision (in itself a potential business opportunity)
• Developing Cultural opportunities, including self employment and improved access to services including ICT networks

(Crime is covered in the sections on Shrewsbury Town Centre and Community Safety.)

We must also recognise that it is no longer possible to consider urban and rural issues in isolation - they are becoming increasingly interdependent. Many people living in rural areas use towns to access many different services, whilst people from urban areas use the countryside for leisure and recreation. Unfortunately, this has yet to be fully recognised (Shrewsbury does not fall into many of the areas for assistance, for example), so we need to do more to highlight urban and rural interdependency issues.

Shrewsbury Town Centre

The health and vitality of Shrewsbury is crucial to the economic wellbeing of the Borough as a whole, as well as to the County. Business is predominantly situated within the town centre and in high quality business sites in a number of locations throughout the wider town. These include those at Shrewsbury Business Park, Battlefield and Oxon as well as a number of smaller sites such as Abbey Lawn, Harlescott Barns and the Castle Business Park.

Businesses are anxious about crime, although it must be emphasised that the crime rate in Shrewsbury is lower than the national average. Although the impact of crime falls on a disproportionately small percentage of businesses, it is of concern to the business community as a whole. Commercial burglary can have a significant financial impact on a business, as once targeted, they are much more likely to be burgled again. We must make every effort, therefore, to reduce crime against businesses and to tackle antisocial behaviour in the town centre.

Shrewsbury Town Centre Management Partnership will take the lead in supporting and developing the growth of Shrewsbury. Members of this partnership are drawn from the public and private sectors, business organisations, education, voluntary and community groups.

Tourism

For over 1,000 years, Shrewsbury has attracted visitors from a wide range of places, cultures and backgrounds. Visitors are attracted for a number of different reasons. Some come to admire the town itself - the Abbey, Castle and other historic buildings (a built heritage which reflects an underlying interest in innovation and experimentation). Others take advantage of Shrewsbury's wide range of shops, cultural and leisure activities, from sports' centres and swimming pools to museum and art galleries, music and theatre, golf courses and bowling alleys. Many festivals are held which attract those with specific interests - Shrewsbury Flower Show, the International Music Festival, Regatta, Shrewsbury Carnival or the Shropshire and West Midlands Agricultural Show, for example. For those who want to explore further, Shrewsbury is an attractive and central base from which to explore the market towns, tourist attractions and fabulous countryside of the surrounding area.

However, we have not yet made the best use of all of Shrewsbury's assets, so there remains considerable scope to widen the appeal of the area. Historically Shrewsbury has strong connections with many famous people including Charles Darwin, Wilfred Owen (the 1st world war poet) and twentieth century novelist Mary Webb. Staying with the literary theme, Ellis Peters' Chronicles of Brother Cadfael are set in Shrewsbury. Today the county town is fast developing a reputation for high quality arts programming, being home not only to major cultural venues but also being the base for a number of key regional organisations. The potential to exploit this creative hub in relation to tourism is considerable. We could also make better use of the River Severn as a major attraction.

Workforce

Shrewsbury and Atcham is characterised by consistently low unemployment levels - 1.8% at September 2001, compared to 3.6% in the West Midlands and 3.1% in the UK. However, this does not show the whole picture. In the north of the town and in parts of the rural area, there are pockets of relatively high unemployment with levels twice that of the rest of the Borough, although it is difficult to be precise because unemployment is often 'hidden', particularly in rural areas.

Recent urban and rural business surveys highlighted skills shortages as a major area of concern which causes problems with recruitment. These problems appear to be more acute in North Shrewsbury and in rural areas and within the manufacturing and construction and the care sectors; trade and vocational skills seem to be in particularly short supply. Employers often report that employees have a poor attitude to work and bemoan the demise of the 'British work ethic'. On their side, some employees report that they do not feel valued, that their skills are not recognised and that their achievements are not rewarded. Although a cause for concern, this should not be viewed as a problem unique to the Borough - similar concerns are being expressed across the country. Nonetheless, we need to develop innovative ways to change the attitudes of both employers and employees to build mutual belief and respect. Employment packages will need to change and will increasingly embrace self-employment, part-time employment and home-based work. We will also need to consider the changing patterns in volunteering and the role of the voluntary sector.

How we identified the Important Issues

Initially the key issues were identified from two major business surveys, followed by meetings of the Community Strategy steering group and Advantage Shrewsbury (a group made up of representatives from the public and private sectors, business support organisations and local businesses). Key issues were also identified from existing plans and strategies (a full list is available at appendix 2). The draft report was then presented to Councillors, with feedback incorporated before circulation to a broad, inclusive mix of stakeholders, including community groups and organisations that were invited to comment. Copies of the Community Strategy were circulated to members of the public for comment at the Shrewsbury Conference and other events and meetings. Further sub-group and steering group meetings were then held to finalise the Strategy.