Drivers of Growth

Alongside sectoral interventions, there are a number of cross-cutting policies that need to be addressed, which will create a pro-business environment and remove barriers to growth.

  • We need to unlock housing to ensure access to labour and that people can work and live in York and North Yorkshire; alongside accelerating commercial development to support growth and inward investment needs.
  • We need to strengthen the innovation ecosystem to improve productivity, bring new products to market and increase the value of our growth sectors.
  • We need to remove utility constraints, such as digital connectivity to enable greater technology adoption and improved efficiencies.
  • We need to ensure the right skills and employment support is in place to develop the future pipeline of talent, and ensure businesses aren’t constrained by skills or labour gaps.
  • We need to improve transport connectivity to ensure businesses have access to a diverse labour market.
  • We need to increase trade and investment by supporting businesses to navigate this complex, regulatory landscape.

To address these requirements, we will utilise both local levers, including the Combined Authority’s appropriate devolved funding and tools such as the Spatial Development Strategy, and national policies that emerge from the National Industrial Strategy.

As such, we have agreed some shared priorities with central government, as highlighted on the next page. These primarily apply to areas that are evolving and still in development within the Combined Authority. Priorities that have not received a new commitment of joint-working through the Local Growth Plan, such as skills, are more mature and the CA already has a close-working relationship with the relevant government department. These will continue to be addressed through those existing relationships and mechanisms.

Shared Priorities with HMT

Housing and Commercial Development

Increase sustainable and high-quality commercial and housing development to enable greater business investment and increase affordable housing. Addressing this will require HMG and YNY to work together to explore actions including how to:  

  • Deliver innovative partnerships and models that could unlock sites for both housing and commercial development 
  • Work together to deliver increased sustainable housing, including potentially addressing planning capacity constraints, local site viability issues and related infrastructure  

This would support business growth and expand the region’s talent pool beyond the urban centres and into rural areas where key sectors are based. 

Innovation

Improve commercialisation of research to increase knowledge transfer and innovation across the region’s growth sectors. Addressing this will require HMG and YNY to work together to explore actions including how to:  

  • Strengthen connections between academic institutions and industry  
  • Tackle some of the regulatory challenges that limit innovation  
  • Work with HMG on innovation in food, farming and waste to support food security, health, and the environment as part of the National Food Strategy 2025
  • Explore investment models to unlock further private sector investment

This would support businesses to capitalise on the region’s academic and science specialisms and assets, boosting productivity in key growth sectors. 

Utilities

Boost digital connectivity and skills to enable greater digital innovation. Addressing this will require HMG and YNY to work together to explore actions including how to:

  • Improve the region’s broadband infrastructure, particularly in rural areas 

This would support businesses to invest in and roll-out technological and digital advancements in growth sectors located beyond larger urban centres, boosting productivity in these sectors.

- York and North Yorkshire Mayor, David Skaith, visited the Lowfield Green site last year, to meet the Lowfield Green Cooperative and see progress on the build.
Download York and North Yorkshire Local Growth Plan