Doncaster Council

Doncaster's Economic Strategy

The Council and partners have developed an Economic Strategy for the Borough. Doncaster has experienced considerable economic growth and urban transformation over recent years. The Strategy is designed to ensure that we continue to build on our achievements, to link our communities to the increased opportunity in the Borough and to achieve our 2025 vision to be a city of international significance by closing the £830 million output gap with the England average.

Whilst developing the strategy there was a focus on six critical success factors for a city. These are:

1. Strategic Capacity – Economic competitiveness has to be fashioned and implemented – it doesn’t just emerge.

2. Innovation - 40% of the variation in per capita regional income can be explained by differences in innovation performance.

3. Skills – for companies deciding where to locate, availability of staff is second only to access to markets.

4. Diversity – successful cities need a diverse economic base AND key specialist strengths.

5. Connectivity – Physical, telecoms and cultural networks.

6. Quality of Life – core service quality / ‘city buzz’ factor.

The strategy process identified a range of comparator cities, analysed how Doncaster currently performs against these and identified what other successful EU and UK cities have done to boost performance against the critical success factors. These are outlined in the papers attached.
We have identified Doncaster’s key strengths, assets, constraints and challenges and have identified how far the ‘major’ interventions already planned / in place in Doncaster are effective in delivering our 2025 vision.

The work above has enabled us, with the support of key partners and stakeholders, to develop an Economic Strategy which sets out how the Borough, by working together, can achieve its 2025 vision. The key themes of the Economic Strategy are listed below:

Theme 1: Stimulating Technology and Innovation and Accelerating Growth through Start-up and Enterprise

Theme 2: Promoting a 21st Century Skilled and Diverse Workforce

Theme 3: Exploiting Robin Hood Airport's Growth and Doncaster’s Exceptional Connectivity

Theme 4: Repositioning Doncaster - Inward Investors, Marketing and Image

Theme 5: Fostering a Dynamic Urban Core (Town Centre Regeneration)

Theme 6: Supporting Economic Diversification and Sector Growth

• Logistics

• Construction 

• Creative and Digital Industries

• Financial and Business Services

• Events and the Visitor Economy

Theme 7: Supporting Social Regeneration and Working Neighbourhoods

Theme 8: Economic Inclusion: Tackling Worklessness

Theme 9: Quality Housing Offer

There are also three cross-cutting themes that apply across each of the above and will need to be given full consideration in any proposed core theme interventions: 

• The achievement of environmental sustainability

• Exceptional quality of life and quality neighbourhoods within the borough

• Delivery capacity

The Economic Strategy and the evidence base annexes can be accessed using the links below. If you would like to more about the Economic Strategy and the work of the team contact us via email at: EconomicPolicy@doncaster.gov.uk.

• Doncaster's Economic Strategy

Contextual Policy Review

Provides the global, national and regional policy context for the Economic Strategy development, including Skills, Transport and Innovation.

• Contextual Policy Review

Critical Success Factors

An in depth analysis of the Critical Success Factors for a successful City.

• Critical Success Factors

Linkages Paper

Demonstrates how we need to have a co-ordinated approach to Economic Development.

• Linkages Paper

Benchmarking Paper

A detailed analysis of how Doncaster compares to our comparators across the range of Critical Success Factors alongside examples of good practice from other UK and EU cities.

• Benchmarking Paper

Key Messages and Employment Forecasts Paper

A summary of the research findings and implications for the future development of the strategy including econometric modelling for employment growth.

• LDF Paper

A Wider Reference Group has been established to ensure that the Economic Strategy development process includes all partners and stakeholders. If you wish to be added to the Wider Reference Group mailing list please contact the team. All information circulated to the Wider Reference Group will also be included on this website.

Key Website Links

The Council works with a range of partners to deliver economic regeneration across the Borough. These include:

• Yorkshire Forward (www.yorkshire-forward.com)
• Renaissance South Yorkshire (www.renaissance-sy.com)
• The South Yorkshire Partnership (www.sypartnership.org.uk)
• Learning and Skills Council (www.lsc.gov.uk)
• Jobcentre Plus (www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk)
• Rotherham, Barnsley and Sheffield Councils (www.rotherham.gov.uk) (www.barnsley.gov.uk) (www.sheffield.gov.uk)
• Government Office Yorkshire and Humber (www.goyh.gov.uk)

More Information

For more information on the Economic Strategy please do not hesitate to contact the Economy & Enterprise team using the contact details provided at the top of this web page.