Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Region to benefit from new cash plan
North Lanarkshire is set to benefit from a new economic strategy that will improve and strengthen the Glasgow City Region.
The strategy, launched earlier this month, covers eight partner councils that comprise Glasgow City Region including North and South Lanarkshire, and will impact on wider public sector policy, decision-making and spend over the next 10 years and on its 1.8 million residents and 50,000 businesses.
The strategy sets the approach for how the region will weather current and future key challenges, some of which are expected to completely disrupt our way of life – including the impact of Covid-19, the climate emergency, and unprecedented technological advances.
Leader of North Lanarkshire Council, Councillor Jim Logue, said: “Undoubtedly we are facing enormous challenges following the impact of Covid-19 and the ongoing consequences of climate change but it’s vital that we harness these impacts to lay the foundations for a more robust local economy.
“We must use these triggers for change as a way to improve investment in our area, embrace technological change and adopt our practices for a more sustainable and resilient region.
“The Regional Economic Strategy outlines the strengths and opportunities for all eight council areas and in North Lanarkshire our place-based investment has continued at pace over the last year to improve our essential infrastructure, reduce carbon emissions and significantly boost the digital economy to make our towns and communities vibrant, thriving, sustainable places.”
The approach is a first in that it has been developed and endorsed not only by the region’s eight councils, but by government and wider public sector agencies including Scottish Enterprise and Skills Development Scotland – all of which will be instrumental in its delivery.
The strategy, developed by the region’s Intelligence Hub, is the result of months of extensive research with input from partners across the councils, government agencies, local universities, the business and third sectors.
It is underpinned by an in-depth analysis of the region’s strengths and the current and future challenges faced – collectively and individually by the eight council areas of Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, North and South Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire.