The Shropshire Economic Partnership (SEP)’s inaugural board meeting took place on Thursday 13 April in Shrewsbury.

The board, formerly known as Shropshire Business Board, and the economic taskforce, co-created Shropshire’s economic growth strategy last year, and discussed its role and influence across the county, and how it can support local business, strategic locations and employment and skills in Shropshire.

Comprised of representatives from the public, private, education and voluntary sectors, the board was set up to convey a single business voice for Shropshire, champion growth and sustainability for the business community, and put Shropshire firmly on the map as a county to invest, grow and do great business within.

The economic growth strategy focuses on a three-stage process: firstly, an immediate restart following the heights of the pandemic, followed by short-term revitalisation for the county, and finally, a long-term growth strategy which can contribute to creating a healthy economy for Shropshire.

The board will take an active role in concentrating on the most important local issues affecting businesses, and will oversee preparation to create an action plan, review existing projects and funding opportunities, and review its own performance against a stringent monitoring process which looks at indicators such as productivity, wages, investment, homes, and jobs in Shropshire.

The board will meet again in May 2023, and later in July to complete and commit to the action plan. Outside of meetings, board members will network across their nominated sectors to ensure the board is in tune, and representative of the Shropshire business community.

Full details here: https://newsroom.shropshire.gov.uk/2023/04/shropshire-economic-partnership-takes-off/