Growing the Kent economy 2016/17

Growing the Kent Economy 2016

Funding from schemes such as

Expansion East Kent, TIGER, Escalate

and Marsh Million has been great news

for Kent because they have helped

businesses to grow and create new jobs.

Over the past three years the schemes

have committed some £55m to over

200 businesses across Kent which will

help to create and safeguard over

11,000 jobs.

Looking to the future, we are awaiting

an announcement on the preferred

option for the Lower Thames Crossing,

which the Government is committed to

delivering. KCC, other local authorities

and Kent’s business community have

all said that a third crossing is essential.

Because the Thames Gateway will

create many new homes and jobs, we

have to have a competitive economy,

and commerce must have good

transport links.

Kent County Council is committed to

doing whatever it can, either directly

or with our many partners, to help

businesses and local communities

grow and prosper.

Over the past year, the country has seen steady economic growth,

which is set to continue into 2016 as our businesses take advantage

of a favourable environment that is seen as conducive to investment.

This is also having a positive impact on

Kent’s future prospects, especially in

those sectors which are likely to grow

over the next few years, such as

advanced manufacturing, creative and

digital industries, and low carbon and

environmental technologies. Kent’s

tourism industry also continues to

thrive, and there are promising new

projects on the horizon, such as the

London Paramount theme park which

will generate over 25,000 new jobs by

the end of the decade.

There are encouraging signs of

significant housing and business

growth in the County over the next

decade, bolstered by continued new

investments in transport and digital

infrastructure, a strong demand for

industrial and commercial floorspace,

and the Government’s commitment to

the development of the new Garden

City at Ebbsfleet.

Working with its partners, KCC is

continuing to bring forward public

sector land to develop new homes for

sale, and affordable or intermediate rent

– unlocking new homes and increasing

choice in the market. Over the last two

years, KCC released some 16 hectares of

redundant assets for redevelopment

which has created some 350 new homes.

Foreword

Mark Dance

Cabinet Member for Economic Development