The City Growth Strategy (CGS) model was developed at Harvard Business School in the US in the 1990s. It sets out a radical approach to local economic development that is based on maximising competitive strengths, actual or latent, and putting the private sector firmly in the driving seat with regard to defining strategic priorities and actions.
St.Helens was selected by the Government in 2002 as one of only 4 areas to pilot CGS in the UK. This was on the basis of our successful track record of delivering innovative regeneration initiatives, and our distinctive and genuine commitment to public-private partnership working.
The original St.Helens CGS in effect formed the business plan for the growth of "St.Helens plc" and was launched in Autumn 2003, following substantial consultation and on the basis of very wide buy-in by the private sector and other key stakeholders.
Its vision was for a transformed St.Helens to establish itself as a "vibrant, modern place for enterprise and a regional location of choice".
This was to be achieved by delivering 70 individual projects grouped under 16 Action Areas contained within 4 overarching themes:
- Transforming the Business Base
- Achieving a Cultural Transformation
- Achieving a Physical Transformation
- Transforming Perceptions.
To download a copy of the original CGS please click here.
A dedicated primarily private sector CGS Board was initially responsible for developing and overseeing the delivery of the Strategy. This role is now performed by the similarly private sector focused Enterprise Fourm, a subset of St.Helens Chamber, and which is also responsible for overseeing the implementation of the 5-year £22 million Local Enterprise Growth Initaitive (LEGI).