The original CGS vision has been retained:
"A vibrant modern place for enterprise & a regional location of choice".
As have in essence the 4 overarching Themes:
- Transforming The Business Base: "to grow, strengthen and diversify the business base"
- Transforming Ambition: "to raise aspirations towards enterprise & work among St.Helens residents & workers"
- Physical Transformation: "to create a high quality physical environment for residents, businesses & visitors"
- Transforming Perceptions: "to increase recognition of St.Helens as a regional location of choice for residents, businesses & visitors".
What have fundamentally changed are the subordinate Action Areas, plus the whole scope and scale of the Strategy.
The 2008-2018 CGS now spans 90 projects with a staggering collective value of £1.86 billion.
Of these 90 projects, 30 are continuations/extensions of original projects, while 60 are brand new. Of these, St.Helens Council is the lead for 37 projects, the private sector 24, the Chamber 16, and other public agencies 13.
Yet despite this significantly increased scale, the revised CGS is even more inherently deliverable than the original, bearing in mind its 10-year lifespan. As of its launch in late November 2008:
- 4 projects had already been completed
- 4 more projects were scheduled to be completed by the end of December
- 20 capital schemes worth £1.12 billion were already approved/underway
- Of the remaining £740 million, only approx. £68million is unsecured discretionary public sector revenue funding.
To download the new 2008-2018 St.Helens City Growth Strategy please click here.
To download a presentation profiling the new 2008-2018 City Growth Strategy please click here.