Supporting the local economy

The recession has shown that Hampshire cannot take economic prosperity for granted. The County Council has an important role to play in creating the conditions for future growth, by working with local partnerships and businesses. This priority is about:

• Equipping the current and future workforce with the skills needed to secure employment.
• Working closely with businesses and partners through Local Enterprise Partnerships to deliver economic growth.
• Working in partnership to reduce the incidence and impact of child poverty.

In 2011/12:

Plans for providing faster broadband in rural areas of the county were given a ‘kick start’ thanks to £5 million of Government funding.

We purchased 6.1 hectares of land in North Hampshire to provide new farming opportunities.

We won an award for the work the County Council does through its procurement policy to help and encourage local small businesses to access public sector contracts. Our bid writing training and the ‘Shop in Hampshire’ website were also praised by the Federation of Small Business.

You can find out more about our performance in the Cabinet report: Open for Business: 2011/12 annual performance report