PREFACE

Norfolk County Council was delighted to support the University of East Anglia (UEA) in bringing together dozens of key stake-holders to consider the steps we need to take to unlock the county’s economic potential. We applaud UEA’s proactive and positive partnership with local government and regional businesses through its Civic Charter.

We were pleased UEA was able to bring so many people together in support of a common goal – greater prosperity for our county and its residents. Norfolk boasts a unique and distinctive identity, strengthened by its people’s passion and pride of place. We have a diverse and outward looking economy, with historic and cultural assets, rural landscapes, coastal communities, three urban centres, and, of course, our market towns.

The county council is ambitious for Norfolk and its residents and growing our economy in a sustainable way is a key priority for the authority. We are developing our economic strategy for Norfolk – our blueprint for growth – which will set out clearly our ambitions and how we will capitalise on our strengths and opportunities to realise Norfolk’s economic potential. It will be a tool to unlock investment from the Government and the private sector.

This is a strategy for the county, and like UEA’s Civic Charter, requires a partnership between the public, private, voluntary and education sectors. Hundreds of organisations have a part to play in realising this ambition and it is critical that they play their part in developing the strategy.
 
Over the past six months we have hosted around 20 workshops in person and online, enabling more than 400 people and organisations to input into the plan. We have also developed a comprehensive evidence base to understand in statistical terms the strengths and weaknesses of our economy. The UEA event and this report is a key element in developing the economic approach. The rich discussions and thoughtful recommendations are being fed into the strategy.
 
The Norfolk Economic Strategy is just a start. We are building a vision for the long-term future of the county, an ambition that cannot be achieved by any one organisation, and one that needs us to work closely together to deliver impact for our county, making the most of our collective strengths and powers.

-- Chris Starkie, Director of Growth and Investment, Norfolk County Council