Renaisi recently completed a report for the EC1 New Deal for Communities (NDC), to improve understanding of the local economy and to feed into both spatial planning for the South Islington Area Action Plan and succession planning for the NDC itself.
In order to facilitate this analysis and planning EC1 purchased detailed business data on the area; the Beta Model. This analysis revealed the current structure of the economy and how it had changed over the last 10 years. Links and divisions between local residents and the local economy were also identified and recommendations relating to worklessness were produced in relation to the spatial and succession planning outlined above. Finally an analysis of planning and development opportunities to promote and protect relevant industries within the area was required.
The project was a great opportunity for Renaisi to develop its local economic offer, providing valuable experience of using detailed local enterprise data to meet regeneration objectives and new local economic responsibilities. The data was used to feed into a variety of local economic issues ranging from planning land uses designations, to borough wide business support and localised street market interventions.
John Hitchin, Research & Performance Manager at EC1 NDC, responded positively to the work: “The work was useful in focusing on two key questions for us: how can we better inform the planning agenda and how can we support the worklessness/ skills gap in the local area by knowing more about the structure of the local economy.
It gave us a very good descriptive understanding of the EC1 local economy and how it has been changing over the last few years, but it also allowed us to develop sector analysis to further that understanding. The work allowed us to take some really valuable, evidence-based talking points to those who will have to deal with these issues at the local authority in the future, and it gave us further evidence to take forward work on the Area Action Plan.”
