Regional Prosperity Framework - consultation

Who developed the Regional Prosperity Framework?

Partners across the region, including East Lothian Council, have been working hard to deliver on the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal that will bring £1.3 billion investment over 15 years. This partnership has helped us to develop a Regional Prosperity Framework (RPF), which is a non-statutory public statement of joint economic vision, ambition and priorities for South East Scotland – the first of its kind for this region.

How we have taken account of your ambitions and views

When preparing the draft Framework, Regional Partners took into account the future ambitions of wider plans and strategies, including the projects and programmes of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal. A series of engagements were also held with the Regional Enterprise Council, which includes leaders from small, medium and large public, private and third sector organisations who advise the Deal's decision-making body, the Joint Committee.

A draft Regional Prosperity Framework was then published in summer 2021, and this has been amended to reflect the submissions received during the public consultation exercise. In September 2021, the Regional Joint Committee approved the finalised Framework, and at a full Council meeting in November 2021, East Lothian Council ratified the final Regional Prosperity Framework.

Final Regional Prosperity Framework

The Edinburgh and South East Scotland region has an incredible platform to build on, but there are issues that we need to address to support our regional prosperity. These include: the response from Covid-19 and the need to address societal imbalances across the region and the urgent need to deliver this within a net zero emissions context.

The Regional Prosperity Framework sets out a vison to grow and recover our economy sustainably. It looks at everything from transport and housing to education and digital inclusion; to economic development and climate change. The key themes of the Regional Prosperity Framework are to secure:

  • a FLOURISHING economy, environment and ecology, households and places
  • a RESILIENT workforce, climate responses, infrastructure and buildings
  • an INNOVATIVE Private Sector, Third Sector (including Further and Higher Education) and Public Sector
  • Education) and Public Sector

The Framework sets out the nine major regional opportunities that have been identified through the Framework development process. Each aligns with one or more of the themes set out above and indicative projects have been captured against each of these big moves to provide an indication of how this will be delivered. The nine ‘Big Moves’ are:

  • a data-driven region
  • new approaches to sustainable development
  • sustainable transport and mobility
  • regenerating the Forth
  • sustainable tourism and cultural distinction
  • support for starting and building a business
  • aligning skills development and training with emerging sectors
  • health care and well-being for all
  • maximising the role of anchor institutions

These opportunities cannot be fully realised without a regional approach and will deliver significant impact with the potential to reshape the region’s future.

The next step is a partnership action plan which will set out how the aims of the RPF will be achieved through the delivery of the 9 Big Moves set out within the Framework. These Big Move Action Plans will be developed during 2022.

The production of a prospectus version of the RPF, which will showcase the region as a great location for investment, is also planned.

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