We will support sustainable economic growth across the county, enabling high-quality jobs through improvements to productivity, sustainability, and accessibility, creating great places to live, work and visit.
We will drive forward a plan whereby Dorset Council is a catalyst for prosperity and growth, working with and supporting local businesses and partners.
We will focus on supporting social mobility and protection of the environment. We will address Dorset’s particular challenges related to its demographics and will be aware of Dorset’s unique landscapes.
We will also challenge low productivity and lower than average skills.
We will create the right conditions to grow a highly skilled workforce matched to high-quality jobs, helping businesses stay, start, grow, and move to Dorset.
The pandemic has had a significant impact on Dorset’s economy, though precisely what those impacts are, and how long they will last, will take years to fully understand. The council has worked hard to ensure local businesses have received government grants, distributing over £250m in just 12 months.
The pandemic has also accelerated flexible and remote working for many people, and this has the potential of supporting Dorset’s low-carbon economy and promoting digital skills in future. We will work together to build on these opportunities, driving the roll out of ‘gigabit-capable’ coverage and 5G to enable people to travel less and access opportunities online so that Dorset’s economy can become stronger and more environmentally sustainable.