Oxford,
07
July
2016
|
09:00
Europe/London

Blueprint sets out to boost the Creativity, Culture, Heritage and Tourism sectors of Oxfordshire’s thriving economy

The Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP), Oxfordshire County Council, Arts Council England and their partners launch a new Investment Plan for Oxfordshire’s Creativity, Culture, Heritage and Tourism sectors.

The Investment Plan, which aims to build upon the vibrancy and success of these sectors within Oxfordshire’s economy, will be launched on Monday 11th July 2016 at Blenheim Palace. A wide range of organisations which operate in these sectors will be attending the event.

The county attracts 26.7 million visitors per year, spending £1.86 billion in the local economy, supporting 32,000 jobs – 10% of the county’s workforce. The Investment Plan demonstrates the diversity of these sectors and the opportunities that exist to expand and develop new ideas. It aims to build upon the county’s reputation for innovation, outstanding heritage and the quality environment we live in to attract local, national and international investment.

Since 2012, Oxfordshire has grown faster than all other Local Enterprise Partnership areas, with the exception of London, therefore making a significant contribution to UK economy.

The Investment Plan identifies 35 proposals amounting to £44.5 million worth of investment potential which inform and support the Strategic Economic Plan ambitions.

The CCHTIP has been developed for OxLEP by independent consultants, Tom Fleming Consultancy, and in collaboration with Oxfordshire County Council and the Arts Council England.The CCHTIP is available to download on OxLEP’s website.

Promoting the cultural elements of Oxfordshire’s successful economy is vital to the future prosperity of our part of the world and also to maintain our unique identity.

This new blueprint has been more than a year in the making and we feel now that we are in a position to plan for future years from a very solid base. It’s all about maintaining our excellence, quality and distinctiveness but in a modern way that gives us the best chance to continue to reach out to all parts of the world as a desirable destination.

I look forward to seeing Oxfordshire’s creative, cultural, heritage and tourism offer go from strength to strength in the years to come.
Cllr Lorraine Lindsay-Gale, Cabinet Member for Cultural Services
Oxfordshire is internationally recognised thanks to its outstanding cultural offer of museums, galleries and festivals. Its creative industries offer high growth and value, while the tourism sectors supports over 32,000 jobs in Oxfordshire alone. As the Chancellor George Osborne said in last year’s Autumn Statement, our creative industries are "one of the best investments we can make as a nation.

The business case for heritage and tourism investment is just as strong.

In Oxfordshire, our CCHT sectors are heavily interlinked. They provide a uniform vision for a place where people want to live and work, and for which our neighbours here and abroad want to invest and visit.

In March, I published the first Culture White Paper in more than 50 years, which will help guide and shape investment priorities in culture for Oxfordshire for several years. It is great to see this Investment Plan consider some of its key themes - including how culture can be used in place-making.

“We live in unprecedented times. Following the British people’s historic decision to leave the EU, CCHT sectors have a unique and crucial role to play in bringing communities together and protecting the health of our economy.

“This Investment Plan provides an ambitious blueprint for the future of CCHT in Oxfordshire and I very much look forward to working with OxLEP, my parliamentary colleagues and others to ensure its successful implementation.
Ed Vaizey, Minister of State for Culture & Digital Economy