Here is the written answer to July’s Full Council with regards job creation. There’s a couple of  interesting points.

• Otley & Yeadon job creation since 2009 at 8%. Rising at a rate faster than the Leeds District  as a whole.
  

  Yeadon High St

• Ashfield works site is moving forward and will have a mix of retail, residential and a food store!!

Anyway here’s my question

What does the Executive Board member for Transport & the Economy think can be done to make semi-rural communities like Otley more ‘business’ competitive as they are increasingly seen as ‘dormitory’ and ‘commuter’ towns supplying workers and jobs to larger communities like Leeds, Bradford & Harrogate?

And here’s the reply from Cllr Richard Lewis, the Exec Member with responsibility for Transport & the Economy.

It is important that we support businesses and job creation across all parts of Leeds District. We are doing this by providing finance to businesses that are expanding through the Leeds City Region Business Growth Programme, helping link businesses to sources of advice, supporting town centre improvement projects, and seeking to ensure there is the right supply of sites and premises for businesses.

The number of jobs in Otley and Yeadon ward actually increased by 8% between 2009 and 2012 (from 10,019 to 10,882 jobs), which was at a higher rate than for Leeds District as a whole (source: National Statistics, Business Register Employment Survey – 2012 is the latest year for which data is available).

The Leeds City Council Economic Development team has provided support and advice, including the offer of an interest free loan, to the Otley Business Improvement District, which is an excellent initiative. We have also provided to the Otley BID free packs to businesses with materials to “dress” their premises for the Tour De France.

We run the district market at Otley which supports many small independent businesses and attracts shoppers into the town.

The preferred developer has now been selected for the proposed redevelopment of the Council owned Ashfield Works site which includes a food store, retail units and residential which will improve the critical mass of the retail offer in the town, provide further dwellings and redevelop a derelict site.

Through the Leeds Manufacturing project, and Business Growth Programme, which we run across Leeds District, which provides capital grants to businesses that are expanding, we are supporting firms across Leeds District. A great example is Craftsman Tools of Otley, to who we have awarded £95k in grants and provided wider support. This family-led firm, which specialises in toolholding, workholding and sub-contract machining, now has a workforce of 63, including six full-time apprentices, and continues to invest in the business, in technology and its workforce. The company expanded its Otley site, adding an extra 5,000 sq ft of production space and investing over £500,000 in new machinery. This has enabled an increase in production capacity, turnover, new product development and jobs.