The Government has announced that all Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), including SEEDA, will close by 31 March 2012.
Responsibility for economic development and regeneration in England is being passed onto successor bodies, including Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and central Government departments
Our objective is to ensure a professional and cost effective closure by this date. We have pledged to work closely with our partners, contractors and stakeholders to ensure that the past and future economic benefits of key programmes and assets continue to deliver the greatest economic value for the South East and value for money for the taxpayer.
Please click here for more details about our closure plan, transition arrangements and successor organisations.
Sussex
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Sussex is economically and culturally diverse. The area covers:
- the Inner South East - Gatwick Diamond
- Rural South East covering East and West Sussex
- Coastal South East, which includes the City of Brighton and Hove, Hastings and other coastal areas, many of which demonstrate high levels of economic and social deprivation.
Within this region, SEEDA provides catalysts to business growth and innovation through our innovation and growth teams and Diamond areas. View the map for more information.
Key Facts
- Sussex has 1.54 million residents, which is 18.5% of the total South East population and it generated £27billion of GVA in 2006, a 16% share of the total output of the region. GVA per head is lower than the regional average in 2006, ranging from £14,238 in East Sussex to £19,447 in Brighton and Hove. This compares to a GVA average of £20,152 for the South East.
- There are 72,000 business units in Sussex, using a different measuring technique these figures show there are 57,900 businesses registered for VAT. There were 5, 350 new businesses that registered for VAT in Sussex in 2007, this is 17% of the total new business registrations in the region.
- Sussex is the home of Gatwick Airport, the UK’s 2nd busiest airport and a major driver of the economy of the Gatwick Diamond. With the exception of the M23, road connections across the rest of Sussex are generally considered poor and a hindrance to economic growth.
- Sussex has 3 Universities; The University of Brighton, with sites in Eastbourne and Hastings; University of Sussex and the University of Chichester with sites in Chichester and Bognor Regis.
Key sectors
Sussex offers a mix of employment and is broadly similar to the South East as a whole, with roughly one quarter of employees working in retail and hospitality and a further quarter employed in public services. The business and financial services and creative industry sectors are seen as important business sectors for Sussex with around one fifth of workers employed in the business and financial services.
Sussex is home to several leading companies which include American Express in Brighton, Ricardo Plc in Shoreham and the Bodyshop in Littlehampton. The Gatwick Diamond boasts an exceptional base of established businesses including: ExxonMobil, Siemens, Virgin Atlantic, Thales, Legal & General and Royal Sun Alliance.
In this section you can read more about:
Contact for more information:
Area Director: Gilly Bartrip
Tel: +44 (0)1483 484 251
