Sefton's Economic Strategy 2026-2028
Since our last Economic Update in 2022, local, national, and global markets have experienced considerable disruption and instability. The 2026/28 Sefton Economic Strategy and its action plan lays a strong foundation for our current work. This updated strategy continues to build on our four established thematic objectives and aligns closely with the Liverpool City Region LCR Growth Plan and the Government’s UK Modern Industrial Strategy. Sefton Council remains committed to providing leadership and delivering a robust, place-based regeneration strategy. Working in partnership with stakeholders across the public, private, voluntary, and social economy sectors, we are advancing large-scale development opportunities. These include complex strategic employment sites and a comprehensive business support programme that champions business start-ups, resilience, growth, innovation, and job creation in key sectors.
Looking ahead, we remain committed to making Sefton a destination of choice for living, working, investing, and visiting. Through ongoing engagement with businesses and communities, we are confident that our four strategic objectives continue to reflect the needs and aspirations of the Borough:
- Employment and Opportunities for Work
- Business Growth and Investment
- Regenerated Places
- Inclusive Growth and Access for All (IG)
To underpin these thematic objectives, we have refreshed the Sefton Economic Strategy Action Plan for 2026/28. The updated Action Plan provides a clear roadmap with defined goals and measurable outcomes across each thematic area. We are committed to regularly reviewing progress, sharing key findings, and refining our approach based on evidence. These efforts will also support our case to Government for further funding and investment, by demonstrating the tangible difference local initiatives can make.
The Sefton Economic Strategy continues to be our roadmap for enhancing people, place, productivity, and inclusion. It supports an economy where businesses grow and thrive, inward investment is secured, residents are equipped with future-ready skills, and places across the Borough are transformed for the better.
The Sefton Economic Strategy will continue to monitor progress through its associated Action Plan Dashboards which are updated quarterly.
| Sefton Economic Strategy (Approved) |  (pdf 2.12MB) |
| Sefton Economic Strategy Action Plan | (pdf 149KB) |
| Sefton Economic Strategy Dashboard Quarter 1, 2023 2024 | (pdf 340KB) |
| Sefton Economic Strategy Dashboard Q2 2023 24 | (pdf 514KB) |
| Sefton Economic Strategy Dashboard (Annex A) Q3 2023-24 | (pdf 645KB) |
| Sefton Economic Strategy Dashboard Q4 2023-24 |  (word 88KB) |
| Sefton Economic Strategy Dashboard Q1 2024-25 | (word 113KB) |
| Sefton Economic Strategy Dashboard Q2 2024-25 | (word 91KB) |
| Sefton Economic Strategy Dashboard Q4 2024 2025 |  (excel 120KB) |
Sefton's Growth Programme 2021/22
Sefton Council is very proud of its ongoing growth programme.
The updates below are designed to keep everyone as informed as we can of these exciting projects and we will provide further updates as they continue to develop.
These documents include updates on projects such as Southport Town Deal, Highways & Transport, Southport Market, Bootle Transformation and developments in Crosby.
Sefton’s Strategic Recovery and Economic Strategy Action Plans 2019/2020
The Sefton Strategic Recovery document and appendices is the first step of our economic recovery for the Borough of Sefton, its purpose is to provide leadership and highlight opportunity, and to Corral our many stakeholders into collective and collaborative action locally.
This comes only months after approving the Sefton Economic Strategy Action Plan which followed lengthy consultation. Our plan before COVID-19 was to develop and build on a range of exciting projects to tackle head on long standing economic issues that have held back growth in our communities, town centres and business sectors.
It is our belief that the opportunities discussed in the Sefton Economic Strategy Plan (December 2019) still exist and our vision for ‘economic growth that works for all Sefton residents’ still remains valid, particularly around our three key themes that link the economic and inclusive growth challenges for the borough- Places, Productivity and People. Key to this moving forward is to also ensure that addressing health, inequality and climate emergency continues to underpin our work as we begin the recovery process.
This plan is also intended to help join up and help steer the work of our partners and stakeholders as we begin to re-build our economy.
Sefton’s economic growth ambitions will not happen in isolation and we will continue to work closely with our Liverpool City Region neighbours, the Combined Authority, Growth Platform/Local Enterprise Partnership and other partners to help nurture growth and new investment in what continue to be challenging times for our residents, communities and businesses.
We will also use it to demonstrate to Government the scale of the task and the evidence of tangible projects and programmes which can make a very real difference at the local level to our communities.
Meanwhile the Sefton Economic Strategy Acton Plan is being updated and when further developed we will undertake consultation with our communities, businesses and stakeholders with a view to completion by 30 September 2022.
Local Economic Assessment
The Local Economic Assessment was produced to provide an evidence-based and objective assessment of the borough of Sefton. Identifying new opportunities and developing effective responses to these, drawing on an understanding of the position and challenges, and a shared aspiration.
Economic Strategy
This was the first economic strategy for Sefton in more than 10 years. It steers the work of all our partners as we strive to improve the long-term prospects of our economy, our businesses and our communities.
Performance Monitoring Reports
The Performance Monitoring Framework established in these reports is intended to show how partners have addressed these many challenges identified in the Sefton Economic Strategy; and documents many successes and achievements.
The report contains
- headline summary of Sefton’s overall performance
- more detailed assessment of trends
- statistical profile of Sefton using the latest indicators
- narrative of performance against each of the five strategic objectives
- glossary of terms is included to guide new users through any unavoidable jargon.
| Sefton Recovery Document Nov 2020 | (pdf 4.02MB) |
| Sefton Recovery Document Appendices Nov 2020 | (pdf 5.32MB) |
| SES Action Plan Final 23 December (004) | (pdf 913KB) |
| Economic Strategy Framework For Sefton 2018 | (pdf 646KB) |
| Sefton Economic Assessment April 2017 Final | (pdf 5.35MB) |
| Strategy Appendix 1 | (pdf 742KB) |
| Local Economic Assessment May 2011 | (pdf 2.34MB) |
| Local Economic Assessment Annexes | (pdf 2.34MB) |
| Economic Performance March 2016 | (pdf 2.35MB) |
| Economic Performance September 2015 | (pdf 2.23MB) |
| Economic Performance March 2015 | (pdf 2.31MB) |
| Economic Performance March 2014 | (pdf 1.2MB) |
| SES Action Plan Final 23 December | (pdf 696KB) |
| Sefton Economic Strategy 2012 – 2022 | (pdf 1.24MB) |
| Strategy Appendix 3 | (pdf 310KB) |
| Economic Performance Sept 2014 | (pdf 1.36MB) |
| Economic Performance September 2016 | (pdf 2.58MB) |
| Strategy Appendix 2 | (pdf 413KB) |
| Economic Performance March 2017 | (pdf 2.64MB) |