THERE have been three significant sets of data that shine a light on the continued dynamic growth and confidence across South Lakeland.

The first was the recent business study undertaken by the council. We received 1,143 responses, a return rate of 25 per cent from right across the spectrum of companies.

Three-quarters of those businesses that responded feel confident about the next 12 months, with the majority expecting their staffing levels to stay the same, and nearly 20 per cent expecting an increase.

The second was the ONS’s recently released Gross Value Added figures which showed South Lakeland had become the fastest-growing economy in Cumbria and north Lancashire. GVA is a technical way of measuring economic activity. The higher the GVA growth, the more activity has taken place.

These figures also showed a rise in the number of professional jobs from 37 per cent to 43 per cent from 2014 to 2017. Indeed, we are fortunate to have low unemployment in the South Lakes with a high level of economically active people, a highly educated workforce and more than 4,000 jobs created between 2011-2016.

The third set of figures recently listed South Lakeland as one of the top-performing economic areas in the North West.

Grant Thornton (an accountancy firm) has developed a Vibrant Economy Index, which lists areas by economic performance. It takes into account factors such as prosperity, dynamism, health and happiness, to develop a comprehensive picture of an area’s economic 'vibrancy'.

In the North West, South Lakeland was ranked fifth overall, with the top four performers being Cheshire East, Trafford, Cheshire West and Warrington. Indeed, South Lakeland is the only district in Cumbria to make the North West top 10.

While the overall picture looks good, we cannot rest on our laurels. We have a declining working age population, high average house prices and pockets of deprivation.

We are keen to work with our partner authorities in Lancaster and Barrow to address these issues. With our shared economic footprint, we believe we can enhance the economic activity of all three authorities at a faster rate than if we act separately.

There are so many things we want to do to continue to improve our economic performance. Working together we will be so much better positioned to meet the economic challenges of the future.