Corporate Strategy 2022-2027

Well-being Objective 3

Enabling our communities and environment to be healthy, safe and prosperous (Prosperous Communities)

Why is this important?

1. Providing secure and well-paid jobs for local people is crucial as increasing employability is fundamental to tackling poverty and reducing inequalities. This has a dramatic impact on our health and ability to function in everyday society.
2. Carmarthenshire has a high economic inactivity rate. This is a significant barrier to growth for Carmarthenshire, as the economically inactive represent a significant source of labour supply which is a crucial element of a well-functioning labour market. This is also concerning given that being inactive for a long period of time can negatively impact a person’s wellbeing, health and life-satisfaction.
3. A barrier to employment for many is a lack of qualifications or skills. This applies to those that have no qualifications at all and those that wish to re-skill or up-skill to better themselves and seek higher level or alternative employment. This is a pertinent issue for Carmarthenshire, as the county exhibits a higher-than-average number of people with no qualifications and a lower proportion than average of people with higher level qualifications.
4. Business birth rates in Carmarthenshire have seen a small decline in recent years when compared with regional and national averages. A stagnant start-up rate is a barrier to growth and suggests a lack of confidence and capacity within the economy. Evidence highlighted in recent work on the Innovation prospects for the county suggests that the potential entrepreneurial capacity of the county is amongst the highest in Wales. Therefore, whilst current businesses within the county need relevant support there is also a need to focus on creating an ecosystem which harnesses existing entrepreneurial flare and make Carmarthenshire an attractive place to start a business.
5. The county is characterised by micro and small sized enterprises which account for 97.2% of the total business demography. Whilst they are the very foundation of the county’s economic and cultural ecosystem their combined annual turnover is significantly less than that generated by the county’s 430 (2.8%) medium and large sized enterprises. 
   If we are to realise notable economic growth and increase productivity, there is a need to focus on supporting these businesses to upscale.
   The local economy was highlighted as the third most important theme for prioritisation for investment by respondents to a recent consultation. This included subthemes such as local business investment and town centre regeneration.
6. Access to services is a challenge in some instances owing to a lower population density and rurality. Large travel distances increase the time and cost for accessing services, which can hinder an individual’s ability to feel connected to their communities, worsen isolation and reduce feelings of local pride and belonging. This is especially pertinent for marginalised groups.
   Findings from a recent Carmarthenshire residents survey highlights that whilst there was overall agreement from respondents that they can easily access services, a large proportion disagreed.
7. Transportation & highways play a key role in supporting and sustaining our communities, it provides the vital infrastructure which connects people to one another, binds communities and enables businesses to grow and expand. A modern, successful economy is reliant upon the safe and efficient movement of people and goods and providing opportunities for people to gain access to employment, education, health, leisure and shopping. The majority of respondents either disagreed or strongly disagreed that there are good transportation links around them.
8. Areas of the county are susceptible to the negative effects of the climate emergency, especially flooding. Just over 15,000 properties (mostly residential) in the county are currently at some level of flood risk. 3,151 of these properties are at high risk. Climate change will increase the number of properties, infrastructure and key services at  risk of flooding. Places which do not currently flood will become at risk of flooding and those already known to be at risk will see the level of that risk become greater. The threats of the climate and nature emergencies were highlighted by residents as being a concern. Particular reference was made by some to the threats posed by flooding.
9. A biodiverse natural environment is good for well-being, with healthy functioning ecosystems, supporting social, economic and ecological resilience. Planning plays an integral role in order to deliver the Council’s vision.
10. To reduce carbon outputs and meet Welsh Government National targets, we must deliver our Waste Management and Recycling Strategy and meet our statutory recycling targets (70% by 2025 / 100% by 2050) and wider obligations including improvements to the quality of recyclable materials or suffer financial penalties.
11. The latest Census data for 2021 indicates that Carmarthenshire is home to 72,838 Welsh speakers which translates to 39.9% of the county’s total population. This figure has decreased by 5,210 since the last Census in 2011, which translates to a percentage point decrease of 4.0. This is the largest percentage point decrease of all local authorities in Wales. In 2001 and 2011, Carmarthenshire had the highest number of Welsh speakers of all local authorities in Wales, with 84,196 and 78,048 Welsh speakers respectively. These new figures mean that the county now has the second highest number of Welsh speakers of all local authorities in Wales and the fourth highest in terms of the percentage of the population that are able to speak Welsh. The county remains a key strategic stronghold for the future of the Welsh language and the social and economic benefits of bilingualism are widely recognised. Evidence gathered via the residents’ survey indicates that overall respondents agreed that it is important that the Welsh language is promoted and protected.
    Evidence gathered via the residents’ survey indicates that overall respondents agreed that it is important that the Welsh language is promoted and protected.
12. Carmarthenshire exhibits increasing crime rates in some areas, however the county remains among the safest areas in the UK, with Carmarthenshire ranking 13th safest out of the 22 counties in Wales with a rate of 83.6 crimes per 1,000 population.
    Overall, there was agreement that residents feel safe in their communities.