The City Fringe was named as a pilot area for the government’s City Growth initiative – modelled on the US Initiative for the Competitive Inner City – in January 2002. For more information on City Growth, see Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Enterprise Directorate. We have adopted City Growth to build an area of thriving competitive industries whose residents prosper from its success.

Led by the private sector, City Growth puts business at the heart of a market-based approach to urban regeneration.

City Growth focuses on the competitive advantages of the inner city and supports key business clusters to maximise the benefit that clustering and proximity to the city centre offer.

The CFP works within 7 industry clusters in the City Fringe to support thei development and ensure the resulting economic growth supports the local community.

The CFP undertakes research and analysis of each of its sectors to understand the drivers of the local economy and the challenges facing City Fringe industries. This research involves local industry leaders, trade associations, trade unions and educational institutions to identify initiatives to address such challenges.

For each cluster a Sector Investment Plan (SIP) is produced which constitutes a plan of action to drive competitiveness and employment opportunities. Each SIP is designed to direct public and private sector investment towards projects in the area.

Each project is monitored by the City Fringe Implementation Team and an evaluation of the impact of City Fringe Partnership projects on the local economy is underway.