Last week saw Nottingham feature in an article in the Financial Times – with a headline “Nottingham drives revival in the east Midlands”.
RBS have done some research announcing that their growth tracker has shown the east Midlands as having grown by 1% in the first quarter – as against 0.8% in the UK as a whole. But more importantly they have also suggested that we are the only English region apart from London to have an economy bigger that that pre-recession. Manufacturing is a critical part of that growth.
But the article also focussed on ‘Science’ – which has a massive home here. Obviously we have Alliance Boots – but we also have Bio-City. There is a very significant scientific community. The MRI scanner was invented by Sir Peter Mansfield (he and I learned to fly at the same time!) and Ibuprofen was invented by Dr Stewart Adams at Boots. We are even making replacement blood – through Andaris at Ruddington.
The article harked back to a time when Nottingham was known for Raleigh Bikes and Players Cigarettes. By the end of next year the Imperial Tobacco factory will close…
Nottingham is capable of re-invensting itself. The Science is obvious, but I have touched before on the creative sectors. They too are growing and will allow us to differentiate ourselves.
We have a lot going for us – we just need to capture the talent, nurture it and retain it.
Not sure why the article states ‘Nottingham drives revival in the east Midlands’ when the actual RBS data doesn’t actually suggest this. In fact, out of the 11 sub regions that make up the east midlands, Nottingham comes in 10th in the growth figures. More PR spin than reality.
This is the figures showing year on year growth in the East Midlands (from RBS):
1. North Northants 3.6%
2. Leicestershire and Rutland 3.6%
3. South West Derbyshire 3.4%
4. Lincolnshire 3.4%
5. South Nottinghamshire 3.3%
6. North Nottignhamshire 3.3%
7. East Derbyshire 3.3%
8. Derby 3.2%
9. West Nottinghamshire 3.2%
10. Nottingham 3.1%
11. Leicester 2.8%
The East Midlands is performing the best of the regions outside London but is Nottingham actually leading it?
I’m not knocking the city, and the science re-invention is great and absolutely the thing to do and should be shouted about; but be wary of believing the PR spin.
Nottingham has always put itself out there as the leader of the east midlands (the queen of the midlands – they used to say) and in many ways it is, but just by saying it over and over again doesn’t make it true.
Chris, fair play – but it’s about time we had some good news about Nottingham- away from the usual spin and drivel… Perhaps we do need to say it over and over that we are in a better place to counter the ‘gun crime capital’ type headlines which were also inaccurately reported?