The Economy, Infrastructure and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on Wednesday 11 February 2026 to discuss the draft Economic Strategy, the promotion of the workplace for young people, and the Libraries Strategy. The committee also received an annual update on the Flood Risk Management Strategy.

Economic Strategy

The draft Economic Strategy, which outlines the administration's vision, ambitions, and priorities for supporting the growth of the Staffordshire economy, was presented by Councillor Robin Hall, Cabinet Member for Economy and Skills. The strategy emphasises proactive place promotion and investment, a concise set of priorities, and a stronger consideration of rural enterprise and innovation. Its five key priorities are: place promotion and investment attraction; vibrant towns and visitor economy; infrastructure and corridor growth; talent, skills and inclusive growth; and enterprise and innovation in urban and rural areas. The committee noted that while the strategy reflects Staffordshire County Council's (SCC) priorities, a Local Growth Plan is being developed between SCC and Stoke-on-Trent City Council (SoTCC) in anticipation of future Strategic Authority arrangements. Discussions also covered contingency planning for a potential fuel crisis, SCC's role in town regeneration following the end of Levelling Up funding, and measures to attract secondary supply chains within Staffordshire, including investment in critical infrastructure like the A50/A500 corridor. Keele University's international leadership in hydrogen energy and the involvement of major Staffordshire employers such as JCB and Michelin in hydrogen innovation were also highlighted.

The committee resolved to consider and comment on the draft Economic Strategy, recommend interventions for its successful delivery, and invite the Leader and Cabinet Member for Economy and Skills to provide a bi-annual update on its delivery.

Promoting the Workplace for Young People: People not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) and Apprenticeships

Councillor Robin Hall also presented on the council's efforts to promote the workplace for young people, focusing on those not in education, employment, or training (NEET) and apprenticeships. Staffordshire's combined NEET and Not Known rate was 6.2% as of December 2025, which is slightly lower than the national and West Midlands averages. The presentation highlighted that rising NEET levels are often linked to post-pandemic impacts, young people leaving provision early, and shortages of appropriate training options. Additional risk factors include worsening mental health, increased elective home education, and reduced availability of flexible training. While the overall participation in learning rate is 90.6%, Staffordshire's apprenticeship participation rate of 5.3% is significantly higher than the national average. Proactive measures include a statutory Careers and Participation Service, an early identification system for the risk of NEET, and transition mentoring. Specific programmes mentioned were New Avenues for employability support, the Careers Observatory model for workplace encounters, and the Future Ready Fund for disadvantaged pupils.

The committee resolved to consider the challenges and responses related to raising young people's awareness of the workplace and reducing NEET levels, investigate further interventions to support young people's positive destinations, and receive an annual update on NEET figures.

Libraries Strategy

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture presented the Libraries Strategy, aiming to transform Staffordshire's libraries into vibrant community hubs. The strategy's vision is to accelerate this transformation, bringing services, opportunities, and activities together under one roof, tailored to local needs. The approach emphasises accessibility, intergenerational spaces, and a stronger digital presence. To address declining library footfall, the strategy proposes a more commercial marketing approach, increased income generation, and alignment with wider council priorities such as literacy and digital skills. Engagement with young people through the Staffordshire Council for Voluntary Youth Service has informed the strategy.

The committee resolved to promote libraries and community hubs, identify potential partners for service delivery, and support SCC's Community Managed Library model by advocating for it and encouraging volunteer opportunities.

Flood Risk Management Strategy (annual update)

The Cabinet Member for Connectivity presented the annual update on the Flood Risk Management Strategy. The update detailed the extensive work undertaken over the past year, including close collaboration between Highways and Flood Risk Management teams. The strategy aims to clearly explain flood risk management processes to members and residents, outlining SCC's responsibilities and who to contact during flooding incidents. Tools such as QR codes for flood reporting websites and the MyStaffs app are used to facilitate this. New approaches to community engagement include virtual flood wardens and the use of community intelligence. The presentation also highlighted the increasing pressure on the Flood Risk Management Team due to planning and development, with a 22% increase in planning application workload over six years, particularly in higher-risk locations.

The committee noted that Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) are now mandatory for all planning applications, implemented from December 2024. SCC acts as a statutory consultee, utilising extensive in-house data and advanced modelling tools to respond to planning applications. The Environment Agency (EA) provides standard advice where sites are not adjacent to main rivers or outside EA flood zones. The Flood Risk Management Team manages increased pressure from complex planning sites by integrating community reports, historic flood investigations, asset records, and modelling. Environmental crime, such as illegal waste disposal, was also recognised as a growing issue with potential links to camera technology for gully monitoring.

The committee resolved to receive an annual update to the Flood Risk Management Strategy Action Plan and support the progress of the accompanying FAIR (Flood: Aware, Informed, Resilient) Project.

Work Programme

The committee approved changes to the work programme for 2025/26 and scheduled a Work Programme Planning session for 2026-27 for Thursday 25 June 2026.