News Release : 09 August 2004

THE SOUTH EAST IS ON THE MAP

The great majority of people (83%) identifies with South East England as a region. Regional awareness is highest in East Sussex (97%) and lowest in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire (both 66%), states a survey published today.

Perceptions of the South East and its Regional Assembly - 1.57 MB

Cllr Nick Skellett, Chair of the South East England Regional Assembly said: “We are pleased that most residents identify with our region and we have a real role to fulfil in improving people’s quality of life and their opportunities. Our research shows that South East citizens rate their quality of life as very positive although they believe housing and transport remain serious problems. With the South East Plan, a 20-year planning vision, we will set out how we can make best use of space and resources in the South East to ensure the region continues to be economically successful and an attractive place to live.”

More people are aware of the Assembly now compared to 2002 when the survey on perceptions of the Assembly and the South East region was carried out for the first time. Awareness increased five percentage points to 29%. 67% of citizens agree that a regional assembly should have more influence over the area than central government. 55% say that the region would lose out if we did not have a regional assembly.

Generally, the make-up of the present Assembly reflects what people believe it should be. When asked who members are and who they should be, the top three answers to both questions were representatives of local authorities, the community and business sector. This reflects the Assembly’s structure where local authority councillors are the majority members, elected by their local communities. Community representatives, including the voluntary and housing sectors make up the next largest group, alongside business representatives.

Contact

Lesley van Dijk, PR Executive - 01483 555223

Heather Bolton, PR Executive - 01483 555221

Notes to editors:

1. The survey ‘Perceptions of the South East and its Regional Assembly’ has been carried out by MORI between May and July 2004. Visit the Surveys page to download the report.
2. Explanation of East Sussex figure: The East Sussex percentage is higher than the average (83%). Out of all people interviewed in East Sussex, 97% identified with the region.
3. The Assembly will be drafting the South East Plan, which will set regional priorities and help guide the production of local plans and strategies on critical issues affecting all of us, such as housing, transport, waste and development. It will also help share best practice between different areas of the region that face similar problems and cover the period to 2026.
4. The Regional Assembly is the “voluntary regional chamber” for the South East. It was established in January 1999 to give a representative voice to the South East region which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, and Surrey.
5. The Assembly is made up of 111 members including elected councillors nominated by the region’s local authorities and 37 representatives from other sectors of the community (including business, trades unions, education, housing, health, sports, culture, tourism, faith groups, environmental, community and voluntary organisations).
6. The Assembly has three areas of core business:
1. It is the representative voice of the South East, engaging and representing its member organisations and, through them, the wider public.
2. The Assembly has a specific role under the Regional Development Agencies' Act 1998 to ensure the accountability of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) to the region.
3. The Assembly has been the Regional Planning Body for the South East since April 2001. It has responsibility for proposing strategic planning and transport policies to Government.

Last updated: 21 August 2007