East Hampshire councillor Elizabeth Cartwright has been re-elected as Chairman of the South East England Regional Housing Board (Friday 6 October).

One of her first actions as Chairman was to announce consultation on updating the South East's Regional Housing Strategy. Consultation for 12 weeks from February - April 2007 will help decide the focus for future investment to improve the region's housing.

Cllr Cartwright said:

"We need to review our approach to vital housing issues such as overcrowding and affordability to make sure we build on our growing evidence base and constantly evolving good practice. It is also important to ensure our priorities match those set out in other key regional strategies such as the South East Plan - the region's 20 year planning vision - and the Regional Economic Strategy."

She is also keen to see the Board develop regional guidance which will optimise delivery of affordable housing by helping local authorities negotiate effectively and consistently with private developers.

Cllr Cartwright (Conservative) is portfolio holder for housing at East Hampshire District Council and a member of the South East England Regional Assembly. She became the first Assembly Chairman of the Regional Housing Board earlier this year when responsibility for the Board transferred to the Assembly from the Government Office for the South East.

Contacts

Alistair Moses, Assembly PR Executive - 01483 555221

Heather Bolton, Assembly Communications Director - 01483 555220

Notes to editors:

The South East England Regional Housing Board

1. The Regional Housing Board operates as a partnership board to advise Government on the region's housing priorities.
2. Members of the Board
   Cllr Elizabeth Cartwright, Chairman of the Board and member of the South East England Regional Assembly.
   
   Other members from the Regional Assembly are:
   Cllr Don Turner (Brighton and Hove City Council),
   Cllr John Goddard (Oxford City Council),
   Ann Santry (Social Housing) and
   Douglas Horner (CBI).
   
   Members of other organisations:
   Shelia Drew Smith (Housing Corporation),
   Cllr Keith House (SEEDA),
   Trevor Beattie (English Partnerships) and
   Darren Richards (Government Office for the South East).

The South East England Regional Assembly

1. The South East England Regional Assembly is a regional partnership with 112 members representing local authorities as well as social, environmental and business sectors.
2. The Assembly was established by South East local government in January 1999 to provide a representative voice for the region, which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire and Surrey.
3. Assembly members include elected councillors from the region's 74 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) as well as the New Forest National Park Authority.
4. The Assembly has four key roles:
• Advocacy
  Pressing the South East's interests in London and Brussels.
• Accountability
  Scrutinising the plans and performance of regional bodies such as SEEDA to align the region's priorities.
• Regional planning
  Preparing and delivering the South East Plan - the 20-year statutory plan for the region that sets the framework for the sustainable development of the South East.
• Regional policy
  Advising Government on the co-ordination of regional strategies and spending priorities for housing, transport, planning and economic development to improve the impact of public expenditure.

Our vision is for a distinctive, outward-looking, accessible region of prosperous, sustainable communities, with a high quality of life and environment.

Last updated: 21 August 2007