SEEDA Corporate plan

The Executive Committee on 14 December devoted the greater part of its meeting to SEEDA's draft Corporate Plan. This is to be submitted to the Government by 21 December and sets out what the RDA expects to achieve with its £100m per annum budget in the two years from April 2002. An earlier version of the plan had already been presented by SEEDA on 30 November to a group of Assembly members comprising the Chair, Vice-Chairs and others from the Executive. The plan was then considered by the SEEDA Board on 13 December.

The Corporate Plan identifies a number of principles to guide how SEEDA will operate; these were summarised in the October issue of this Bulletin. It also sets out how SEEDA plans to distribute its new 'single pot' - the funding that it will have greater discretion over than hitherto. For the forthcoming years this will amount to between £20 and £30m, but the size of the single pot will grow as existing commitments, e.g. SRB, taper.

New approach to funding

The Executive Committee agreed with SEEDA's proposals to scrap bidding rounds as a means of distributing funds. Instead, SEEDA plans to work with Local Strategic Partnerships, who will set the local frameworks within the context of which SEEDA will contribute its resources in respect of physical development, skills and business development.

In its business development work, SEEDA plans to expand the Enterprise Hub initiative, through which incubator space is developed for knowledge based companies associated with universities. Where critical mass is lacking the concept of Enterprise Gateways is to be introduced in order to promote and nurture start-ups more generally. Hubs and Gateways will be supported by early stage finance for small companies. They will link to SEEDA's expanding sectoral activities, through which clusters are promoted in key industries such as pharmaceuticals and creative industries. In addition work will continue to attract and retain international investment, particularly corporate HQs and R&D facilities. The Executive Committee pressed for inward investment effort to be focused particularly in the east of the region.

SEEDA's actions on skills will link to the sector/cluster work, as well as aiming to improve management skills in the region. The Government now requires SEEDA to produce a Framework for Regional Employment and Skills Action (FRESA), alongside the Regional Economic Strategy (RES). SEEDA plans to use its links with employers to promote the improvement of basic skills amongst the workforce.

SEEDA will continue direct physical development, such as at Chatham Maritime and the East Kent coalfield. It will work with partners to create new development initiatives such as that in East Kent to install utilities infrastructure in order to open up land for development. The Brownfield Land Assembly Trust (BLAT) will offer an innovative means of bringing forward small sites of previously used land for local needs housing. The Executive Committee pressed SEEDA to identify clear delivery targets for affordable housing through its direct developments, since this issue is increasingly critical to sustaining the region's economy.

The Executive Committee papers relating to SEEDA's Corporate Plan are available on the Assembly's website.

Regional economic strategy

SEEDA's programme for reviewing the RES was presented to the Executive Committee on 14 December. There are three review stages:
· Consulting on existing RES priorities. The Assembly's November plenary effectively kicked off this first stage with its hearing on the RES. This initial stage will run through to January 2002.
· A series of six consultation events around the region to be hosted by economic partnerships during February and March. Each day will comprise a geographically based consultation event in the morning and a pan-regional forum on a key policy theme in the afternoon.
· Publication of the RES consultation draft. The formal consultation will run from April through to June. The July meeting of the Assembly will receive a report on the consultation and will consider SEEDA's proposed responses to the representations made.

The final version of the new Regional Economic Strategy will be delivered to the Government in October 2002.

Select committess

The first Select Committee to consider the activities of SEEDA under Strengthening Regional Accountability is to examine the impact of the RDA in areas of economic success. The Executive Committee agreed this first focus in response to a number of proposals made by the Assembly membership. Mike Geddes, from Milton Keynes Economic Partnership, has been given the job of chairing this first Select Committee, which will meet in the Spring. The Executive agreed a template for this Committee as follows:
Conservatives 3
Liberal Democrats 2
Labour 1
Other parties 1
Economic partners 2
Social/environ. partners 1

Nominations to the Committee will be sought in January. The Committee will meet on a task-and-finish basis, probably for one and a half days in March. If you wish to participate, please contact the vice-chair or secretary of your party or partner group.

The aim is to run three or four select committees each year. Other subjects suggested so far include:

• SEEDA's impact on rural development
• The role of culture (the arts, sport, tourism) in regeneration;
• The regional co-ordination between SEEDA and the six local Learning and Skills Councils; and
• SEEDA's operation of the Sustainable Development Framework.

SEEDA board membership

The four new SEEDA Board members have been announced. They are:

• Cllr Ken Thornber, Leader of Hampshire CC and a member of the Assembly;
• Jim Brathwaite, CEO of a Sussex-base media business and a director of Sussex Enterprise;
• Liz Brighouse, Director of Oxfordshire Council for Voluntary Action, an Oxfordshire county councillor and, until June, a member of this Assembly; and
• Rob Douglas, ex Vice-President of Royal Dutch Shell, and Chair of the Surrey LSC.

SEEDA Chairman Allan Willett has been appointed Lord Lieutenant of Kent. Allan stands down from SEEDA in December 2002; the Government Office will initiate the recruitment of his replacement in the new year, with the aim of making an appointment around July. In the meantime Allan will step back from matters where there may be a conflict of interest between his regional role and his new Kent position.

In brief….

Following the debate at the Assembly plenary at Gatwick the Chair of the Assembly has written to all members to confirm the budget position for 2002-03. The Executive Committee will be considering terms of reference for a proposed Budget Group at its next meeting in January. This could comprise a small group of members to provide a sounding board for the development of future Assembly budgets.

Planning Chair Nick Skellett reported to the Executive on his recent meeting with Transport Minister, John Spellar. Following the decision on the first multi-modal study relating to Hastings, the Minister agreed improvements in the way the Government handles such studies. The Minister also undertook to look at bus revenue subsidies in the region. However, Cllr Skellett was sceptical that the Assembly's pressure for an options study on possible rail freight lines from the Tunnel to the Midlands and the North around London is being heeded. He is continuing to pursue the matter.

The Executive Committee agreed a response to the Government's review of Regional Cultural Consortiums. The achievement of the Consortium in promoting debate and developing a regional cultural strategy was praised; the Executive saw benefits from stronger links to the Assembly and SEEDA.

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Last updated: 21 August 2007