TRANSPORT

Regional Transport Board Pilot
The Executive Committee has approved Assembly nominations to the new experimental Regional Transport Board. Members were keen to maximise the Board's democratic input and nominated:

• 2 Conservative members of transport authorities: Keith Mitchell, Oxfordshire County Council and Mary Ballin, Bracknell Forest Borough Council
• 1 Liberal Democrat member from a transport authority: Jill Baston, Southampton City Council
• 1 Labour member from a transport authority: John Howarth, Reading Borough Council
• 1 social partner representative: Brian Wyld, RAISE
• 1 environmental partner representative: Ian Hepburn, South East Forum for Sustainability
• 1 economic partner representative: Tim Lockwood, West Sussex Economic Forum.

The Board also includes the following:

SEEDA Board member John Peel; Highways Agency Regional Director Jim Boud; and Strategic Rail Authority Head of Regional Planning Julie Mills. Bus and coach operators are still to nominate a representative.

The experimental RTB will be time-limited and chaired by GOSE. The DfT will seek a report from the RTB on the exercise at the end of September. It met for the first time on 5 July.

Evaluation of the pilot will include reviewing how the RTB's recommendations on forthcoming transport spending vary from those that ministers would have received direct from DfT officials.

Assembly Opposes Rail Proposals
Councillor Nick Skellett, Regional Assembly Chair, has written to Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, to formally oppose TfL's proposal to create a London Regional Rail Authority.

The Assembly argues that far from helping to improve the planning and operation of the rail network, the proposal would serve only the narrow interests of London to the exclusion of adjoining regions and, arguably, the rest of the country.

The proposal would separate decision-making on rail investment and operational planning for a significant part of South East England from the broader spatial and transport planning for the region.

POLICY UPDATES

South East Plan
Executive Committee members were briefed about feedback received on the South East Plan following the Assembly's series of 17 spring debates for stakeholders.

Members debated a series of 21 parameters and 36 major issues that would form the basis of the draft South East Plan. Maps were also presented showing nine proposed sub regional strategies and one special policy area to be included in the Plan. A final decision on all these topics will be made at the Assembly Plenary on 21 July, following which work will begin on writing the first draft of the Plan. It is expected that the Plan will be presented to the Assembly's 17 November Plenary in Reading.

A paper will also be prepared for the next Regional Planning Committee on 28 July setting out options for further stakeholder engagement over the summer, and the impact of such work on the Plan timetable.

Chief Executive's report
The report updated the committee on the following issues, including:·

• The impact of last month's local elections on the political balance of the Assembly. The Conservatives gained one further seat on the Executive Committee at the expense of Labour, and the Liberal Democrats gained one extra seat on the Planning Committee, again at the expense of Labour.
• Cllr Andrew Hodges (Guildford BC) was nominated to chair the select committee on regeneration.
• A successful South East Summit on 22 June, held jointly with SEEDA. The event was an opportunity to brief Andrew Smith, the region's only Cabinet minister on the successes and challenges facing the region.

Arrangements for Asylum Seeker and Refugee Support
The committee discussed whether the Assembly should consider taking responsibility for the South of England Refugee and Asylum Seeker Consortium. The Committee endorsed a cautious approach at present, preferring the role to stay with a local authority as the more appropriate level of delivery. Members noted that the option for the Assembly to host the consortium presents risks in terms of both capacity and finance. Also, an operational responsibility such as this was seen to be incompatible with the Assembly's strategic role.

SEEDA ACCOUNTABILITY

Activity Report
At the end of her first six months in post, SEEDA Chief Executive Pam Alexander briefed Executive members on the agency's activities. She said it was clear that SEEDA needed to continue to invest in the region's success as well as working to address areas of deprivation. She also stressed the importance of partnerships with other regional organisations, especially area investment partnerships.

She reported that SEEDA was meeting all core objectives, apart from its target on attracting private sector leverage funding. She added that SEEDA had also recently reached agreement with BT to provide broadband access throughout the region.

Hubs and Gateways Select Committee
SEEDA has spent £8m on hubs and gateways since 2001. The select committee felt they had had a significant impact but there was little hard evidence, so new ways of measuring this impact were needed. The Executive endorsed the select committee recommendations, including:

• Business growth – SEEDA to work with sub-regional partners to explain Gateways and Hubs and develop relationships with SEEDA Global Regions initiative.
• Hub directors – To be relieved of admin duties. SEEDA to develop a skilled pool of suitable Hub directors.
• Sustainability – SEEDA to examine all options and report back to the Assembly/SEEDA Board Level Liaison Group by the end of the year.
• Education and training – SEEDA should use its influence to prioritise funding to those higher education institutes best able to transfer academic knowledge to commercial activity and ensure that funding can be applied to other objectives.
• Clarity – The roles of Hubs, Gateways and Business Links should be clarified.

Nominations to outside bodies
The Executive agreed the following Assembly nominations to outside bodies should continue:

Thames Gateway Strategic Board: Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart (Kent).

Tourism South East: Harry Rees (Isle of Wight).

South of England Refugee and Asylum Seeker Consortium: Don Turner (Brighton & Hove).

Milton Keynes South Midlands Inter-regional Board: Mary Ballin (Bracknell Forest).

NEWS IN BRIEF

Sustainable Development
Assembly Chair Cllr Nick Skellett has joined a Commission on Sustainable Development in the South East set up by the Institute of Public Policy Research and the region's county councils.

Jointly funded by the counties and PriceWaterhouseCoopers, it will meet over the next 12-18 months to consider issues such as the role of the region in the UK, and the balance between economic social and environmental pressures and constraints. Assembly officers have had the opportunity to input to early drafts of the Commission's brief, to help ensure its work complements the parallel preparation of the South East Plan.

IRF launch
A new Integrated Regional Framework (IRF) for the region was launched on 28 June. It aims to encourage all regional organisations to follow 25 high level sustainable development objectives for the region, ensuring that all regional partners work together to:

• ensure that social progress recognises the needs of everyone
• effectively protect the environment
• ensure prudent use of natural resources
• maintain high and stable levels of economic growth.

The IRF has been jointly produced by the Assembly, GOSE, Environment Agency, Public Health Observatory, SEFS, RAISE and SEEDA.

GOSE report
Announcements on this year's Comprehensive Spending Review were expected on 12 July, GOSE Regional Director Paul Martin told Executive Committee members. He hoped the announcement would reflect key issues in the Regional Emphasis Document submitted to Government last year, particularly on the need for infrastructure in growth areas. He also suggested regions may be encouraged to set targets for affordable housing.

Mr Martin welcomed the experimental Regional Transport Board as a way of co-ordinating investment in jobs, homes and transport links. He also alerted members to imminent Government consultation on proposals to combine Regional Housing Boards and Regional Planning Bodies, and likely publication of the draft Regional Assemblies Bill.

Help us reach a wider audience. Please copy and circulate this Bulletin in your organisation.

Last updated: 21 August 2007