This Bulletin reports the main issues covered at the Executive Committee meeting of 15 June 2007 and Regional Housing Board meeting of 20 June 2007.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: 15 June 2007

PLANNING WHITE PAPER

The Committee agreed an initial response to the Planning White Paper published for consultation by Government in May. It welcomed the review of the planning system, but questioned the need for some of the more radical proposals.

Members were concerned about the lack of democracy if a new ‘super quango’ was created to decide on national infrastructure. The Government should build on the arrangements already in place.

A proposal to introduce National Policy Statements was supported, but it is important that decisions on how they are implemented are taken at the local level.

The Committee welcomed the offer from GOSE to facilitate a meeting between the Assembly and the Cabinet Office team working on the white paper. The Regional Planning Committee will consider any additional detailed aspects of the White Paper at its next meeting in July, particularly in relation to developing an alternative approach to handling major infrastructure proposals within the existing structures. It will send a further response to Government.

NEW SCRUTINY ARRANGEMENTS

The Committee heard that new arrangements for scrutiny of SEEDA's work were now beginning to gather impetus after a review. Nominations for positions on the standing scrutiny committee have now been received and inductions are being planned. Consultants have been appointed and work is well underway on the context and issues papers for the first two select committees of 2007-08 (Global challenge and ecological footprint).

Lead member for scrutiny, Ian Chisnall, will chair the first select committee. He will also provide regular updates to future Executive Committees and the Assembly AGM.

The Committee stressed the dual roles of scrutiny (both looking forward and reviewing progress against previous recommendations) and noted the Scrutiny National Memorandum of Understanding agreed between regional assemblies, regional development agencies and Government.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S REPORT

Paul Bevan, Assembly Chief Executive, updated the Committee on the following issues:

• The Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 (CSR07)
  Alongside lobbying for investment to meet South East needs in CSR07, a key issue for the Assembly in the Sub-national review of economic development is to secure continued democratic input and therefore buy in to regional priorities. The Assembly has continued its dialogue with Government putting the case for local ownership. This requires local authorities, working with stakeholders, to be given increased strategic responsibility.
  
  
• Political templates for Assembly Committees
  Under the Assembly's constitution the allocation of places on the Executive and Planning Committees to political parties is proportionate to the number of council seats each party holds in the region. May’s local elections results mean no change to the Executive Committee but the Conservatives gain one extra seat on the RPC at the expense of Labour
  
  
• South East rural conference
  the Assembly and South East Rural Affairs Forum jointly held a conference on 24 May 2007 to broaden engagement on rural policy
  
  
• Draft financial results (2006-07)
  The statutory accounts for 2006-07 are currently being finalised and audited and will be presented to the AGM of SEERA Ltd on 14 September.

GOSE REPORT

Howard Ewing, GOSE Deputy Regional Director, reported on the following issues:

• Planning White Paper
  The White Paper covers two main issues - infrastructure and streamlining the town and country planning system. In response, members raised concerns over the difficulty of working within a changing system and also the cost to business of delays in planning decisions
  
  
• CSR07 and Sub-national review
  The Comprehensive Spending Review announcement has been delayed until autumn, but the sub-national review of economic development is still expected in July
  
  
• Health strategy
  Development is ongoing and would be informed by a Health Challenge England event on 20 June. The Assembly's Healthy Region Forum would take place following the morning event
  
  
• Draft Local Transport Bill
  Consultation on the draft Local Transport Bill, which contains legislative proposals to support the Government's efforts to tackle congestion and improve public transport, runs until 7 September
  
  
• Timing of release of the South East Plan
  The Examination in Public for the South East Plan was the longest ever. The Panel's report is expected in July and will be published by Government as soon as possible afterwards. There may be a delay if there is a need to brief new Ministers on the Plan process.

Members also drew GOSE's attention to concerns about a change in funding for Local Area Agreements, which could impact on their success.

SEEDA REPORT

Pam Alexander, SEEDA Chief Executive, reported on the Development Agency's work since the last Committee meeting and drew attention to a number of important areas.

• 2012 Olympics
  SEEDA organised a partnership event to launch the South East's ‘Olympic Offer’. The event was attended by around 400 people, over 100 from businesses. 3,000 businesses have now signed up to a service matching companies to contract opportunities
  
  
• Portsmouth naval base
  the economic and social costs, both regionally and nationally, of closing the base are being stressed to Government.

The Committee then raised questions about economic migrants in the region and issues around their role in the economy and community cohesion. A joint Assembly/SEEDA paper on this topic will be presented to a future meeting.

RES IMPLEMENTATION

The Implementation Plan for the Regional Economic Strategy (RES) has been published for consultation until 24 August and will be debated at the full Assembly meeting on 18 July.

The Committee queried issues around the total cost of implementing the RES; the sustainability objectives; accountability and monitoring; targets and the need to be able to analyse the Plan in different ways eg by area or theme.

The Assembly and SEEDA are committed to producing a single regional delivery plan for the South East Plan and Regional Economic Strategy (RES). Work on this will be taken forward over the coming months.

SUB-REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS

Paul Lovejoy, SEEDA Director of Strategy and Sustainability, updated the Committee on a review of SEEDA's sub-regional arrangements to support effective delivery of the new Regional Economic Strategy. It is important to align regional and local structures and SEEDA is looking reduce the number of partnerships it supports and for the remaining ones to be more effective. SEEDA is not looking for a ‘one size fits all’ solution to each area of the region. SEEDA's consultation on future sub-regional arrangements runs until 13 July.

SOCIAL INCLUSION STATEMENT REVIEW

The Committee agreed a response to consultation on an updated regional Social Inclusion Statement, emphasising links with South East Plan policies and the importance of investment and delivery.
The Social Inclusion Partnership South East (SIPSE), which includes the Assembly, is reviewing the strategy following a recommendation from the Assembly’s select committee on Poverty and Inclusion.

The Assembly's response focuses on the work already underway in the region to address issues of social concern, with particular emphasis on the policy approach in the South East Plan and the need to focus on investment and delivery. The response also emphasises the importance of ensuring alignment between the Statement and existing strategies in the region - notably the draft South East Plan, Integrated Regional Framework and RES.

REGIONAL SUSTAINABILITY FRAMEWORK

The Committee noted a report on the review of the Integrated Regional Framework (IRF) which establishes a shared vision and a set of objectives for integrated working and sustainable development in the region. When the IRF was published in 2004 the Assembly, and the other organisations involved, made a commitment to review it. A simplified version, the Regional Sustainability Framework (RSF), is now being developed.

Stakeholder consultation on the RSF will start in September and Assembly members will have the opportunity to contribute, in advance, at the July full Assembly meeting.

MEMBER CODE OF CONDUCT

The Committee agreed proposed changes to the Assembly members' code of conduct to reflect stakeholder member concerns. The main change is an additional paragraph seeking to clarify the difference between ‘corporate’ and ‘personal’ interests.

‘A member’s function on the Assembly is to represent the ‘corporate’ interests of their nominating organisation. Such corporate interests should not be considered to be ‘personal’ interests and cannot therefore be regarded as prejudicial.’

Other minor changes were made to clarify and simply the code of conduct.

REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES

The Committee also received reports from the following meetings:

• Regional Transport Board, 26 April
• Regional Housing Board, 14 May
• Regional Planning Committee, 23 May.

REGIONAL HOUSING BOARD: 20 June 2007

REGIONAL HOUSING STRATEGY REVIEW

The Housing Board has recommended that Government invests £1.1billion over three years in affordable homes as part of the Regional Housing Strategy review. The money will be used to create 10,550 affordable homes needed in the region each year, as outlined in the South East Plan.

This is the majority of the £1.3billion regional budget, which reflects the Board's vision for housing in the South East between 2008-11. The Board plans to create closer links between housing and planning following the Board's merger with the Assembly last year.

Family homes
The Board also believed affordable three bedroom family homes should be a higher priority than at present. The report recommends increasing from 20% to 25% the percentage of larger social rented housing. If possible this figure could be further increased at a later date. Proposals to increase funding for affordable housing in rural areas were welcomed.

Advice
The Board's advice will be sent to the Housing Minister Yvette Cooper by the deadline of 28 June. Board members felt some aspects and language of the letter should be strengthened to emphasise the importance the Board places on them. In particular the Board agreed sustainable housing should be given more weight.

Key workers
It was also felt more emphasis should be given to key worker housing. Following the Board's recent 12 week consultation there was a consensus that low cost home ownership schemes should not be limited to key workers. The RHB recommends local authorities and their partners redefine eligibility criteria to reflect local needs and circumstances.

Brownfield land
The Board agreed to the principle of £30million funding for a Brownfield Land Assembly Company (BLAC), but has requested more information on the accountability and governance of the company.

Regional Infrastructure Fund
£30million of funding was agreed to create a Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF), which has been proposed by the Assembly and SEEDA to allow the public sector to invest in infrastructure projects needed for growth. This initial investment will be recouped out of later contributions through the planning system. If the money allocated to BLAC and RIF is not used, it will be recycled back into affordable housing projects.

Other funding
Other money allocated in the review included £33million to improve housing and bring it up to the Government's ‘Decent Homes’ standard and £18million over three years for Gypsy and Traveller sites in the region. The Board agreed to a follow up piece of work to make its case to the Government to get extra funding for affordable housing.

BROWNFIELD LAND ASSEMBLY COMPANY

There was a brief presentation on the Brownfield Land Assembly Company (BLAC). The company originated from a pilot scheme called the Brownfield Land Assembly Trust, which was set up by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and other interested parties to buy small areas of previously developed land that have failed to sell on the open market. This land is then used to create affordable housing.

The pilot scheme saw 124 affordable homes created on 12 sites of less than 0.25 hectares across the region. BLAC will hope to continue this work, helping to regenerate 40 sites over the next three years. The aim is to buy sites that can be marketed as small clusters within urban areas. They will then be sold on with planning consent and sustainability standards enforced by a legal charge.

Members of the meeting raised questions over BLAC's accountability and whether the Boards investment in the company would be a doubling up of public grants for housing.

NATIONAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMME

Paul Abey, from the Housing Corporation, gave a progress report on the National Affordable Housing Programme stating that the Housing Corporation South East was exceeding targets and had a very successful year. He informed the Board that the Corporation had beaten its target for completing affordable homes in 2006/07 by 18%, spending 2% above its expenditure target of £369 million.

Mr Abey said there was a concern that the number of key workers taking up low cost home ownership schemes was not as great as expected because of a change in the funding last year. This change meant where the Corporation paid for 25% of the value of a home bought by a key worker, it now only pays 12.5% with the other 12.5% covered by a low cost loan.

PPS3 WORKSHOPS

The Board welcomed an initiative by the Assembly to run workshops on new rules in Goverments Planning Policy Statement 3 (housing). The events in July, aimed at local authority planners, are already fully subscribed.

Last updated: 21 August 2007