This bulletin summarises the proceedings of the Executive Committee meeting on 24 October 2003.

REGIONAL HOUSING STRATEGY

On 21 October the Deputy Prime Minister endorsed, with only one caveat, the Regional Housing Strategy for the South East. This means that the region will receive a £724 million affordable housing investment programme for 2004-2006, £357 in 2004-2005 and £367 in 2005-2006.

The one caveat concerns the amount of funding in the Strategy's investment programme to go to key worker housing; this has been increased as a proportion of the totaI in order to meet the Government's commitment of £1bn to key worker housing across London, the East and South East.

GOSE Regional Director, Paul Martin, in his report to the Executive Committee commended the Assembly's members of the Regional Housing Board on the contribution they made to approved Strategy and the investment programme. Key themes include:

• Ensuring that the Strategy has the continuity and stability of the housing finance system as its central premise.
• All local authorities will for the moment continue to receive 100% of the former HousingInvestment Programme. This does, however, mean that there is less money to move around the system.
• The Government has heeded the Assembly's warning against concentrating affordable housing funding in the growth areas.
• In future there will be dedicated funding allocations for London, the South East and East of England instead of this year's single pot.

The financial allocations for individual housing authorities will be announced by the end of November. The next steps for the Regional Housing Board will be to consider the details of the settlement and these allocations. This analysis will feed into the review and roll-forward of the Housing Strategy which will need to be submitted to Ministers, following a period of regional consultation, by 31 July 2004.

WORKFORCE SKILLS SELECT COMMITTEE

The Executive Committee received the report from the Assembly Select Committee on SEEDA's impact on Workforce Skills. The Committee was chaired by Dr Michael Thrower and its focus was on the relationship between SEEDA and the six learning and skills councils in the South East, the arrangements for following through the Framework for Employment and Skills Action (FRESA) and the implementation of the South East Adult Skills Programme.

The Committee concluded that SEEDA maintains excellent relationships with partner bodies, allowing it to produce an effective regional strategy. However concerns were raised that SEEDA does not clearly state its objectives to users and providers of training, or have a robust monitoring role over local learning and skills councils.

Greater clarity is needed about the role of SEEDA and its partners. The Committee recommended a review of SEEDA's role in providing both the framework for learning and skills and delivering specific projects. Where appropriate, SEEDA should consider devolving responsibility for delivery to a more appropriate organisation. It should only get involved in delivery if there are clearly gaps in the current system. Also it should take an enhanced role in the monitoring and evaluation of such projects.

REGIONAL SPATIAL STRATEGY

Regional Planning Committee Chairman Cllr Keith Mitchell reported that the RPC had approved the project brief for the new regional plan to 2026. A members’ steering group has been created to oversee the work comprising, Cllr Mitchell, Cllr Royce Longton, Cllr Lawrence Silverman, Tim Lockwood and Ian Hepburn. The Regional Spatial Strategy will be a much more holistic plan than the current planning guidance, aiming to ‘give spatial expression’ to all the policies for the region, such as those governing the economy, culture, health and social inclusion. The November plenary meeting will include breakout sessions to allow early input to the RSS by Assembly members.

REGIONAL EMPHASIS DOCUMENT

The Treasury has asked each region to produce a regional emphasis document by 31 December. Government departments will use these documents to inform their Comprehensive Spending Review proposals for 2006-2007 and 2007-2008. The document will be prepared by the Government Office, working with the Assembly and SEEDA.

Treasury guidance has made it clear that given existing commitments to the NHS and the limited scope for increases above the historically high baseline set in the last Comprehensive Spending Review, departments should expect an allocation for 2006-07 and 2007-08 which is no more than a real terms increase on 2005-2006. Therefore the Treasury is looking for regional input that recommends ways that Government funding in the regions might be more effective if re-prioritised or delivered in a more efficient way.

In the South East, Assembly Executive Committee members will have the opportunity to contribute to the preparation of the document at a workshop to be held at 2:00pm on 1 December at the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, 3 Cadogan Gate, London.

SEEDA APPOINTMENTS

Three new SEEDA board members were announced in October:

• Cllr Rob Anderson, Leader of Slough Borough Council;
• Cllr Peter Jones, Leader of East Sussex County Council;
• Phil Ward, Regional Secretary of UNISON South East.

These appointments will come into effect in the New Year.

The Executive Committee were also informed about the appointment of Pam Alexander, former Chief Executive of English Heritage, as the new Chief Executive of SEEDA. She will take up the post in January 2004.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Subscriptions 2004 - 2005
The Executive Committee of 24 October agreed that the local authority subscription rates for 2004-2005 should be held at the current levels below-inflation increase of 2%. The Assembly budget will be prepared on this basis for consideration by the Assembly plenary in March 2004, once the level of Government grant both for local authorities and the Assembly itself are known.

Meeting with Tony McNulty MP
The Assembly Chair and Chief Executive, along with the SEEDA Chair, reported on their recent meeting with Transport Minister, Tony McNulty MP on 15 October.

The Minister was acknowledged the region's concerns over the recent decisions concerning transport investment along the south coast. It is estimated that some 4,500 new homes are dependent upon the construction of roads that are now in doubt. The Highways Agency is working with local authorities to develop alternative proposals for the A27 in East and West Sussex. The Assembly and SEEDA will also be pressing the Strategic Rail Authority on south coast rail projects.

Mr McNulty has agreed to give the keynote address at the next full Assembly plenary meeting on 19 November in Winchester.

RTS Public Examination Panel Report
The Panel Report on the public examination of the Regional Transport Strategy was submitted to Ministers on 7 October. The Panel appears to have given overall support for the policies and many of the proposals in the Draft Regional Transport Strategy. However, concerns have been raised about:

• The Panel's reaction to the concept of the Regional Frame;
• The Panel's recommendations on implementation issues.

A paper on the Panel Report, including recommended future actions, will be considered by the next Regional Planning Committee on 6 November.

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Last updated: 21 August 2007