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SUMMARY BOARD MINUTES OF TWENTY NINTH MEETING
SOUTH EAST ENGLAND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
HELD ON THURSDAY 13 SEPTEMBER 2001 AT SEEDA
HEADQUARTERS
Members Present
Allan Willett CMG (Chairman), Cllr. Ken Bodfish OBE (Deputy Chairman),
Professor Clive Booth (Deputy Chairman), Sarah Ward OBE Cllr.
Kit Oliver (OBE), Caroline Williams, Jim Baker, Cllr. David Rogers,
Mary McAnally, Cllr. Kevin Wilson, Dr Peter Read CBE, Russ Nathan
CBE, Bryan Davies
Apologies for absence
Janis Kong, Barry Camfield
Others in Attendance (for all or part of meeting)
Fiona Reynolds (Director General, National Trust), Peter Griffiths
(Regional Manager, National Trust), Professor John Craven (Vice
Chancellor, University of Portsmouth),
John Weston (Higher Education South East), Anthony Dunnett (Chief
Executive), Jeff Alexander (Agency Secretary), Phil Bailey (SEEDA,
Head of Secretariat), Paul Hudson (SEEDA, Director, Regeneration
and Infrastructure), John Parsonage (SEEDA, Director Learning
and Skills)
Summary of Meeting
1. The Board :-
- Reviewed the proposed outcome Targets and Assumptions being
prepared by SEEDA on behalf of the region;
- Agreed proposals on the Regional Economic Strategy Consultation
Events;
- Reviewed the SEEDA Environment Accountability Plan;
- Received presentations on the activities of the National
Trust and Higher Education South East in the region;
- Received a report on the Chairman's recent activities;
- Considered a Recovery Plan for Hastings
- Reviewed and noted the Finance Report and various SEEDA programme
investments.
Regional Outcome Targets and Assumptions - Negotiations with
Government
2. The Board noted that the Government had agreed a new funding
regime for RDAs to take effect from 1 April 2002. The current
system of funding for individual approved programmes will be replaced
by a "single pot" and RDAs will be given greater freedom
to consult and work with their regional partners to determine
how this funding will be deployed to address regional priorities
in ways which best suit the region. In return for this greater
funding and activity flexibility, RDAs will agree with Government
targets developed in consultation with regional partners.
3. The Board discussed the draft paper which had been prepared
in consultation with the Regional Assembly and a wide range of
regional partners. The Board noted that the Regional Assembly
had endorsed the target of increasing the rate of growth in GDP
per capita after inflation from the present run rate of 3% to
an average by 2005 of 3.3%. The Board also agreed that the achievement
of the Tier 2 targets would be dependent on the assumptions set
out in the paper and that the paper should go forward with the
assumptions clearly set out.
Regional Economic Strategy (RES) - Consultation Events
4. The Board noted that provisional dates had been set aside
for the planned RES Consultation events. Specific venues had not
yet been chosen which would be influenced by the availability
of Members to attend the appropriate consultation events. Members
were invited to provide SEEDA Officers with details of their availability.
5. Members briefly discussed the format of the proposed events.
It was likely that there would be a Dinner preceding the event
designed to engage the very senior business people in the sub-region.
The following day would aim to identify the big issues and solutions
for that part of the region. There would also be session dealing
with a selected strategic theme such as business competitiveness,
learning and skills and regeneration. This session will be open
to representatives from across the region. The theme selected
for each event will be one that is particularly relevant to that
part of the region.
6. Members were content with the proposed arrangements.
Review of Environment Accountability Plan (SAP)
7. The review had confirmed that all necessary work was being
undertaken and that all milestones were expected to be completed
on schedule. The revised Environment SAP has been placed on the
SEEDA website.
Presentation by the National Trust
8. Fiona Reynolds explained that the National Trust was reorganising
their boundaries so that they were convergent with those of the
Regional Assembly, Government Office for the South East and SEEDA.
The Trust was also developing a strategic plan that focussed on
regenerating the countryside, encouraging lifelong learning and
ensuring a high quality environment. These goals underpinned sustainable
economic growth.
9. The Board noted the many synergies between the work and objectives
of SEEDA and the Trust. The Trust were members of SEEDA's Tourism
Sector Group and The Rural Development Board Committee. It was
noted that there were two areas of strategic activity that could
provide the basis of future work together between SEEDA and the
Trust. One was the identification of derelict land owned by the
Trust which might be potential land suitable for redevelopment
and the other was the promotion of tourism in the rural economy.
Chairman's Report
10. The Chairman reported that his activities since the previous
Board meeting had focussed on consulting with key regional partners
on the draft Regional Outcome Targets and Assumptions and chairing
the RDA Chairs Forum (his last as RDA Chair of Chairs).
The Hastings Recovery Plan
11. The Chief Executive drew Members attention to his paper setting
out the actions that had been taken by SEEDA and its partners
since the Secretary of State had announced his decision that the
Hastings by-passes would not proceed. The paper also described
the likely outcomes of the DTZ Pieda consultancy study which would
lead to a broad framework for a regeneration strategy for Hastings.
The Chief Executive noted that the solutions to be proposed would
not focus just on transport issues but rather present a holistic
solution and deploy new technologies.
12. The first objective was to pull together a plan which would
be presented to Ministers. The Board noted that the Government
had mandated SEEDA to develop a regeneration strategy for the
Hastings area. In addition the local partners had asked SEEDA
to work with them in partnership.
13. Members welcomed the proposals set out in the paper and were
content with the immediate purpose of constructing a plan which
would be taken to Ministers. It was felt that this work was properly
the responsibility of SEEDA
Higher Education in the South East
14. Professor John Craven gave a presentation to the Board about
the role Higher Education (HE), the make-up of the HE institutions
in the South East and its student population, the importance of
its research activity, the contribution it make to business and
innovation, regeneration and skills development and how HE and
SEEDA might work together in the future.
15. The Board noted that SEEDA would be undertaking a review
and revision of the Regional Economic Strategy and that it was
crucial to have a strong interface between SEEDA and the HE institutions.
It was felt that HE institutes were now well placed to respond
and SEEDA would value an informed contribution from HESE. It was
noted that whilst most HE institutions would have a local strategy
no overall regional strategy for HE was in place.
16. The Board discussed the implications of the single budget
regime with Professor Craven and John Weston and invited them
to develop ideas, on a collaborative basis across the region's
HE institutions.
17. The meeting concluded by the Board noting that the business
support activity of the HE institutes was a vital contribution
to the economic development of the regional economy and that the
relationship between SEEDA and HESE continued to grow in importance.
Date of Next Meeting
18. Thursday 18 October 2001, at the Sussex Innovation Centre,
Falmer, Brighton. Start time to be 10.30hrs.
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