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SUMMARY BOARD MINUTES OF THE TWENTY SECOND MEETING
HELD
ON THURSDAY 14 DECEMBER 2000 AT SEEDA HEADQUARTERS
Members Present
Allan
Willett CMG (Chairman), Cllr. David Rogers, Cllr. Kevin Wilson,
Cllr. Kit Oliver, Caroline Williams, Janis Kong, Barry Camfield,
Bryan Davies, Sarah Ward OBE, Russ Nathan CBE, Mary McAnally
Apologies
for absence
Professor
Clive Booth, Cllr. Ken Bodfish OBE, Jim Baker, Dr Peter Read
Others
in Attendance (for all or part of meeting)
Anthony
Dunnett (Chief Executive, SEEDA), Jeff Alexander (Agency Secretary,
SEEDA), Phil Bailey (SEEDA), Paul Hudson (SEEDA, Director, Infrastructure
and Regeneration)
Summary
of Meeting
1.
The Board :-
- Reviewed progress on the "SEEDA Strategy for Business"
initiative;
- Welcomed recent Government announcements in the pre-budget
report and the Urban and Rural White Paper;
- Received a report on the Chairman's recent activities;
- Discussed the Access to Hastings multi-modal study;
- Agreed to discuss, with Local and Learning Skills Councils
(LLSCs), a system of regular meetings between SEEDA and
LLSCs;
- Reviewed and noted the Contract Report and Finance Report;
- Noted the appointment of Marianne Nevile-Rolfe as the
new Business and Enterprise Director and that the Business
Development and Enterprise Development teams would be merged
in due course;
- Reviewed and noted various SEEDA programme investments.
SEEDA
Strategy for Business
2.
Members were updated on progress since the last Board meeting.
The initiative had been presented to the Regional Assembly
and Economic Partnerships. The Chairman, in presenting some
revised proposals to the Board reminded Members that a key
underlying issue was how to engage high profile business people
with SEEDA's agenda and attract their support. It was important
not to establish a further layer of bureaucracy (i.e. no formal
structures should unnecessarily be created) and offer businesses
a real opportunity to make a difference. Members recognised
and welcomed the proposed strengthened relationship between
SEEDA and the Economic Partnerships and agreed that some Economic
Partnership Chairs should be invited to join the SEEDA Advisory
Panel. In addition regular meetings would be held with the
Chairs and Chief Executives of the Economic Partnerships collectively.
3.
Members also discussed the proposed Business Support Board.
It was explained that this Board was an operational Board
whose remit was largely about the effectiveness of business
support services provided within the region. The initiative
had the support in principle of the DTI. Members agreed that,
on that basis, the Business Support Board should be established.
Chairman's
Report
4.
The Chairman reported that he had held meetings with the Federation
of Small Business (FSB), Institute of Directors and CBI which
had presented him with the opportunity to outline SEEDA's
emerging strategy for business.
5.
The Chairman reported that the third meeting of the SEEDA
Advisory Panel, held at the Oxford Belfry, had gone very well
with valuable contributions from Dr Colin Lucas and Philip
Wood, Director-General, responsible for the Regions within
the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions.
The SEEDA Strategy for Business had also been discussed.
6.
Other meetings that had taken place included a visit by the
Minister of Trade, Richard Caborn, to SEEDA Headquarters.
The Minister had taken the opportunity to thank staff for
all their efforts over the past year. A meeting with Portsmouth
City Council, as part of the annual series of meetings with
County and Unitary authorities, had been held the previous
week.
Urban
and Rural White Papers
Urban
White Paper
7.
The main focus of discussion was the proposed Local Strategic
Partnerships (LSPs). Members noted that the first four in
the South East would be rolled out within the next few months
because LSPs were a pre-condition for drawing down Neighbourhood
Renewal Funds. There would need to be cohesion between these
local strategies and other strategies such as the RES and
Regional Planning Guidance.
Rural
White Paper
8.
Sarah Ward introduced the main features of the Rural White
Paper. SEEDA's rural objectives were reflected in the White
Paper and there would be increased funding made available
to RDAs. The major initiative was market town regeneration
and SEEDA would need to ensure that this initiative also benefited
areas around the market towns. The White Paper also set a
new direction for farming by proposing to help farming and
related industries become more competitive, diverse, modern
and sustainable.
Access
to Hastings Multi-Modal Study
9.
This multi-modal study is the first of several multi-modal
studies currently underway in the region but is the first
to conclude. Members noted that without the bypasses the conditions
for economic regeneration in Hastings would not exist although
the bypasses incurred additional costs and that, whilst there
may be environmental gain within the built up areas of Hastings
and Bexhill, there would be significant environmental detriment
along and adjoining the proposed routes of the bypasses.
10.
The Board agreed that the following recommendations would
be passed to the Regional Assembly whose responsibility it
is to provide advice to the Government.
- strategy 13 is the only package of transport improvements
which will meet the economic development objectives of the
RES in encouraging the regeneration of Hastings;
- however this transport strategy should be part of a wide
ranging regeneration programme which will involve continuation
and extension of economic, social and environmental investment
in the Hastings and Bexhill area;
- the preparation of the Area Investment Framework for
the Hastings area is seen as the mechanism by which this
implementation programme is carried forward;
- in this regard, SEEDA confirms its commitment to using
its own direct development powers to bring forward development
land if necessary, and the support to other organisations
and agencies particularly concerning environmental mitigation
and enhancement measures required for the bypass schemes;
- those core elements of the strategy which are not controversial
and capable of early implementation should be progressed
without delay;
- in terms of follow up work:
- a detailed investigation of the feasibility of
direct train services from Hastings to London via Ashford
utilising the Channel Tunnel Rail Link is required;
- the extension of the Thameslink 2000 services
to Hastings should be investigated;
- should be further work undertaken on the re-opening
of the Polegate chord;
- potential improvements to the A21 between Pembury
and Hastings should be examined in a multi-modal context
as a matter of urgency.
Learning
and Skills Councils
11.
It was proposed that SEEDA should seek an annual cycle of
meetings with LLSCs rather than have just ad hoc contacts.
It would be preferable if this tied in with key stages in
the work cycles of SEEDA and the LSCs and that dialogue was
continuous. In addition a major annual event involving the
SEEDA Board Members and LLSC Boards should be considered.
Date
of Next Meeting
12.
Thursday 17 January 2001 at SEEDA Headquarters, Guildford
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