South East England Development Agency (SEEDA)

SUMMARY BOARD MINUTES OF THE FOURTEENTH MEETING

HELD ON THURSDAY 16 MARCH 2000 AT SEEDA HEADQUARTERS

Members Present

Allan Willett CMG (Chairman), Professor Clive Booth, Cllr. Ken Bodfish OBE, Cllr. Kit Oliver, Bryan Davies, Caroline Williams, Barry Camfield, Sarah Ward OBE, Cllr. David Rogers, Cllr. Kevin Wilson, Janis Kong, Russ Nathan CBE

Apologies for absence

Jim Baker

Others in Attendance (for all or part of meeting)

David Saunders (Regional Director, GO-SE), Paul Bevan (Director, Regional Assembly), Anthony Dunnett (Chief Executive, SEEDA), Jeff Alexander (Agency Secretary, SEEDA), Phil Bailey (SEEDA), Peter Cusdin (SEEDA), Chris Moore (SEEDA)

Summary of Meeting

The Board :-

• Noted the provisional budget for 2000/01.
• Considered a revised paper on the operational effectiveness of SEEDA and agreed a number of recommendations designed to improve effectiveness and of the Agency and its Board Committees.
• Agreed a process for measuring progress on the implementation of the Action Plans on the Regional Economic Strategy.
• Held discussions with representatives of the Government Office for the South East and the Regional Assembly on a range of issues.
• Reviewed progress on establishing a Regional Venture Capital Fund.
• Reviewed various large regeneration projects including the acquisition of Betteshanger Colliery.
• Noted progress on appraising the expressions of interest submitted under the Single Regeneration Budget Round 6.
• Reviewed and noted SEEDA regeneration investment and noted actual and forecast operational and programme spend for 1999/2000.
  

SEEDA Provisional Budget 2000/01

Details of the provisional budget for 2000/01 were provided. The Board noted that discussions were on-going with the Department on the proposed budgets and asked to be kept informed.

SEEDA Operational Review

The Chairman reminded the Board that a discussion had been held during the Board meeting on 15 February 2000 on the emerging recommendations from the SEEDA Operational Review. At that meeting it was agreed that a revised paper would be prepared taking comments into account. The review looked at, amongst other things, the role of the Chairman and the Board and their relationship with the Executive team. Accordingly the Board agreed to codify the policy and procedural arrangements relating to SEEDA's constitution and its operations into an operational manual.

The Board also agreed that:-

• the structure, objectives and roles of the SEEDA sub-committees should reflect the structure of the Regional Economic Strategy and should ensure that joined-up thinking is enhanced on each major subject. A list of the revised Committees is attached (Appendix 1)
• that Local Authorities and other partners should have named lead people they can contact if required, thereby making SEEDA a more user friendly organisation. Accordingly an Executive Director has been appointed, supported by a Main Board Director and alternate, to be responsible for each geographical area represented by a County or Unitary Authority. A list (Appendix 2) showing the geographical lead responsibilities.
• That the main Board should retain full responsibility for decisions relating to substantial new or amended policy.
  

Regional Economic Strategy (RES)

Members agreed that a draft pro-forma, submitted at the meeting, represented a format that would enable SEEDA, and its partners, to measure progress on implementing the Regional Economic Strategy. The pro-forma would be further developed as necessary in the light of experience.

GO-SE /Regional Assembly Liaison

Cabinet Office Report on Role of Central Government at the Regional and Local level

Members heard that the starting point for the Cabinet Office report into government at the local and regional levels was an objective within Government to achieve enhanced integration on the ground, particularly in programme delivery. An inter-Departmental Steering Group had been established which will oversee the arrangements for implementing the Report.

Regional Planning Guidance

Members were reminded that the Deputy Prime Minister had made a statement in the House last week on Regional Planning Guidance This statement had focussed on housing and new national policy guidance on housing was launched. The statement had important messages for the South East. The main points on housing were:-

• Reaffirmation of the 60% brownfield target;
• The continuing importance of urban renaissance;
• Housing numbers to be reviewed every five years;
• Housing to be concentrated in areas close to transport and offering local employment opportunities; in the South East this included Thames Gateway, Milton Keynes and Ashford.

The Deputy Prime Minister also announced the creation of a Ministerial-led strategic partnership for the Thames Gateway.

Regional Transport Strategy

The Assembly representative explained that they wanted to make early progress on this activity for which they had assumed responsibility from SERPLAN. The strategy was likely to cover, among other things:-

• Priorities for investment;
• The role of the airports, ports, roads (within the framework of national policy);
• Public access criteria;
• Parking; and
• Demand management.

Single Regeneration Budget Round 6

The Chief Executive reported that the appraisal of the expressions of interest had been completed those bidders invited to proceed to a final submission had been informed. It was being proposed that the appropriate sub-committee meets at the end of June to consider and agree on the final recommendations to be put to Ministers.

Date of Next Meeting

Tuesday 18 April 2000 at SEEDA Headquarters.