South East England Development Agency (SEEDA)

SUMMARY BOARD MINUTES OF THE ELEVENTH MEETING OF

HELD ON THURSDAY 16 DECEMBER 1999 AT SEEDA HEADQUARTERS

Members Present

Allan Willett CMG (Chairman), Professor Clive Booth, Cllr. Ken Bodfish OBE, Cllr. Kit Oliver, Bryan Davies, Jim Baker, Caroline Williams, Janis Kong, Barry Camfield, Sarah Ward OBE,

Apologies for absence

Cllr. Kevin Wilson, Cllr. David Rogers, Russ Nathan CBE

Others in Attendance (for all or part of meeting)

Anthony Dunnett (Chief Executive, SEEDA), Jeff Alexander (Agency Secretary, SEEDA), Phil Bailey (SEEDA), Paul Hudson (Director, SEEDA), Barrie Giles (Director, SEEDA), David Saunders (Regional Director, GO-SE), Mike Geddes (Vice-Chair, Regional Assembly), Paul Bevan (Director, Regional Assembly), Geoffrey Norris (Policy Adviser, No.10 Downing Street)

Summary of Meeting

The Board :-

• Acknowledged the importance of resolving the future funding of the Local Economic Partnerships and agreed to work with them to identify solutions.
• Discussed issues on the North/South Divide and Housing in the South East with Geoffrey Norris and representatives of GO-SE and the Assembly.
• Reviewed the action planning process for implementation of the Regional Economic Strategy.
  
• Noted that negotiations for the establishment of a "South East House" in Brussels were close to finalisation.
• Agreed to adopt a SEEDA Code of Access to Information and a Code on Standards of Service.
• Agreed to hold an annual open meeting shortly after the publication of the next Annual Report
  
• Reviewed a number of Land and Property, Rural Regeneration and Chatham Maritime projects and reviewed actual and forecast operational and programme spend for 1999/2000.
  

Future Funding of Local Economic Partnerships

SEEDA has been holding discussions with the Local Economic Partnerships who have agreed to put together a paper covering matters such as the provision of services and how they wish to be structured and funded in the future. The Board welcomed this process in that it would help the various Economic Partnerships to work together within the region. The Board would review this issue once the paper has been produced.

North/South Divide

The Board recognised that this issue had been topical for some time. The perception in the North was that decision-making focussed on the interests of the South East thereby widening the divide between the North and the South. The recent Cabinet Office report Sharing the Nation's Prosperity had put a different perspective on the debate. It provided evidence that the disparity within regions is at least as great as that between regions and therefore government policy was designed to help all regions and communities within regions. Areas of significant deprivation existed throughout the country including the South East. The Board noted that SEEDA's strategy was to ensure that all parts of the region performed to their full sustainable potential so that all communities benefited from the general prosperity of the South East.

It was also important, in this debate, to point out that constraints to economic development in the South East such as infrastructure and skills did affect the contribution the South East could make to the national economy.

Housing in the South East

The Board recognised that the economic dimension of the housing debate had not been sufficiently brought out. Housing, economic development and transport infrastructure needs had to be considered together. They recognised that the housing debate had coincided with the North South debate. Members also raised specific issues connected with affordable housing, the need to skill a workforce to build the houses and that the housing needs were driven by demographic.

Regional Economic Strategy (RES) - Draft Action Plans

It was stressed that the plans were documents that required further consultation and development. They were, however, a part of a useful process to continue to involve people from the region who had been greatly encouraged by the genuine consultation process that had been undertaken on the development of the RES.

The Board also reviewed three key areas of the RES (Enterprise Hubs, the Wired Region and Area Investment Frameworks) and the work of the Board sub-committees.

Code of Access to SEEDA Information

The Board agreed to adopt a Code of Access to SEEDA information which is in accordance with the principles of Open Government and the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information (published 1997). During the debate the Board resolved:-

"That a full set of the SEEDA Board minutes, less confidential annexes, be sent to the Chair, Vice-Chairs and Director of the Regional Assembly"

The Board also discussed whether Board meetings should be open to members of the public and whether to hold an annual open meeting. The Board recognised that it was of benefit to SEEDA that a greater understanding of their business amongst the public was fostered and that an annual open meeting, similar to an AGM, would be wholly appropriate.

Standards of Service

The Board agreed revised Standards of Service for SEEDA.

[Copies of SEEDA's Code on Access to Information and Standards of Service are available from Phil Bailey on 01483 484227 or by e:mailing SEEDA on info@seeda.co.uk]

Date of Next Meeting

Thursday 20 January 2000 at SEEDA Headquarters