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SUMMARY BOARD MINUTES OF THE TWENTY THIRD MEETING
HELD
ON WEDNESDAY 17 JANUARY 2001 AT SEEDA HEADQUARTERS
Members Present
Professor
Clive Booth (Acting Chairman), Cllr. David Rogers, Cllr. Kevin
Wilson, Cllr. Kit Oliver (OBE), Caroline Williams, Janis Kong,
Barry Camfield, Bryan Davies, Sarah Ward OBE, Russ Nathan CBE,
Mary McAnally, Cllr. Ken Bodfish OBE, Jim Baker, Dr Peter Read
Apologies
for absence
Allan
Willett CMG (Chairman)
Others
in Attendance (for all or part of meeting)
Anthony
Dunnett (Chief Executive), Jeff Alexander (Agency Secretary),
Phil Bailey (SEEDA, Head of Secretariat), Paul Hudson (SEEDA,
Director, Infrastructure and Regeneration), John Parsonage (SEEDA,
Director of Learning and Skills), Peter Waller (SEEDA, Project
Manager, Wired Region), Peter Simpkins (Logica), David Jordan
(Regional Director, Southern Region, Environment Agency), Helen
Philips (Area Manager, Thames West, Environment Agency)
Summary
of Meeting
1.
The Board :-
Congratulated Kit Oliver on receiving the OBE in the New Year
Honours;
Considered SEEDA attendance at non-party National Conferences;
Welcomed and endorsed the proposed approach on the Corporate
Plan 2001/02.
Noted developments on the Wired Region project and approved
further work;
Received a presentation from the Environment Agency on the "State
of the Environment" report;
Received a report on the Chairman's recent activities;
Approved the first two SEEDA Accountability Plans;
Noted that SEEDA had resolved to prepare a Compulsory Purchase
Order (CPO) under the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998;
Reviewed and noted various SEEDA programme investments.
Reviewed and noted various SEEDA programme investments.
Corporate
Plan 2001/02
2.
Member's were informed of the proposed process involved in the
preparation of the Corporate Plan and noted that a key feature
of the Corporate Plan would be the new flexibilities introduced
by Government. It was recognised that the coming financial year
is a transitional stage towards the full introduction of a single
integrated funding regime for RDAs in April 2002. RDAs are required
to prepare a single planning document with a one-year time horizon,
combining the main requirements of a Corporate Plan and Business
Plan in a single framework. Nevertheless, in preparing the Plan,
SEEDA will need to take a longer term view, so as to ensure
the sustainability of the plans beyond 2001-02, and to demonstrate
on-going commitment to our partners.
3.
It was proposed that the Plan reflects and develops the cross-cutting
approach of the Regional Economic Strategy. Therefore the proposal
is to overlay the detailed programme information with a planning
approach which addresses the contribution of SEEDA activities
to the three themes of business growth and investment; learning,
skills and workforce; and community renaissance and infrastructure.
4.
Members welcomed and endorsed the proposed planning approach.
Wired
Region - Presentation and Update
5.
Peter Waller (SEEDA) and Peter Simpkins (Logica) presented this
item to the Board. Market research, amongst individuals and
businesses, had revealed that access to the internet was already
high though usage was unsophisticated and that there were gaps
in engagement. There was also interest in a regional portal.
6.
Key issues to emerge in discussion was the need for increased
bandwidth within the region, the future access arrangements
and that the sustainable development message should be highlighted
as a benefit of the Wired Region.
7.
The Board approved further work on this project.
"State of the Environment" Presentation
8.
David Jordan and Helen Philips presented the Environment Agency's
recent report on the state of the environment in the South East.
Members agreed that the presentation was particularly interesting
and raised a number of questions about forward planning, the
water resources strategy, waste assessment, the consequences
of the shutdown of nuclear reactors, use of fossil fuel, the
need to work with and educate companies and their employees
and alignment of boundaries between SEEDA and the Environment
Agency's water management responsibilities. The Environment
Agency were asked to consider how the Wired Region initiative
might benefit their activity.
SEEDA
Accountability Plans (SAPs)
9.
The Learning and Workforce and Transport SAPs were approved
by the Board and will be placed on the SEEDA web-site subject
to the preparation of the information sheet.
Chairman's
Report
10.
The Acting Chairman reported on the Chairman's behalf. Meetings
held by the Chairman since the previous Board meeting included
separate meetings with officials from DTI, UK Trade & Investment,
the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, the Regional Assembly and
his attendance at the RDA Chairs Forum and subsequent meeting
with DTI on 17 January.
Ropetackle,
Shoreham - Acquisition of Adjoining sites - Compulsory Purchase
Order
11.
The Board noted that SEEDA had resolved to prepare a Compulsory
Purchase Order (CPO) under the Regional Development Agencies
Act 1998 for the lands at Ropetackle, Shoreham-by-Sea. Nevertheless
negotiations with the third party landowners will continue in
parallel with the CPO process in that hope that their interests
can be secured by private treaty.
Regional
Assembly
12.
Members noted that the Chief Executive of the Regional Assembly
had prepared a paper setting out the proposed relationship between
SEEDA and the Assembly. Members welcomed the fact that these
issues were being considered and looked forward to discussing
them with the Assembly. The paper was seen as a positive step
and would be discussed more fully at the next meeting.
Date
of Next Meeting
13.
Tuesday 20 February 2001 at SEEDA Headquarters, Guildford
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