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SUMMARY OF MINUTES OF THE THIRTY
FIFTH MEETING OF
HELD ON THURSDAY 21 MARCH 2002 AT
SEEDA HEADQUARTERS, GUILDFORD
Present
Allan Willett CMG (Chairman), Professor Clive
Booth (Deputy Chairman), Cllr. Ken Bodfish OBE (Deputy Chairman),
Cllr. Kevin Wilson, Sarah Ward OBE DL, Cllr. Kit Oliver OBE DL,
Caroline Williams, Dr Peter Read CBE, Janis Kong OBE, James Brathwaite
CBE, Barry Camfield, Mary McAnally, Robert Douglas
Apologies for absence
Elizabeth Brighouse, Cllr. Ken Thornber CBE
In Attendance
Anthony Dunnett (Chief Executive), Jeff Alexander
(Agency Secretary and Director, Strategy and Corporate Services),
Phil Bailey (SEEDA, Head of Secretariat), Paul Hudson (SEEDA,
Director, Regeneration and Infrastructure), Marianne Neville-Rolfe
(SEEDA, Director, Business and International Division), John Parsonage
(SEEDA, Director of Learning and Skills), Kathy Slack (SEEDA,
Head of Learning and Skills), Susan Priest (SEEDA, Head of Business
Support), Paul Lovejoy (Head of Strategy)
Summary of Meeting
1. The Board :-
- Noted the Declaration of interests by Members
- congratulated the SEEDA team on being awarded Investors in
People Accreditation
- Noted that the Government had announced the outcome of the
first stage of the current review of English Partnerships
- noted that SEEDA was the first RDA to have a Compulsory Purchase
Order confirmed by the Secretary of State
- Agreed to the proposal to establish a Southern Oxfordshire
Enterprise Hub, subject to full appraisal
- Received an update on Hastings
- Received a briefing on the Corporate Plan and discussed the
emerging draft Regional Economic Strategy
- Reviewed and noted the Finance Report and various SEEDA programme
investments.
Declarations of Interest
2. Peter Read declared an interest in item 5(3)
- Southern Oxfordshire Enterprise Hub.
Review of English Partnerships
3. The Board noted that the Government had announced
the outcome of the first stage of the current review of English
Partnerships. English Partnerships will become the Government's
expert adviser on brownfield regeneration, manage a national portfolio
of strategic sites and manage demonstration projects. English
Partnerships will transfer their non-strategic landholdings to
the most appropriate bodies. The Board acknowledged that there
would be implications for SEEDA in any proposed partnership structures
to manage and develop the current EP landholdings in Milton Keynes
and Crawley.
Ropetackle Compulsory Purchase Order
4. The Board noted that SEEDA was the first
RDA to have a Compulsory Purchase Order confirmed by the Secretary
of State. The CPO involved acquisition of land at Ropetackle,
part of the Shoreham Maritime project.
Southern Oxfordshire Enterprise Hub
5. South Oxfordshire are combining five centres
to create one large hub for the whole area. The existing and planned
incubation space and expertise of centres at Harwell International
Business Centre, HR Wallingford's Science Park, Culham Innovation
Centre and Milton Park will come under the wing of the Hub. The
Enterprise Hub is being championed by Sir Martin Wood, and will
consist of 4 separate innovation/incubation centres, providing
a total of 90,000 sq.ft. (60,000 sq.ft. additional) of incubation
space, an Enterprise Hub Director, supported by 2 assistants,
strong links into academic and commercial centres of research,
and feeds into existing sectoral networks. Management of the Enterprise
Hub would be, initially, by Oxford Innovation.
6. Members supported the proposal. They noted
that the proposal offered value for money on the outputs and that
these outputs were in addition to those that might have been obtained
without SEEDA funding. Members welcomed the involvement of Oxford
Innovation and Sir Martin Wood. They noted that the academic and
research centres were already working well together.
7. The Board approved in principle the Southern
Oxfordshire Enterprise Hub, subject to full appraisal.
Harts Farm Way, Broadmarsh Industrial Estate,
Havant
8. SEEDA had been approached by Havant Borough
Council (HBC) to take on this project. The project involves the
acquisition by SEEDA of 4.17 ha of industrial land at Harts Farm
Way on the Broadmarsh Industrial Estate, Havant, currently owned
by HBC. SEEDA will undertake reclamation and remediation work
on the site. The project is part of a wider programme of action
designed to secure the enhancement of the Broadmarsh Industrial
Estate.
9. The Board approved the project for investment.
Preston Barracks, Brighton
10. SRB investment is required to fund the purchase
of this site from the MoD and to commission a comprehensive master
plan. This forms phase 1 of the project to secure and safeguard
future regeneration of the site in line with SEEDA's and Brighton
& Hove's objectives. Currently the site consists of the new
TA centre, Crimean War building, the old TA centre, Rifle Range,
garages/stores/workshops, and two blocks of residential flats.
The long-term vision of the site is for mixed use live/work, starter
units, training provision and innovation space.
11. The Board approved the project for investment.
Hastings
12. The Chief Executive rehearsed the background
to SEEDA's involvement. Hastings is a flagship SEEDA project,
attracting significant Government interest and a high media profile.
SEEDA's financial involvement to date has principally been through
various SRB round commitments. However SEEDA has had to consider
carefully what additional investment will be made in Hastings
given the decision by Government on the by-pass and the flexibility
afforded by the Single Pot. The Chief Executive was recommending
that SEEDA should be prepared to allocate additional funding to
Hastings. The five point plan outcomes are directly related to
fulfilling SEEDA's Tier 2 and Tier 3 targets.
13. All Members acknowledged the high importance
of this project. The Board believed that the proposed mix of projects
reflected the right balance of social and economic development
projects.
14. The Board were informed during the meeting
that the Government had agreed to commit funding to the regeneration
package for the Hastings and Bexhill area. Funding support from
Government, the public and private sectors will now enable a £400
million development package along the lines of the five point
plan.
Corporate Plan 2002/04
15. Jeff Alexander introduced this item by reminding
Members that the Plan was awaiting final approval by DTI but no
problems were expected. Jeff Alexander picked some key points:-
- There would be full support for existing legacy programme
commitments;
- Rural Development activities would be funded at no less than
their 2001/02 levels;
- One of SEEDA's target was to redevelop at least 40 hectares
of brownfield land; and
- SEEDA would be developing new integrated funding packages
with local partners.
16. Members were reminded that SEEDA had agreed
Core Tier 3 Milestones with Government and, in addition, a number
of supplementary Tier 3 Milestones geared to particular regional
priorities. SEEDA Officers briefed Members on the following parts
of the Plan:-
- Business and International;
- Learning, Skills and Workforce; and
- Community and Physical Regeneration
17. Members briefly discussed some aspects of
each plan, noting that there was a key influencing role for SEEDA
and that Sustainable Development and Social Inclusion cut across
all SEEDA agendas.
Regional Economic Strategy
18. Jeff Alexander noted the document was not
yet a final draft for Board approval, but reflected work in progress.
It was important to bear in mind that the RES was a strategy for
the region and a key part of that would be the various sub-regional
strategies currently under development by the Economic Partnerships.
The draft RES would also take into account the conclusions reached
in the consultation events that had looked at the sub-regions
and key themes. The proposed timing was to issue the draft RES
as early in April as possible, subject to Board agreement. A three
month consultation period would follow. The aim was to present
a final draft to the Regional Assembly Plenary on 17 July.
19. It was agreed that the draft RES was progressing
in the right direction. A vision would need to be articulated
that was forward looking. Board Members then introduced parts
of the draft RES, setting out the strategic priorities and the
actions points under each priority.
Date of Next Meeting
20. Friday 19 April 2002, at SEEDA Headquarters, Guildford. Start
time to be 10.30hrs.
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