MINUTES OF THE BOARD MEETING HELD ON 15 MARCH 2007 AT
RENAISSANCE HOUSE, WARRINGTON
Present:
Bryan Gray (Chairman)
David Brockbank
Joe Dwek
Sir Martin Harris
Peter Hensman
Pauleen Lane
Dave McCall
John Merry
John Moverley
Vanda Murray
Marie Rimmer
Anil Ruia
Brenda Smith
Mike Storey
Maureen Williams.
Also Present:
Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive
Bernice Law, Secretary
Mark Hughes (88/04)
Patrick White (88/05, 88/07)
Peter White (88/00, 88/06)
Ian Haythornthwaite (88/09)
Keith Barnes (GONW)
Phil Robinson (NWRA)
88/00 PRESENTATION: PRIORITISATION OF LAND
REGENERATION ACTIVITY
Keith Jones, Regional Director Forestry Commission, introduced
the Public Benefits Recording System (PBRS). The Board was advised
that PBRS was a comprehensive site selection tool which
combined social, economic and environmental data. It was capable of
prioritising sites by matching them to a wide range of standard
datasets, and, for example City Regions, HMR areas and RES growth
towns.
PBRS was developed for Newlands, to enable sites for community
woodland to be selected for image enhancement opportunities and to
remove investment inhibiting dereliction.
It had recently been recalibrated to use the National Land Use
Database (NLUD) to ensure that sites matched the RDA tasking
framework outputs for brownfield land. As such, it was able
to focus priorities and resources on tackling the “best of the
worst” sites, so ensuring ‘grot spots’ were effectively dealt
with.
Keith Jones answered a number of detailed queries from Board
Members and confirmed that the PBRS model could be used for other
purposes other than soft end use
reclamation.
88/01 INTRODUCTION, APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND
DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
There were no apologies for absence.
Mike Storey declared an interest in item 88/05.
88/02 MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 15 FEBRUARY
2007 AND MATTERS ARISING
The minutes were approved as a correct record.
88/03 ACTION POINTS FROM PREVIOUS
MEETINGS
The Board noted the progress made on the action points from the
previous meetings.
88/04 ENTERPRISE IN BURNLEY – PHASE 1 – HE/ FE
CAMPUS
The Board was reminded that the Regional Economic Strategy
identified the need to promote enterprise and improve skills at all
levels and improve HE provision in East Lancashire. The Board noted
that to this end, the Agency was supporting the development
of an enterprise strategy (RES Action 3) in Burnley that would:
- Deliver a positive step change in enterprise culture
- Develop the role of HE opportunities in East Lancashire to
tackle the low wage, low skills economy
- The current limited presence of HE (RES Action 38), including
the embedding of innovation and entrepreneurialism in new FE and HE
provision and making it more responsive to local business
needs
- Provide high quality space to enable growth for new businesses
and existing small, medium and large companies in priority
sectors.
The Board was advised of the total cost for this
transformational concept and noted that there were three distinct
but linked elements:
- A new FE/HE Campus, phase 1
- Development of the Agency owned Michelin site as an Enterprise
Park
- An associated Enterprise Park at Princess Way
On this occasion the Board was specifically being asked to
consider the first phase, i.e. the new FE/HE campus.
The Board noted that Burnley College, through close working with
the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN), was seeking a new
site on which to expand and improve FE/HE provision in East
Lancashire. The Agency had encouraged Burnley College and UCLAN to
consider a clustering approach with business to encourage
enterprise development and strengthen the vocational curriculum to
meet the needs of local employers. The development of a single
FE/HE campus with an enterprise theme and an enterprise park,
providing a range of incubation space, managed workspace and high
specification office accommodation for new and growing companies,
would increase employment in higher value business and improve
productivity locally. There was also an opportunity to develop
provision for Foundation Degrees, to match the needs of local
industry, particularly in the advanced manufacturing and aerospace
and digital and creative industries sector which were important to
the economies of Burnley, East Lancashire and the Region.
A site on Princess Way close to Burnley Town Centre had been
identified as the optimum deliverable location for a combined new
FE/HE Campus and Enterprise Park. The Board was advised that
it would consist of a relocated Burnley College, a new higher
education facility run by UCLAN and an Enterprise Park providing a
focus for new investment and business growth. There was also the
potential to develop linkages with re-development of the Agency
owned Michelin site on the outskirts of Burnley, to provide
accommodation for larger advanced manufacturing companies.
The Board was advised that a feasibility study had been
commissioned during 2006, which had recommended a split site
approach. This had been endorsed in January 2007, by the Burnley
Education and Enterprise Steering Group.
The delivery of the three phases would be sequential. The
College would be on site in 2007; work at Michelin was likely to
commence in 2008/2009; and Princess Way business space would be
built some time after.
The Board also noted that phases 2 and 3 would require public
sector funding for land assembly, site preparation and remediation
as well as some possible gap funding of private sector
development.
The Board noted that the Enterprise, Innovation and Skills Sub
Committee had reviewed the project in detail and recommended Agency
investment as outlined in the report.
The Board approved the Agency’s investment in phase 1 subject to
the following conditions:
- Confirmation is received to indicate that the HE facility will
progress as an integral part of the scheme and that the release of
NWDA funding will be contingent on this.
- Confirmation is received to indicate that the identified
shortfall in funding is to be covered by either the LSC or
College.
- Necessary land acquisitions are completed.
- Agreement is made on the time line for the draw down of NWDA
funding
- Planning approval is obtained.
88/05 REGENERATION COMPANY BUSINESS
PLANS
The Board was advised that the Agency had undertaken a robust
process to assess Regeneration Company Business Plans to ensure
their deliverability and that they fit within the RES. In
September 2005, the Agency had provided guidance on the completion
of the plans and since then had worked closely with each of the RCs
to help them develop the plans.
The Board noted that each Plan had been assessed against the
following criteria:
- URC objectives.
- Priorities.
- Projects: RES fit and funding profile.
- Outputs.
- Risks.
- Past performance.
As a result the Agency had identified a number of issues which
were being resolved through ongoing discussions and conditions were
being agreed with the relevant RC as appropriate. The
conditions would allow the Board to approve plans at this stage,
without leaving substantial delivery risks to be
unmanaged.
88/06 REGIONAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY
GROUP
The Board was advised that Government required each of the
English regions to establish Sustainable Development Groups. In the
Northwest, the Agency, the Regional Assembly and GONW had been
remitted to determine an appropriate approach for the
region.
The Board noted that there was an existing sustainable
development roundtable for the region, known as the Action for
Sustainability Management Group. This Group was responsible
for the development and implementation of the existing regional
sustainable development framework. However, the Board was advised
that the Management Board and the Framework were no longer fit for
purpose and had become broadly obsolete.
The Board noted the proposed Terms of Reference for the
Group.
The Board agreed:
- To the establishment of a North West Sustainable Development
advisory Group to replace the Action for Sustainability Management
Board.
- To request that the Community and Voluntary sector is
included.
- To delegate responsibility to the Regional Strategy team to
select members for the Advisory Group, using Nolan principles.
- That the Agency, jointly with NWRA and GONW would provide
appropriate secretariat support to the Group.
- To respond to recommendations from the Group in relation to
those matters that related directly to the Agency.
88/07 IPA IMPROVEMENT PLAN
The Board noted the progress made by the Agency to deliver the
IPA improvement plan.
88/08 CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT
a) Regional Casino Update
The Chief Executive reported that following the release of the
Advisory Panel’s recommendations regarding the location of the
regional casino and the sixteen smaller casinos there had been
considerable parliamentary and press activity. The Secretary
of State for Culture Media and Sport would be laying orders
confirming the panel’s recommendations, following a
parliamentary debate that was scheduled for 28 March 2007.
The Board noted that the Agency had met both Blackpool and
Manchester to discuss the implications and the NWDA Chairman had
written to Margaret Hodge, Minister of State for Industry and the
Regions following her recent visit to Blackpool and her concerns
for a need for a “Plan B”.
The Board agreed that the Agency should not become involved in
any further discussion or debate on this issue until the outcome of
the parliamentary debate was known.
b) Business Link North
West
The Board noted that Business Link NW would “go live” on 2
April. The Board received a detailed progress report, which
outlined the situation in respect of staffing, service delivery and
accommodation matters.
c) RDA Budget
Input
The Board was advised that on 23 February 2007 the RDAs
collectively had submitted to HM Treasury their input to the Budget
2007. Specifically HM Treasury had asked RDAs to:
- Suggest ways in which RDAs could work more effectively with the
private sector, to maximise economic growth within the regions,
levering in further private sector support.
- Consider how RESs could be better targeted on those factors
most likely to drive regional economic growth and competitiveness
in a global market place and what were the institutional or other
barriers to those improvements.
- Suggest how, building on the Impact Evaluation Framework, RDAs
can ensure a comprehensive, proportionate approach to the full
evaluation of their impact and programme spend.
The Board welcomed the fact that the RDAs had worked closely to
consider the issues and had used regional expertise to present
examples of current regional approaches, challenges to future
delivery and an agreed set of national actions which RDAs would
wish to see considered through the Budget process.
d) Prosperous Communities II- Vive La
Devolution
The Board noted that the Local Government Association (LGA) had
published the document Prosperous Communities II- Vive La
Devolution as its evidence base and proposals for the devolution of
powers to local councils. The Board was advised that the document
followed on from the report Prosperous Communities which was
published in November.
The Board noted that Prosperous Communities II - Vive La
Devolution confirmed the principal decision making powers that the
LGA had concluded should be located at sub regional level in
respect of Labour Market, Transport, Economic Development and
Planning and Housing. Generally proposals centred on the role and
empowerment of sub regional partnerships and the report included a
number of possible models for governance arrangements at sub
regional level, which included reference to company structure,
joint committees, Local Area Agreements, Local Strategic
Partnerships and Multi Area Agreements. There was recognition
that some partnerships would require a mechanism to make sure that
the spending of public money was properly accounted for; and that
others would want to make decisions about priorities for public
spending for land use, transport provision, and the capacity to
build and use an evidence base.
In relation to economic development there was a suggestion that
the process for producing regional strategies should be aligned and
rationalised to reflect the sub regional nature of local
economies.
e) CBI SME Trends
Survey
The Board noted that the latest CBI SME Trends Survey, which had
been published on 12 February, showed that manufacturing output and
total orders among smaller firms had risen at their fastest rate in
over a decade. However demand was expected to slow over the next
three months. There had been surprising growth in orders and
output due to overseas demand, but significant job losses were
expected over the coming quarter.
f) Public Accounts Committee Report on the Small
Business Service
The Board noted the key conclusions and recommendations from the
Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report on the Small Business
Service (SBS) which had been published on 6 February 2007.
The report followed on and was consistent with the National Audit
Office report on SBS which had been published in May 2006.
The Board was advised that since the PAC report Government had
announced that SBS would be reformed as a smaller unit to focus on
influencing policy.
g) Government Office North West (GONW) Change
Agenda
The Board received copies of the document “Working for Whitehall
and the region” which had been published by GONW and which
summarised how the organisation saw its role developing in the
context of the Sub National Review.
The Board noted that the Agency had been involved in a number of
discussions in relation to GONW’s change agenda, which had been
organised on a sub regional basis.
h) Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) 2007:
Results
The Board noted the results from the Audit Commission’s performance
assessment of the Upper Tier Local Authorities. The Board
agreed that they were an encouraging and good set of results.
The Board noted that the District Council results would be
published in May 2007.
i) Delivering for the Region: Improving the
Economic Performance of England’s 1999 –
2007
The Board noted that the Agency had recently published the document
“Delivering the Region, Improving the Economic Performance of
England’s Northwest 1999 -2007”, which summarised the economic
performance of the region since 2000 and the role that the Agency
has played in making a lasting impact on the regional economy.
j) Leitch Review of Skills:
Implications
The Board noted that the Agency had held discussions with DTI, DfES
and the LSC regarding the implications of the Leitch Review. The
discussions had focused on:
- The relationship between Skills, productivity and
competitiveness.
- The need for skills policy priorities to be driven by the
RES.
- The role of the regions in respect of Skills and how it should
be recognised in any future skills delivery arrangements.
- The relationship between the RES, Regional Skills Partnerships,
LSC Regional Governance Studies and the Sector Skills
Councils.
- The determination of the capacity of employers, in a
sustainable manner; as well as their training needs.
- The impact of the Train to Gain initiative.
The Board was advised that final decisions on the implications
of Leitch were not expected to be made until the outcome of CSR
2007.
The Board was also advised that the LSC would soon begin its
recruitment process, based on Nolan principles, for the Chair of
its Regional Board. An advertisement would be published in
late April. The region’s five local LSCs were expected to
cease to exist in late Autumn and their activity would then become
the responsibility of the regional LSC. The Agency was
in discussion with Sub Regional Partnerships concerning their role
in respect of the Skills Strategy.
k) Women
Ambassadors
Board Members were advised of the background to an announcement by
Margaret Hodge that RDAs would work with the Enterprise Insight to
recruit 100 Women Ambassadors per region. A programme of
activity had been agreed between SEEDA (the lead RDA for Women’s
Enterprise), the SBS and Enterprise Insight (an organisation which
aims to encourage young people to be enterprising).
The Board noted that in the North West, there was already an
established Strategic Women’s Enterprise Steering Group, which at
its meeting on 15 February had agreed an action plan to achieve, by
the end of September 2007, the 100 Women Ambassadors for the
region. The Agency will work closely with the Steering Group
and other Women’s Business Networks, websites and advocates to
achieve this objective.
88/09 FINANCE DIRECTOR’S REPORT
The Board noted the Agency’s financial position for the period
ending 31 January 2007.
The Board was also advised of the situation in respect of the
ERDF liability on Business Link transfer and noted that the Agency
would continue to discuss the issue with GONW in order to secure an
assignment of contracts.
The Board noted the delegations for the period 6 January 2007 to
5 February 2007.
88/10 CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
The Chairman reported on the following:
Media City
All documentation had been accepted and would be discussed at the
BBC Trustees meeting in April. A BBC top management
conference was held recently in Salford at which the NWDA Chairman
had spoken and which included very positive discussions about the
relocation.
RDA Chairs meeting
David Milliband attended to discuss Climate Change. RDA Chairs
discussed the role of Business Link in offering advice on Climate
Change and Business Resource Efficiency. EEDA would follow up
with Government.
Ministerial meeting with RDA Chairs
Discussion covered Energy White Paper (expected in May); and CSR
(timing now Autumn).
Meeting with Gordon Brown and John Healey
Issues discussed as follows:
- Ministerial support for RES in NLGN proposals to align with
RSS.
- Regional Innovation Fund.
- Business Support.
- Climate Change and opportunity for Business Link SME
penetration to offer advice.
88/11 MINUTES OF THE SUB REGIONAL STRATEGIC LIAISON
COMMITTEE HELD ON 15 FEBRUARY 2007.
The minutes were noted.
88/12 MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MARKETING,
COMMUNICATIONS AND TOURISM SUB COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON 20
FEBRUARY 2007
The minutes were noted.
88/13 DATE AND TIME OF NEXT MEETING
The next meeting will take place at 12.30pm on Thursday 19 April
2007 at Renaissance House, Warrington.