MINUTES OF THE BOARD MEETING HELD ON 17 JANUARY2008 AT RENAISSANCE HOUSE, WARRINGTON

Present: 
Bryan Gray (Chair)
Peter Allen
Joe Dwek
Peter Hensman
Dave McCall
Tony McDermott
Sir Martin Harris
Robert Hough
Vanda Murray
Marie Rimmer
Brenda Smith
Maureen Williams
Susan Williams

Also Present: 
Patrick White, Executive Director of Policy /Secretary
Phil Robinson (NWRA)
Keith Barnes (GONW)
Ann Taylor (BERR)

97/00 - PRESENTATION – FELICITY GOODEY, CHAIR TOURISM ENGLAND’S NORTHWEST AND JAMES BERRESFORD,N WDA DIRECTOR OF TOURISM

The Board received a presentation from Felicity Goodey and James Berresford on the:

• Work of the Regional Tourism Forum (now known as Tourism Northwest)
• Region’s priorities for Tourism
• The current situation
• The progress to date that each of the sub regional Tourist Boards had made to deliver their objectives. 

The Board noted that the North West had been recognised as the most successful region in respect of Tourism.  NW campaigns were based on strong and distinctive attack brands, with real quality products.  However, Tourism was a fast growing global industry with strong global competition and the region was placing considerable effort to increase quality.  Three year funding for the five Tourist Boards would help to drive further improvements including further development of on-line booking and the focus on places.

97/01 INTRODUCTION, APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting. In particular Ann Taylor Director of RDA Sponsorship and Finance at BERR.

Apologies were received from John Brooks and John Merry.

97/02 MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 15 NOVEMBER 2007 AND MATTERS ARISING

The minutes were approved as a correct record.

97/03 ACTION POINTS FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS 
 
The Board noted the progress made on the action points from previous meetings.

97/04 VISITOR ATTRACTIONS FUND

Further to consideration in detail at the December Board meeting, the Board, having received further information, approved the Visitor Attraction Challenge Fund.  The Board agreed that the Fund would enable the Agency to fill any gaps identified in the cultural infrastructure and represented a chance to achieve further improvements in assets and quality.

The Board also noted that DCMS had launched a Regional Resorts Fund which would help resorts develop their cultural assets.  The Board agreed that the Visitor Attractions Fund could match fund the Regional Resorts Fund.

97/05 BUSINESS LINK PERFORMANCE
 
The Board received a presentation from Peter Watson, MD NW Business Link which provided an update on the current performance of the Business Link service and other associated developments.   The development of Business Link was a major RES Transformational Action.  The Board noted the progress that Business Link had made to date against each of its key objectives and performance against target.

The Board confirmed its commitment to the continuing support of the development of Business Link.

97/06 REGIONAL RESILIENCE

The Board received a report which outlined what the region and the Agency were doing to ensure a proactive approach to unexpected disasters and critical events. 

The Agency was represented on the Regional Resilience Forum and also represented all the RDAs on a National Recovery Working Group.  Specifically the Agency had:

• Provided planning advice to Yorkshire Forward in respect of the summer floods.  The Board noted that in February 2008 the Agency would join a Merseyside exercise to look at recovery issues following large scale flooding.
• Created a support package to assist Cumbrian farmers in the light of the FMD outbreak in Surrey
• Monitored and contained two small incidents of Avian Flu

The Board welcomed the Agency’s involvement in regional resilience and recovery planning.

95/07 CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT

The Chief Executive reported on the following:

• The Education and Skills Bill.
• The Local Government Finance Settlement.
• The new Working Neighbourhoods Fund, which would replace the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund and would incorporate the Department of Work and Pensions Deprived Areas Fund, to create a single fund.
• The NAO’s follow up report to its report on Success in the Regions, which had followed up the ten recommendations in the Success in the Regions report in respect of RDA targets, project appraisal and the relationship between Government Departments and RDAs.  The main conclusion was that in future RDAs must be in a position to evaluate the impact of their investment by using an effective evidence base.  
• The Council for Science and Technology’s report “Strategic Decision Making for Technology Policy” which had been published in response to Government’s request for advice on where to focus resources for science, technology and innovation.
• The Sub National Review.  The Board received a copy of an update document that had been published on 21 December by DCLG and BERR.  A consultation document would be published later that month which would include more details of proposed changes including the role of the new Homes and Communities Agency. 

The Board also received a copy of a report that had been presented to the NWRA Executive Board at its meeting on 3 December, which outlined proposals for the regional architecture and governance arrangements for the region in the light of SNR.  The key proposal was the establishment of a NW Strategic Partnership based on the current NWRA Executive Board and its sub structure. The aim was to have a successor to NWRA that would enable Local Authorities to work together and with GONW and NWDA to make sure that strategy was right and that there was a mechanism in place to ensure dialogue and discussion.  The NWDA Board would need to consider any request for NWDA funding support.

• The announcement of Claire Dove as the new Chair of the Social Enterprise Coalition.
• The Office for National Statistics Regional Account GVA that had been published in December 2007.
• The latest Indices of Multiple Deprivation figures as published on 6 December 2007.
• The success of the Sustran Connnect2 project in obtaining funding from the Big Lottery’s People £50m Giveaway.  Twelve Northwest projects would benefit.
• The Unitary Local Authority announcements made on 18 December 2007 by Local Government Minister John Healey.
• The establishment of the North West Regional Skills and Employment Board (RESB), which would replace the Regional Skills Partnership, and would determine   priorities for high level policy and a delivery framework for the region’s skills and employment needs.  In the initial stages Steven Broomhead would chair the new RESB.
• The approval by the European Commission of the ERDF North West Operational Programme.
• Confirmation from BERR that, given the proposal within SNR for an Integrated Regional Strategy, those RDAs that were due to review their Regional Economic Strategies in 2008 would not need to do so (this included NWDA).  
• The installation of a wind turbine at NWDA Headquarters, Renaissance House, as part of NWDA’s commitment to the Climate Change Action Plan.  Work was expected to be completed by March 2008.

The Chief Executive also provided update reports on:

• RDA Evaluation.
• The West Coast Main Line timetable.
• The proposed new Liverpool regeneration company.

97/08 FINANCE DIRECTOR’S REPORT
 
The Board noted the Agency’s financial position for the period ending 30 November 2008.

The Agency had continued to achieve its target for prompt payment of invoices.

97/09 CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

The Chairman reported on the following:

• BBC   The BBC had announced that more News staff would move to Salford.
• Liverpool 08   The Capital of Culture opening weekend had gone very well.  The City had received good exposure and Merseyside was already seeing increased hotel bookings.
• Daresbury   The Science and Technology Facilities Council was experiencing significant funding difficulties and there was a potential risk of national investment.   The Agency had been working hard to minimise the impact on Daresbury.  Government was still strongly committed to Daresbury and there was still a lot of capital investment to come.  Ii was important that if it was to go ahead, the Agency kept on the pressure for the new light source to come to Daresbury.

97/10 MINUTES OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE SUB COMMITTEE HELD ON 14 DECEMBER 2007.

The minutes were noted.

97/11 MINUTES OF THE EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY SUB COMMITTEE HELD ON 14 DECEMBER 2007.

The minutes were noted.

97/12 DATE AND TIME OF NEXT MEETING
 
The next Board meeting would take place at 12.30pm on Thursday 6 March 2008 at Renaissance House, Warrington.