Agenda item

The Chief Executive of the Welland Partnership has been invited to the meeting to outline its role and achievements.

 

A report of the Chief Executive setting out some background information to support the presentation is attached.

At the invitation of the Commission, Mr. Chris Farmer outlined the role of the Welland Partnership, the progress made by it and its achievements to date.  He advised the Commission that:

 

• the Welland SSP was a Partnership covering 5 districts across 4 Counties.  It was the only East Midlands SSP with a solely rural and market town focus.

 

• the Partnership was created in 2000 to cater for the needs of the rural areas of the 5 Districts as there was a view that the County SSP’s were not able to focus on the needs of these areas and as a result they were not receiving their fair share of funding.  Another key driver for the establishment of the Partnership was to address the particular needs of Rutland District Council following that Council obtaining unitary status.

 

• the characteristic of the area was one in which over 35% of the population worked outside the area, in high paid jobs.  This gave the impression that the area was affluent but masked large pockets of rural deprivation.

 

• the key aims of the Partnership’s economic strategy for the area were to.

 

Ø     develop and attract high quality jobs;

Ø     raise the skills level of the local population;

Ø     promote the future of agriculture and the countryside

Ø     highlight and address rural deprivation and isolation;

Ø     invest in sustainable development;

Ø     provide support for rural businesses;

Ø     enhance marketing for food and tourism in the ara.

 

·        the Partnership worked co-operatively with the neighbouring SSP’s and County Councils particularly in relation to attracting funding (e.g. SRB Building Bridges) and in delivering services (e.g. co-operating with Leicestershire County Council on improving Broadband access to rural areas).

 

·        the Partnership, given the resources available to it, had concluded that it would not take a leading role in dealing with inward investment and tourism.

 

In the discussion and questions that followed a number of concerns were expressed including:

 

• the duplication with the LSEP particularly in the Melton and Harborough areas and the potential for those areas to bid to two SSP’s for funding;

 

• the decision taken by the Partnership not to take a leading role in inward investment and the decision of emda that the LSEP should take the lead role in relation to tourism in its area limited the ability of the Partnership to make an impact in these areas.

 

• the Partnership’s role and remit could be undertaken by the LSPs for each district and there were doubts as to whether the Partnership brought added value.
  
  
• the economic aims of the Partnership of seeking to create high value jobs whilst laudable was somewhat unrealistic as it failed to appreciate that the area attracted people to it who would commute to London or Cambridge where such high quality jobs were available.  The actions of the Partnership in supporting the development of high quality food production and of the Broadband initiative wee noted;

 

• Although arrangements were in place through emda to ensure that the overlap between the Welland Partnership and the LSEP were managed, concern was expressed about the resulting bureaucracy and additional costs;

 

• It was acknowledged that it could be in the interests of the five constituent district council authorities (including Rutland) within the area of the Welland to co-operate and share ideas and as a group advocate the needs of local people.  The view was expressed that this did not mean that the Partnership should operate as a SSP and that do so weakened the impact and influence of County based SSP’s.

 

RESOLVED:

 

a)      That Mr Farmer be thanked for attending the meeting and his presentation.

 

b)      That the Scrutiny Reference Group be asked to have regard to the information provided by the Welland and Leicester Shire Economic Partnership and submit a report to the next meeting of the Commission on issues the Commission should draw to the attention of the Cabinet and others.