SWRDA : HOME

Home

Site Map

New Additions

Contact

Text only

< Back

PDF version Printer-friendly version

Issue 7, November 2007

This newsletter takes a look at the activities of the South West of England Regional Development Agency over the past three months.

Welcome to the latest update on the work of our Agency across Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole.

I’m pleased to report that work is now well and truly underway on Dean & Reddyhoff’s new £21 million marina at Osprey Quay on Portland. The marina is a cornerstone of our transformation of Osprey Quay into a major marine sector hub on the south coast and will play a vital role in supporting the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

We’re delighted to have attracted a marina developer and operator of Dean & Reddyhoff’s calibre, and it demonstrates how our Agency’s investment to date at Portland is helping to attract private sector investment.

In recent months our Agency has been going through a period of change that is designed to give greater emphasis to our work with partners and businesses across the region.

We are creating four new operating areas to replace our existing seven, each of which will be headed by a new Area Director. More on that in the newsletter.

We will also be saying goodbye to our Director of Operations Kay Homer, who is retiring at the end November. Kay has been a champion for Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole having set up our original local area team in 1999. She has played a pivotal role in delivering a raft of important projects and will be sadly missed.

The RDA has been working with local partners on the development of a new economic partnership for the area which will focus on taking key items from economic development strategies and delivering these on the ground. This work will align with proposals from Government for more joined up working to improve service through ‘Multi-Area Agreements’. It is hoped the local area will be leading the way nationally as a pilot of this new approach. There is strong support from public and private sector partners. Work should start before the end of the year and will be highlighted in future newsletters.

If you would like to find out more about the work of the South West RDA in Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole please don’t hesitate to contact me or a member of my team on 01202-441920.

BRUCE VOSS
Head of Operations
Bournemouth, Dorset & Poole

Supporting Business Growth
Regional ICT firms set to benefit from innovative research scheme Businesses in the information, communications and technology (ICT) sector are invited to take advantage of a unique scheme allowing them to benefit from research which will have a real economic impact on the South West economy. Read the full article

£150K support for South West Farmers Our Agency has launched a £150k fund to support the region's hard hit livestock farmers after the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Surrey. Read the full article

Skills and Learning
Third annual Dorset Skills Festival Our Agency was pleased to support this year’s annual Dorset Skills Festival. Read the full article

Sites and Premises
Government office relocation During the quarter our Agency helped host a visit from the Office of Government Commerce relocation team. Read the full article

Urban and Rural Regeneration
Launch of Local Action for rural communities A £28 million initiative was launched this month to help rural communities in South West England. Read the full article

		Rock solid start to £21m Portland Marina Thousands of tonnes of rock are now being placed in Portland Harbour as work gathers pace on the new £21 million Portland Marina. Read the full article

London 2012 update The New Year will see a range of improvements to the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, supported by multi-million pound investment from our Agency and the Olympic Delivery Authority. Read the full article

Regional Infrastructure
Further evidence for Weymouth Relief Road Our Agency has submitted further evidence in support of the proposed Weymouth Relief Road. Read the full article

Regional Projects
		Government go-ahead for Wave Hub The Government has given planning approval for the world's first large scale wave farm off. Read the full article

Policy and Partnership
Agency strengthens its senior team Our Agency recently announced the appointment of four new area directors. Read the full article

Debating the North-South Divide This year our Agency has jointly hosted a fringe event at each of the political party conferences. Read the full article

		European Programmes Director During the quarter our Agency appointed a new director of European Programmes. Read the full article

Supporting Business Growth

Our role is to help provide the conditions in which businesses can become more productive and profitable.

Regional ICT firms set to benefit from innovative research scheme

Businesses in the information, communications and technology (ICT) sector are invited to take advantage of a unique scheme allowing them to benefit from research which will have a real economic impact on the South West economy.

ICT has been added as a theme to the Great Western Research programme, as it is believed that research investment in this sector will have a lasting effect on the region's economic success.

Paul Hudson, project manager for Great Western Research said: "Areas of potential collaboration for research studentships within the field of ICT in the South West have been identified to reflect our areas of particular strength such as wireless communication systems and networks, silicon chip design and production, including multimedia chip design, artificial intelligence and machine learning and mobile and pervasive technologies."

Our Agency has provided just under £4 million of investment in the Great Western Research Programme, with other contributions coming from HEFCE and the region's higher education institutions. To be eligible for the funding, businesses must be based in the South West (or have a 'significant presence'), be a commercial entity and be passionate about innovation and creativity. The GWR programme will provide 50% of the funding for the research project and the businesses themselves will provide the other half.

The closing date for GWR studentships will be January 14, 2008 for all of the six theme areas. For further information please visit http://www.greatwesternresearch.ac.uk

£150K support for South West Farmers

In response to problems being experienced by farming businesses after the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Surrey, our Agency launched a £150k fund to support the region's hard hit livestock farmers.

The money is to be used for financial planning and welfare support. The financial planning is being administered through Business Links. Farmers will be offered advice over the phone and/or a visit by a financial planning expert. Anyone interested should phone their local Business Links.

The welfare money will be deployed through the Farming Help partnership, which is made up of the charities Farm Crisis Network (FCN), ARC-Addington Fund and the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI). The Farming Help charities help farmers and their families in times of need through their local networks, with a combination of pastoral and practical support, financial grants in crisis situations and longer term welfare assistance.

The foot and mouth outbreak came at a very difficult time for the industry when livestock farmers take their stock to market to sell and earn most of their annual income.
Anyone interested in making use of these services should phone the FCN Helpline on 0845 367 9990.

Skills and Learning

We work with others to improve skills and learning – including management and leadership – in the workplace. Our work will support, and be delivered through, the South West Enterprise and Skills Alliance (SWESA) and the Regional Skills Strategy.

Third annual Dorset Skills Festival

Our Agency was pleased to support this year’s annual Dorset Skills Festival which was held at Kingston Maurward College in Dorchester.

The event, now in its third year, attracted more than 6,000 students from around 40 schools across Dorset, Bournemouth and Poole to give them the opportunity to try a wide range of skills in preparation for the next stage of their education or careers.

Our Agency contributed £20,000 towards the staging of the event, which has become a firm fixture in the annual school calendar.

Events like the Skills Festival are crucial if we are to address the issues raised in last year’s Lord Leitch Report into long-term skills needs.

The Dorset Skills Festival helps young people think about the opportunities available to them, and plan their future with confidence.

Sites and Premises

With partners, we try to ensure there is a range of workspace to support the needs of developing business in the region.

Government office relocation

During the quarter our Agency helped host a visit from the Office of Government Commerce relocation team to update them on possible sites and premises for Government agencies looking to move out of London.

The Lyons Review identified the potential to relocate 20,000 civil servants out of London as part of the Government’s efficiency drive, and our region is well-placed to take advantage of this migration of quality jobs.

The visit was organised by Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset councils and a number of sites were visited including Osprey Quay at Portland.

Urban and Rural Regeneration

Our activity is designed to improve the economic performance of deprived urban communities and address the changing needs of rural economies.

Launch of Local Action for rural communities

A £28 million initiative was launched this month to help rural communities in South West England make lasting improvements to the life and economy of their areas.

The launch of the Local Action initiative kicks off with a call for Expressions of Interest from rural community-based partnerships across the region. This will be a unique opportunity for both new and existing partnerships to put forward ideas for strengthening their local economy and for improving the quality of life in their communities

The funding is being offered through Local Action, part of the EU-funded Rural Development Programme, which is managed by our Agency.

“We want to encourage groups to develop and take forward good, collaborative ideas that will really benefit their areas, so we want to make the whole process as easy and as clear as possible,” said Bruce Douglas, the RDA’s rural operations and delivery manager.

As well as the regional meetings, there is supporting information on our web site which can be found at http://www.southwestrda.org.uk/local-action

Rock solid start to £21m Portland Marina

Partnership effort - from left to right: Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, The Crown Estate, Dean & Reddyhoff and the South West RDA

Thousands of tonnes of rock are now being placed in Portland Harbour as work gathers pace on the new £21 million Portland Marina.

The 600-berth marina is part of the multi-million pound regeneration of Osprey Quay and will involve 200,000 tonnes of Portland Stone being used to construct a new inner breakwater and to reclaim just under two acres of land from the sea.

UK marina operators Dean & Reddyhoff, based in Gosport in Hampshire, were selected by our Agency to develop and operate the marina, which is the largest single yacht marina constructed in the UK since Dean & Reddyhoff built Haslar Marina back in 1993. The first phase of completion will be late summer next year.

Located to the south of the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, the marina will be an important part of the venue for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games sailing events, the new marina will play a major role in supporting the Games with 250 of the marina’s berths to be used during the events.

As well as offering top class facilities on the water and ashore, Portland Marina will include a range of units aimed at marine businesses. This mix of leisure and commercial uses will bring a year-round vibrancy to the waterfront and ensure a lasting legacy well after the 2012 Games.

To view the full press release please see: http://www.southwestrda.org.uk/news/release.asp?releaseid=2177

London 2012 update

The New Year will see a range of improvements to the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, supported by multi-million pound investment from our Agency and the Olympic Delivery Authority.

The work will include reclamation of land to create additional marina space for athletes’ boats and replacement car parking for the Academy, which is being moved a result of the new Dean & Reddyhoff marina nearby.

In September the successful recruitment took place for the post of Dorset Co-ordinator for the 2012 Games Legacy. Gary Fooks, a keen sailor who has rowed across the Atlantic in a boat he built himself, has been meeting with Team South West and local partners and stakeholders to draw up a works programme. Gary’s position is funded by our Agency, Dorset County Council and Weymouth and Portland Borough Council.

Our agency is also undertaking a joint feasibility study with the Arts Council and borough council looking at options to celebrate the cultural legacy of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games by providing public art in Weymouth and Portland.

We are also developing a project with the local authority that will improve public areas along Weymouth Seafront. Design work is underway and more information will be provided in future newsletters.

Regional Infrastructure

We are committed to improving both the region's transport network and the coverage and use of broadband communication to develop an infrastructure that supports prosperity.

Further evidence for Weymouth Relief Road

Our Agency has submitted further evidence in support of the proposed Weymouth Relief Road as part of Dorset County’s Council’s ongoing Compulsory Purchase Order on land needed for the road to be built.

We have argued that the road, which has already secured funding and planning approval, will help improve the region's economy by reducing congestion and improving safety.

Our Agency also believes that, subject to obtaining all necessary approvals, delivery of the Weymouth Relief Road in time for the 2012 Olympics is of significant importance to the region’s reputation.

Regional Projects

We want to conserve and enhance the region's physical and cultural capital. Experience has shown that the whole region can benefit economically from the development of large scale projects or events that challenge and change people's perceptions of South West England.

Government go-ahead for Wave Hub

The Government has given planning approval for the world's first large scale wave farm off the coast of Cornwall in South West England.

It means the £28 million project, which has been developed by our Agency, has cleared the last major regulatory hurdle.
Wave Hub is a world first and will include an onshore substation connected to electrical equipment on the seabed about 16 kilometres (10 miles) offshore via a sub-sea cable.

Companies developing wave energy technology will be able to plug into Wave Hub to test their wave energy devices on a scale never seen anywhere before. Four companies have already been chosen to use Wave Hub.

Wave Hub will put South West England and the UK at the forefront of emerging wave energy technology by providing a leased and consented area of sea for the pre-commercial testing of wave energy devices.

A new independent economic impact assessment, commissioned by the RDA, has shown that Wave Hub could create 1,800 jobs and £560 million in the UK economy over 25 years. Almost 1,000 of these jobs and £332 million would be generated in South West England.

Policy and Partnership

We encourage an integrated, partnership approach to economic development and to representing the interests of South West England at national and European levels. We also support and initiate research work to better under this region's social, environmental and economic conditions.

Agency strengthens its senior team

Our Agency recently announced the appointment of four new area directors to lead our operations across the region as part of a restructure that sees us giving greater emphasis to our work with partners and business at local level.

Our new approach sees us shifting from seven area teams led by heads of operations to four area teams headed up by the new area directors.

This means the Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole area team is becoming part of a new area that will include Wiltshire and Swindon.

The new area director will be Tony Bray, who joins us on November 19 from the East of England Regional Development Agency where he has been head of development.

The restructure follows the Government’s Review of Sub National Economic Development and Regeneration, published on 17 July, which announced plans to strengthen the strategic role of RDAs.
This will see the Agency eventually taking on responsibility for the co-ordination of a single regional strategy and the functions of the regional planning body.

The Review stressed the importance of effective work with the private sector and strengthened working between RDAs and local government in securing economic prosperity, and the new area directors will play a crucial role in that.

Tony said: “I am looking forward to working with partners across this diverse area to ensure that we can continue to improve the quality of our support for business and to support the development and delivery of sustainable economic development, meeting the challenges of the recently announced Sub National Review of Economic Development."

The three other area teams, each with its own area director, are: Cornwall and Isles of Scilly; Somerset, Devon, Plymouth and Torbay: and the West of England and Gloucestershire.

For more information, including biographies of the new area directors, please see: http://www.southwestrda.org.uk/news/release.asp?ReleaseID=2135

Debating the North-South Divide

This year our Agency has jointly hosted a fringe event at each of the political party conferences. Organised in partnership with a local government "think tank", each of our meetings took as its topic the North-South divide in England and what Government should do to address it.

Speakers included politicians (from the appropriate party) and local government representatives along with our chairman, Juliet Williams. Juliet has been making the point that a North-South divide is a bit simplistic given some of the difficulties this region faces. Indeed, there are often North-South types of divide within regions and even within adjacent communities.

As the Labour party conference was held in our region, we took the opportunity to fly the flag for South West England – hosting a reception for delegates that promoted the region’s excellent food and drink. We used the occasion to stress the importance of raising business and hospitality skills if we are to remain a popular tourism and leisure destination.

Young chefs from Fifteen Cornwall and students from Bournemouth and Poole College contributed to the success of the evening, which was attended by the Minister for the South West, Ben Bradshaw.

European Programmes Director

Far left Phil McVey with Danuta Hubner, EU commissioner during her vist to Cornwall

During the quarter our Agency appointed a new director of European Programmes.

Phil McVey is working with partners across the region to oversee and manage the distribution of around £470 million of EU Convergence structural funds in Cornwall and £170 million of EU Competitiveness funding across other parts of South West England.

Phil has been working for our Agency for the past 12 months in an interim capacity leading up to this permanent appointment. Previously, Phil worked for Government Office for the South West in a number of posts including Head of European Social Fund, Deputy Director for Rural Affairs and Assistant Director for Devon and Cornwall.

Our Agency's role will be to work alongside partners to ensure the effective distribution of the EU funding and to see that investments align with and support the objectives of South West England's regional and local economic strategies.

Phil said: "There is a massive opportunity ahead to spur the development of the South West economy through these sizeable sums of European investment. My job will be to ensure that the right economic opportunities are identified and the investments targeted in the best way."

The region's rural economy will also benefit from £152 million of European investment as part of the Rural Development Programme for England.

For more information please contact
the Bournemouth, Dorset & Poole Area Team
on 01202 441920

Developed & Managed by VPW Systems (UK) Ltd.