| This newsletter takes a look at the activities of the South West RDA during the period May to July 2008. |
 Welcome to the latest update on the Agency’s work in the West of England and Gloucestershire sub region.
As you may be aware, the Agency is restructuring its operational teams in response both to the proposals contained in the Sub National Review and a Government Comprehensive Spending Review settlement for 2008-11 which requires us to achieve efficiency savings. Our area teams will be smaller in the future and we will work closely with a wider pool of regionally based staff expertise in order to work effectively with partners.
One of our top priorities, as stated in our corporate plan (2008-2011), is to drive the transformation towards a low-carbon resource-efficient economy in South West England. There has been some significant activity relating to this during the quarter, including our sponsorship of a major environmental technology exhibition in Bristol.
The area has also played host to a visit from China, helping to build relationships and opportunities with this major economy.
In Gloucestershire, Littlecombe has reached a major milestone with the signing of the Section 106 agreement, allowing Bloor Homes to start work on the residential phase.
There is good news for the Cotswold Canals restoration project following Stroud District Council’s decision to assume responsibility for progressing the project, following the withdrawal of British Waterways.
We hope you enjoy reading this issue. If you would like to find out more about the work of the South West RDA in the West of England and Gloucestershire, please don’t hesitate to contact me or a member of my team at ian.knight@southwestrda.org.uk or call 0117 933 0200.
Ian Knight
Area Director – West of England & Gloucestershire
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The South West RDA is changing
Our Corporate Plan sets out our ambitions and plans for 2008-2011. The Government’s Sub-National Review of Economic Development and Regeneration (SNR) signals major changes in our strategic role during this period, with a new remit (subject to legislation) to lead the preparation of a Single Regional Strategy, and a focus on greater delegation to local and other partners where appropriate.
At the same time, our financial settlement in last year’s Comprehensive Spending Review requires us to make significant savings in our running costs over the next three years. Since by far the largest single element in our running cost budget is staff, this means reducing our staffing complement.
Over recent months we have been reviewing the balance of our activities in the light of the challenges above, and the feedback from the National Audit Office’s independent performance assessment of the Agency in 2006. This review has led us to the conclusion that we must refocus our energies on the priorities in our new Corporate Plan; scale down, over time, our portfolio of projects and concentrate on fewer strategic projects of regional or sub-regional significance; and prepare for the additional responsibilities for regional planning and strategy development as presaged in the SNR.
We are formally consulting staff on changes to the organisation to put this into effect and anticipate a number of key changes, namely:
- A reduction in the size of the Agency – we envisage losing some 50 posts over the course of this year, from a current establishment of around 390.
- A greater focus on business relations, international business, work on low carbon initiatives and renewable energy.
- Our Area Directors will remain our key interface with localities, but the teams directly reporting to them will reduce in size. They will be supported by multi-functional ‘commissioning teams’ from across the Agency.
- There will be a shift, over time, from the present position where the Agency funds and monitors many hundreds of projects towards a more focused approach to investment - spatially and thematically - working through longer-term programmes in partnership with others to deliver real economic change and growth.
We intend to honour existing commitments, and plan to establish a legacy programme team to assist in the completion and closure of many of these.
The impact of these changes will take some time to work through, but will begin to be felt during the summer. Your support and understanding during what will inevitably be an unsettling time of transition for our staff would be greatly appreciated.
‘Green’ lessons learned at BETS Expo, Bristol
Over 230 delegates from UK and overseas companies gathered at the BETS Expo in Bristol – an exhibition dedicated to the growing environmental technologies and services sector (ETS).
Organised by Bristol City Council and sponsored by our Agency, the event brought together a diverse range of companies who showcased their new technologies, innovations and practical advice on how to achieve a low carbon economy.
The two-day event featured a comprehensive programme of talks, workshops and seminars.
Bristol has emerged as one of the UK’s leading sectors for innovation in the ETS sector. The city is home to world class companies supporting the shift towards environmentally sustainable businesses.
For more information contact Rebecca.Binns@southwestrda.org.uk
Section 106 signed at Littlecombe
Following an extended period of complex negotiations the section 106 agreements for our Agency’s development at Littlecombe in Dursley have been signed.
The way has now been cleared for Bloor Homes to start work on the first residential phase of the project, a development of 74 two, three and four bedroom houses at north end of the site, all of which will be built to EcoHomes “excellent” standards and five of which will use cutting edge technologies to cut energy use by up to 90 per cent.
Restoration of The Towers was largely completed in May. This will provide assisted living apartments alongside a new 55-bedroom private nursing care home.
We continue discussions with Lister Petter/Lister Shearing and Deutz and a planning application for Lister Petter’s new premises – a 40,000 sq ft building – has been submitted.
For more information contact Alison Hatcher at alison.hatcher@southwestrda.org.uk
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| Regional |
Sub National Review
We have responded to the Government's consultation on the Sub National Review (SNR), re-affirming its potential to strengthen the approach to sustainable economic development but saying there are some inherent risks and challenges that need to be addressed. Read the full article |
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Renewable Energy Strategy Consultation
The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform is consulting over the summer on how the UK can massively increase the uptake of renewable energy over the next 12 years. Read the full article |
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Wave Hub
Construction of the world’s first large scale wave energy farm off Cornwall’s north coast has moved a step closer as we seek to recruit a company to manage the procurement and installation of Wave Hub. Read the full article |
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Climate change offers business opportunities
Companies will need to radically change the way they do business to meet the challenges of climate change and other pressures according to research commissioned by our Agency. Read the full article |
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Learning from Rural Delivery
The five-year Rural Renaissance initiative funded by the RDA came under scrutiny at a Learning from Rural Delivery conference in Somerset this month. Read the full article |
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Corporate Plan approval
The Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) has given us key messages whilst approving our Corporate Plan 2008-11. Read the full article |
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| Gloucestershire |
Canal regeneration back on track
The Cotswold Canals restoration project is back on track following Stroud District Council’s successful application for lottery funding. Read the full article |
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Awards for Gloucester Docks
Shipton Square was named the “best improved public area” at the recent Gloucester Civic Awards. Our Agency shared the award with Barnwood Construction for work on the project. Read the full article |
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Looking at the future of the Railway Triangle
A steering group has been set up to look into the future of the Railway Triangle in Gloucester. Read the full article |
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| West of England |
Society of Editors conference comes to Bristol
Our Agency is sponsoring an annual conference for the country’s newspaper and broadcasting editors that will take place in Bristol. Read the full article |
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South West England pioneers environmental excellence
Winners of the first South West C+ Carbon Positive Awards have been announced, demonstrating the best examples of sustainability in the region.
. Read the full article |
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Broadmead gets in shape for Cabot Circus opening
Broadmead is receiving a massive injection of investment and renewal ahead of the opening of Cabot Circus later this year. Read the full article |
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Dyson School in Bath is put on hold
Local government minister Baroness Andrews has asked for more time to consider plans for the Dyson School of Design and Innovation at South Quays, Bath. Read the full article |
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Folly Farm opens its doors
The £4.5m wildlife discovery centre at Folly Farm in the Chew Valley has opened. Read the full article |
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Region forges links with Chinese industries
Companies from across the region hosted a visit from Chinese dignitaries as part of an international trade visit organised by our Agency. Read the full article |
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| | Regional |
| Sub National Review |
We have responded to the Government's consultation on the Sub National Review (SNR), re-affirming its potential to strengthen the approach to sustainable economic development but saying there are some inherent risks and challenges that need to be addressed. These include:
• The risk of diverting the focus for RDAs away from our primary role in sustainable economic development;
• That some of the advantages associated with RDAs as business-led Non-Departmental Public Bodies could be lost or compromised;
• How to manage the inherent conflict of interest from the range of roles that local authorities would have, which involves both developing and signing off the Single Regional Strategy, a role in implementation, delegation from RDA budgets, and scrutiny of the RDA’s performance;
• Ensuring that the new regional strategy, which will be signed off by local authorities, is genuinely strategic and identifies clear regional priorities, and does not simply become a lowest common denominator summary of all local priorities
Our view is that business is critical to the success of SNR, yet this is underplayed throughout the review. Moreover, we suggest that the government identifies how growth within environmental limits will be measured.
We have also contributed to a regional response to the SNR consultation document with the Regional Assembly and SWLGA, and to the cross-RDA response. |
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| Renewable Energy Strategy Consultation |
The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform is consulting over the summer on how the UK can massively increase the uptake of renewable energy over the next 12 years.
The Government’s proposals for a new UK Renewable Energy Strategy are designed to help the UK meet the EU target of generating 15 per cent of energy (transport, heat and electricity) from renewables by 2020 – a massive challenge given that the UK renewables contribution currently is around 1.5%.
Whilst this represents a big challenge it is also a great business opportunity, especially for our region. Even in the absence of such challenging targets, the contribution of the renewable energy sector to the South West economy has grown from £34m a year in 2005 to £215 million today, and has seen a massive 37% year-on-year growth in employment over the same period.
BERR estimates that its proposals could lead to up to 160,000 new jobs, and we should be well placed to win our fair share of these.
With this in mind we, and Regen SW www.regensw.co.uk, are carrying out some analysis to consider what the new targets might mean for the region and highlight the scale of change needed to achieve these ambitions, given the step change it represents for expectations of renewable energy.
We intend the findings to be disseminated across the region in early September to inform other responses to the consultation.
Further information, including the consultation document itself, can be found on the BERR website at http://www.renewableconsultation.berr.gov.uk
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| Wave Hub |
Construction of the world’s first large scale wave energy farm off Cornwall’s north coast has moved a step closer as we seek to recruit a company to manage the procurement and installation of Wave Hub.
The successful company will have extensive experience in offshore engineering and an appointment is likely to be made in the autumn, paving the way for detailed contracts to be placed in spring 2009.
Wave Hub will be essentially a giant electrical socket on the seabed that allows developers of wave energy devices to test new wave energy technology. Groups of wave energy devices will be connected to Wave Hub and float on or just below the surface of the sea to assess how well they work and how much power they generate before going into full commercial production.
Wave Hub will eventually have a total capacity of 20MW – sufficient to power more than 7,500 homes or meet 3% of Cornwall’s energy needs. It is expected to create 1,000 jobs and inject £332 million into the region’s economy over 25 years.
Wave Hub will also be a ‘live’ laboratory for the £15 million Peninsula Research Institute for Marine Renewable Energy (PRIMARE), a collaboration between the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth which is backed by the South West RDA.
PRIMARE aims to create a global research base for the development of marine renewable energy and ensure that our region remains at the forefront of this emerging technology.
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| Climate change offers business opportunities |
David Cameron with L-R: Gaynor Coley, (Eden Project), Tim Smit (Eden Project), Michael Izza (ICEW), David Cameron, Jane Henderson (South West RDA), and Stephen Howard (Business in the Community). Pic taken by Chris Saville. |
Companies will need to radically change the way they do business to meet the challenges of climate change and other pressures according to research commissioned by our Agency.
The research was launched at the ‘Business as Usual is Not an Option’ conference at the Eden Project, when David Cameron was the keynote speaker.
Called ‘Business Not as Usual – Towards a Low-carbon Economy in the South West’, the report highlights that business is responsible for almost half of all carbon emissions in the UK.
The report says that for business to make the shift, widespread changes need to be made to areas such as legislation, taxation, public procurement and investment in innovation. These are just some of the factors which affect how a business is run and how far it can go in reducing its impact in respect of climate change.
The research report, undertaken by the New Economics Foundation (nef), can be viewed at http://www.swdebates.info/downloads/document.asp?lang=&documentid=1999§ionid=119&debatename=environment
The conference was hosted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), the South West RDA and Business in the Community (BITC).
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| Learning from Rural Delivery |
The five-year Rural Renaissance initiative funded by the RDA came under scrutiny at a Learning from Rural Delivery conference in Somerset in July.
The event was organised by the RDA as an opportunity to share with partners the experience gained through Rural Renaissance, an initiative designed to create prosperity and employment in rural areas.
Delegates were given a preview of the summary from a draft independent evaluation of Rural Renaissance. The evaluation concluded that the original intentions had been achieved, with "a network of well-established and effective partnerships" with delegated decision-making up to £100,000 delivering 400 projects across the region.
Issues about the process and performance of the initiative were described as ‘relatively minor in relation to the achievements’. Among issues highlighted was the development of management systems and operating materials for new partnerships and the fact that some partnerships had experienced problems in achieving good private sector representation.
“The evaluation provides a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the approach that the Agency has taken in rural areas, and we wanted to share that with colleagues,” said Bruce Douglas, the RDA’s rural operations and delivery manager.
“This better understanding should inform our future engagement with sub-regional and local partners,” he said.
For more information, or a copy of the draft evaluation report summary, please contact bryony.stribling@southwestrda.org.uk
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| Corporate Plan approval |
In approving our Corporate Plan 2008-11, the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) has given us the following key messages:
• It recognises that the next three years will be an important period for us in preparing for an increased role in regional planning and increased commitment to partnership working with local authorities.
• The Business Support Simplification agenda provides the RDA with a significant opportunity to clarify our business support proposition for the region and to help deliver the 'Go-Live' timetable.
• On skills, the government would like us to commit to promoting 'train to gain' to employers and promoting skills attainment at all levels.
• We have important lead roles to fulfil as the lead RDA nationally for Aerospace and liaison with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (particularly on the ten-year-action plan for tourism and the 2012 legacy strategy).
If you have any questions about the Corporate Plan please e-mail corporateplan@southwestrda.org.uk |
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More Regional News
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| | Gloucestershire |
| Canal regeneration back on track |
The Cotswold Canals restoration project is back on track following Stroud District Council’s successful application for lottery funding.
A £12 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund had been put at risk following British Waterways’ surprise decision to pull out of the project earlier this year. But the council, which subsequently stepped in to lead the partnership, has now been told the grant is still available.
Our Agency has supported the restoration of the canal between Stonehouse and Brinscombe by investing £6 million in properties along the route.
For more information contact Chris Foley at chris.foley@southwestrda.org.uk
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| Awards for Gloucester Docks |
Chris Foley at Shipton Square |
Shipton Square was named the “best improved public area” at the recent Gloucester Civic Awards. Our Agency shared the award with Barnwood Construction for work on the project.
The Barge Arm apartments won a commendation in the “best climate friendly scheme” category, which we shared with architect Ted Cullinan.
The Gloucester Civic Awards were organised by Gloucester City Council and winners were chosen by an independent panel of judges.
For more information contact Alison Hatcher at alison.hatcher@southwestrda.org.uk
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| Looking at the future of the Railway Triangle |
A steering group has been set up to look into the future of the Railway Triangle in Gloucester.
The group, set up by Gloucester Heritage Urban Regeneration Company, will investigate how the 86 acre site at Metz Way – a key gateway into the city – can be developed. GVA Grimley is currently drawing up a masterplan for the area which the steering group will consider.
Our Agency is represented on the steering group by Chris Foley, head of regeneration for West of England and Gloucestershire.
For more information contact Chris Foley at chris.foley@southwestrda.org.uk
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| | West of England |
| Society of Editors conference comes to Bristol |
Our Agency is sponsoring an annual conference for the country’s newspaper and broadcasting editors that will take place in Bristol.
More than 400 editors will congregate for the three-day Society of Editors conference in November.
The 2008 conference will investigate the continuing development of converged media which has seen newspapers adding audio and video to their websites and broadcasters increasing their online content.
Bristol is leading the creative industries with particular strengths in print and broadcast media. The sector is worth around £360 million to the local economy.
For more information contact james.harper@southwestrda.org.uk
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| South West England pioneers environmental excellence |
Winners of the first South West C+ Carbon Positive Awards have been announced, demonstrating the best examples of sustainability in the region.
The awards have been developed by our Agency and encourage responsible business practices. They are supported by Business in the Community and Sustainability South West.
There were almost 100 entries from across South West England and winners from the West of England and Gloucestershire include:
• Wessex Water (Bristol): Carbon Positive Footprints (more than 250 employees) – for organisations successfully cutting their carbon emissions and internally managing their carbon footprint;
• Commercial Ltd (Cheltenham): Carbon Positive Footprints (less than 250 employees);
• Dyson (Bath): Carbon Positive Cutting Edge – for organisations developing innovative carbon cutting solutions
• The Limes Bed and Breakfast (Cotswolds): Carbon Positive Micro – for exemplary low carbon micro businesses
For further information please visit http://www.bitc.org.uk/carbonpositiveawards or contact Pip Trentham on 0117 972 2111 or email pip.trentham@bitc.org.uk.
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| Broadmead gets in shape for Cabot Circus opening |
Broadmead is receiving a massive injection of investment and renewal ahead of the opening of Cabot Circus later this year.
The work funded by the Business Improvement District and supplemented by further investment from our Agency, the Bristol Alliance, Bristol City Council, The Mall Bristol and other property owners is transforming the streets of Broadmead.
The package of works involves new paving, seating, lighting, signage landscaping, new pavement shops and the refurbishment of some shop elevations.
We have invested more than £500,000 as part of our commitment to safeguarding Broadmead’s future and the valuable contribution it makes to Bristol’s economy.
The aim is to make sure the area receives the support and investment it needs to thrive, helping to unlock its business and retail potential.
For further information contact Peter.Holloway@southwestrda.org.uk
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| Dyson School in Bath is put on hold |
Local government minister Baroness Andrews has asked for more time to consider plans for the Dyson School of Design and Innovation at South Quays, Bath.
Bath and North East Somerset Council have signaled that they are “minded to approve” the development, but the decision has been called-in by Government as it involves developing an educational facility within a sensitive flood risk area and is also a major scheme within a World Heritage city.
The Dyson School of Design represents a skills project of national significance and offers a wealth of opportunities for business to engage more effectively with learners of all ages who may be interested in the fields of design, invention and innovation.
Our Agency helped the Council secure part of the site for development.
For more information contact Peter.Holloway@southwestrda.org.uk
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| Folly Farm opens its doors |
The £4.5m wildlife discovery centre at Folly Farm in the Chew Valley has opened.
Our Agency has invested £500,000 into the building, which is creating new jobs and contributing to a low carbon economy.
Sustainability is at the core of the building. Features include bricks from local clay, a ‘living’ roof, a biomass boiler and a range of other techniques to ensure it does not rely on finite energy sources.
The centre offers wildlife discovery courses, environmental training, meeting rooms and workspace for local businesses and a lively programme of events and activities.
For more information, contact Matthew Lewis at Matthew.Lewis@southwestrda.org.uk
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| Region forges links with Chinese industries |
Companies from across the region hosted a visit from Chinese dignitaries as part of an international trade visit organised by our Agency.
The visit was a chance for some of the region's companies who have already developed trade with China to showcase their expertise.
One of these companies was picoChip based in Bath. picoChip recently announced that Xinwei Telecom Technology of China selected its product to power Xinwei's Chinese-developed mobile broadband wireless standard, which is being used for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The main application will be relaying live race video information back to shore.
Given China's size, both geographically and economically, it is essential that the Agency explores the potential for region-to-region strategic partnering and economic collaboration.
For more information contact gary.chambers@southwestrda.org.uk
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