Bournemouth, Dorset & Poole Multi-Area Agreement

Joint Scrutiny 8th June 2010Report

REPORT OF THE BOURNEMOUTH, POOLE AND DORSET MULTI-AREA AGREEMENT JOINT OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Background

The concept of multi-area agreements (MAAs) first appeared in the Local Government White Paper ‘ Strong and Prosperous Communities’ in October 2006 in reference to developing economically strong and prosperous strategic regions with greater influence at local level. MAAs were to enable greater collaboration between authoriites, particularly on issues impacting on the economic development.

In practical terms MAAs provide a framework in which neighbouring local authorities can forge partnerships to address the big issues which impact on residents and businesses across boundaries but do not warrant full regional intervention. In return the Government agrees to devolve more power and resources to the local authorities to help reduce the barriers to economic development.

The Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset Multi-Area Agreement

MAAs also enable a greater sharing of responsibilities at a sub-regional level between local authorities and brings greater strategic planning in key interventions, mostly around several key themes adopted within the MAA. For Bournemouth Poole and Dorset, five key themes were adopted based on economic impact and each were agreed to be led by an individual Council:

Transport – Borough of Poole Housing – West Dorset District Council Business Growth – Dorset County Council The Environment – Bournemouth Borough Skills and Employment – Borough of Poole

The agreed Vision is:

‘To develop a strongly performing economy, characterised by a greater concentration of higher skilled, higher paid jobs than now and to do this while respecting and protecting our unique environment’.

Rationale for scrutiny

According to the Centre for Public Scrutiny “Good Scrutiny is at the heart of good accountability in modern public services and government.” The MAA has the potential to make significant improvements to the area economically but there is much to lose if work loses focus, goes off-track or partnership working falls apart.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

On 8th June 2010 a select committee style scrutiny event was hosted by the Borough of Poole and included elected member representation from the three primary authorities and six districts.

The agenda for the Scrutiny of the Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset Multi-Area Agreement included a presentation and scrutiny session relating to two of the five key themes; Transportation and Housing. This was followed by a scrutiny session of the MAA Board relating to governance and leadership issues. An interactive dialogue with the Deputy Director, Local & Sub-Regional Economic Development and Digital Inclusion, Department for Communities & Local Government presented an opportunity to gain an insight into the future of MAAs and the opportunities and benefits to be gained from their development into Local Enterprise Partnerships.

The event concluded with a presentation by a founding partner of Geoeconomics a consultative company on the green knowledge economy and the role of sustainable development in the future of the area.

Minutes of the event are included in the full report.

The following RECOMMENDATIONS were APPROVED:-

Transportation Theme

1. That measures are developed to provide clear evidence of the MAA’s impact on the Multi- Modal Transport Study.

2. A regular bulletin on the progress of the Intelligent Transport System should be disseminated through the MAA to elected members and other stakeholders/interested parties

3. That the perspective of partners/stakeholders in tourism be taken in to consideration when work is undertaken to gain evidence and opinion about transportation issues.

4. The opportunity to more fully exploit the freedoms and flexibilities from the government is pursued more rigorously.

Governance, communication and economic development

1. That the MAA Board seek to strengthen the role and engagement of the private sector particularly small businesses and businesses within the rural sector either through representation on the Board (the preferred option) or by direct consultation as and when appropriate.

2. The Board should give consideration to a communication strategy to improve dissemination of information throughout the business sector and to give particular consideration to rural areas and businesses.

3. In representing their elected member colleagues, Council Leaders should raise the profile of the MAA through greater dissemination of relevant information

particularly those involved in economic development and secure greater involvement of those members in supporting and championing the concept of the MAA.

4. Each Local Authority involved in the MAA make a commitment to support the work of the MAA through directing resources when and where needed to progress work, particularly considered high priority.

5. There should be greater acknowledgement of the roles and contributions of the District authorities within the MAA Board and amongst officers leading the key themes. The representative from the District Councils should ensure a named substitute attends in their place at any time a meeting is convened relating to the MAA Board and/or any relevant sub-groups, which they are unable to attend.

6. That the MAA Board pays close attention to emerging coalition govern- ment statements on opportunities and benefits from transitions of MAAs into new models such as Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and pursues such developments if appropriate to ensure the work to date within the MAA continues.

7. To exploit any other emerging opportunities and localism associated with the Coalition Agenda as and when appropriate.

8. To consider how the MAA may be utilised to support the Efficiency Agenda.

9. To strengthen the support of and representation from the tourism sector in acknowledgement of the contribution tourism makes to Dorset’s economic development.

Housing Theme

1. To explore further opportunities of joint working within the other theme groups, in particular “Planning” and “Transport” whilst taking account of local needs.

2. The Scrutiny Panel acknowledges the work undertaken to date in setting up partnership working within the MAA and looks forward to revisiting the housing theme at a later date to review progress.

3. As with the transportation theme, officers are asked to develop measures to provide clear evidence of the MAA’s impact on housing developments.

4. The opportunity to more fully exploit the freedoms and flexibilities from the government is pursued more rigorously.

Green Knowledge Economy

1. The Panel supports the consideration and expression of commitment by the MAA Board to the exploration of the opportunities presented in supporting the principles of a Green Knowledge Economy.

Notable emergent points

Winning rewards

The ‘asks’ from MAAs to the Government (that is, requests for freedoms and flexibilities) are an essential part of the MAA initiative and, as a measure of the Government’s commitment to devolving power, are an important test of its credibility. During the scrutiny sessions of the two key themes, housing and transport, there were indications of reticence or reservation amongst senior officers in negotiating and pursuing freedoms and flexibilities and other ‘rewards’ from Government in return for effective work within the MAA. This may, however be a resource issue. The government’s evaluation of the MAA found some areas bought in additional expertise and consultants to aid the process and highlighted the benefits (although at considerable additional cost) to this, quoting:

“You need genuine and dedicated resources to do this type of bid … faster progress would have been made with 2 full-time officers involved in developing the MAA. Everyone is doing it on top of their day job and this is causing stress.” (p45)

The housing and transport scrutiny sessions both concluded that greater freedoms and flexibilities and resources were to be gained from having the MAA in place and acknowledged that the strength of partnership between the local authorities, including the districts, were considered by officers a key component in underpinning their position in making bids or requests from government departments. The Scrutiny Panel commend the work of the officers within the key themes who are largely working without additional resources specifically to progress the MAA and pursue the freedoms and flexibilities to be gained.

The Panel also would encourage that, to be more productive (as advised from the Government’s evaluation of MAAs in 2010), the requests to government departments from local authorities should be very clear about what is being sought, be realistic and should provide evidence about why it is required (i.e. ensuring outcomes are evidence-based, add value and are suitably ambitious) and meet the criteria against which proposals are assessed by the government. Primarily it is helpful for Partnerships to identify the real barriers to progress within a particular theme and to determine what is needed to overcome them and request that freedom/flexibility from the appropriate Government department.

Partnership and local interests

The strength of partnership working was found to be a significant factor in the success of MAAs by the Government funded research into multi-area agreements. The support of and commitment to partnership working between the local authorities was evident from the strength of cohesion demonstrated by the Leaders of the Councils and the Chief Executives during the MAA Board and Governance session. Questions and answers relating to how Council Leaders and Chief Executives aligned local strategic issues with the MAA agenda revealed considerable compromise of local agendas and, to some extent, local strategic interests, for the sake of pursuing an

effective MAA. This approach was highly valued by the Panel members as a true measurement of commitment to partnership working.

Through questions to the officers leading the two key themes that were scrutinised the Scrutiny Panel heard of the resource intensive activity involved in developing and nurturing MAA partnership relationships, co-ordinating efforts and ensuring good communication. This work must not be lost in any future changes in the MAA structures as it is a long-term investment, building on historic co-operation between the local authorities and districts, and those involved should be encouraged by the show of unity and trust amongst Council leaders which is a strong, positive and effective message to the business community and staff working across the authorities.

One of the dimensions of the MAA that will have to be effectively managed in the future is the perception and/or belief that the rural authorities, or districts, are getting fewer benefits. It is essential that good representation of the districts continues on the MAA Board and in work within the key themes. Part of this process should involve effective communication between that representation and elected members and the wider business community in the far reaches of the county.

Leadership and governance

Strong and solid leadership within MAAs, both politically and in governance, is an essential component for their success. The Scrutiny Panel heard of the ‘Programme Management’ governance processes designed to ensure the aggregate result is kept in focus rather than work within the MAA falling back into individual projects that could lose sight of the overall aims. The accountability of the MAA and its overall governance sits within the MAA Board, whose membership (Appendix A) includes local authority leaders, district representation, the business and private sector, university and an independent statutory body.

The organisational structure (Appendix B) and the governance framework and process within the MAA is vital to its success and provides many essential components including:

Vision, leadership and governance Direction for organisational frameworks and roles Planning and control The business case Risk management and resolution Quality management The forum for stakeholder engagement

The government’s evaluation of the first wave of MAAs (2010) found that the progress within MAAs was primarily due to the officers involved and leadership and drive from elected members was variable. Officers were often found to have greater understanding of what the MAA might entail and be ahead in recognising its potential. They identified a need to ‘sustain momentum through the complexities and possible setbacks of a protracted process’. During the scrutiny event, Leaders of the Councils were asked how they involved their elected member colleagues. There was some commonality within the responses that the subject of the MAA had to compete in

people’s agendas with very large amounts of other information and activity around council work. The Scrutiny Panel identified a clear need for greater dissemination of the MAA’s work to elected members to gain better understanding and involvement to help support it.

Communication was not only identified as needing improvement to engage members; from the scrutiny of the two theme groups the need was identified for better communication pathways between the officers, the Programme Management Group and the MAA Board.

Business engagement

Discussions within the MAA Board and governance session raised the issue of the engagement of local businesses and their perspective and understanding of the MAA and potential benefits it could bring to the business sector. The debate raised concerns amongst the Scrutiny Panel about the lack of engagement of, in particular, the multitude of small and medium sized businesses within the county. Although they heard from the representative from the Chamber of Commerce who explained some commendable work in reaching small businesses, the need to more widely publicise the MAA and potential impact on the local economy as a whole was identified. Engagement of active/currently working representatives of the business sector was highlighted as vital to strengthen the ‘realism’ of their perspective.

Measuring outcomes and success

During the scrutiny event the guest speaker, Ms Francis, noted that the Scrutiny Panel as a whole seemed unsure of the actual achievements of the MAA to date and whether or not it was on track and meeting its objectives. It was suggested that there was a greater need for leaders within the MAA to follow an example set by the Pennine Lancashire MAA in developing a matrix setting out the success criteria and identifying risk. Whilst there are some clear targets and aspirations for success (see the Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset MAA report of July 2008) there is limited clear evidence of any success being attributed directly to the existence of the MAA. The need was identified for officers to produce clear measures of the MAAs impact on their work and successes, using as appropriate examples from other areas.

Green knowledge economy

The Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset MAA has expressed an interest in the ‘green knowledge’ economy (GKE), adopting the term as a unifying concept for the sub-regional economic strategy. As the term is new to many stakeholders - elected members, business partners, the voluntary sector and leaders alike, a presentation was given to the Scrutiny Panel from a founding partner of the local company ‘Geoeconomics’ who provide high quality leadership and consultancy in areas of the green knowledge economy, social enterprise and investment, and corporate responsibility.

The concept of a green knowledge economy is in its infancy, and the Scrutiny Panel agreed that there was much more to be learnt. They were encouraged by the investment by Bournemouth University in establishing a GKE centre as home to a

‘Thought Leadership’ programme and promote research. After some debate and discussion with the presenter they welcomed the development of the GKE as a ‘unifying concept’ for both the rural and urban areas and expressed support of the MAA Board’s embracement of it within their strategic future.

The future

From the session led by Cathy Francis, Deputy Director of Local and Sub- Regional Economic Development and Digital Inclusion, the Panel heard of potential changes under the new Coalition Government relating to MAAs. The concept of sub-regional partnerships as ‘local enterprise partnerships’ is likely to be embraced. Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) will be dissolved.

Developments in this area are emerging every day and currently a new White Paper is anticipated at any time to detail the government’s proposals. To date they have stated that they will:

support the creation of strong local enterprise partnerships, to enable improved coordination of public and private investment in transport, housing, skills, regeneration and other areas of economic development;

consider the most appropriate framework of incentives for local authorities to support growth, including exploring options for business rate and council tax incentives, which would allow local authorities to reinvest the benefits of growth into local communities; and

as part of the shift to a more locally driven planning regime, promote the role for a simplified planning consents process in specific areas where there is potential or need for business growth, through use of Local Development Orders."

Conclusion

The Scrutiny Panel recognises that the Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset Multi-Area Agreement is an opportunity to make real strides towards a sub-regional approach to challenges that could not adequately be tackled at individual local authority level. The visionary forward thinking of those who were instrumental in the development of the MAA and their leadership in progressing the work is commended, as is the work of the officers leading the key themes.

The benefits and rewards to be gained through having the MAA in place, such as sharing skills and expertise, are apparent and these can expedite progress in difficult and complex areas of work, in particular across housing and transport themes. There is still considerable growth and development to be had in the effective negotiation with government departments and offices to fully exploit the rewards in ‘freedoms and flexibilities’ for work undertaken and support to this end may need to be explored.

One of the challenges for the MAA is to achieve economic progress and development that benefits the sub-region as a whole, rather than specific, and very local, areas. To this end the MAAs’ leaders need to identify and focus on large and often complex issues that are impossible to tackle effectively as a lone authority and that bring

cohesion to its partners. These issues are identified to a large extent as housing needs (particularly ‘affordable’) and strategies to reduce road congestion and carbon emissions.

It was agreed by the Scrutiny Panel that further scrutiny of the MAA would be valuable to monitor its performance, particularly across two further theme groups. For this to be most effective and to determine more accurately the benefits of the MAA on Dorset’s economic development as a whole there is a need to develop clear performance metrics for long-term outcomes.

The Scrutiny Panel concluded that the MAA offers a valuable potential for providing strong and clear leadership at a sub-regional level and gaining a more strategic approach to cross boundary issues. Importantly it provides the opportunity for national and regional agencies to have a single ‘conversation’ or point of contact with the region as a whole instead of the discouraging process of them having to approach several different authorities and potentially be met with disparate views and decisions. This in itself has the potential to lead to more strategic and large-scale economic investments.

Councillor Xena DionChair. July 2010

REPORT OF THE BOURNEMOUTH, POOLE AND DORSET MULTI AREA AGREEMENT JOINT OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

Background

The concept of multi-area agreements (MAAs) first appeared in the Local Government White Paper ‘ Strong and Prosperous Communities’ in October 2006 in reference to developing economically strong and prosperous strategic regions with greater influence at local level. The idea was developed further in The Review of Sub-National Economic Development and Regeneration (SNR) published in 2007. The Review recommended that Local Authorities be given new powers and incentives to drive local prosperity, economic growth and regeneration and that MAAs were to “facilitate greater cross-boundary collaboration, particularly on key economic development issues”. The importance of flexibility to allow different sub-regions to use the mechanism in the most appropriate way for their areas was highlighted.

In practical terms MAAs provide a framework in which neighbouring local authorities can forge partnerships to address the big issues which impact on residents and businesses across boundaries but do not warrant full regional intervention. The actual agreement is a signed public document from a group of local authorities to the Government in which they (the local authorities) pledge to work to boost economic growth and tackle deprivation and financial inequalities locally. In return the Government agrees to devolve more power and resources to the local authorities to help reduce the barriers to economic development. This does not mean MAA’s provide more formal ‘power’ to local authorities but it does help them win greater ‘freedoms and flexibilities’ from the Government within their partnerships to help them accelerate economic growth and improvements in services to their public.

The Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset Multi-Area Agreement

MAAs also enable a greater sharing of responsibilities at a sub-regional level between local authorities and brings greater strategic planning in key interventions, mostly around several key themes adopted within the MAA. For Bournemouth Poole and Dorset, five key themes were adopted based on economic impact and each were agreed to be led by an individual Council:

Transport – Borough of Poole Housing – West Dorset District Council Business Growth – Dorset County Council The Environment – Bournemouth Borough Skills and Employment – Borough of Poole

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To date there are around fifteen MAAs nationally involving 103 local authorities. The Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset MAA was the first to be signed in the country and is between the two unitary authorities of Bournemouth Borough Council and the Borough of Poole, Dorset County Council and six District Councils: Christchurch, East Dorset, Purbeck, West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland, North Dorset. The agreed Vision is:

‘To develop a strongly performing economy, characterised by a greater concentration of higher skilled, higher paid jobs than now and to do this while respecting and protecting our unique environment’.

Rationale for scrutiny

According to the Centre for Public Scrutiny “Good Scrutiny is at the heart of good accountability in modern public services and government.” The MAA has the potential to make significant improvements to the area economically but there is much to lose if work loses focus, goes off-track or partnership working falls apart. Scrutiny at this time was considered important to formally undertake a check on how the MAA is working and to identify and help address any barriers to it working effectively and to ensure there is strong and good leadership for the work ahead. To help promote and protect the public’s interest, which is arguably the most important part of the role of elected members, scrutiny of the MAA also serves to enhance the accountability and openness and transparency of the work within the MAA and help stimulate debate that may reveal different approaches to complex issues.

The first steps towards developing a model for the scrutiny of the local MAA were taken by the Chair of the Local Economy Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the Borough of Poole in the summer of 2009, as the MAA was concluding its first year. A meeting of that Economy Overview and Scrutiny Committee was held in December 2009 to which Members involved in the local economy (other than portfolio holders) from Bournemouth and Dorset and neighbouring Districts were invited. During the meeting Members received a presentation on the work of the MAA to date and debate followed to agree an effective and efficient way forward to scrutinise the MAA. The format of a one-day ‘select committee’ style scrutiny event, representation on the Scrutiny Panel and key themes to be scrutinised were agreed. Further arrangements and organisation for the event were led by the Borough of Poole and, after some delay due to the General Election, the event was held on Tuesday 8 th June 2010.

Minutes of the Scrutiny of the Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset Multi-Area Agreement follow:

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BOROUGH OF POOLE

BOURNEMOUTH, POOLE AND DORSET MULTI AREA AGREEMENTJOINT OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

(Bournemouth Borough Council, Dorset County Council, Borough of Poole, and the Districts of Christchurch, East Dorset, North Dorset, Purbeck, West Dorset

and Weymouth and Portland)

MINUTES OF MEETING: TUESDAY 8th JUNE 2010

The Meeting commenced at 9:30am and concluded at 4.55pm

Committee Members present:

Cllr Mrs X Dion Borough of Poole (elected

Chairman)

Cllr T Jones Dorset County

Cllr Mrs T Seal West Dorset District

Cllr Mrs C Ainge Bournemouth Borough

Cllr D Burt Dorset County

Cllr M Colvey Purbeck District

Cllr M Filer Bournemouth Borough

Cllr R Gregory Borough of Poole

Cllr D Milsted North Dorset District

Cllr Mrs M Leicester Weymouth &

Portland

Cllr T Trent Borough of Poole (AM only)

Cllr B Clements Borough of Poole (PM

only),

Cllr D Jones Christchurch Borough (PM

only),

Cllr S Flower East Dorset District

Also attending:

Mrs P Donnellan Chief Executive, Bournemouth Borough Council

Cllr S MacLoughlin , Leader of the Council, Bournemouth Borough

Mr M Holmes, Director Planning and Transport, Bournemouth Borough

Ms C Francis, Mr M Stevens & Mr R Turl – Dept for Communities & Local Government

Mr M Beaumont, MAA Programme Manager

Mr P Scott, Chief Executive, Dorset Business Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Mr D Jenkins, Chief Executive, Dorset County Council

Cllr A Campbell, Leader of the Council, Dorset County

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Mr D Gobbett, Head of Planning, Dorset County

Prof M Hepworth – Geoeconomics Ltd

Mr J Bright, Strategic Director, Borough of Poole

Cllr B Leverett, Leader of the Council, Borough of Poole

Mr J McBride, Chief Executive, Borough of Poole

Mr J McLaughlin, Head of Transport, Borough of Poole (Lead for MAA

Transport Theme)

Mrs S Ward, West Dorset DC, Lead for MAA Housing Theme)

Apologies; Mr J Stewart, CEO Poole Harbour Commissioners

Members of the public present: 2

MAA01.10 ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN

RESOLVED Councillor Mrs Dion be appointed Chairman.

MAA02.10 INTRODUCTIONS

The Chairman outlined the structure and objectives of the meeting in formulating recommendations for submission to each partner authority with particular regard to the key themes; namely ‘Housing’ and ‘Transport’. Emphasis was placed on focusing on countywide and not parochial issues.

John McBride, Chief Executive Borough of Poole stressed the importance of the day, highlighting issues such as the quality of life enjoyed by the persons living in the area and the significance of sustained economic growth in terms of employment and general wellbeing. Particular emphasis was placed on the objectives of the Multi-Area Agreement (MAA), the performance of its predecessor and the future discussion with Whitehall, given the newly appointed Government’s immediate cessation of regional assemblies. It was stressed that the scrutiny should seek to challenge the outcomes of the MAA’s themed working groups and attempt to establish if sufficient foundations had been laid for its future.

MAA03.10 TRANSPORT THEME

Mr J McLaughlin, Head Transportation Services Borough of Poole and Lead Officer of the Transport Theme Group, presented details of the extent to which the MAA had so far influenced or shaped the direction and focus of the Transportation Strategy and Transport Plans within the sub-regional area. Emphasis was placed on the following; 1) in having the right people to help shape strategy 2) encouraging joint collaborative working in influencing the pace of positive change and 3) providing a catalyst for better funding opportunities.

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A Member sought to establish, as to the Activity List numbered 1 through to 10, as featured in the presentation, if these activities were in ranked in order of priority. In response the Lead Officer stated that each activity listed was of equal priority. A Member asked of the dimension brought to the process by the inclusion of private operators, to which it was stated that such representations achieved a sense of realism and urgency e.g. issues affecting road hauliers whose operating schedules require that they leave the area at between 3 a.m. to 4 a.m. simply to avoid congestion on the local road network. Other examples included diversification into new business sectors such as data storage, thus avoiding the road network and utilising rented unit space.

A Member enquired as to outcomes, with specific regard to the Multi-Modal Transport Study involving the A350 & A338 connection to the M4. In response, the Lead Officer explained that this particular activity was unlikely to result in the commissioning of new works. The ability of the Theme Group in delivering its objectives were deemed to be greatly enhanced by the ability to present the best technical evidence in support of scheme proposals. This was attributed to the MAA. It was reported that the £325,000 funding cost of the Study had been secured by virtue of the MAA. Arising from the Study, a further £1m had been pledged towards meeting cost of a proposed joint network control centre as part of an Intelligent Transport System. A further question was asked seeking other examples of success brought about through the MAA. Two examples were cited. Firstly, the release of central control via the removal of Section 14 powers and secondly, rationalisation i.e. one Transport Plan for the area rather than the obligation previously to produce two separate Transport Plans.

A Member asked why ‘Tourism’ had seemingly being omitted as a theme, given its significance to the sub-regional economy. Although recognised as a cross-cutting issue for other themed groups, acknowledgement was given to the lack of formal representation of the industry. A Member asked if the MAA had in any way influenced the construction of the Weymouth Relief Road, being part of the preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games. In response, Mr M Holmes Deputy Lead Officer, stressed that all such schemes in the sub-region benefitted from joint representation thereby reinforcing their strategic importance and improving the likelihood of attaining funding support as compared to presenting individual, sometimes conflicting, local schemes.

A question was raised by the Chairman as to the perceived barriers or challenges regarding the MAA achieving its themed objectives over the next few years. The Lead Officer responded by referring to the benefits experienced in terms of co-ordination, which had led to the release of additional resources and support via the offices of the MAA Programme Manager. It was also stressed that the work undertaken in the support of the MAA was supplementary to normal workloads but with the removal of the SW Regional Assembly and the obligations of meeting the demands of the Regional Spatial Strategy this was perceived to potentially ‘free up’ a certain

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level of resources. Recognition was given to the potential to strengthen the links between the various theme groups.

MAA04.10 GOVERNANCE AND THE MAA BOARD

A short presentation was given by Matthew Beaumont, MAA Programme Manager. It was stated that in England the MAA’s represented a sub-regional area of influence over 19 million people (37% of England’s population), 37% of whom were employed. Nine local authorities are represented on the Board of the Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole MAA Partnership. This has been established pursuant to the Local Government Act 2000 and relevant guidance. It is a ‘non-executive’ body and is not a public authority. It does not have a separate corporate identity. Should it wish to discharge any functions that would require such status, it may choose to act through one of its constituent parties so far as those actions are compatible with the legal powers and duty of that party.

Consideration was given to the MAA’s vision, mission, organisational structure, programme management and governance. Recognition was also given to what was referred to as the ‘change recipe’ and the emerging ‘green economy’ in fulfilling the objective to develop a strongly performing economy, characterised by a greater concentration of higher skilled, higher paid jobs whilst respecting and protecting the areas unique environment. Acknowledgement was also given to the programme having suffered initial delays but was now believed to be generally meeting its objectives in delivering a range of outcomes through the various theme groups. The key issues currently identified was i) a review of its role historically and ii) the future in terms of reaching full potential by becoming a Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

The Committee addressed a panel made up of the Leaders and Chief Executives of each of the partner authorities, namely Bournemouth Borough, Dorset County and Borough of Poole. In response to a question by a Member asking if any fit for purpose review had been undertaken, it was stated that the MAA Board were actively engaged in such a review. A further question was asked as to the ability to offer seamless delivery of any decisions of the MAA. An example was cited in the case of the Homes & Communities Agency not wishing to deal with an issue with individual authorities but following compromises, the submission of a cohesive bid resulted in one of only two funding packages being awarded in the south-west. Other observations were that the MAA created a sense of purpose characterised by a meeting of minds. Examples were provided of budgets having been initiated by the MAA e.g. future jobs fund.

A Member asked if there had been any tensions or disputes experienced, to which it was accepted that there were some initially, particularly in respect of setting priorities. These were said to have been resolved through compromise. It was suggested that the MAA initiative was predominantly based on an ‘urban’ environment. Pan-Dorset, the challenge was said to have been to fulfil the corporate objectives across all rural areas.

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Recognition was given to the perceived improved delivery of the themes across the sub-region and the need to fight for funding as whole i.e. at sub-regional level.

The Leaders of each of the partner authorities were asked how they engage other members within their own individual organisations. From the responses provided generally, it was acknowledged that this varied. One authority, achieved this through its member development strategy, but generally it was recognised as a challenge, although papers relating to the MAA were generally available to all individual councillors within each authority. Acknowledgement was also given to the practice of filtering and the emphasis placed on short-term rather than long-term strategic issues, such as those covered within the scope of the MAA. It was stated that all authorities were represented through their respective Leaders who served on the Dorset Strategic Partnership incorporating the Police, Fire authorities and the NHS thus avoiding duplication which itself had the added benefit through initiatives such as ‘Total Place’.

A Member enquired as to how the small and medium enterprises within the business community were made aware of the existence, role and purpose of the MAA. The Dorset Chamber was said to represent 1,000 (approx) such businesses therefore penetration was acknowledged as being low. Board membership and representation was noted as being an area for improvement as well as the need to de-mystify the role and function of the MAA. A Member questioned how effective was the representation of the six District Council’s, given that the designated representative was not able to attend the scrutiny day. This was also acknowledged as a potential short-coming.

Acknowledgment was given to the positive work of Bournemouth University and its initiative in promoting the ‘Green Knowledge Economy’, details of which were contained in an explanatory document made available at the meeting.

A Member asked if the MAA Board had liaised with or shared areas of best practice other MAA’s. In response, it was stated that the MAA Programme Manager together with a member of the MAA Board had attended an event at Manchester University where there had been just such an opportunity. It was stated that this representation gave substantial weight of presence, given that of the first ten MAA’s created in 2008 these were predominantly representative of northern England.

The Panel were asked by the Chairman 1) how do you manage risk 2) where lies their accountability and to whom and 3) where does the direction and steer come from to drive the MAA work forward? In response, it was stated that all these issues fell within the scope of the Business Growth Theme Group and the ‘buy-in’ i.e. commitment, by each of the authorities enabled concentration on priorities and achievements. Risk was perceived as being in respect of continued resources being available. A Member also asked, for how long did the Panel regard the MAA as being sustainable. It was acknowledged that further commitment was required by each of the

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Partner authorities to ensure the future of the MAA. It was stated that the present arrangements provided an ability to deliver the programme for the future with innovation limited only by capacity. In conclusion, the MAA was considered to be a valuable resource.

MAA05.10 THE WHITEHALL PERSPECTIVE

Cathy Francis, Deputy Director Local & Sub-Regional Economic Development and Digital Inclusion, Department for Communities & Local Government provided an independent assessment and feedback on the Governance and MAA Board session. Reflecting on the discussion observed in the preceding session, issues such as communication, priorities and structure were regarded as being part of a healthy review exercise and typical of the processes currently being undertaken within central government. It was stressed that all successful operations need scrutiny and probing in order to be successful. A word of caution was given in ensuring that as a relatively new body, the MAA should “learn to walk before being able to run”. Endorsement was given to the achievements particularly with regard to engaging the business community.

An update and insight of the current challenges facing the Department for Communities & Local Government (DCLG) was provided following the recent election and the forming of the Coalition Government. A brief profile of each of the key figures was provided. The new Secretary of State was named as Eric Pickles, the Minister appointed was Greg Clark and the new Parliamentary Under Secretary of State are Baroness Hanham together with Andrew Stunnell. Decentralisation was the key target with devolution being the main focus of the new administration. Actions taken immediately included the House Information Packs being suspended, the cessation of Comprehensive Area Assessments by the Audit Commission and the signalling of the abolition of Regional Assemblies. It was also a stated objective to explore collaborative arrangements in order to achieve savings. Efforts were being concentrated on economic development rather than back office efficiencies, although opportunities to reduce overheads were anticipated in areas such as planning and legal services.

A range of efficiency savings formed part of the current agenda. Focus on MAA arrangements did not fall within this area. It was confirmed that Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP’s) had already been discussed with the Minister, with support given to joint working by local authorities. Engagement with business is to be encouraged with Regional Development Agencies working in a less prescriptive manner could provide a role. A new philosophy adopted is for the Government to serve and to support others and with avoidance of a ‘top-down’ style. A Member asked if MAA’s are to be supported, to which the response is that there is expected to be a greater emphasis placed on ‘Partnership’ aspect with the key element being either business led or local authority led. Democratic legitimacy is also considered to be an important factor. Policy narrative was currently being formulated and is anticipated to embrace employment and skills.

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In response to a question raised by a Member regarding the experience gained of other MAA’s, the Deputy Director responded by stating that most could refer to their achievements e.g. Future jobs fund, meaningful discussions with the Highways Agency which would not otherwise have resulted in funding etc. Other examples included the funding gained in the housing sector via the Housing Enterprise Partnership. It was highlighted that such funding was not isolated to local councils but included adult social care thereby providing better service delivery with the NHS. Efficiency savings were considered in terms of ‘local space’ thereby incorporating a multi-agency functions i.e. police, fire, social services etc., within an area.

The Committee were advised to expect there to be consultation to be conducted in order to capture the views of local authorities. When asked by the Chairman if there was likely to be a scope given to local income raising powers, a response was given that this would more typically be an area considered by the Treasury. Richard Turl, Team Leader stated that it was anticipated the DCLG would possibly provide financial incentives and funding to promote economic growth through changes within the banking sector. Adopting a ‘competence’ test and ‘control shift’ philosophy, as promoted by the Secretary of State, were also anticipated. The Deputy Director indicated that the approach to resource issues in future was likely to be formulated without the need for guidance, prescription or monitoring, possibly at the margins, but all aimed to ‘free-up’ resources and produce savings.

When asked by the Chairman “what is your view of scrutiny”,Ms Francis voiced concern that the Committee seemed unsure of the MAA’s achievements, whether or not it was on track i.e. meeting its objectives, and the costs incurred in supporting its activities. It was suggested that the MAA follow an example set by the Pennine Lancashire MAA in developing a matrix setting out the success criteria and identifying risk. Recognition was given to the pivotal stage that the MAA had now reached, with acknowledgement given to the issues of democratic accountability and legitimacy and the need for transparency expected of such publicly funded bodies. The Deputy Director advised of the need for the MAA to establish a set of targets for growth and economic development within the context of the sub-regional area thus avoiding the aspect of ‘distance regions’.

MAA06.10 HOUSING THEME

Sarah Ward, Chair of Bournemouth Dorset and Poole Strategic Housing Group, addressed the Committee. Reflecting on the original the objectives set by the MAA’s Housing Theme Group in 2008, the focus then was almost entirely upon new and affordable housing development. This overlooked the strategic housing role and function of the local authorities, a situation which was corrected in March 2009 when the Strategic Housing Group set about developing a Delivery Plan. The publication of the Delivery Plan was the first significant achievement within the area covered by the MAA’s Housing Theme Group. The Action Plan also served the objective criteria required by the Local Strategic Partnerships (LSP’s) within the rural

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area. A detailed Action Plan, also produced, details not only the key objectives of the MAA but also the three Local Area Agreements (LAA’s) within the sub-region.

Approved by the MAA Board in November 2009, the Delivery Plan sets out the two roles of the Housing Theme Group in 1) Supporting economic growth and 2) Secure funding i.e. £66m over next 20 years. The Delivery Plan also sets three aims. These are i) reduce housing rents through more affordable housing and lower running costs ii) support workforce requirements by providing housing to meet employment needs and addressing poor quality housing and neighbourhoods and iii) using housing investment as an economic driver by developing policy requirements and local procurement opportunities to ensure housing spend stays local.

Generally the purpose of the Action Plan was said to provide a framework for plugging the gaps in Housing Services. Five freedoms and flexibilities have been identified by the Housing Theme Group but are yet to be negotiated. Key achievements so far are the completion of the Delivery Plan and Action Plan and the response to the Homes and Communities Agency’s (HCA’s) ‘Single Conversation’ culminating in the publication of the Local Investment Plan in March 2010.

A Member questioned the Housing Theme Group Chairman on what

practical difficulties had been encountered in the terms of capacity and leadership. It was stated that the changes in priorities and the synergy with the objectives of the MAA had meant that the officer was able to allocate and work three days per week on the task, the cost of which was met by the employing authority, namely West Dorset District Council. Assistance from the Borough of Poole, Bournemouth Borough and Dorset County councils in the process was acknowledged. Questions were raised to clarify the role of the Strategic Housing Group with regard to the relationship with the MAA. It was stressed that funding had not resulted directly from the MAA but through the ‘Single Conversation’ exercise identifying opportunities for funding affordable housing, the MAA had enabled a shift in the view of the Homes & Communities Agency away from its prescribed policy of approving bids for affordable housing to the sub-region having considerable say in the priorities for funding. The current economic situation in the industry was recognised and there was acceptance that the role of the MAA did not extend to an ability to influence service delivery. Through the work of the MAA i.e. strategic links combined with planning and transport across the sub-region, it meant that the area is considered best placed for any future funding opportunities or up-turn in the economic situation.

A question was asked with reference to the perceived barriers, to which factors given in response were those such as capital funding of grant free affordable housing, the cost of social housing being met by public monies, the economic downturn effecting new build and affordable housing, the cutting of budgets and reduction in capacity. A Member asked a question as to the tensions between the rural and urban areas, given the differing economic factors e.g. transport links and the allocation of housing levels set within the

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Regional Spatial Strategy. In response, the need to review the strategy for the type and number of dwellings in the sub-region was recognised. It was stressed by Mr Gobbett, Head of Planning Dorset County Council that the situation prevailing currently was not one of natural growth but a big unknown, with the result that the wrong houses could be built in the wrong place unless the issue was addressed. With regard to developer contributions, concern was expressed at the likelihood of such monies being allocated to the cost of transport rather than affordable housing. The MAA was considered best placed to achieve this, however the narrow focus placed on the each of the Theme Groups, in particular Planning and Housing with Transport, were viewed as being in need of improvement.

MAA07.10 THE GREEN KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY

The Committee received a detailed presentation from Professor Mark Hepworth on the topic of ‘The Green Knowledge Economy” (GKE). Following recent announcements, the newly formed Coalition Government appeared to be committed to developing economic recovery whilst using a wide range of levers to cut carbon emissions, de-carbonise the economy and support the creation of new ‘green’ jobs and technologies. Within the rebuilding programme the Government’s programme says it will support sustainable growth and enterprise, balanced across all regions and all industries and promote the green industries that are so essential to the future.

The MAA’s partners were formally committed to develop a strongly performing sub-regional economy, which delivers better quality jobs whilst respecting and protecting the area’s environmental assets. A key message of the presentation was the convergence of the policy over the past 20 years in which the ‘knowledge economy’ and ‘sustainable development’ now form what is known as ‘The Green Knowledge Economy’. The GKE is perceived as being the way forward and key elements of its success are i) ‘product’ e.g. energy saving devices and ii) ‘process’ e.g. organisational, innovations. The public sector is considered best placed to shape and influence a shift towards sustainable economic development through the generation of large number of jobs and directly through policies, partnerships and projects. Through goal setting, organisations generally are able to develop and apply green philosophies, a process referred to as ‘the golden thread’.

The question that the Committee was asked to consider is “how green do we want this place to be?"

An analysis of national wealth creation was illustrated. This analysis showed wealth to be created in the following proportion; 80% Intangible Capital, 15% Produced Capital and 5% Natural Capital. It was suggested that the weighting of proportions applicable to the sub-region of Poole, Bournemouth and Dorset would be far greater in respect of ‘Natural Capital’, given the outstanding nature and beauty of the area as well as oil exploration.

Reference was made to the infrastructure, network marketplaces and sustainable development. Infrastructure was illustrated by the way in which technological convergence of ICT with transport, energy, water and waste improves environmental and economic performance of infrastructures (including industrial technology). These were referred to as ‘Smart Grids’. Network marketplaces were defined as new technologies, supply chains and value added services for businesses and consumers whilst sustainable procurement was regarded as being essential to innovation, market take-off and localisation of benefit. It was stated that the public sector could demonstrate commitment to green growth through its procurement policy by utilisation of its position in the current buyer’s market conditions.

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The competitive position of the Dorset and Bournemouth & Poole in the context to the ‘Knowledge Economy’ for GB and other sub-regions was illustrated by means of cluster diagram. The significance of skills and learning within a green knowledge economy was demonstrated by means of an economic map applicable to sub-region. The latter was measured in units of knowledge intensity and carbon intensity. An example cited was of someone living in the north of Dorset who, due to being highly skilled, would most likely be required to travel to their employer’s place of work as compared to those living within the conurbation and thus more likely to find high skilled jobs locally to them. By contrast, physically demanding employment is generally to be local.

In conclusion an Action Plan comprising of four thematic programmes was featured. These programmes included 1) Green Built Environment i.e. to create a low-carbon high quality built environment, maximising opportunities for generating jobs, training and business opportunities in the construction and environmental goods and services sector 2) Green Business Innovation i.e. to accelerate the diffusion of low-carbon and resource efficiency technologies and practices, whilst boosting small and medium enterprise productivity and the environmental goods and services supply sector 3) Natural Capital i.e. to increase the economic value of the area’s natural capital assets and its urban-rural green infrastructure and 4) Creative and Cultural i.e. to improve growth, competitiveness and employment performance of the creative and cultural sector.

Prof. Hepworth was questioned if the MAA is responsible for encouraging venture capitalist to which the response was affirmative, with the suggestion that a promotional event be held. A lengthy discussion then ensued as to the role of the MAA in promoting the principles of the Green Knowledge Economy in which the majority of those present believed that the MAA were correct to have embraced the philosophy and to promote this in all aspects of its various activities. Cllr D Jones requested that his dissention be noted.

MAA08.10 CLOSING REMARKS & RECOMMENDATIONS

Members reflected on the day’s events. The work involved in progressing the MAA by the Chief Executives, Leaders of the Councils and Senior Officers of the partner authorities and representatives from the private sector was commended. They considered the format and timing of future scrutiny meetings. A general consensus was reached that such meetings are logistically difficult to organise and that although the suggested six monthly would be useful it was also impractical and yearly more appropriate with a limitation placed on the number a themes to be scrutinised. It was generally agreed that any scrutiny event be restricted to half days.

The attendance of the Leaders and Chief Executives from each of the partner authorities was noted and valued as an indication of the importance attached by those individual Councils and their commitment to the MAA.

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Acknowledgement of the work undertaken by Cllr Mrs Dion in organising and co-ordinating the scrutiny event was requested. In response the Chairman wished her appreciation of the work of officers be recorded.

Communication of the work and activities of the MAA, it was

suggested, should be provided on a monthly basis. It was noted that a website exists at present and a new dedicated website is soon to be created at www.dorsetmaa.org.uk.

The following RECOMMENDATIONS were APPROVED:-

Transportation Theme

1. That measures are developed to provide clear evidence of the MAA’s impact on the Multi-Modal Transport Study.

2. A regular bulletin on the progress of the Intelligent Transport System should be disseminated through the MAA to elected members and other stakeholders/interested parties.

3. That the perspective of partners/stakeholders in tourism be taken in to consideration when work is undertaken to gain evidence and opinion about transportation issues.

4. The opportunity to more fully exploit the freedoms and flexibilities from the government is pursued more rigorously.

Governance

1. That the MAA Board seek to strengthen the role and engagement of the private sector particularly small businesses and businesses within the rural sector either through representation on the Board (the preferred option) or by direct consultation as and when appropriate.

2. The Board should give consideration to a communication strategy to improve dissemination of information throughout the business sector and to give particular consideration to rural areas and businesses.

3. In representing their elected member colleagues, Council Leaders should raise the profile of the MAA through greater dissemination of relevant information particularly those involved in economic development and secure greater involvement of those members in supporting and championing the concept of the MAA.

4. Each Local Authority involved in the MAA make a commitment to support the work of the MAA through directing resources when and where needed to progress work, particularly considered high priority.

5. There should be greater acknowledgement of the roles and contributions of the District authorities within the MAA Board and amongst officers leading the key themes. The representative from the

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District Councils should ensure a named substitute attends in their place at any time a meeting is convened relating to the MAA Board and/or any relevant sub-groups, which they are unable to attend.

6. That the MAA Board pays close attention to emerging coalition govern- ment statements on opportunities and benefits from transitions of MAAs into new models such as Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and pursues such developments if appropriate to ensure the work to date within the MAA continues.

7. To exploit any other emerging opportunities and localism associated with the Coalition Agenda as and when appropriate.

8. To consider how the MAA may be utilised to support the Efficiency Agenda.

Housing Theme

1. To explore further opportunities of joint working within the other theme groups, in particular “Planning” and “Transport” whilst taking account of local needs.

2. The Scrutiny Panel acknowledges the work undertaken to date in setting up partnership working within the MAA and looks forward to revisiting the housing theme at a later date to review progress.

3. As with the transportation theme, officers are asked to develop measures to provide clear evidence of the MAA’s impact on housing developments.

4. The opportunity to more fully exploit the freedoms and flexibilities from the government is pursued more rigorously.

Green Knowledge Economy

1. The Panel supports the consideration and expression of commitment by the MAA Board to the exploration of the opportunities presented in supporting the principles of a Green Knowledge Economy.

CHAIRMANNotable emergent points

Winning rewards

The ‘asks’ from MAAs to the Government (that is, requests for freedoms and flexibilities) are an essential part of the MAA initiative and, as a measure of the Government’s commitment to devolving power, are an important test of its credibility. During the scrutiny sessions of the two key themes, housing and transport, there were indications of reticence or reservation amongst senior officers in negotiating and pursuing freedoms and flexibilities and other

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‘rewards’ from Government in return for effective work within the MAA. This may, however be a resource issue. The government’s evaluation of the MAA found some areas bought in additional expertise and consultants to aid the process and highlighted the benefits (although at considerable additional cost) to this, quoting:

“You need genuine and dedicated resources to do this type of bid … faster progress would have been made with 2 full-time officers involved in developing the MAA. Everyone is doing it on top of their day job and this is causing stress.” (p45)

The housing and transport scrutiny sessions both concluded that greater freedoms and flexibilities and resources were to be gained from having the MAA in place and acknowledged that the strength of partnership between the local authorities, including the districts, were considered by officers a key component in underpinning their position in making bids or requests from government departments. The Scrutiny Panel commend the work of the officers within the key themes who are largely working without additional resources specifically to progress the MAA and pursue the freedoms and flexibilities to be gained.

The Panel also would encourage that, to be more productive (as advised from the Government’s evaluation of MAAs in 2010), the requests to government departments from local authorities should be very clear about what is being sought, be realistic and should provide evidence about why it is required (i.e. ensuring outcomes are evidence-based, add value and are suitably ambitious) and meet the criteria against which proposals are assessed by the government. Primarily it is helpful for Partnerships to identify the real barriers to progress within a particular theme and to determine what is needed to overcome them and request that freedom/flexibility from the appropriate Government department.

Partnership and local interests

The strength of partnership working was found to be a significant factor in the success of MAAs by the Government funded research into multi-area agreements. The support of and commitment to partnership working between the local authorities was evident from the strength of cohesion demonstrated by the Leaders of the Councils and the Chief Executives during the MAA Board and Governance session. Questions and answers relating to how Council Leaders and Chief Executives aligned local strategic issues with the MAA agenda revealed considerable compromise of local agendas and, to some extent, local strategic interests, for the sake of pursuing an effective MAA. This approach was highly valued by the Panel members as a true measurement of commitment to partnership working.

Through questions to the officers leading the two key themes that were scrutinised the Scrutiny Panel heard of the resource intensive activity involved in developing and nurturing MAA partnership relationships, co-ordinating

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efforts and ensuring good communication. This work must not be lost in any future changes in the MAA structures as it is a long-term investment, building on historic co-operation between the local authorities and districts, and those involved should be encouraged by the show of unity and trust amongst Council leaders which is a strong, positive and effective message to the business community and staff working across the authorities.

One of the dimensions of the MAA that will have to be effectively managed in the future is the perception and/or belief that the rural authorities, or districts, are getting fewer benefits. It is essential that good representation of the districts continues on the MAA Board and in work within the key themes. Part of this process should involve effective communication between that representation and elected members and the wider business community in the far reaches of the county.

Leadership and governance

Strong and solid leadership within MAAs, both politically and in governance, is an essential component for their success. The Scrutiny Panel heard of the ‘Programme Management’ governance processes designed to ensure the aggregate result is kept in focus rather than work within the MAA falling back into individual projects that could lose sight of the overall aims. The accountability of the MAA and its overall governance sits within the MAA Board, whose membership (Appendix A) includes local authority leaders, district representation, the business and private sector, university and an independent statutory body.

The organisational structure (Appendix B) and the governance framework and process within the MAA is vital to its success and provides many essential components including:

Vision, leadership and governance Direction for organisational frameworks and roles Planning and control The business case Risk management and resolution Quality management The forum for stakeholder engagement

The Government’s evaluation of the first wave of MAAs (2010) found that the progress within MAAs was primarily due to the officers involved and leadership and drive from elected members was variable. Officers were often found to have greater understanding of what the MAA might entail and be ahead in recognising its potential. They identified a need to ‘sustain momentum through the complexities and possible setbacks of a protracted process’. During the scrutiny event, Leaders of the Councils were asked how they involved their elected member colleagues. There was some commonality within the responses that the subject of the MAA had to compete in people’s agendas with very large amounts of other information and activity around council work. The Scrutiny Panel identified a clear need for greater

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dissemination of the MAA’s work to elected members to gain better understanding and involvement to help support it.

Communication was not only identified as needing improvement to engage members; from the scrutiny of the two theme groups the need was identified for better communication pathways between the officers, the Programme Management Group and the MAA Board.

Business engagement

Discussions within the MAA Board and governance session raised the issue of the engagement of local businesses and their perspective and understanding of the MAA and potential benefits it could bring to the business sector. The questions and debate raised concerns amongst the Scrutiny Panel about the lack of engagement of, in particular, the multitude of small and medium sized businesses within the county. Although they heard from the representative from the Chamber of Commerce, who explained some commendable work in reaching small businesses, the need to more widely publicise the MAA and potential impact on the local economy as a whole was identified. Engagement of active/currently working representatives of the business sector was highlighted as vital to strengthen the ‘realism’ of their perspective.

Measuring outcomes and success

During the scrutiny event the guest speaker, Ms Francis, noted that the Scrutiny Panel as a whole seemed unsure of the actual achievements of the MAA to date and whether or not it was on track and meeting its objectives. It was suggested that there was a greater need for leaders within the MAA to follow an example set by the Pennine Lancashire MAA in developing a matrix setting out the success criteria and identifying risk. Whilst there are some clear targets and aspirations for success (see the Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset MAA report of July 2008) there is limited clear evidence of any success being attributed directly to the existence of the MAA. To this end it the need was identified for officers to produce clear measures of the MAAs impact on their work and successes, using as appropriate examples from other areas.

Green knowledge economy

The Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset MAA has expressed an interest in the ‘green knowledge’ economy (GKE), adopting the term as a unifying concept for the sub-regional economic strategy. As the term is new to many stakeholders - elected members, business partners, the voluntary sector and leaders alike, a presentation was given to the Scrutiny Panel from a founding partner of the local company ‘Geoeconomics’ who provide high quality leadership and consultancy in areas of the green knowledge economy, social enterprise and investment, and corporate responsibility.

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The presentation and discussion provided a clear picture of a future economy evolving from a raised awareness of and commitment to protecting the environment. This involves a:

‘greening’ of the local economy as it currently exists through product and process innovations that are used to tackle climate change, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve resource efficiency and conserve ecosystems and biodiversity’. (Geoeconomics 2010)

The concept of a green knowledge economy is in its infancy, and the Scrutiny Panel agreed that there was much more to be learnt. They were encouraged by the investment by Bournemouth University in establishing a GKE centre as home to a ‘Thought Leadership’ programme and promote research. After some debate and discussion with the presenter they welcomed the development of the GKE as a ‘unifying concept’ for both the rural and urban areas and expressed support of the MAA Board’s embracement of it within their strategic future.

The future

From the session led by Cathy Francis, Deputy Director of Local and Sub- Regional Economic Development and Digital Inclusion, the Panel heard of potential changes under the new Coalition Government relating to MAAs. The concept of sub-regional partnerships as ‘local enterprise partnerships’ (LEPs) is likely to be embraced. Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) will be dissolved.

Developments in this area are emerging every day and currently a new White Paper is anticipated at any time to detail the Government’s proposals. To date they have stated that they will:

support the creation of strong local enterprise partnerships, to enable improved coordination of public and private investment in transport, housing, skills, regeneration and other areas of economic development;

consider the most appropriate framework of incentives for local authorities to support growth, including exploring options for business rate and council tax incentives, which would allow local authorities to reinvest the benefits of growth into local communities; and

as part of the shift to a more locally driven planning regime, promote the role for a simplified planning consents process in specific areas where there is potential or need for business growth, through use of Local Development Orders."

Conclusion

The Scrutiny Panel recognises that the Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset Multi-Area Agreement is an opportunity to make real strides towards a sub-regional

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approach to challenges that could not adequately be tackled at individual local authority level. The visionary forward thinking of those who were instrumental in the development of the MAA and their leadership in progressing the work is commended, as is the work of the officers leading the key themes.

The benefits and rewards to be gained through having the MAA in place, such as sharing skills and expertise, are apparent and these can expedite progress in difficult and complex areas of work, in particular across housing and transport themes. There is still considerable growth and development to be had in the effective negotiation with government departments and offices to fully exploit the rewards in ‘freedoms and flexibilities’ for work undertaken and support to this end may need to be explored.

One of the challenges for the MAA is to achieve economic progress and development that benefits the sub-region as a whole, rather than specific, and very local, areas. To this end the MAAs’ leaders need to identify and focus on large and often complex issues that are impossible to tackle effectively as a lone authority and that bring cohesion to its partners. These issues are identified to a large extent as housing needs (particularly ‘affordable’) and strategies to reduce road congestion and carbon emissions.

It was agreed by the Scrutiny Panel that further scrutiny of the MAA would be valuable to monitor its performance, particularly across two further theme groups. For this to be most effective and to determine more accurately the benefits of the MAA on Dorset’s economic development as a whole there is a need to develop clear performance metrics for long-term outcomes.

The Scrutiny Panel concluded that the MAA offers a valuable potential for providing strong and clear leadership at a sub-regional level and gaining a more strategic approach to cross boundary issues. Importantly it provides the opportunity for national and regional agencies to have a single ‘conversation’ or point of contact with the region as a whole instead of the discouraging process of them having to approach several different authorities and potentially be met with disparate views and decisions. This in itself has the potential to lead to more strategic and large-scale economic investments.

Councillor Xena DionChair. July 2010

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BOURNEMOUTH, POOLE AND DORSET MULTI-AREA AGREEMENT (MAA)

MAA BOARD MEMBERSHIP DETAILS

Public Sector Board Members

Stephen MacLoughlin - Leader Borough of Bournemouth

Angus Campbell - Leader Dorset County Council

Brian Leverett - Leader Borough of Poole

Alan Griffiths - Leader Christchurch Borough Council (Representative for all District and Borough Councils)

Nick Petford - pro Vice Chancellor - Bournemouth University (Vice Chair)

Tony Bray - Director SWRDA

 

Private Sector Board Members

Gordon Page - Director, Hamworthy plc (Chair)

Peter Henness - Finance Director, Sunseeker plc

Ray Bulpit - Retired company Director

Richard Dimbleby - Independent Consultant

Tony Brown - Chief Executive, Beales plc

Terence O'Rourke - Retired company Director, Board member of Arts UniversityCollege at Bournemouth

1 x vacancy (action currently being taken to recruit) 

APPENDIX A

Glossary:

SWERDA - South West of England Regional Development AgencyBOP - Borough of PooleGOSW – Government Office for the South WestFTE – Full time equivalent

APPENDIX B