PAPER C

 

Committee :    ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PLANNING, TOURISM AND LEISURE SERVICES SELECT COMMITTEE

 

Date :              13 DECEMBER 2002

 

Title :               ISLE OF WIGHT ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP REPORT

 

REPORT OF THE ISLE OF WIGHT ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP

 

 

 


SUMMARY/PURPOSE

 

To update the members on the outcome of the Ernst & Young Audit of the Isle of Wight Partnership finances for 2001-2002.

 

To update the members on the regeneration activities of the IWEP.

 

BACKGROUND

 

Following the restructuring of the IWP in November 2001 there was a need to ensure that there was a completely independent audit of the IWEP finances.  SEEDA were able to finance Ernst & Young to carry out an independent audit and this has now been completed.  Mr Danny Fisher will report on the findings of the audit to the select committee.

The IWEP is responsible for the delivery of a number of regeneration activities on the Island including:

 

                                      Single Regeneration Budget (SRB)

·         Altogether Wight [1996-2003]

·         Building a Community Bridge to Employment [1998-2003]

·         Island Inclusive [1999-2004]

·         Ryde 2000 [2000-2006]

Rural Development Programme [up to 2004]

Market Towns Initiative [2001-2004]

Leader+ programme [2001-2006]

Healthy Living programme [2001-2006]

 

Annex 1 contains the Area Regeneration annual report for the year 2001-2002

 

CURRENT ACTIVITIES

 

Single Regeneration Budget Quarterly Reports attached [Annex2]

 

Key points to note:

SRBII:

·         Major capital project for Ventnor Harbour has now started and will spend within the financial year.

·         Evaluation of the programme needs to be carried out.

SRBIV:

·         North Medina Development Trust is in place.

·         The feasibility of using the Frank James for community gain has been completed.

SRBV:

·         Programme is heavily oversubscribed so there will be no problem achieving projected spend.

·         Delays in tendering process for drug related activity through DAT means that there is a need to continue funding this activity until the new structure is in place.  Services could be lost to the Island if this gap was not filled with grant funding.

 

SRBVI:

·         Public Realm Strategy work is progressing according to timetable.

·         George Street Baptist Church project has slipped on spend deadlines but should pick up by year end.

·         Interchange Feasibility Study should be available shortly.

·         Area Investment Framework – draft report completed. CDs available.

RDP:

·         £800,000 available for period April 1st 2002 – 31st March 2004.

·         SEEDA looking for Capital expenditure.

·         SEEDA wanting greater expenditure this year if possible.

 

REPORT ON OTHER PROGRAMMES

           

Market Towns Health checks:

 

·         Sandown:

Delivery Plan awaiting SEEDA sign off. First recruitment for project manager not successful, so are now in discussion with Shanklin about the possibility of sharing a project manager (thereby making the post full-time). The Partnership is undertaking capacity building training and has started the Capacity Building Portfolio scheme.

·         Shanklin:        

Action Plan has been drafted and circulated to members of the Partnership for comment.

 

·         Ventnor:

Recruitment process underway for project manager and community link officer.  Health check process being completed following additional requests from Countryside Agency.

 

·         Brading:          

Action Plan has been drafted and circulated for comment. Brading Town Council approved the draft and will be holding a public consultation event for further endorsement of the plan.

 

·         Wootton Bridge:         

The entire health check has been completed and the final drafts of both the Action Plan and Health Check Report are being reviewed by the Partnership this week. Both documents will be submitted to the Countryside Agency next week.

 

·         Cowes:           

°Three quarters of the worksheets have been completed, but there have been difficulties recruiting people to help with the research. A community link person was recruited last week and will be starting the first week of December. One of her first tasks will be to complete the research and enter all the data. It is likely that the work will be completed by the end of December, and the whole project completed by the end of March.

 

            Leader +

 

The Leader+ programme is administered by Cliff Bell and Carol Flux of the IWEP (the accountable body).  Decisions regarding the operation of the Leader+ programme and which projects receive funding are made by the Management Group of the Local Action Group.  The Local Action Group is representative of the Island Community and its members come from the following sectors: Private, Public, Voluntary, and General Community. 

 

The funding available comes from Europe (European Guarantee and Guidance Fund (EAGGF)), DEFRA (Department for the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs) and SEEDA (South East England Development Agency) and totals some 2.5 million pounds over a 5 year period until 2006.  At present there are no projects receiving grants, there are in the region of 10 projects in the process of making an application and it is hoped several of these will be ready for the LAG to approve by early next year.

 

The funding is aimed at rural communities and focuses on innovative new solutions to identified problems faced by rural communities.  Applications are invited from, but not limited to, individuals, community groups, not for profit companies/social enterprises, Parish Councils and Voluntary Organisations.   Grants are available for commercial companies but at a much lower intervention rate of 15% of eligible costs and state aid regulations apply.

 

Leader+ is primarily a revenue project, although some capital expenses can be funded, these are dealt with on a project by project basis and most capital expenses covered are expected to be from match funding and not the Leader+ programme.

 

Healthy Living Programme Update

 

The HLP was launched on September 25th at the Riverside Centre. The launch was well attended and received support from a range of professionals. All projects have now begun delivery. The HLP annual report and an independent audit have been completed. The audit highlighted the need to strengthen the partnership approach to the strategic management of the programme particularly through greater involvement of Health.  The initial focus of the programme officers was to support the projects and ensure they were able to deliver effectively.  Following the audit there has been considerable activity undertaken to structure the steering group and management groups to ensure that the programme is strategically and user-led. The steering group and management group, both at similar stages, will shortly confirm their composition and terms of reference. In addition, the HLP project leaders group is undergoing structural change to encompass action groups and allow other professionals and community members to become involved in the HLP. The action groups are around 4 key areas- skills development for a healthier lifestyle, referral to complementary health activities, increasing access to sport and leisure and promoting well-being in the community. It is anticipated that these action groups will provide a route by which ‘users’ can influence the steering group and eventually form part of its composition (the action groups will be chaired by a community member by the end of its first operational year).

 

Research into user involvement, the development of a fundraising and evaluation strategy, and the agreement of group structures are key priorities for the HLP in the coming months.

 

A workshop with public health and health promotion took place in October, and a follow-up session is planned for December. The primary aim of these meetings is to establish methods of good working practise between health and regeneration.

 

FUTURE ACTIVITIES

 

SEEDA are creating mechanisms to enable areas to access future funding through the ‘Single Pot’ rather than continue with competitive bidding rounds.  The framework suggested for the Island will involve links between the Local Strategic Partnership, the IWEP and SEEDA.  The Area Investment Framework will be a key document upon which access to funding will be based.  Talks are being set up between IWC, IWEP and SEEDA to firm up the mechanisms that need to be put in place.

 

            South East England Regional Assembly

 

The IWC and IWEP have representation for the Isle of Wight on the Regional    Assembly.  The Regional Economic Strategy developed by SEEDA has been endorsed by the Regional Assembly and contains a number of sub-regional priorities for the Island.  The IWEP is in the process of bringing together the economic partners to look at these priorities and agree mechanisms for delivery.    

 

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

 

No financial implications other than the agreed contribution by the Council to IWEP.

 

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

 

No additional legal implications for the Council.

 

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

 

That the information within this report be noted and Members continue to support the activities of the IWEP.

 

BACKGROUND PAPERS

Annex 1 – Regeneration Annual Report

Annex 2 – SRB/RDP Quarter 2 Returns

 

Contact Point : Lesley Williams, Policy Manager (Economic Development etc) Ext 3797