QUARTERLYACTIVITIES REPORT
1 GRANT PROGRAMMES
(i) SRB/RDP – Q3 reports
to SEEDA attached [Annex 2]
SRBII and SRBIV
programmes will be completed by 31 March 2003
SRBV, SRBVI and RDP delivery plans for 2003/04 have
been submitted and approved by SEEDA.
Key points to note:
SRBII
·
Programme funding finishes on 31 March 2003. Main project still receiving funding is Ventnor Harbour and this
is on line to draw all grant funding still remaining
·
There is no delivery plan for 2003/04 but there will have to be an end
of scheme evaluation carried out in the next few months.
·
Key activity in terms of Cowes and East Cowes is the purchase of 1 Ferry
Road to provide a base for the North Medina Community Development Trust. This Trust is the delivery body for the
Cowes and E.Cowes Partnership which evolved through the SRB process.
·
All projects are on target to spend in year and deliver all the outputs
set out in the 2002/03 delivery plan.
·
The delivery plan for 2003/04 has been approved by both IWEP Board and
SEEDA and funding profiles agreed.
·
A number of large capital projects have not been delivered as originally
anticipated and will lead to a large underspend in this financial year
o
George Street Baptist Church
o
St Thomas Church
o
Westridge Sports Centre
·
The Ryde Development Trust have agreed to have 2 representatives from
IWC on their board
·
The Public Realm Strategy process is almost complete and a draft report
is currently being produced
·
The main directorates from IWC have been fully involved in the process
·
The delivery plan for 2003/04 has been approved by both IWEP board and
SEEDA and funding profiles agreed.
·
The budget for 2002/03 was £400,000.
There is an underspend in the region and the IWEP have been able to
bring forward sufficient activity to access £850,000. This has been agreed and will not reduce our allocation for
2003/04.
·
The delivery plan for 2003/04 has been approved by both IWEP board and
SEEDA and funding profiles agreed.
(ii)
Market Towns Initiative
·
The delivery plan for Sandown has been approved, a project manager
appointed and projects being delivered.
·
The delivery plan for Shanklin is almost completed and should be
approved early in the new financial year.
They have now successfully recruited a project manager.
·
Ventnor are completing the health check process and have appointed a
project manager and community link person.
They should get their delivery plan approved in the next quarter.
·
Brading have completed their action plan and are holding a public consultation
event to endorse the plan.
·
Wootton Bridge are in the process of implementing their action
plan.
(iii) Leader+
·
10 projects have been developed to date and are being contracted for
delivery.
·
GOSE have accepted the action plan for 2003/04 for the programme.
(iv) Healthy
Living Programme
·
The advisory group, management group and project leaders group have
recently been restructured and agreed terms of reference.
·
NOF have agreed and approved the action plan for 2003/04.
·
Research is being developed through Southampton Institute into user
involvement.
·
Evaluation and fund raising strategies are being developed through the
various groups.
·
A number of projects are participating in the National HLC evaluation.
2.
Inward Investment
The IWEP are working on 9 active Inward Investment projects. Due to the sensitive nature of these projects, we are unable to provide further details at this stage.
A number of these Inward Investment projects are
related to Project Cowes.
We are now working more closely with the SEEDA
International team to use their resource to attract more investment to the
Island.
3.
Enterprise Hub
We have now recruited a new Enterprise Hub Manager,
fully funded by SEEDA. We are establishing new networks to assist the
composites and electronics sectors.
We now actively work with 45 composites related
businesses as well as their supply chains.
4.
Project Cowes
The Strategic Development Framework for the Medina
Valley has now been produced and is going out to a second public consultation
as part of the process to have the study adopted by Isle of Wight Council for
the Framework to be adopted as Supplementary Planning Guidance to the UDP.
The Project has attracted considerable interest from a
number of investors, developers and operators.
5.
European Virtual Institute for Composites
A 2.3m euro project to set up a portal for the
European composites industry based here on the isle of Wight.
We have recruited a Project Manager to manage the
project and develop the portal, which will provide information to make the
European composites industry more competitive in the global arena.
6.
Economic Partnership Activity
The IWEP is the delivery vehicle for SEEDA activity on
the Island. The IWEP is working through the Local Strategic Partnership [LSP]
to raise awareness of the Area Investment Framework and how it can be used as a
tool to support investment on the Island.
Workshops on the priorities within the AIF will be
delivered throughout 2003/04.
Regeneration Director Enterprise
& Investment Director