Regional Funding Advice

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REGIONAL FUNDING ADVICE 2nd STAKEHOLDER MEETING
(EXETER) Andrew Slade South West RDA 16th
January 2009
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What to expect

• some reminders
• where are we in the process
• key messages
• what the emerging Advice is looking like
• what still needs doing?
• what next?

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Yesterday is but todays memory, tomorrow is
todays dream KAHLIL GIBRAN
SOME REMINDERS ON RFA2
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What is RFA2 about?

• to focus on sustainable economic growth
• to include economic development, transport and
  housing funding streams, and skills
• to assist the delivery of existing strategies
• to advise on spending of existing funding
  streams (not a bidding/begging exercise)

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Government expectations

• innovative approaches and big ideas
• virement across streams
• alignment with national priorities
• thematic and spatial integration

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What you told us last time

• keep our eye on the long-term, despite the
  recession
• improve connectivity transport and
  communications
• low carbon ambitions are important
• demonstrate integration
• manage any transport underspend

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We must ask where we are and whither we are
attending ABRAHAM LINCOLN
WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS
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Timetable
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Progress to date

• establishing principles and project plan
• compiling evidence base and consulting on
  priorities
• consulting Assembly Exec/RDA Board/Leaders Board
  on emerging direction
• producing early drafts of advice

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Consultation

• 2 x Stakeholder Conferences
• joint RDA Board, SW Leaders and SW Executive
  meeting
• LA submissions
• thematic task groups
• meetings/networks presentations
• joint project group

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. . . and the art of life is to get the
message MALCOLM MUGGERIDGE
KEY MESSAGES
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Your messages to us

• keep our eye on the long-term, despite the
  recession
• improve connectivity transport and
  communications
• low carbon ambitions are important
• demonstrate integration
• manage any transport underspend

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The regions messages to HMG

• we are addressing short term challenges while
  remaining focused on clear strategic goals
• we have (some) innovative proposals for taking
  forward regional investment planning
• we want to go further on low carbon than
  national standards
• we need greater flexibility between capital and
  revenue streams (within limits)
• we could do more with more resources

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We should be careful and discriminating in all
the advice we give. ADLAI STEVENSON
WHAT THE EMERGING ADVICE IS LOOKING LIKE
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Structure

• 3 Strategic Objectives
• a more productive economy
• reducing disparities
• environmental sustainability

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Structure

• Necessary Conditions
• creating conditions that foster business
  enterprise and innovation
• a skilled and adaptable workforce
• improved communications
• an affordable and high quality housing market

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Structure

• Importance of Place
• retain focus on existing priority places as
  drivers of improved productivity
• concentrate housing growth ?
• deliver transport and ICT connectivity between
  key places, and to more rural areas

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Structure

• Low Carbon
• reducing carbon emissions in delivery of
  projects
• investing in low carbon solutions
• creating a more resilient region
• creating business opportunities
• positioning the region

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Transport

• more schemes than budget over-programming
  asks and deliverability
• connectivity
• place-based allocation
• meeting wider priorities
• delivering low carbon? public/private
  transport balance
• underspend on RFA(1)

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Structure

• Opportunities for improving regional technical /
  delivery capacity
• SNR/new regional governance arrangements
• expanded RIF / joint investment planning
• future scope of RFA process

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So
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Believe you can and you are halfway
there THEODORE ROOSEVELT
WHAT STILL NEEDS DOING?
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Content

• final drafting and completing evidence base
• ensuring low carbon ambitions read across the
  advice
• strengthen evidence of innovation
• risk management
• /- 10 strategy
• articulate ambitions if we could secure more
  funding

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Decisions to be made

• prioritisation and integration
• virement strategy
• regional capacity / deliverability /
  co-ordination

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Change starts with the next step WILLIAM DRAYTON
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
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Getting towards sign-off

• Assembly Exec, SW Leaders Board RDA Board sign
  off advice individually (early Feb)
• joint meeting(s) in late February
• final submission to Ben Bradshaw by 27th
  February
• meeting with the Minister?

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Challenges - will the South Wests Advice be

• ambitious enough?
• innovative and eye-catching?
• will the priorities leap off the page?
• will we strike the right balance between
  regional / sub-regional local?
• We have to make this Advice count.

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ISSUES AND QUESTIONS FOR THE RFA2 TEAM?
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Workshop 1

• Focus on
• key messages to government
• future opportunities for regional approach

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Workshop 2

• Focus on
• strategic objectives and necessary conditions,
  place and low carbon
• achieving integrated investment