Archived decisions

Agenda Item 9

Report to the

Transport for South Hampshire Joint Committee

Date: 16 October 2007

Report by: Director of Environment, Hampshire County Council

Written by: Stuart Jarvis, Hampshire County Council

Subject: Scope for a South Hampshire Multi-Area Agreement Featuring Transport

Purpose of the Report

To appraise the Executive Members of the conclusions from the recent PUSH Leaders' Panel discussion on a potential Multi-Area Agreement (MAA) for South Hampshire, and to seek their approval for the possible inclusion of Transport within the proposed MAA.

Recommendations

1. That the decision of the PUSH Leaders' Panel, to authorise the development of a South Hampshire MAA, be supported.

2. That the potential inclusion of transport within the proposed MAA be approved and authority be given to relevant officers to develop proposals for further consideration in due course.

Background

1. The Government's Sub National Review of Economic Development and Regeneration, published in the summer, raised the importance of sub-regions as a future level for activity. The relationships between national and regional agencies and local counterparts in the sub- regions was a focus of the report, with a strong emphasis on the role of Local Area Agreements (LAAs) and Multi-Area Agreements (MAAs). These messages have been picked up strongly by SEEDA and by GOSE on behalf of central government. Indeed the lead role of local authorities and the capacity of LAAs and MAAs to facilitate working frameworks is likely to become a real opportunity.

2. The potential for an MAA to be developed with PUSH has been recognised for some time, and PUSH was recently invited to express an interest in being included in the first tranche of MAAs. Following receipt of a letter, from GOSE, a report was considered by PUSH Leaders' Panel on 26 September. PUSH agreed to submit an expression of interest in an MAA, and authorised the officers to work on its development.

3. Given the significance of Transport issues to the future development of the sub-region and its economy, it is suggested that the potential for including transport in the MAA should be further explored. The emerging PUSH Business Plan, which is likely to provide the basis for the MAA, has a strong transport component. The inclusion of transport matters in a sub-regional MAA would clearly require both the agreement and the active participation of Transport for South Hampshire alongside PUSH. The purpose of this report is to seek approval, in principle, for such engagement.

4. The PUSH Leaders' Panel report sets out the full context of the MAA proposal, and for ease of reference, it is attached as an appendix.

Conclusions

5. The Government has set out its thinking on the importance of sub- regional working in its sub-national review of economic development and regeneration, published earlier in the summer. The next round of LAAs will be expected to address this dimension, but the Government has also introduced the new concept of MAAs. It seems clear that there are potential advantages to be gained from being in the vanguard of MAA development, and it is recommended that the Transport for South Hampshire Executive should support the proposal by PUSH to bid for an early MAA.

6. By adopting a positive approach to the development of an early MAA, PUSH can use its Business Plan, which will look ahead to 2016, as the basis for the agreement. Given that Transport is a key component of the PUSH Business Plan, it seems prudent and advantageous to consider the potential for inclusion of transport in the MAA at this stage. Therefore the report recommends endorsement of this proposal.

9410/SJ