Archived decisions
APPENDIX
Report to the
Partnership for Urban South Hampshire
Leaders' & Chief Executives' Panel
Date: 26 September 2007
Report of: Brad Roynon, Southampton City Council
Subject: Proposal for developing a PUSH Multi Area Agreement
SUMMARY
Government Office for the South East have written to inviting PUSH to consider whether it wishes to be included in the first round of Multi Area Agreements (MAAs). This would be with a view to concluding a MAA by June 2008. Such an Agreement could be based on the emerging PUSH Business Plan. The attached paper sets out initial thinking, looking at how far existing processes could provide a basis for taking this work forward if the Panel is minded to do so.
RECOMMENDATION
That the Panel:-
1. AGREES that PUSH should work together to develop a MAA, with the aim of participating in the first round to be concluded by June 2008;
2. That the PUSH Working Group should coordinate this work on behalf of PUSH, referring decisions to this Panel / the PUSH Joint Committee as appropriate;
3. That the PUSH Chairman should respond to GOSE on this basis.
INTRODUCTION
1. The recent Sub National Review of Economic Development and Regeneration brought the matter of sub regional working to the fore. In particular the nature of relationships between national and regional agencies with counter parts locally and in sub regions via Local Area Agreements (LAAs) and Multi Area Agreements (MAAs) was strongly emphasized. These directions of travel 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 now becoming a real opportunity.
2. Whilst LAAs have their place at an individual local authority level, at cross-boundary level there are obstacles and this is where an MAA would come into play. This is most clearly seen in the EDE block, but more generally where there are shared objectives then an MAA could provide a more effective framework for links with regional & national bodies. As regards PUSH, the nature of its business which has a cross authority and strategic focus appears to be very much in line with government thinking on MAAs. Certainly SEEDA and GOSE are of that opinion and strong encouragement is being shown to PUSH to work towards an MAA.
3. At a recent meeting HCC, PCC & SCC Chief Executives reviewed this outlook and considered that there was enough potential benefit and shared groundwork to recommend to Leaders that PUSH should work together on developing an MAA.
PROPOSED APPROACH TO A PUSH MAA
4. The approach would be based upon some underlying principles:-
· the PUSH MAA would complement and not supersede the existing three LAAs;
· the MAA would be vested in the Leaders Board, as the main management body which would have democratic oversight;
· the MAA would be strategic in nature and would support the local working of individual Councils;
· the scope of the MAA would embrace the developing PUSH business plan, so as to include infrastructure investment as well as delivery programmes.
5. Initial feedback from GOSE and SEEDA suggest that these principles accord with their own views.
6. On this basis it is possible to see how PUSH can progress to where the foundations of an MAA could be present:-
· the SE Plan EIP report has now been published;
· PUSH governance, through a Joint Committee, has been agreed by the 11 member authorities;
· TfSH governance and new structures have been agreed by HCC, PCC & SCC;
· CSR outcomes should be known in late October;
· the RES implementation plan and SEEDA corporate plan will be ready in late October or November;
· the PUSH programme of delivery for DCLG will be ready by October;
· outstanding studies (strategic flood risk assessment, integrated water management, green infrastructure, skills, economic clusters) will be complete by November / December;
· work on the South Hants economic strategy will be ready by December;
· the first substantive PUSH Business Plan will bring all this together in early 2008.
7. The Programme of Delivery will allow for parts of an MAA to be "banked" early on. Then drawing on the totality of this work, particularly the PUSH Business Plan, the basis to an MAA will be ready to negotiate between February and May, with possible agreement ready for signature in June.
ISSUES & IMPLICATIONS
8. The possible challenges to this timetable would be as follows:-
a) It is important to note that reaching a negotiated conclusion on an MAA by June 2008 will be a challenging task. There are no guidelines and agreement with regional bodies, national agencies and government departments cannot be taken for granted. Experience of the LAA process has be varied, but almost invariably tortuous.
b) Making sure that the PUSH Business Plan and the 3 separate LAAs develop along complementary lines will be a specific requirement and the PUSH Project Director will need to have close links with the heads of corporate policy to make sure this happens.
c) Input from other stakeholders will need to be built into PUSH Governance arrangements . Whilst this has developed up to a point, there is more work to be done to get this on a clear footing. In particular business sector input will need to be defined in the light of SEEDA's response to Sub Regional partnerships.
9. None of these are insurmountable, but keeping the process on track will need effective coordination. This will be undertaken by the PUSH Working Group, assisted by the three heads of corporate policy in HCC, PCC and SCC. In the final outcome approval of the MAA will be dependant upon decisions made by the PUSH Leaders Board and by HCC, PCC & SCC individually, which will be revising their own LAAs over the same timeframe.
CONCLUSION
10. By adopting this approach PUSH has an opportunity to use its Business Plan, which will have a view at least to 2016, as the basis to an MAA. In turn this will facilitate stronger relationships with national and regional bodies with commitment to the delivery of shared aims. In this way investment can be managed in a timely way and outcomes can be used to assess PUSH success. Should a satisfactory set of arrangements not be ready by June 2008, the fall back will be to continue the process, but probably around an April 2009 timetable.
Background Papers: n/a
Reference Papers: Attached: GOSE Letter 070811 Cathy Evans to Sean Woodward
Enquiries:
For further information on this report please contact:-
Brad Roynon, Chief Executive, Southampton City Council
Chairman of PUSH Working Group
T: 02380 832417