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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Virtual Meeting

Contact: Fred Whitehouse 01392 381362  Email: fred.whitehouse@devon.gov.uk

Note: To access the Livestream for this meeting, copy and paste the following link into your browser: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZGQ2YjM3ZDItZWU2Ni00ODAxLTg2MDQtYmUxOWVjNDc0MDdm%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%228da13783-cb68-443f-bb4b-997f77fd5bfb%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%227ffc13b3-e389-4444-a2a4-0d33b5aac803%22%2c%22IsBroadcastMeeting%22%3atrue%7d&btype=a&role=a 

Media

Items
Note No. Item

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1.

Election of Chair

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED that Councillor J Brook be elected Chair for the ensuing year.

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2.

Election of Vice Chair

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED that Councillor R Williams be elected Vice-Chair for the ensuing year.

 

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3.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 403 KB

Minutes of the meeting held on 11 February 2021, attached.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting held on 11 February 2021 be signed as a correct record.

 

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4.

Items Requiring Urgent Attention

Items which in the opinion of the Chair should be considered at the meeting as matters of urgency.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There was no item raised as a matter of urgency.

 

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5.

Scrutiny Principles

Presentation by the Head of Scrutiny, Devon County Council.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Scrutiny, Devon County Council, presented on the background surrounding the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Joint Scrutiny Committee from its foundation in 2018. The presentation also highlighted some of the core principles of effective Scrutiny including the importance of LEP Scrutiny being Member-led to drive improvement.

 

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6.

Introduction to LEP Including Clean Growth and Skills Plan pdf icon PDF 407 KB

Report of the Chief Executive of the Local Enterprise Partnership, attached.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received a Report from the Chief Executive of the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) which provided Members with an introduction to the LEP and an update on the Clean Growth Plan and Skills Plan.

 

In the introduction to the LEP, the Report highlighted the position of LEPs as Government-sponsored local Partnerships led by business to drive economic growth. It was explained that the area of the Heart of the South West (HotSW) LEP covered 1.8 million people and 70,000 businesses across 16 Local Authorities and 2 National Parks. The LEP’s Build Back better plan was made available at: Build Back Better plan - Heart of the South West LEP (heartofswlep.co.uk)

 

In terms of Clean Growth, Members were updated on the LEP’s Blueprint for Clean Growth which was made available at: Our Blueprint for Clean Growth - Heart of the South West LEP (heartofswlep.co.uk). Key points included:

 

·         a pledge to help place the Heart of the South West area on a resilient pathway to net zero by the 2040s or sooner;

 

·         the commitment of the LEP to the United Nations’ Race to Zero global campaign; and

 

·         the six themes that the blueprint focused on, namely: Leadership, Low carbon energy, Green businesses, Sustainable communities, Decarbonised transport, and Natural capital.

 

In terms of the Skills Plan, Members were advised on the LEP’s response to the Department for Education’s push for areas to establish Skills Advisory Panels and undertake Local Skills Reviews. The LEP’s Local Skills Report was made available at: Heart of the South West Local Skills Report Launched - Heart of the South West LEP (heartofswlep.co.uk).

 

Members’ discussion points included:

 

·         the role of the LEP surrounding the Government’s Future High Streets Fund, namely that the LEP had no official responsibility within this anymore but had endorsed bids into the programme. Paignton arose as a specific example where funding had been agreed in the development of a High Street;

 

·         the perceived focus on Devon in the Report’s discussion of the Skills Plan where focus was needed on Somerset. Discussion was had around the building of Hinkley Point C nuclear power station and the potential of skills development within this context; and

 

·         the need to develop the Farming and Hospitality sectors which were highlighted as key to the South West’s prosperity. It was explained that these sectors primarily consisted of low-skill and low-wage workers and work needed to be done to address this and therefore promote economic activity.

 

The Committee noted the Report.

 

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7.

Update on LEP Performance Including LEP Review, Annual Performance Review and Covid-19 Recovery pdf icon PDF 415 KB

Report of the Chief Executive of the Local Enterprise Partnership, attached.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received a Report from the Chief Executive of the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) which provided Members with an update on LEP performance and the future of the LEP considering the LEP Review, Annual Performance Review and COVID-19.

 

The Report highlighted numerous successes of the LEP including:

 

·         the conclusion of Round 1 of the Train4Tomorrow retraining programme with Round 2 submitted across a wider geography;

 

·         the confirmation of £51m of High Street Funding for Plymouth, Barnstaple, Yeovil, Taunton and Paignton;

 

·         all 24 Getting Building Fund projects had been contracted; and

 

·         the confirmation in the March Budget by Local Government of the Levelling-Up Fund and Community Renewal Fund for delivery by Local Authorities.

 

The Report also highlighted the importance of the LEP, local partners and the Growth Hub in supporting recovery for businesses and individuals hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the comparatively low impact across the region of the LEP.

 

In terms of the Annual Performance Review, the LEP was measured against three themes: Governance, Strategic Impact, and Delivery. It was confirmed that the LEP had met targets for each of these themes. The LEP had also received confirmation of Growth Hub funding for 2021/22.

 

The Report provided Members with an overview of the LEP Review which had been announced in the Government’s March Budget. It was explained that, owing to the conclusions of Local Growth Funding and EU Structural Funds, LEPs were no longer responsible for the administering of significant funding. The LEP Review would look to ascertain the role of LEPs in delivering the Government’s Plan for Growth across four key lines of enquiry: Function, Geography, Relationship with Local Authorities, and Funding and Implementation.

 

Members’ discussion points included:

 

·         the high concentration of small businesses in the LEP’s area and what could be done to attract big business investment. Population density was raised as a concern, with discussion had on other factors such as the area’s comparatively high quality of life;

 

·         the difficulty of funding businesses directly owing to subsidy control rules, where funding infrastructure was less regulated and therefore easer to invest in to;

 

·         problems surrounding the area’s low retention of young people and potential solutions to this, including the development of affordable housing; and

 

·         the future role of the LEP, and subsequently the Scrutiny Committee, in light of the LEP Review where it was not clear who would undertake the LEP’s particular function if the LEP itself was deemed not required.

 

The Committee noted the report.

 

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8.

Scrutiny Work Programme pdf icon PDF 349 KB

In accordance with previous practice, Scrutiny Committees are requested to review the list of forthcoming business and determine which items are to be included in the Work Programme.

 

The Scrutiny Work Programme is attached.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the work programme include the following:

 

  • Digital Connectivity
  • Build Back Better Single Delivery Plan
  • Inclusive Growth & the Impact of Brexit and COVID-19 on Economic Equalities
  • Regional Transport and Mobility

 

 

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9.

Dates of Future Meetings

21 October 2021, 2.15pm

10 February 2022, 2.15pm

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Dates of Future Meetings were noted as;

 

21 October 2021, 2.15pm

10 February 2022, 2.15pm

 

 


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