THE SOUTH-WEST OF ENGLAND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

Introduced by Simon Hooton, Head of Policy, on 25 November 1999

On 1 April 1999, England was divided into nine Regions, each with a Development Agency. Each Agency is run by an appointed Chairman who heads an appointed Board of 13 people. They made their first report to John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, who set up the regions, in October, as required.

Also appointed was an Advisory Chamber of about 100 members from across the South West. Each local authority has at least one representative and there is political balance. So far the Board has concentrated on organisation and fact-finding. The work of a number of organisations has been merged into the Agency, which has absorbed their budgets and commitments, so there is no money to allocate this year.

Broadly, the role of the Agency will be to deal with problems of defined areas, one of which may be the Abbey Ward of Bath, but, at the same time, to raise the GDP of the whole region. There are deliberately no specific objectives.

The speaker recognised that the South West was not a homogeneous region and that it would be some time before residents thought of themselves as part of the South West.

Particular aspects of the economy important to Bath were discussed. Accommodation for visitors was good locally but, in parts of the South West, standards were not rising with visitors' expectations.

Transport links with International Airports were most important for improving GDP. The Agency would lobby for a rail link from Reading to Heathrow. In the long term it might be that the sixth Heathrow terminal would be built at Bristol! For local transport, hiring small electric cars to visitors was being considered.

The links with the European Union, about which we had heard from Graham Meadows, a Director of the European Commission, recently, were of great interest to the MEPs of the region.

On the structure of the Agency, there was a discussion on possible election of members of the Advisory Chamber.

More detailed plans will be formulated during 2000 and then reviewed in 2001. It seems likely that most energy will be applied to depressed areas like Cornwall, Torbay and parts of Bristol. However, it must be noted that William Hague, the Leader of the Opposition, has said that if the Conservatives win the next election, they will abolish the Development Agencies.

Rodney Tye