Minutes of the Greater Peterborough Economic Development Partnership

10 January 2005

 

Attending:        Allan Arnott                 Interim Chair, Perkins Engines

                        Mike Holland                Smye Holland Associates      

                        Roger Tallowin            O&H Hampton Ltd       

                        Richard Hall                 Axiom Housing Association

                        Bill Agnew                   Greater Peterborough Investment Agency    

                        Sarah Fowler              PECT   

                        David Nicholls              Business Link

                        Mick Leggett                CKH    

                        Councillor Thorpe        PCC

                        Richard Dade              DWD Property

                        Simon Chiva                UKCEED

                        Karen Bartlett              EEDA

 

Advisors:        Graham Winton           PCAE

                        Neil Darwin                  PCC – Economic and Community Regeneration                      Will Spinner                 PCC – Economic and Community Regeneration

                        Ed Zerafa                    PCC – Economic and Community Regeneration

                        Adam Speed               PCC – Corporate Services

 

1.                 Apologies for absence

 

Apologies for absence were received from Liz Wade (PCC), John Strak (Food East), Sarah Dean (Jobcentre Plus), Robert Dalgliesh (City Centre Forum), Richard Astle  (GPP), John Bridge (CCCI) and Councillor Holdich (PCC).

 

2.                 Minutes

 

The following changes to the minutes were requested:

The seventh bullet point on page 2 should say “the management of core funding,” not “the management of care funding.”

 

On page 3 the second working group should be called “Regeneration” not “Economic Regeneration.”

 

3.                 Matters Arising

 

Innovation Centre

The meeting on the Innovation Centre is scheduled for the 20/01/05.

 

Action

 

Neil Darwin to report back to the group following the meeting.

 

4.                 Peterborough College for Adult Education (PCAE)

 

Graham Winton (Principal) gave a presentation on PCAE and how it impacts on the economic life and development of Greater Peterborough.

Proposed changes to the funding methodology relating to traditional adult learning provision (operative in 2006) will cause a significant rise in fees. As Peterborough does not have a high wage population it will not be able to sustain the high fee service and therefore adult learning provision in the city will decline.

 

Alternative sources of funding may be available from the European Social Fund or EEDA’s Investing in Communities program.

 

The changes will have a significant impact on the employment life and the economic development of the city, therefore it is important to raise awareness about this issue with the relevant groups in the GPP as well as with local employers.

 

The group felt that if PCAE could provide information about the future consequences of these changes to the relevant groups in the GPP as well as local employers it may help lead to action.

 

Action

 

Allan Arnott to discuss the issue with other relevant partnerships (Culture and Tourism, Learning) to see what can be done.

 

5.                 Economic Development Strategy

 

Action

 

Neil Darwin to circulate the latest draft of the Economic Strategy.

 

Neil and his team will then make appointments and visit members to record their comments on the draft.

 

6.                 EEDA Business Planning Process 2005/6

 

Will Spinner informed the group that the Council has received fifteen expressions of interest so far, of which, approximately ten will go forward to an independent appraisal panel.

The first draft of the Business Plan will go to EEDA by the 28/01/05, there will be further discussion with EEDA in February and then the final decision for core funding will be made in March.

 

Action

 

Any members who wish to see the expressions of interest can do so upon request from Will Spinner.

 

7.                 Update on 2004/5 Programmes

 

Action

 

Ed Zerafa to circulate updates on the programmes.

 

At the next meeting there will be a presentation from UKCEED on the Cluster Project and a presentation from Business Link.

 

Action

 

Neil Darwin and team to give guidance to the presenters on the sort of presentations the group would like to see. Ensuring people talk about what they have committed to and how they have delivered on that commitment.

 

Also at the next meeting there should be a presentation on the projects that have failed, highlighting how and why they have failed, and what lessons can be learnt.

 

8.                 Headlines from Share Intelligence Report

 

There will be a half-day seminar on this issue at the Cresset on the 3rd February. Details are in the post.

 

9.                 Establishment of Shadow SREP Working Group

 

The group felt that there was a lot at stake regarding the Service Level Agreement (SLA) with EEDA, therefore it may be beneficial to wait another month to see how the regional picture pans out before deciding on the new structure of the SREP.

 

The SLA will contain deliverables that the Partnership must deliver over the next couple of years. The final SLA will be in place by the start of the new financial year and will be updated every following year.

 

Following discussion it was agreed that the working group would be set up in mid February, this would then allow 6 weeks for planning moving towards April.

 

10.              AOB

 

There was no other business.