New Anglia Board Meeting Minutes (Confirmed)
21st March 2018
Present:
Cllr David Ellesmere (DE)
Ipswich Borough Council
Doug Field (DF)
East of England Coop
John Griffiths (JG)
St Edmundsbury Council
Dominic Keen (DK)
High Growth Robotics
Colin Noble (CN)
Suffolk County Council
Johnathan Reynolds (JR)
Nautilus
Lindsey Rix (LR)
Aviva (via video call)
Sandy Ruddock (SR)
Scarlett & Mustard
Alan Waters (AW)
Norwich City Council
Nikos Savvas (NS)
West Suffolk College
Jeanette Wheeler (JW)
Birketts
In Attendance:
Sue Roper (SuR)
Suffolk County Council
Richard Lister (RL)
University of Suffolk (for David Richardson)
Alison Thomas (AT)
Norfolk County Council (for Cliff Jordan)
Shan Lloyd (SL)
BEIS
Chris Dashper (CD)
New Anglia LEP
Lisa Roberts (LiR)
New Anglia LEP
Chris Starkie (CS)
New Anglia LEP
Keith Spanton (KS)
New Anglia LEP
Helen Wilton (HW)
New Anglia LEP
Rachel Hood (RH)
Horse Racing Industry (For Item 4)
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Actions from the meeting: (21.03.18)
Flood Defence Schemes
Chris Dashper to produce a brief paper on LEP funding of flood defences to be circulated to
CD
Board Members.
Institute of Technology
Board members to be provided with details of the top 3 key messages from the LEP on a
HM
monthly basis
1
Welcome from the Chair
Doug Field (DF) welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked The Jockey Club for hosting. He
welcomed the attendees including Richard Lister deputising for David Richardson, Alison Thomas
deputising for Cliff Jordan and Rachel Hood who was presenting Item 4. Lindsey Rix joined the
meetings via video call.
2
Apologies
Apologies were received from: David Richardson, Tim Whitley, Andrew Proctor, Steve Oliver, Cliff Jordan
and Tracy Jessop
3
Declarations of Interest
Declarations relevant to this meeting:
Item 9 - Alison Thomas and Alan Waters
Item 10 - David Ellesmere, Colin Noble, Sue Roper and Richard Lister
Nikos Savvas (NS) noted the meeting that he had a personal connection to Oyster Yachts should it arise
as a future agenda item.
4
Horse Racing Industry Presentation from Rachel Hood
Rachel Hood (RH) provided the meeting with an overview of the horseracing industry in
Newmarket and its importance to the economy of the region.
The meeting was informed about the range of the industry which stretches beyond hosting
races to include breeding, training and support functions. It is the most important industry in the
area and the second biggest contributor to the economy in the East, after the Tech corridor,
employing 20,000 people directly and over 120,000 people indirectly. On a national level it
contributes £3.45bn to the economy with Newmarket the largest horseracing economic cluster
in the world.
DF thanked RH for her informative presentation and RH left the meeting.
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Minutes of the last meeting 21st February 2018
The minutes were accepted as a true record of the meeting held on 21st February 2018.
Actions from last meeting updated as follows:
Declarations of Interest
CS
Ascertain whether regular Board substitutes need to complete Declaration of Interest Forms -
This has been confirmed and forms are being collected from those attending as substitutes.
These will be added to the web site.
Economic Indicator Trajectories and Targets
CS/JR
To receive a paper on CO2 reductions for consideration of inclusion in the economic strategy
targets - Work is ongoing and will be presented at a future Board meeting.
Brexit Analysis
To receive an action plan detailing the next steps, timescales and measures of success - Work
LiR
is ongoing and will be presented at a future Board meeting.
Governance Review
To receive a proposed scheme of delegation and decisions log at the March meeting - A
CS
Scheme of Delegation is being presented at the March Board. The decisions log will be
presented in April.
2
Flood Defence Schemes
Chris Dashper (CD) provided a verbal update on his findings and will produce a brief paper to
CD
circulate to Board Members.
6
Institute of Technology - Confidential
The Board agreed:
To note the content of the report
To support and promote the proposal and the activities of the LEP to help development
of the bid
To receive details of the top 3 key messages from the LEP on a monthly basis to assist
in getting the message to key stakeholders
7
2018/2019 Budget
CS took the majority of the paper as read and updated the meeting on the keys elements of the
2018/19 operating budget which covers the core work of the LEP and the programmes team.
Board members were advised that expenditure had increased largely due to an increase in
salaries as the LEP now has its full complement of staff. This also includes salaries for the 2
Opportunity Area staff although these costs are recovered in full.
It was noted that £150,000 has been set aside for unallocated projects giving the LEP
executive further capacity where work is expected to increase such as Brexit and the
development of a local industrial strategy
The overall impact is that the LEP is budgeting for a reduced operating surplus for 18/19 given
the certainty of almost all the income and costs.
CS provided an overview to the Projects Revenue Fund which has been established using the
Enterprise Zone revenues. The fund currently has £1m available to use in the 18/19 financial
year and CS recommended that the LEP executive develop a framework around the use of the
funds which will initially be considered by the Investment Appraisal Committee (IAC) before
being presented to the LEP Board.
The Board agreed:
To approve the operating budget for 2018/2019
To publish the approved budget in the public domain
For the LEP Executive develop a framework around the use of the revenues budget
Capital Growth Programme Bid - Snetterton Heath including Confidential Appendices 2
8
and 3
CD highlighted the key points of the proposal.
LR noted that the IAC had approved the bid but had requested that the Council reinvest the
business rates received from the project.
David Ellesmere (DE) noted that a clawback mechanism should be included should revenues
be higher than expected.
JR noted that there are many other businesses in a similar situation who would benefit from
such improvements and there was a risk that the LEP receive further similar requests.
The Board agreed:
To approved the Capital Growth Programme grant funding of £2.65m to the Snetterton
Heath Employment Areas Electricity upgrade Scheme subject to the inclusion of a
clawback clause
9
Growth Deal Funding Change Request - NATS Packages
3
Alan Waters (AW) and AT left the meeting.
CD reviewed the key points of the proposal reiterating to the Board that this was not a request
for additional funding but the reallocation of existing funding between projects.
The Board agreed:
To agree the transfer of £350,000 from NATS A11 Corridor Package to the NATS City
Centre Package.
To the inclusion of the Plumstead Road roundabout scheme into the NATS City Centre
Package and use of £400,000 of previously allocated funds.
AT & AW returned to the meeting
10
Growth Deal Funding Change Request - Cornhill
DE, Colin Noble (CN), Sue Roper (SuR), and RL left the meeting.
CS reviewed the keys points of the request for an additional £50,000 to cover a shortfall in
project funding. This contribution will leverage match funding of £350,000 already offered by
other partner organisations.
CS confirmed that this was viewed as a worthwhile project and that there was ongoing local
economic activity directly linked to the project.
The Board agreed:
To provide an additional £50k to cover the shortfall in the funding
DE, CN, SuR, and RL returned to the meeting.
11
Growing Places Fund - Atex Business Park - Confidential
The Board agreed:
To note the content of the report.
To receive a revised paper at the April board meeting
12
Scheme of Delegation
CS took the majority of the paper as read.
Board members discussed the Scheme of Delegation and agreed the following minor changes:
Page 2: Awards from Growing Business Fund up to £500k - GBP Panel “overseen by the IAC”
to be added
Page 3: Remuneration of Chief Operating Officer - CEO to be removed
Page 3: Operation procedures and policies - To be amended to “COO in conjunction with
CEO”
LiR asked whether regular update reports form the Chairs of the committees would be included
in future Board meetings.
CS agreed that this would be built into future Board plans
The Board agreed:
To approve the LEP’s Scheme of Delegation subject to the above revisions.
To receive regular updates from committee Chairs
13
Chief Executive’s report including PwC Implementation Plan
CS updated the meetings on the LEP Chairs and CEOs Workshop which he and DF had
attended on 20th March.
4
The workshop had provided further information on key areas:
Governance Review - This is expected to be completed before the summer recess and CS
advised that he felt the New Anglia was well placed to respond.
Local Industrial Strategy - New Anglia is continuing to press to be included as a pilot LEP.
Shared Prosperity fund - an update was given on the ongoing work to replace European
funding.
CS also advised that a meeting was being set up with the new Chair of the GEML Taskforce.
DF thanked the LEP executive team for their hard work which resulted in New Anglia being
assessed as a high performing LEP.
DF also advised that work was ongoing to agree the independent chair for the Audit & Risk
Committee.
AW echoed DF’s thanks to the LEP team but expressed concern that over half of LEPs were
seen as underperforming. Shan Lloyd (SL) noted that the Annual Conversations were carried
out before Christmas and that significant work had been done by LEPs since then to address
the issues raised.
The Board agreed:
To note the content of the report
14
Finance Report
KS took the majority of the paper as read and asked for questions from the Board.
The Board agreed:
To note the content of the report
15
Board Forward Plan
CS advised that the forward plan was still being developed and asked for suggestions from the
Board.
Jeanette Wheeler (JW) requested the inclusion of an update on the delivery of the housing
target.
It was agreed that updates on by Sector Leads and by Chairs on committee performance would
also be included.
The Board agreed:
To note the content of the report.
To receive the updated plan at future meetings
14
Any Other Business
None
Next meeting:
Date and time of next meeting: 18th April 2018. 10am-12.30pm
Venue: Green Britain, Turbine Way, Swaffham, Norfolk
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