New Anglia Board Meeting Minutes (Confirmed)
23rd May 2018
Present:
Cllr David Ellesmere (DE)
Ipswich Borough Council
Doug Field (DF)
East of England Coop
John Griffiths (JG)
St Edmundsbury Borough Council
Dominic Keen (DK)
High Growth Robotics
Colin Noble (CN)
Suffolk County Council
Andrew Proctor (AP)
Broadland District Council
Johnathan Reynolds (JR)
Nautilus
Sandy Ruddock (SR)
Scarlett & Mustard
Alan Waters (AW)
Norwich City Council
Jeanette Wheeler (JW)
Birketts
Tim Whitley (TW)
BT
In Attendance:
Alison Thomas (AT)
Norfolk County Council (For Cliff Jordan)
Richard Lister (RL)
University of Suffolk (For David Richardson)
Corrienne Peasgood (CP)
Norwich City College (For Nikos Savvas)
Sue Roper (SuR)
Suffolk County Council
Vince Muspratt (VM)
Norfolk County Council
Shan Lloyd (SL)
BEIS
Chris Dashper (CD)
New Anglia LEP
Ellen Goodwin (EG)
New Anglia LEP (For Item 5)
Julian Munson (JM)
New Anglia LEP (For Item 6)
Chris Starkie (CS)
New Anglia LEP
Helen Wilton (HW)
New Anglia LEP
Rosanne Wijnberg (RW)
New Anglia LEP
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Actions from the meeting: (23.05.18)
Item 6 Enterprise Zones
To receive further information on the make up of jobs on EZs and the rationale for companies
JM
moving into the zones.
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Welcome from the Chair
Doug Field (DF) welcomed everyone to the meeting and including Corrienne Peasgood deputising for
Nikos Savvas and Richard Lister deputising for David Richardson.
DF asked Alison Thomas (AT) to pass on the best wishes of the Board to Cliff Jordan.
DF welcomed Board members to the Coop Education Centre and introduced a short film celebrating 150
years of the Coop.
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Apologies
Apologies were received from: Cliff Jordan, Steve Oliver, David Richardson, Lindsay Rix and Nikos
Savvas
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Declarations of Interest
Item 8 Capital Growth Programme Projects
Projects recommended for Rejection
Colin Noble, Corrienne Peasgood, Richard Lister, Sue Roper
Projects recommended for Approval
Alan Waters, Andrew Proctor, Alison Thomas and Vince Muspratt.
Attendees were reminded that all Board deputies would be required to complete a Register of Interests
Form.
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Minutes of the last meeting 18th April 2018
The minutes were accepted as a true record of the meeting held on 18th April 2018.
Actions from last meeting updated as follows:
Chief Executive’s Report
HM
To receive regional branding examples from Hayley Mace - Complete
Institute of Technology
An IoT brochure is being completed and will be circulated to Board members when available -
HM
More copies of the brochure are being printed but PDF versions of the document are available
for Board Members at the meeting - Complete
Chris Starkie (CS) reviewed the updates to the action log and advised that he had written to the
Combined Authority and is now liaising over a paper which will go to the June Combined
Authority Board meeting.
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Integrated Transport Strategy
Ellen Goodwin (EG) provided the Board with details of the work carried out to date to produce
the Integrated Transport Strategy and the next steps in the approval process.
The strategy has been endorsed by Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils and, subject to minor
amendments requested by both Councils, will progress to proofing and then publication.
A delivery plan will be produced and presented at the September Board meeting.
The meeting discussed the strategy and noted that projects should be prioritised in order to
achieve the most deliverables. The strategy should also link in to Transport East’s plans.
Johnathan Reynolds (JR) suggested that the strategy should link to the sector plans and also
be more explicitly tied in with the Energy Strategy.
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The Board agreed:
To note the content of the report
To adopt the Integrated Transport Strategy
To support the next steps in the strategy
6
Enterprise Zones
Julian Munson (JM) provided the Board with a presentation on the background to the current
Enterprise Zones (EZs) and their achievements to date.
The Board was advised that work is ongoing on the development of an inward investment
delivery plan which will include EZs as part of the region’s attraction to businesses.
DF asked what level of LEP resource was required to support the EZs. JM confirmed that two
full-time and one part-time member of the LEP executive managed the EZs with additionally 50
per cent of JM’s time. Significant additional resource was also provided by local authority
partners. A service charge to Local Authorities was in place to cover the LEP’s costs.
It was noted that additional resource may be required in future for lead generation.
Jeanette Wheeler (JW) advised the meeting that Birketts was about to move into their new
building on an EZ and stressed the quality of the site. The Board was invited to hold a future
meeting at the office.
The meeting discussed the importance of understanding numbers of new jobs created, whether
they were truly additional or just sustaining existing employment, and those which have just
relocated when a company moves onto an EZ.
The Board agreed that the issue of job displacement needed to be understood more fully and
asked for analysis on new and sustained jobs. This analysis should also include the
company’s motives for moving.
AP asked about the spending plans for the income from the EZs.
JM noted there is a delivery plan for each site using Pot B funds. CS advised that the Pot C
revenue is funding available to be invested by the LEP and that a proposal for using this money
would be presented at the June Board.
Tim Whitley (TW) requested further detail of investment already carried out in the region which
would support marketing of the East and demonstrate the extent of historical and ongoing
investment in the region.
John Griffiths (JG) stressed the importance of highlighting successful case studies.
The Board agreed:
To note the content of the presentation
To endorse the approach to inward investment and forward plan.
To receive further information on the make up of jobs on EZs and the rationale for
JM
companies moving into the zones.
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West Suffolk College Engineering Centre 2nd Phase
Chris Dashper (CD) presented the paper on the Engineering and Technology Centre at West
Suffolk College and requested approval from the Board on the recommendation of the
Investment Appraisal Committee
(IAC) to release of the remaining
£3 million for the
refurbishment of part a building in order to create a new Engineering and Technology Centre.
The Board agreed:
To note the content of the report
To approve the release of £3m to fund the 2nd Phase of the West Suffolk College
Engineering Centre
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Capital Growth Programme Projects
CD reviewed the assessment process carried out to date on those projects which had provided
further information as part of the latest call.
A number of projects had chosen to withdraw from the process.
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The Board was advised that the remaining projects had been then been divided into three
categories - Recommend Rejection. Recommend Approval and Recommend Approval as an
award from the Growing Places fund.
The meeting then reviewed each group of recommendations in turn.
Recommendations for Rejection
Colin Noble (CN), Corrienne Peasgood (CP), Richard Lister (RL) and Sue Roper (SuR) left the
room.
CS advised that these projects, whilst recommended for rejection, would be able to reapply at
the future call.
CD confirmed that all rejected projects would receive a full response and would be advised
when a future call take place. They would be also given feedback on the appraisal carried out.
David Ellesmere (DE) advised that the LEP’s Investment Appraisal Committee had met prior to
the Board meeting on 23rd May to review the recommendations.
The committee supported all the recommendations bar one.
He outlined that the IAC has agreed that The Hold Project should be awarded £250k from the
Growing Places Fund, which is in line with similar cultural and heritage projects also supported
by GPF.
The board agreed that this decision, because of the value of the award (£250k) falls within the
remit of the IAC. The board endorsed the IAC decision.
The Board agreed to reject the remaining projects as per the recommendation.
JG, CP & RL returned to the room.
Alan Waters (AW), Andrew Proctor (AP), Alison Thomas (AT) and Vince Muspratt (VM) left the
room.
Projects for Approval
CD noted that there was an over-allocation against the £9m allocated to the original call due to
the inclusion of the Gt Yarmouth Flood Defences.
The Board was advised that if this project was put back to a future call there was a significant
risk of losing matched funding from the Environment Agency of more than £31m.
This still leaves £19.5m left for the next call.
DE noted that the Norwich Castle Investment was dependant on Heritage Lottery Funding and
LEP support would significantly assist this bid.
JW asked whether the amounts agreed were as per the original requests. CD advised that all
had been negotiated down but projects remained deliverable.
JR queried the number of jobs created through the GY project as the figures were based
before the oil price crash. The board was reassured that even if the numbers were revised
downwards the cost benefit of the scheme was still significantly above the required level to
justify the investment.
The Board approved the recommendations as per the proposal.
All remaining Board members returned to the room.
Board agreed:
To note the content of the report
To approve the award of Capital Grant Programme grant funding to the following projects:
o A140 Hempnall Roundabout - £650,770
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o Eye Airfield Link Road - £1.46m
o Great Yarmouth Flood Defences - £8.2m
o Snape Maltings Flood Defences - £125k
o To reject those projects as recommended with the exception of The Hold - Suffolk
Archives Services
o To endorse the decision of the IAC to award The Hold, Suffolk Archives Services, a
£250,000 Growing Places Fund Grant.
To award Growing Places Fund Grants to the following projects:
o Gainsborough House National Centre - £250k
o Norwich Castle ‘Gateway to Medieval England’ - £500k (subject to the award of
Heritage Lottery Funding
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Speculative Development
CD reviewed the paper as included in the Board pack which was requested by the IAC to cover
the engagement in speculative development.
DF queried the success rate of the repayment of loans provided to date. CD confirmed that all
had been repaid including those where the loan period had been renegotiated.
DE confirmed that the IAC recommended supporting the strategy.
The Board was advised that any such investments would require prior investment and would
need business plans in place being presented to the LEP.
Investments up to £500k can be approved by the IAC but it was agreed that the first few
investments would be presented to the Board for approval as well for reassurance.
The Board agreed:
To approve adoption of the framework for speculative development.
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Growing Places Fund - Atex Park Loan
CD presented the paper on Atex Park and provided the Board with the background to the
investment and advised that a tenant has now been identified for the business units.
The investment has been assessed as per the speculative development framework and scored
within the agreed range to secure investment.
DE confirmed that the IAC recommended approval.
DF requested that in future similar proposals include details of what the applicant originally
requested and what was originally agreed.
The Board agreed:
To approve a recommendation made by the IAC to offer of a £630,000 loan to the
applicant towards the development of commercial space on Atex Park.
11
Data Dashboard
Rosanne Wijnberg (RW) presented the two dashboards to the meeting.
DF asked whether there was any issues highlighted by the data.
CD advised that private sector investment and new dwellings were reported as behind target
but there were no concerns that these would not be achieved. The results were captured when
projects were completed resulting in timing issues in reporting the figures.
Board members were requested to provide feedback to Rosanne Wijnberg (RW).
Tim Whitley (TW) requested that comparison data be included in future report.
The Board agreed:
To note the content of the dashboards
12
PwC Report - Review of Implementation
CD reviewed the updates to the PWC Implementation Plan.
AT requested that any regular Board deputies be included in any future training provided for
Board members.
DE suggested that formal vice-chairs be appointed for each body.
CD noted that the Board can agree for each body to amend its own Terms of Reference to
include Vice-chairs.
5
The Board agreed:
To note the content of the report
For Vice-Chairs to be appointed for each of the main LEP Bodies.
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Chief Executive’s Report
CS reviewed the Chief Executive’s report and highlighted the following items:
Audit & Risk Committee - An introductory meeting had been held with Nick Banks as the
prospective independent chair of the Committee. CS requested approval to appoint Nick
Banks from the Board.
EIoT - A successful dinner has been held and the response to the bid is awaited. Copies of the
brochure are available for Board members at the meeting.
Careers Hub - a bid will be submitted by 25th May with over 30 schools and colleges already
signed up.
Table of Related Parties - Current entries had been circulated to Board members for review
and amendment as required. Any queries should be submitted to Keith Spanton.
The Board agreed:
To note the content of the report
To appoint Nick Banks as Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee
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Finance Report
CS reviewed the key points of the paper and asked for questions from the Board.
He advised that the audit is underway and a tender will be carried out for the next year’s audit.
The Board agreed:
To note the content of the report
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Board Forward Plan
CS reviewed the items to be covered at the June Board.
The Board agreed:
To note the content of the plan
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Any Other Business
DK noted that there were businesses approaching the GBF re investment in automation and
further investigation into these requests would be useful.
TW informed the Board that BT are looking for apprentices at Adastral Park. JW noted that
Norfolk Schools were not always advised about such subjects. TW agreed to ensure that future
communications covered both Norfolk and Suffolk schools and colleges.
DF thanked CN for his time on the Board. This was fully supported by the meeting.
Next meeting:
Date and time of next meeting:
10.00am - 12.30pm, 20th June 2018
Venue: The Council House, UEA, Norwich
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