New Anglia Board Meeting
23rd June 2020
Key Points
LEP Response to COVID-19
The Board received a report updating them on the work being carried out to support businesses during the
current crisis and was advised that the LEP continues to work closely with a wide range of partners including all
Norfolk and Suffolk local authorities, business groups such as the chambers and FSB, colleges, universities
and LEP sector groups.
It was noted that calls into the Growth Hub have reduced allowing the team to concentrate on providing support
for individual businesses and that the new Business Resilience and Recovery Scheme continues to be
successful with 19 approvals granted to date and more than 39 applications in the pipeline. Further funding
has been requested as part of the Local Growth Deal 4 submission.
The continued success of the vacancy page on the LEP web site was highlighted and Board members were
asked to provide details of any other vacancies to the LEP and to continue to promote the page.
Covid-19 Economic Recovery Plan
The Board was presented with the Covid-19 Economic Recovery Restart Plan for Norfolk and Suffolk which has
been produced by the LEP team working with local authority, business, education and voluntary sector colleagues
in less than four weeks and with the involvement of more than 700 individuals and more than 100 groups.
The plan provides a clear set of actions for Norfolk and Suffolk partners to help businesses and other
organisations restart following the lockdown and includes measures to mitigate the severe economic downturn.
The meeting was advised that this tactical Restart plan covers the next 6-9 months and will be followed by a
strategic, longer term document.
The Board agreed:
• To endorse the Economic Recovery Restart Plan
Impact on Employment
The Board received a paper setting out the potential impact on employment across Norfolk and Suffolk following
the outbreak of Covid 19 which noted that, as the furlough and self-employed schemes come to an end,
redundancy levels are anticipated to rise very sharply in the autumn of 2020 and in early 2021. The report
included a range of unemployment projections, based on different scenarios all of which included a rise in
unemployment.
The paper presented the Board with details of the planned initiatives aimed at reducing the numbers of
redundancies and supporting those seeking employment:
The Board discussed the impact on school leavers and graduates and the importance of creating new high value
jobs where possible.
The Board agreed:
• To support the actions laid down in the paper
LEP Operating and HR Policies
As per the LEP’s governance procedures the annual review of the LEPs policies and procedures for employees
and board members has been completed. The following policies were presented to and approved by the
Board.
• Modern Slavery Statement
• Environmental Policy
• Equality & Diversity Policy and Statement
• Board Attendance & Observers Policy
Further Papers Reviewed
• Continuing Business Report (Noted)
• June Performance Reports (Noted)
• Board Forward Plan (Noted)
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