Confidential
New Anglia Board Meeting Minutes (Confirmed)
24th February 2021
Present:
Kathy Atkinson (KA)
Kettle Foods
Sam Chapman-Allen (SC)
Breckland Council
Claire Cullens (CC)
Norfolk Community Foundation
David Ellesmere (DE)
Ipswich Borough Council
C-J Green (CJG)
Brave Goose
John Griffiths (JG)
West Suffolk Council
Matthew Hicks (MH)
Suffolk County Council
Pete Joyner (PJ)
Shorthose Russell
Dominic Keen (DK)
Britbots
Helen Langton (HL)
University of Suffolk
Steve Oliver (SO)
MLM Group
Corrienne Peasgood (CP)
Norwich City College
Andrew Proctor (AP)
Norfolk County Council
Johnathan Reynolds (JR)
Opergy
Sandy Ruddock (SR)
Scarlett & Mustard
Alan Waters (AW)
Norwich City Council
Tim Whitley (TW)
BT
Attendees
Mohammad Dastbaz (MD) University of Suffolk - For Item 2
Shan Lloyd (SL)
BEIS
Mark Ash (MA)
Suffolk County Council
Vince Muspratt (VM)
Norfolk County Council
Ellen Goodwin (ET)
New Anglia LEP - For Item 10
Julian Munson (JM)
New Anglia LEP - For Item 6
Chris Starkie (CS)
New Anglia LEP
Rosanne Wijnberg (RW)
New Anglia LEP
Helen Wilton (HW)
New Anglia LEP
1
Actions from the meeting: (24.2.21)
Confidential Items
1
Welcome from the Chair
CJ Green (CJG) welcomed everyone to the meeting and noted the challenges ahead following the
announcement of the roadmap out of lockdown.
2
Presentation from Professor Helen Langton and Professor Mohammad Dastbaz
CJG welcomed Professor Mohammad Dastbaz (MD) to the meeting and invited him and Professor
Helen Langton (HL) to present the board with an overview of the 10 year plan and vision for the
University of Suffolk.
HL provided details of the increases in student numbers and highlighted high level of mature and
female students largely linked to the care related courses provided.
HL highlighted the five main areas of focus - Learning and teaching, Business Engagement, Research
& Scholarly Activity, People and Places and International, both attracting international students to the
campus and widening the horizons of domestic students.
HL reviewing current important projects highlighting the Integrated Care Academy which will develop
an existing building which will hold the health and wellbeing centre and thanked the LEP for its support
for the project.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Mohammad Dastbaz, presented details of the Digitech Centre at Adastral
Park noting the support from the LEP. Work started in February 2020 and even with the impact of the
pandemic work is nearing completion. One masters course has already started and the laboratories
are hoped to be used from March 2021 onwards.
Claire Cullens (CC) advised that the Skills Advisory Panel was looking to identify skill requirements in
the voluntary sector and noted that there were opportunities to link in with the Integrated Care
Academy.
CJG thanked them for the presentation and MD left the meeting
3
Apologies
Apologies were received from Jeanette Wheeler.
4
Declarations of Interest
Andrew Proctor (AP) declared an interest in Item 8 and left the room for the duration of this
item.
5
Actions/Minutes from the last Meeting
The minutes were accepted as a true record of the meeting held on 27th January 2021.
6
Energy Sector Recovery and Resilience Plan
Julian Munson (JM) presented the board with the Energy Recovery and Resilience Plan
which has been produced with the support of an Energy Recovery Task and Finish Group
made up of selected members from the All-Energy Industry Council including Local Authority
partners.
JM provided the board with an overview of the extensive impact of the energy sector on the
local economy and examples of the opportunities which the sector provided included those for
the supply chain.
JM advised that the plan includes current projects and investments within Norfolk and Suffolk
and also medium-long interventions highlighting the unique mix of energy both onshore and
offshore.
2
Corrienne Peasgood (CP) noted that some projects such as Sizewell could cause tensions for
other sectors such as the drain in skills from other areas and that this needed to be identified
and acted upon before it became an issue.
Matthew Hicks (MH) noted the existence of National Energy and Climate Plans and
highlighted the issue in Suffolk of offshore energy being brought onshore along a 20 mile area
of coastline and the impact of this on the area.
The meeting agreed that there is no joined up thinking from Government on the energy sector
and the opportunities should not be exploited at any cost.
The meeting discussed the wider impact of the developments such as on the environment
and noted that these legitimate concerns and plans need to be as joined up as possible to
ensure the benefits to the region are realised.
Johnathan Reynolds (JR) thanked JM and his team for the work on the plan and confirmed
that better connectivity with other all industry councils was required to exploit cross-over
opportunities.
He highlighted the ruling to overturn the Vattenfall approval meant that there were no clear
timescales on the future of the project and it was possible that the decision would impact on
other offshore wind farms with a potential delay of 2-3 years on other projects unless urgent
action is taken.
JM confirmed that final sign off of the plan lay with the LEP Board and that any comments
made today would be incorporated.
The Board agreed:
To note the content of the report
To endorse the Recovery and Resilience Plan for Norfolk and Suffolk’s energy sector
To delegate final sign off to CJG and Chris Starkie (CS) following inclusion of minor
amendments
7
Enterprise Zone Accelerator Fund Amendment - Nar Ouse - Confidential
8
Great Yarmouth O&M Campus - Confidential
9
Enterprise Zone Accelerator Fund - Norwich Research Park - Confidential
3
10
Norfolk & Suffolk Transport Board Update
Steve Oliver (SO) presented the board on with an overview on how the various strands of the
transport strategy are being pulled together under the banner of clean growth and decarbonisation
Ellen Goodwin (EG) presented details of some of the key initiatives including an update on Ely
Junction as requested at the last board meeting.
JR noted that Transport East did not have decarbonisation and clean growth highlighted on their
agenda.
EG advised that the LEP is working the Combined Authority on the alternative fuel strategy which
is is about to be put out to tender.
AP asked what was being done regarding improved East-West connectivity.
SO confirmed that the A14 and A47 traskforces work to promote the region and EG advised that
they are also speaking to the Ox Cam Arc and other transport corridors.
CJG thanked SO for taking on the chair of the Transport Board.
The Board agreed:
To note the content of the report
11
Chief Executive’s Report
CS updated the meeting on the work the LEP is doing on support Covid-19 testing in busineses
and confirmed that the LEP’s bid to the ESF fund to extend the Enterprise Advisor Network has
been confirmed.
It was noted that applications to the Business Resilience and Recovery programme had slowed
during lockdown but now was showed signs of increasing.
Nineteen cohorts are now participating in the Peer to Peer Network with further funding secured
for next year.
Alan Waters (AW) asked if intelligence gathered on the exit from the EU is being fed to
Government. CS confirmed that it was and that all LEPs have been asked to provide more
details.
The Board agreed:
To note the content of the report
12
February Performance Reports
Rosanne Wijnberg (RW) presented the reports to the Board and highlighted key items noting
that £18.9m rollover remains in Growth deal spend. Outputs have been impacted in the last
financial year but overall remain positive.
Programme outputs dashboard - RW confirm that achievements of some outputs had been
delayed but this was to be expected and the outputs were still expected to be realised when
the projects complete.
The Board agreed:
4
To note the content of the reports
To approve the Growth Deal Dashboard
13
Board Forward Plan
The Board agreed:
To note the content of the plan
14
Any Other Business
None
5