Confidential

New Anglia Board Meeting Minutes (Confirmed)

27^th January 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

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)

Scarlet & Mustard

Alan Waters (AW)

Norwich City Council

Jeanette Wheeler (JW)

Birketts

Tim Whitley (TW)

Attendees

Ian Whitehead (IH)

Lane Farm - For Item 2

Rebecca Miles (RM)

Lane Farm - For Item 2

Harry Youngson (HY)

Lane Farm - For Item 2

Shan Lloyd (SL)

BEIS

Mark Ash (MA)

Suffolk County Council

Vince Muspratt (VM)

Norfolk County Council

James Allen (JA)

New Anglia LEP - For Item 7

Chris Dashper (CD)

New Anglia LEP - For Item 11

Julian Munson (JM)

New Anglia LEP - For Item 10

Chris Starkie (CS)

New Anglia LEP

Emma Taylor (ET)

New Anglia LEP - For Item 8

Rosanne Wijnberg (RW)

New Anglia LEP

Helen Wilton (HW)

New Anglia LEP

Actions from the meeting: (27.1.21)

2021 LEP Strategic Priorities

Any comments on the strategic priorities to be submitted to CS & CJG

ALL

Strategic priorities slides to be circulated to the board

Chief Executive’s Report

An update on Ely Junction to be provided at the next board meeting

Welcome from the Chair

CJ Green (CJG) welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked them for attending.

Presentation from Ian Whitehead, Lane Farm

CJG welcomed Ian Whitehead (IW), Rebecca Miles (RM) and Harry Youngson (HY) from Lane Farm

who provided the board with a presentation on their family run pig farm explaining that over the past

20 years they have diversified the business by setting up a cutting plant which had allowed them to

produce their own products and sell to local stores. IW explained that they then moved into cooking

and processing their pork and by bringing processing into a single building in 2019 allowing customers

to visit the site which resulted in larger orders.

The LEP’s agri-food grant will be used to purchase packaging machines allowing increased

productivity, reduced wrapping costs and allowing the use of recycled materials.

RM confirmed that a web site had been set up for the Suffolk Salami arm of the business which is

being used to test the processes and that this was doing well without promotion and that they would

look to expand this going forward.

The meeting discussed the impact of the pandemic which has reduced the demand from the

commercial food trade but noted that sales in local shops had increased.

CJG thanked them for the presentation and they left the meeting.

Apologies

Apologies were received from Dominic Keen.

Declarations of Interest

None

Actions/Minutes from the last Meeting

The minutes were accepted as a true record of the meeting held on 25^th November 2020.

CJG reviewed the outstanding actions and Chris Starkie (CS) provided an update on the

sources of traffic on the web site vacancy board details of which will be circulated with the

minutes.

2021 LEP Strategic Priorities

CS provided the board with a presentation on the LEP’s key achievements of 2020 and the

strategic priorities for the year ahead.

CS highlighted 10 ways in which the LEP had supported local businesses during the

pandemic including the PPE database, the successes of partnership working and the

provision of grants in particular the Business Resilience and Recovery Scheme. It was also

noted that the LEP team had continued to deliver business as normal throughout its full

portfolio of programmes.

CS proposed the following priorities for 2021:

• Covid-19 Reponses & Recovery - continued practical support for business and support

during the recovery

• Clean Growth Region - driving forward the key elements of the Local Industrial Strategy

including establishing the Clean Growth Taskforce

• International Profile & Trade - working with the Department for International Trade and

other partners to promote the region, navigate any issues related to Brexit and take

advantage of new opportunities.

• Strengthening the LEP - securing future financing as programmes come to an end and

identifying funding from other areas.

The meeting discussed the new UK Shared Prosperity Fund details of which will be set out at

the budget in March.

CS also recommended a continuing focus on underpinning themes of inclusive growth,

innovation and digitalisation which will support all areas of work.

Claire Cullens (CC) noted that support for skills needed to be explicit in the objectives and the

meeting discussed the Skills White paper and the role of the Chambers of Commerce. CS

advised that he was meeting with both local chambers to discuss this further and would also

arrange a meeting with CC.

CS agreed to add an explicit reference to skills into the objectives

ACTIONS: Any comments on the strategic priorities to be submitted to CS & CJG

All

Strategic priorities slides to be circulated to the board

The Board agreed:

• To note the content of the presentation and agreed the priorities identified with the addition

of skills

Trade and Cooperation Agreement Between the EU and the UK

James Allen (JA) presented the board with a summary of the report on the Trade and

Cooperation Agreement struck between the EU and the UK detailing the contents of the deal,

potential implications for sectors, potential economic impact, emerging intelligence and LEP

activity.

The board discussed the potential impact on the economy of leaving the EU coupled with the

pandemic and current anecdotal evidence of issues.

CS advised the board that the presentation could be provided to partners and anyone

interested should contact him or JA.

The Board praised the quality of the report and presentation and agreed:

• To note the content of the report

Agri-Food Industry Council Report

Corrienne Peasgood (CP), chair of the Agri-food Council, presented the board with an update

on the work of the Agri-Food Industry Council and reviewed the key objectives:

• Supporting business recovery, promoting long term growth and ensuring business

resilience.

• Explore ways of attracting inward investment to increase the volume and value of food

processing within Norfolk & Suffolk.

• Collaborate with partners including Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

leveraging the existing strengths of Agri-TechE to realise the collective power as the UK

centre for hi-tech, precision agriculture and food production.

• Support the development of a Food Innovation Centre at the Food Enterprise Park at

Honingham Thorpe to deliver regional business growth through innovation, productivity,

processing and to support the further development of the wider Norwich Food Enterprise

Park.

• Develop a world-leading hub for plant and microbial research at the Norwich Research

Park.

• Understanding, supporting and developing the Clean Growth agenda for the agri-food

value chain.

• Enabling Growth in the New Anglia Agri-food sector through skills development.

CP highlighted some of the concerns which have been raised by businesses regarding the

UK leaving the EU and noted that the full impacts have not yet been seen.

Emma Taylor (ET) advised that the next Agri-food sector report will be issued shortly

providing feedback from council members, project updates and case studies.

Johnathan Reynolds (JR) asked if the council included aqua foods within its scope. CP

confirmed it did but this area would be expanded in the future.

The Board agreed:

• To note the content of the report

Chief Executive’s Report

CS highlighted key projects including the successful delivery of the Peer to Peer Network and

the announcement of a further round of funding to which the LEP will be submitting a bid.

Annual Performance Review - CS was pleased to confirm that Government’s preliminary

assessment was that all requirements have been met. The review meeting between

Government and the LEP team will take place on 28^th January.

Covid-19 Response - The LEP is also working with partners in Public Health teams to assist

in setting up Covid-19 testing programmes for businesses with less than 250 employees.

Andrew Proctor (AP) asked if the Peer to Peer network included the care sector. CS

confirmed that the network had been promoted to all sectors.

CS agreed with AP’s comment that progress on Ely Junction had been slow but that the

funding proved by the LEP and local authorities had moved the project onto the next stage.

It was agreed that an update would be provided for the next board meeting.

ACTION: An update on the Ely junction project to be provided at the February board meeting

JR asked how inward investment queries connected to the Industry Councils. CS noted that

this could be challenging given the confidential nature of the investment discussions, but it

would be possible to share some details.

The Board agreed:

• To note the content of the report

Connected Innovation

Julian Munson (JM) provided the board with an update on the LEP’s ‘Connected Innovation’

initiative which is being driven by the LEP’s Innovation Board and includes a new programme

to connect and promote Norfolk and Suffolk’s Innovation Hubs and the development of an

Innovation Prospectus. The prospectus is still undergoing amendments and will be circulated

to the Board on completion.

The two year project will provide a more collaborative approach to innovation across the

region and will also support cross sector innovation.

JR expressed thanks to both local authorities for their support and noted the success of

pulling together the innovation hubs and the opportunities which this provides.

The Board agreed:

• To note the content of the report

New Anglia Capital Report - Confidential

Chris Dashper (CD) presented the report noting the change in format and advised that this

was still being reviewed and amended.

The Board agreed:

• To note the content of the report

January Performance Reports

Rosanne Wijnberg (RW) presented the reports to the Board and highlighted key items.

Growth Programme - the Small Grants Programme runs until September 2021 and further

funding was being investigated.

Enterprise Advisor Network - Outputs are as at the end of the autumn term and are rated red

as they are centred on work with businesses. The advisors have been working on other

initiatives which are not reflected in the captured outputs but which are recognised by the

Careers Enterprise Company.

Enterprise Zones - Activity has slowed on the Great Yarmouth & Lowestoft EZ while Space to

Innovate remains busy.

The Board agreed:

• To note the content of the reports

Quarterly Management Accounts

RW presented the management accounts to the board and asked for approval of the virement

of funds from the Business Resilience and Recovery Fund (R&R) to the Growing Business

Fund.

The Board agreed:

• To note the content of the accounts

• To approve the budget transfer (subject to government agreement) of £1m from R&R to

Growing Business Fund.

Board Forward Plan

CS presented the forward plan highlighting the agenda items for the next meeting.

The Board agreed:

• To note the content of the plan

Any Other Business

None