Regional agency facing the chop (From Swindon Advertiser)

New partnership to replace doomed RDA

2:00pm Thursday 1st July 2010 in News By Leigh Robinson

REGIONAL development agencies and the Commission for Rural Communities are to be abolished as part of the Government’s axeing of quangos.

Among those to go is the South West RDA which will be wound down by the end of March 2012 with the loss of 320 jobs – but none are in Swindon.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the RDAs, which together cost the taxpayer £1.5 billion, will be replaced by local enterprise partnerships (LEPs).

These new boards will be made up of councillors and local business schemes which will take over the RDAs’ role of promoting local economic development and attracting investment and jobs.

Mr Clegg also launched a £1bn Regional Growth Fund to help areas and communities at risk of being particularly affected by public spending cuts.

Both private bodies and public-private partnerships will be able to bid for funding by demonstrating that their proposal will bring in private investment and support sustainable increases in private sector jobs and growth in their area.

Just what that means for Swindon remains to be seen.

But GWE Business West, which is a private company and not a quango, has a focus on improving competitiveness and encouraging business growth in Swindon, Wiltshire and the West of England and can be expected to be involved in its future development.

Managing director Phil Smith said: “Business is the driver of economic growth and action needs to be taken to boost enterprise, support infrastructure and green growth to build a new more responsible economic model. The role of business and private sector partners working with the public sector is a crucial one. And GWE Business West delivers local solutions.

“We already work with decision makers on issues of concern to business and we lend our support on key schemes and policies and challenge where we think there are gaps.

“We keep listening to what businesses are saying and talking to the local authorities, MPs and councillors, so the business message is heard.”

Paul Briggs, chief executive of the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group, said: “Whatever new structures emerge, it is clear that local business leaders need to play a central role in defining every area’s economic future. So businesses and the Chamber of Commerce, must be at the heart of new Local Enterprise Partnerships. Business must be at the heart of any changes.

“Given the long-standing economic challenges that face so many parts of the country, business must be assured that private sector growth, job creation, and balanced local economies are LEPs’ overriding priorities.

“While business will wait to see detailed plans on the proposed Regional Growth Fund, what’s clear from the outset is that the fund will have significantly less resources to support business growth than previous arrangements.

“While business has been fully supportive of the Government’s drive to reduce the UK’s deficit, we believe that investment in the business environment must remain a key priority – even in the Thames Valley region which has experienced consistent economic stability.

“In particular, we will await the white paper with interest and assess how Swindon can benefit from this initiative.”