West of England LEP
Rural Economy Sector Group
Notes of the tenth meeting
10.30am Wednesday 26 September 2012
Portwall Place, Portwall Lane, BristolBS1 6NA
By kind permission of Smith & Williamson
Present
Charles Hignett (CH) Farmer/Businessman
John Mortimer (JM) Director CLA South West
Mark O’Sullivan (MOs) Federation of Small Businesses
Chris Head (CHd) Exec Director West of England Rural Network
Mike Amos (MA) Farmer/Businessman
Roger Smith (RS) Rural Advice Manager Business West
Chris Smith (CS) Marshfield Bakery
Simon Gregory (SG) Economic Development Officer North Somerset Council
Graham Clark (GC) Rural Surveyor CLA
Apologies were received from Paul Goff, Peter Jackson, Simon Gregory, Peter Duppa-Miller, Tim Mead, James Durie, Matthew Riddle, John Wilkinson, Jerry Barnes, Antony Merritt, Mike Weaver.
ACTION1. Welcome and introductions
CH welcomed members to the meeting and thanked Smith & Williamson for providing the meeting room and hospitality.
2. Notes of the meeting held on 28 March 2012
2.1 Chairman requested that organisations were attributed to attendees where appropriate, timely distribution of the minutes and actions.
2.2 Matter of UA representation was discussed. Simon Gregory is likely to be the regular rep.
2.3 These were agreed. / JM
3. Matters arising from the minutes
3.1 CHd reported successful Rural Housing event organised by WoE Rural Network.
3.2 Discussion about providing housing to support farming enterprise. Roles and functions of NPPF, Sites & Policies (DPD) and neighbourhood plans.
3.3 Communications and WoE LEP website development. Agreed we would use information drawn from the RESG Board submission and also drawn from NFU figures. CHd agreed links to his work could be used as well. Concern expressed that the site doesn’t encourage visitors to drill down further. Agreed that we would make a start; content can be amended as we go along. Agreed our role was not to provide data for educational purposes. MA emphasised importance of reminding people that rural exists with this City Region. JM, GC, CHd and CH will take it forward / JM,GC,CHd
4. WoE LEP Update
4.1. Chairman summarised recent achievements, including Bristol City Deal. Colin Skellett (CS) had written to CH noting Owen Paterson MP as SOS at DEFRA and thought timing was right to revisit ideas around a Rural Enterprise Zone. Question of resource discussed. Chairman had raised problem with CS who understood problem and would look at whether and how some resource can be provided. JM continued to make the point to John Coleman of DEFRA – message may be getting through. CHd said Coleman offices in Bristol and suggested asking to hold our meeting there. JM would follow that idea up. / JM
5. Bristol City Region – City Deal
5.1. MA expressed concern that the Bristol City Region – City Deal may have negative impact on rural towns.
5.2. CHd noted transport elements and that rural parts of the Greater Bristol transport package had now been dropped.
6. HMG Rural Statement
6.1. JM confirmed this was a Government statement – not just DEFRA. It contains nothing new, rather a drawing together of what HMG has done so far.
7. WoE Local Nature Partnership
7.1. CHd reported some confusion over the role of LNPs and concern that government has set up a variety of bodies seemingly all with the common brief of improving the economy, so potential for duplication and confliction of effort. CH confirmed that LEP RESG had given its support to LNP bid to be a pilot area to trial the collation of economic data relating to the economic impact of environment.
7.2. Discussed Eco-system services and payment for public goods. CHd requested a more detailed discussion at a future meeting.
7.3. MO’S asked if there was yet land manager on the LNP. There is not but agreed most importantly that there should be on their board when constituted. JM to write. CHd to provide watching brief. / JM
8. Broadband
8.1 SG reported state of play. State Aid problem persists and the delay implies that government objective of all money spent and systems complete by 2015 will not be met. BDUK sub-regional scheme is ready to place contracts but awaiting State Aid resolution. There will be demand stimulation projects coming through – although care needed not to build expectation too much in advance of implementation of the BDUK projects.
8.2 Concern expressed that BT seem only interested in domestic users. Also there’s no public knowledge of the order in which areas are likely to be rolled out.
8.3 Many SW communities have not been able to bid into the Rural Community Broadband Fund because one criterion is that they have to know what the BDUK project will deliver for them.
8.4 Agreed that one of our two keys asks of CS would be for him to push for knowledge of the detail and the roll out plans. / CH
9. Taking forward the Food Agenda
9.1 CHd had little to report as other duties had prevented him from doing enough to take the project forward. He would be grateful if someone would take it on.
9.2 He reported that Steve Marriot had reported poor attendance from suppliers at a recent event to bring together suppliers and buyers. Many buyers but few buyers turned up. Discussed problem of suppliers needs.
9.3 Agreed this was primarily a private sector issue; our role is to assist private sector producers improve their markets.
9.4 CS reported on the BBC ‘Who feeds Britain’ and initiative to bring young people into food manufacturing facilities.
9.5 CS said he would be willing to discuss work so far and then to take the subject forward. / CS/CHd
10. Skills
10.1 CHd reported on meeting with David Draycott to discuss a rural ‘Wheels to Work’ scheme designed to help get students and apprentices to college or work.
11. Pop Up
11.1 There was nothing to report.
12. WoE Rural Enterprise Zone
12.1 CH introduced quoting Colin Skellett letter asking for 2 sides to propose a Rural Enterprise Zone. Discussed concept of Enterprise Zones and Enterprise Areas as advance by WoE. Challenge was how to extrapolate these concepts to a rural area.
12.2 Discussed working up our RGN proposal so there is a shovel ready project to put forward whenever and wherever money becomes available.
12.3 Growth Fund money may be one source.
12.4 MO’S suggested timing was important as high quality broadband may yet be some years away.
12.5 CH asked for a meeting to be convened with the three EDOs to take forward and this was agreed by SG.
12.6 CHd suggested rural was a cross cutting thing and we needed to work with other sector groups to identify key needs – but needs that were rurally based.
12.7 Agreed SG would initiate a meeting of EDOs, CH, CHd, JM
12.8 CH will write holding note to Colin Skellett on this. / SG
CH
13. RESGs Priorities
13.1 Agreed: Resources, broadband and Rural Enterprise Zone. CH to write to Colin Skellett. / CH
14. Any other business
14.1. SG raised then issue of the coming mayor of Bristol and whether we should have in mind ensuring the Mayoral candidates understand importance of rural. This was agreed.
14.2. Mendip Hill AONB had requested a LEP rep. It was agreed this was for the land owning and managing representatives to cover rather than this committee. CH to respond
14.3. WoE LEP Conference will be on Thursday 13 December. Agreed RESG should be involved. Details will be circulated when known. / CH
Dates and venues for future meetings
· 28 November at Thrings LLP
· JM to propose future dates.
· Possible meeting at DEFRA Offices in February. / JM