Memorandum by the East of England Regional
Assembly (EERA) (RG 71)
1. INTRODUCTION
TO EERA
1.1 The East of England Regional Assembly
(EERA) is the designated voluntary regional chamber under Section
8 (1) of the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998. EERA originally
came into existence in 1999 and, within severely limited resource
constraints, made the most of its role of scrutinising the new
Regional Development Agency, EEDA.
1.2 The May 2002 Regional Governance White
Paper provided a major boost to EERA's work and paved the way
for a major constitutional review. Public appetite for an elected
regional assembly was found to be weak in the East of England
when the Government took soundings in 2003. The Assembly chose
to embrace the so called Chapter 2 agenda from the Regional Governance
White Paper, seeking to incrementally develop regional arrangements,
without drawing up from the powers of democratically elected local
authorities. The Assembly sought to extend democratic influence
to central Government departments, and non departmental public
bodies. Our scrutiny role with EEDA has also continued to develop,
and we have extended the Assembly's scrutiny role, on a voluntary
basis, to other public agencies such as the Environment Agency
and the Regional Cultural Consortium.
1.3 The Assembly's own organisational arrangements
are somewhat unique in an English regional context. The EERA is
the single "brand" under which three separate regional
functions are operated. EERA acts as the voluntary regional chamber
for the region, but also undertakes the role of the Regional Local
Government Association, and also the Regional Employers' Organisation.
These arrangements are not only highly cost effective, in terms
of bureaucratic structures and costs, but they have enabled EERA
to build on its established links with all the 54 local authorities
in the Region, together with the new stakeholder partners which
the Assembly was required to recognise as a condition of being
designated as the Regional Planning Body. A major review of the
Assembly's constitution in 2003 introduced a new single constitution
which guarantees the participation of all 54 local authorities,
who, in spite of differing political views about the merits of
Regional Agenda, all voluntarily pay a subscription to the Assembly.
Unlike other regions, to date the Assembly has not had any requests
for its dissolution nor requests for local authorities to withdraw
from membership. We believe that this situation directly stems
from a strong belief in working together, to advance the interests
of the Region, drawing on the strengths of both our local government
and stakeholder partners.
1.4 There is all group consensus on the
Assembly about the benefits of working together and whilst individual
political groups have their own views as to the long term future
of regional working, and the nature of regional arrangements,
the Assembly has successfully established itself as a key regional
institution which is there to support the actions and capacity
of local authorities in the region.
1.5 This degree of consensus is perhaps
doubly remarkable given the political "colour" of the
East of England Westminster and Local Government Map, and also
because the Assembly has had to manage the process of a highly
controversial Regional Spatial Strategy (the East of England Plan),
with its headline uplift in housing numbers of 15% over previous
plan targets.
1.6 We strongly believe that a key to our
success is the inclusive nature of Assembly working, where all
local authorities are members of the Assembly but the detailed
work of the Assembly is undertaken in a range of both thematic
panels and a smaller Executive Committee. So while the 102 member
Regional Assembly meets in full twice per year the detailed work
of the Assembly is done in much smaller panels of 20-30 members
and an Executive Committee of 40 members. Much of the day to day
policy continuity of the Assembly is provided by the Assembly's
Group Leaders (total five members) working consensually.
1.7 We have however recognised that we have
to work hard at continuing to secure the buy-in and goodwill of
all the local authorities, political groups and stakeholders on
the Assembly. Very recently we have agreed to improve our strategic
engagement with the district councils in the region, where there
is probably less capacity to engage with the regional agenda,
but where it is now even more critical for districts to understand
the nature of regional working, and to take advantage of the support
offered by the Assembly, eg in the improvement agenda.
1.8 We have noted with some concern that
the Assembly arrangements in other regions appear to be considerably
less robust than ours. In some regions Assemblies and Regional
Groupings of local authorities are moving apart whilst in other
regions they are becoming more integrated. But we are unique in
having achieved the degree of integration we have narrated by
a single Assembly constitution and supported by a single organisation.
We believe there are some lessons about critical mass which may
be of relevance to other regions as they review their Regional
Governance Arrangements.
2. Effectiveness of current arrangements for
managing services at various levels and their interrelationships
2.1 Throughout its development, EERA has
always recognised the need for local and sub-regional buy-in to
regional arrangements and to secure the delivery of regional strategies.
For example, the Draft East of England Plan, which commenced its
public examination on 1 November, contains a partial coverage
of the region into planning sub-regions, which depart from established
local government boundaries, and aim to deal with the planning
and growth dimensions emanating from the Sustainable Communities
Plan, and other growth proposals in parts of the region not formally
covered by the SCP.
2.2 In addition, EERA's Regional Housing
Strategy is based on a different but complete coverage of the
region into housing sub-regions. These housing sub-regions bring
together local authorities and other housing service providers
working in partnership, and this experience will be particularly
relevant as we respond to recent ODPM proposals for allocating
housing by sub-regions based on housing markets.
2.3 The recognition of the importance of
sub-regional delivery is well understood within the East of England
and is a feature of the delivery mechanisms of the key regional
partners. For example, EEDA's new Regional Economic Strategy observes
the same planning sub-regions as the East of England Plan, and
so we have already started the process of aiming to use a consistent
set of sub-regions for delivery across housing, planning and economic
development domains. The forthcoming merger of housing and planning
will give a further impetus to achieve consistent planning and
housing sub-regions in the future.
3. Accountability for decision making at the
regional and sub-regional level and the simplification of existing
arrangements
3.1 The results of the Referendum in the
North East Region, coupled with the contents of the draft East
of England Plan, raised the profile of EERA and led to unprecedented
media interest and public scrutiny. Regrettably, much of the media
coverage has been "informed" by misunderstandings, and
misrepresentations about the activities and constitutional legitimacy
of EERA, as a voluntary regional chamber. However, in spite of
these issues, EERA is quite clear about its constitutional legitimacy
and its accountability to its local authority and community stakeholder
members.
3.2 EERA has maintained a quiet consensus
across all Assembly Groups about the need to work together to
speak up for the Region, and work with our key regional partners
in strongly articulating the region's needs and aspirations to
Government. This consensus includes the determination to extend
the accountability of "big government" including what
is colloquially known as "the quango state", other bodies
engaged in regional and sub-regional governance and indeed EERA
itself. We believe it is through robust partnership between key
regional bodies that such accountability can best be achieved.
3.3 This commitment to partnership working
is well established across organisations in the East of England
as manifested in the completion of a first Integrated Regional
Strategy (IRS) for the region, a joint initiative with the Government
Office and RDA. It is the cornerstone of new initiatives within
a Regional Governance Framework to improve our ability to give
sound prioritisation advice to Ministers across the policy domains
of housing, economic development and transport. The East of England
region was the only one specifically invited to make a regional
submission to the 2004 Spending Review.
3.4 Although we are proud of our integrated
arrangements within EERA itself, we have concluded that fast moving
national and regional agendas require us to be even more innovative.
We have recently agreed to set up a new Regional Partnership Group,
combining the democratic influence of local authorities, as expressed
through LAA Groupings, EERA Group Leaders and non-executive representatives
of EEDA etc and a range of Executives from key regional partners.
By drawing from the emerging Local Area Agreement Groupings in
the Region we can ensure a complete geographical coverage of the
whole of the East of England, combined with the thematic executive
responsibilities of key regional partners, many of whom have substantial
regional public service budgets which need to be more aligned
to secure the improvements in social, economic and environmental
well being which we all want.
3.5 The Regional Partnership Group will
shortly sign off the region's first advice on Regional Funding
Allocations and will play a similar role where Government asks
"regions" to make an input into national government
policy eg the regional input into the next comprehensive spending
review.
3.6 The Regional Partnership Group is not
a replacement for the Assembly, rather it gives a unique blend
of non-executive and executive interests in the region and particularly
those public sector delivery bodies in housing, planning, transport,
economic development, skills and environment domains which are
critical to the successful delivery of "sustainable development"
in its broadest terms. There is a strong read across to the national
sustainable development agenda and ODPM's Five Year Plans to build
stable, sustainable communities.
4. The potential for devolution of powers
from the regional to local level
4.1 From the very beginning, the principle
of subsidiarity has been important in the business and activity
of EERA. In conducting its business EERA is always keen to differentiate
between those decisions that require a regional perspective and
those decisions which are best taken more locally to ensure the
efficient and effective delivery of services at a sub-regional
level. Indeed as has already been mentioned, EERA and its regional
partners have actively sought to promulgate sub-regional delivery.
Only recently, EERA took the opportunity to debate and respond
to the Home Secretary on the subject of police force reorganisation.
EERA was quite clear in its view that the case for amalgamation
at a regional or sub regional level had not been made, quite apart
from its profound concerns about the consultation process.
4.2 Outside of the planning system, EERA's
"powers" are few. As a voluntary regional chamber, EERA
concentrates its efforts on exerting influence and we would respectfully
suggest that the real question regarding the devolution of powers
would be to examine the devolution from the national level be
it to regional, sub-regional or local level.
4.3 EERA's development has also been closely
intertwined with changes to the new planning system. Since June
2001 the Assembly has been involved in preparing a new Regional
Spatial Strategy for the East of England. During the course of
the preparation of the draft East of England Plan (the RSS) the
planning system has been comprehensively overhauled leading to
changes both in relation to the new statutory nature of the RSS,
and also corresponding changes to the development plan system
at local level. In spite of this difficult background the Assembly
has made good progress in formulating a new Regional Spatial Strategy
and this was formally submitted to Government in December 2004.
The Plan is currently undergoing its public examination.
4.4 These changes to the planning system
have indeed seen the demise of the County Structure Plan but in
the debates and discussions surrounding that change, it is all
too often forgotten that within the previous system local authorities
worked through planning conferences (in the greater south east
they were SERPLAN and SCEALA). The existence of these planning
conferences demonstrated that for some decades local authorities
have needed mechanisms to cooperate and plan collectively on matters
of sub-national importance. EERA fulfils that function within
the new planning system and we would contend fulfils it more effectively
and transparently. To illustrate this point, SCEALA, the former
regional planning body for Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire
famously once refused to come to a view as to whether the A11
or the A14 should be the top roads priority in East Anglia. Contrast
this with the fact that at its last meeting, EERA was able to
agree a schedule of 23 transport schemes across the whole East
of England for an extremely limited amount of priority funding.
4.5 The places at the SERPLAN table were
very few indeed and certainly the representation of District Councils
was particularly derisory. Contrast this with the fact that all
54 local authorities are members of EERA, all have an equality
of voting, and all meetings are open to the public.
5. IMPACT OF
CITY REGIONS
5.1 In the particular circumstances of the
East of England the City Region model would need very careful
adaptation, both in concept and scale. None of the designated
core cities, around which the concept appears to have been built,
are in the East of England and while we have a number of small
and medium sized urban settlements in the 80,000—120,000
population range none are in the same league as say Manchester,
Newcastle, Leeds or Birmingham. However, in the draft East of
England Plan, EERA has recognised the value of such settlements
as being the key preferred locations for much housing growth,
as urban centres serving a wide hinterland area for services and
jobs and as key transport interchange centres. So we are supportive
of initiatives which maximise the importance of such urban centres
within their natural footprint.
5.2 There remains a degree of uncertainty
about whether changes to the governance arrangements for such
small and medium sized towns and cities will be offered and there
has been limited interest in our region to date in some of the
new executive mayor arrangements (Bedford and Watford being conspicuous
exceptions).
5.3 Unless it is changed by Government actions
accompanied by a move to the introduction of unitary local government
the predominantly two tier pattern of local government in the
East of England will also probably inhibit the development of
city regional governance in the East of England. In many ways
the East of England is a region of shire sub-regions rather than
natural city regions, and of course in many parts of the East
of England the only city which really matters is London whose
influence affects a good part of the southern part of the Region.
6. POTENTIAL
FOR OTHER
NEW ARRANGEMENTS
6.1 Housing: EERA is ready to take
on the responsibilities of the Regional Housing Board and arrangements
are in place within the region to assume these responsibilities
early in 2006-07. Last year EERA produced a new Regional Housing
Strategy 2005-10 which further develops the concept of new housing
sub-regions and this development will also pave the way to work
within the new housing market areas, recently signalled by ODPM
in Draft PPS3.
6.2 Health: The current pre-consultation
exercise on health structures seems to be pointing to a single
SHA being developed for the East of England, the policy position
adopted by the Assembly in the 2001 review of health structures
(which led to 3 SHAs being formed within the East of England).
If such an SHA is introduced following the formal consultation
on health structures, then we believe very strongly that it will
be important for EERA to undertake a single regional scrutiny
role over the activities of the new SHA.
At its last meeting EERA agreed the first Health
Strategy for the region, presented by the Public Health Group
in GO-East. Given the importance of the health service, including
the health economy and its links with a variety of key public
services, EERA is well placed to undertake an RDA type scrutiny
role with regard to the new SHA, properly integrating health planning
into our wider work, particularly in housing/planning/transport.
6.3 Extending Accountability of the quango
state within the region: EERA has been innovative in seeking
to secure, through voluntary agreement, greater influence for
the Assembly over the activities of key public sector agencies.
We already have a voluntary concordat with the Environment Agency
which is paving the way for a greater scrutiny role over the regional
activities of the Environment Agency by the Assembly. Similarly,
we are developing a scrutiny role with Living East; the regional
cultural consortium.
The Regional Funding Allocations exercise, where
regions are being asked to give co-ordinated advice to Government
on how best to use a small regional pot of housing/transport/economic
development funding could be capable of wider extension into other
policy domains. Skills would be an obvious example. In the East
of England the budget of the Regional Learning and Skills Council
is some 6 times that of the Regional Development Agency and it
will be important to draw in to regional policy making a number
of key regional NDPBs. Our new Regional Partnership Group should
pave the way to make these relationships work more effectively.
7. DESIRABILITY
OF CLOSER
INTER REGIONAL
CO-OPERATION
TO TACKLE
ECONOMIC DISPARITIES
7.1 As a Regional Body with responsibilities
for the East of England, EERA naturally concentrates its efforts
on promoting East of England issues. However, we recognise that
given the somewhat arbitrary nature of regional boundaries, we
are increasingly required to work across them, and to maximise
the benefits of inter regional co-operation. The East of England
has to actively manage its relations with London, the South East
and the East Midlands in view of particular cross regional projects
such as the Milton Keynes-South Midlands Sub Regional Strategy,
London 2012 and the Thames Gateway. EERA has actively participated
in the Inter Regional Planning Forum (London, the South East and
the East of England) and in the Milton Keynes Inter-Regional Board.
We are also aware that the Regional Development Agencies covering
the Greater South East have recently agreed to work more closely
together, given the similarity of economic development challenges
facing these regions. Whilst we are working towards reducing both
inter and intra-regional disparities in economic performance,
and we note the development of initiatives such as "the Northern
Way", it is important that the needs of the East of England,
as a region with further considerable potential to offer to "UK
plc", are not ignored in any overriding objective to tackle
national economic disparities. EERA will keep such matters under
close review in the light of emerging Government policy in this
area.
8. CONCLUSIONS
8.1 As a somewhat new and as some would
say artificial region, key regional partners in the East of England
have forged strong and mutually beneficial ways of working. In
particular, GO-East, EEDA and EERA have faced up to their new
role as key regional institutions, and have sought to build robust
partnerships and inclusive working arrangements which serve the
needs of the Region effectively. We will continue to respond innovatively
and pragmatically to further developments in the regional agenda
and in a way which adds value to the actions of our local partners
and seeks to draw down genuine devolution and decision making
from Whitehall into the East of England.
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