Annex 1: Visit note—meeting on rurality
and peripherality, 6 June 2006
On 6-7 June 2006, the Committee visited Exeter, Exmouth
and Bristol for its inquiry, Is there a future for Regional
Government? The following notes were made at an informal
meeting held at Exeter County Hall with individuals concerned
about issues of rurality and peripherality
Councillor Brian Greenslade
(Devon County Council)
Devon was an excellent place to visit to examine
issues of rurality and peripherality, North West Devon in particular.
Exeter was a good example of a successful city which was reliant
on its hinterland.
Professor Michael Winter
(University of Exeter, Chair of the South West Rural Affairs Board)
Regional bodies were changing— and the RDA
was expanding in response. He was not sure if it would work -
it would need excellent co-operation between the new Natural England
and RDA, for example. Democratic accountability was essential—reform
was needed to combat the current quasi-democracy of the
Assembly and the RDA—the current situation was not sustainable.
Tim Jones (Devon and Cornwall
Business Council)
From a business perspective, a major problem for
the South West was its economic diversity. The GDP was very uneven,
not just over large distances, but even locally— Exeter
for example had a GDP of 112% of the national average, yet nearby
Torridge district had just 55%. The National Spatial Strategy
had begun to address this, as had other initiatives.
Councillor Bert Biscoe
(Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Economic Forum)
The Regional Assembly was irrelevant and needed to
go. City regions were a real opportunity to resolve the issue
of a democratic deficit. In order to find regions that actually
worked, city regions could reconfigure existing regional arrangements.
The new Chair of SWERDA had called it a 'region of regions'—clearly
a new arrangement was necessary. As an example of the problems
with the Regional Assembly, subscribing members (eg the local
authorities) could not attend AGMs or have proper input into consultation,
as you would expect in a membership organisation. Councillor
Humphrey Temperley (Devon County Council) disputed this, saying
that the RA had an AGM, elected a Chair and had its accounts scrutinised.
He said that any debate surrounding the RA needed to be based
in fact.
John Varley (Clinton Devon
Estates)
The problem came when people tried to convert the
strategies into tactical action. The Regional Spatial Strategy
provided 'air cover' for plans, but on a local level it did not
work. The opportunity for economic and business growth existed
in the South West— before the Industrial Revolution, the
area had been full of successful cottage industries and this small
business model could be used for the future. However, planning
strategies were not yet joined up to the RSS. East Devon District
Council had an area of great potential but planning was driven
by local factors and not regional strategy. Planning needed to
be approached more professionally.
Ms Rachel Thomas (South
West Forest Partnership)
Looking at rurality, the first problem was to define
'rural'. When the RDA was first set up, there had been almost
a denial of specific rural needs. Many rural areas were open countryside
and the use of the land needed attention—it could, for example,
be used for its natural resources to create renewable energy.
City regions looked at the potential assets of the city, but not
the assets of the rural areas. Bodies such as the South West Chamber
of Rural Enterprise were attempting to analyse rural land use
and worked closely with the RDA, and were developing initiatives.
Working on rural issues was however still hard—Jonathan
Porrit had resigned as Chair of the Rural Group in frustration.
The South West region was 'massive' and there were too many strategies
over the wrong scale. County or district level working was better.
Sir Harry Studholme (South
West of England Regional Development Agency (SWERDA) and Chair
of the South West Chamber of Rural Enterprise (SWCORE))
The democratic deficit was most noticeable not in
structures but in different processes and strategies etc. The
RDA should play a leading or co-ordinating role, as it did in
the Rural Enterprise Gateway, in which lots of bodies had been
brought together. SWCORE had brought together representatives
from across the region to look at rural issues, and consulted
stakeholders. The establishment of DEFRA had complicated matters
- the debate was now on 'rural policy' which was a very wide agenda,
rather than the former split between agriculture and regions.
As an example of co-ordination, when there had been underspend
on Objective 2 funding, the Government Office had set him up as
Chair of a body of councils which had devised a useful spending
programme.
Mr Jeremy Filmer-Bennett
(Devon and Cornwall Business Council)
One area where transparency needed to be improved
was in knowing where to go for assistance. There were too many
little bits of government. The Regional Assembly could be useful
if the Government supported your action, but not otherwise. One
level of government needed to go. The city region concept would
not work in Devon and Cornwall and there were so many differences.
Professor Michael Winter
The Government Offices were the eyes and ears of
the Government, but were also honest brokers. A Secretary for
Rural Affairs would help, as an advocate in Westminster.
Mr Mark Harold (National
Trust)
The National Trust was a big landowner with tourism
and environmental interests, and properties often situated in
rural areas. The significance of property in rural areas and the
difference of the South West to the rest of the UK should be celebrated.
The city regions concept was driven by the comparison of economic
growth and did not celebrate the regions enough, or the importance
of rurality and the environment.
John Lee (South West Farming
and Food Futures Group)
The Government Office provided good regional support,
especially in rural areas. There were too many complicated government
strategies unconnected with those on the ground. The RDA had started
out as the Rural Development Agency—this had never
been accurate. However recently the RDA had seemed more focussed
towards rural issues, for example the Rural Enterprise Gateway,
which enabled farmers and other interested parties to change how
they worked and developed their businesses. He gave the example
of a farmer who had been quite militant against supermarkets and
the government, who had now turned his business around. The Regional
Enterprise Gateway delivered 96% of SWERDA's knowledge transfer
output.
Councillor Brian Greenslade
It was bad that there was such a widespread perception
of democratic deficit—a directly elected Regional Assembly
would counter this. There was also a deficit of identity with
the South West region; it was so large that Haskins had described
it as 22 regions in one. There were no cities large and self sufficient
enough to be city regions. County regions might be more feasible,
or at least dividing the South West into the 'far South West'
and 'Wessex'. Mr Betts queried whether an elected Assembly was
on anyone's agenda. Councillor Greenslade agreed that there was
little public support, but there was no other way to make the
Assemblies accountable. It would need public support, but regional
reform was really needed, maybe using the EU model.
Tim Jones
The city regions concept was 'alien' to the South
West. The business community was fed up of the 'tinkering' with
structures that seemed constant. The government should realised
that it was appropriate for different levels to different things.
It would be useful to have hypothecation in regional funding.
Sir Harry Studholme
The Government Office did a good job. Regional government
worked well for some things, having a 'de-siloing' effect. Others
were better dealt with at other levels. The creation of the GO
had been a successful initiative: it had the choice to be Whitehall
in the regions, or the South West in Whitehall, and at the moment
was the former, even if some might wish otherwise.
Ms Jane Henderson (Chair,
South West of England Regional Development Agency)
As the new Chair of the RDA, she wanted to alleviate
tension with the GO. There were issues which did not confine themselves
to smaller boundaries, and she could not see how they could be
administered without RDAs.
Ms Rachel Thomas
In the South West, the problem of peripheral areas
was the sheer distances involved. This created problems of access
to all sorts of services, even e-government.
Councillor Bert Biscoe
Cornwall as an Objective 1 area had worked very well
with the GO, and they were anxious not to lose expert capacity
as jobs went at the GO. Cornwall needed to be given the ability
to self-regenerate.
John Varley
There was no 'right' answer. The speed of change
meant the region had adapted 'despite the structures around them'.
Too much change was confusing and some stability was needed.
Tim Jones
Business also needed stability. In rural areas, the
district council would always been the most important body, and
the main employer.
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