Supplementary memorandum submitted by
the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE)
IMPLICATIONS OF THE SUB-NATIONAL REVIEW ON
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES
INTRODUCTION
1. We welcome the further opportunity to
submit evidence to the Business and Enterprise Committee following
the Government's revised Sub-National Review proposals. As the
Committee acknowledges, this significantly alters the proposed
future role of the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) with regard
to regional planning.
2. As a leading environmental charity, CPRE
has worked to promote and protect the beauty, tranquillity and
diversity of rural England by encouraging the sustainable use
of land and other natural resources since our formation in 1926.
An essential part of our work is undertaken at the regional level
where this includes trying to influence the development of Regional
Spatial Strategies. If the Government's proposals are implemented
we will continue to work with the Regional Planning Body in seeking
to influence the development of the new integrated regional strategies.
OVERRIDING COMMENT
3. While we acknowledge the need to consider
economic growth, especially in the current difficult economic
climate, this should not be at the expense of the environment.
As stated in the Sub-National Review consultation document, Prosperous
Places, regional planning should aim to deliver "sustainable
growth". This term was defined in the document, and in PSA7,
as "economic growth that can be sustained and is within environmental
limits, but also enhances the environment and social welfare,
and avoids greater extremes in future economic cycles". We
believe this approach should be taken into consideration in all
work undertaken by the RDAs.
REGIONAL STRATEGY
AND REFORMED
REGIONAL GOVERNANCE
STRUCTURES
4. We welcome the Government's recent proposal
to give the RDAs and Local Authorities Leaders' Board joint responsibility
for spatial planning. This new proposal is essential to ensure
that planning at the regional level retains sufficient democratic
accountability. Some of the concerns we set out in our original
evidence remain, however, particularly in light of the new integral
role the RDAs will take in regional planning.
5. If the RDAs are to be designated as Regional
Planning Bodies, even if the role is shared with the Leaders'
Board, their remits will broaden significantly. Regional planning
must give equal weight to, and integrate, economic, social and
environmental considerations. Currently, CPRE does not believe
the RDAs are equipped to achieve this. We believe therefore, that
the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction
Bill should amend section 4 of the Regional Development
Act 1998 to place a principal duty on the RDAs to deliver
sustainable development.
6. We welcome the Government's statement
that a duty will be placed on both the RDAs and the Leaders' Boards
to consult and engage with stakeholders. We still have concerns,
however, about the accountability arrangements proposed for the
RDAs. The Agency's are accountable to Parliament through the Secretary
of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. Although
we believe the creation of regional select committees should give
Parliament a more clear scrutiny remit at the regional level,
it is also important that the RDAs become more transparent. This
would be consistent with the stated aims of the Local Democracy,
Economic Development and Construction Bill. An initial step
towards this would be for the RDA board meetings to be held in
public, and for the minutes and papers from these meetings to
be available to ensure greater transparency over what, and how,
decisions have been made.
7. As highlighted in our original submission
to the Committee, we also believe that as the RDA's remit continues
to widen it is no longer adequate for only the Department for
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) to be solely
responsible for monitoring the performance of the RDAs. Although
under the Government's recent proposals the RDAs will not have
sole responsibility, their increased involvement in regional planning
will require their remit to broaden. In light of this we recommend
that any assessment of the RDAs' effectiveness should be conducted
jointly with the Department for Communities and Local Government
and the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, as
well as BERR. We would also recommend that relevant expert public
bodies are asked to contribute to this process.
December 2008
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