14 Local Government Chronicle 19 May 2011 LGCplus.com

The agenda Children’s services

19 May 2011 Local Government Chronicle 15LGCplus.comLGCplus.com LGCplus.com

The agenda RDAs out… LEPs in

2number of boards with an NHS

representativeSheffield City Region –Chris Scholey,

Doncaster & Bassetlaw NHS Foundation Trust chair

Greater Lincolnshire – Tony Hill, Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust

director of public health & partnerships40

number appointed to the Kent, Greater Essex & East Sussex shadow board – the largest

7number of boards with no

female appointments (of 23)The Black Country; Greater Birmingham &

Solihull; Worcestershire; Thames Valley Berkshire; Liverpool City Region; Solent; Greater Derby & Greater Nottingham.

4%proportion of third sector

appointments to boards (eight of 203)

15number of boards with no

voluntary sector representatives

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With 23 of the 33 local enter-prise partnerships (LEPs) having now appointed their boards, the new face of local economic development in England is beginning to take shape.

LGC’s research (right) reveals that of the 203 non-local authority appoint-ments to these boards, the vast majority (86%) are men.

They come from back-grounds in the professional and business services (16.3%), higher and further education (14.7%) or manu-facturing (9.9%) – or are rep-resentatives of local business groups (12.9%), such as the British Chambers of Com-merce or the Federation of Small Businesses.

The representation of women on the boards is low (14%). Only two of the 23 chairs are women, while seven boards have no female appointees at all.

Voluntary sector represen-tation is worse still, with just eight of the 203 appointees (4%) representing Big Society organisations, reflecting the dominance of businesses and councils in the formation of the LEP propos-als last summer.

Yet if the question of the “who” is beginning to be answered, the “what” remains less clear, with fears remaining that with only a very limited amount of dedi-cated funding and no pow-ers, LEPs will become little more than talking shops unable to have real influence over their economies.

Alexandra Jones, Centre for Cities’ chief executive, says LEPs remain a “work in progress” but do have con-siderable potential, particu-larly now that ministers have given the bodies teeth by

analysis

TaKiNG SHapE allister Hayman, chief reporter

introducing...Some of the new faces for local economic development

putting them at the heart of the new generation of enter-prise zones.

In a report published today, Centre for Cities says LEPs should focus on six “low-cost levers” (see below) that could give them more tangible powers and influ-ence over the local economy.

But Ms Jones says it is clear that LEPs with a history of partnership working, such as Greater Manchester and the Leeds City Region, are well ahead of those that are start-ing from scratch. “It is, and will likely remain, a very mixed picture,” she said.

professional & business services 16.3%Higher/further education 14.7%Business member group (eg, BCC, FSB) 12.9%Manufacturing 9.9%iT/communications 6.4%Transport, infrastructure & logistics 6.4%property 5.4%Construction 3.9%Retail, suppliers & distribution 3%Financial services 2.5%Hotels, leisure & entertainment 2.5%Creative industries 2%Health (NHS) & social care 2%Food processing 2%automotive 2%agriculture 1.5%Misc 1.5%Other public sector 1.5%Housing 1%aerospace 1%Energy 1%Entrepreneur 1%

Greater Manchester LEP chair Mike Blackburn is BT’s regional director for the north-west. He was appointed the Prince of Wales’ ‘2010 Ambassador for responsible business’ in the north-west.

Oxfordshire City Region chair Dr Martin Dare-Edwards is ‘UK country manager’ for world-leading petroleum company Infineum’s Oxfordshire-based business and R&D operations.

Sheffield City Region LEP chair James Newman is also chair of Finance Yorkshire. In his role as Sheffield’s industry ambassador, Mr Newman was instrumental in developing the LEP bid.

Tees Valley LEP chair Sandy anderson spent much of his career with ICI, holding senior posts, including general manager of its Teesside operations. He is also Teesside University’s chair of governors.

Greater Birmingham & Solihull LEP chair andy Street is managing director of the John Lewis Partnership. A charity trustee, last year he was also appointed to the prime minister’s advisory group.

Greater Peterborough Greater Cambridge LEP chair Neville Reyner is chair of Anglia Components. He is also president of the British Chambers of Commerce and an Institute of Directors’ fellow.

West of England LEP board member David Sproxton is one of the co-founders of the Bristol-based Aardman Animations’ studio, pioneers of the animation featured in the Wallace & Gromit series.

West of England LEP chair Colin Skellett is Wessex Water chair and chief executive. He has worked in the water industry for more than 40 years and is also president of Business West.

Cheshire & Warrington LEP board member peter Waterman is a record producer and chair of Pete Waterman Entertainment. As a songwriter and producer he has sold more than 500 million records.

Cumbria LEP board member Fred Story is a property and construction tycoon and founder of Story Construction. He is a former owner of Carlisle United football club.

LEP board appointments by industry

2female chairs (of 23)

Christine Gaskell, chair, Cheshire & Warrington LEP –

Bentley Motors board member for personnel

Ursula Lidbetter, chair, Greater Lincolnshire

LEP – Lincolnshire Co-operative chief

executive

23boards appointed (including six

shadow boards)

203non-council board appointments 15%

proportion of university/college appointments

(30 of 203)

4number of boards with no university/college

appointments

14%proportion of female

appointments to boards (28 of 203)

14average size of board (including chair and

La reps)

‘‘ The first action we took to kick-start change was to abolish the regional development agencies Mark prisk, minister for business and enterprise, p16

LEP aCTion PoinTs

Centre for Cities has outlined six priorities for LEpsl Pool economic development funds across the LEP area to commission and invest in projects that will be beneficial to the entire local economyl Prepare strategic spatial plans to identify the need for employment land, housing and major investments. Councils should be bound by these plansl Become designated consultees for local plans, allowing LEPs to coordinate the development of the planning policies across the whole areal Take a coordinating role in developing a LEP-wide transport strategyl Mediate between Work Programme prime contractors and sub-contractors to ensure welfare-to-work delivery arrangements support identified prioritiesl LEPs should be required to sign off second round Regional Growth Fund bids, to ensure projects support LEP priorities over and above those of individual councilswww.centreforcities.org

Race for LGA position startsParsons seeks to mend bridges with government

Child services breakthroughTight deadline for self-improvement reforms

Pension plea to PicklesEaton: help us make case against Treasury plans

Warning over policing upsetLords defeat for policing changes could backfire

Inside

£1.36bnOUT with RDAs, £1.36bn and 2,841 projectsIN with LEPs: who’s who on the LEP boards

Changing faces

Economic development exclusive

19-26/05/11LGCplus.comfirst edition 1855 £4.99

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