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Progress and Achievements

Economic Development

  • The establishment of a private sector led Employment and Skills Board (ESB)

    Key to its role will be to oversee and prioritise the investment in employment and skills for the sub-region and will have the potential of directing £60million of public expenditure in South Hampshire. Seven Private sector members have joined the Board, including representatives from higher education, local authorities, Job Centre Plus and Skills Funding agency. The new chair has recently been announced as Debra Humphris, the Pro Vice-Chancellor of Education at University of Southampton.

  • Employer Engagement

    There has been good progress made by the various employer organisations in the sub-region, with a view to better co-ordination of employer input into PUSH. The Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH) and Hampshire Economic Partnership (HEP) have been facilitating those negotiations.

  • Inward Investment

    Inward Investment is a key component of the PUSH Economic Development Strategy and PUSH's ambition to grow the economy, it will be partly achieved through the attraction of new investment to the sub-region. Following consultation with key partners the Panel has considered and approved a proposal to establish a PUSH wide Inward Investment service. It also recommended that the Joint Committee establish an Inward Investment Board to provide strategic direction for preparing and monitoring the delivery of the service. A Task and Finish Group has been established to prepare the Inward Investment strategy and  to negotiate the implementation arrangements with partners.

  • Review of the Economic evidence and Economic strategy

    An extensive consultation programme is in place to engage wider partnerships as the strategy develops. Three events have already been held, including consultations with officers involved in Economic Development, Planning Officers Group and an event with the third sector. On 25 Feb a major event is to be held at the Rose Bowl to consult with the Private sector.

  • The Solent Innovation and Growth Network (SIGN)

    is one of 8 regionally focused bodies set up by SEEDA to deliver intensive support to 250 of the most dynamic and fastest growing companies. The project is a key initiative to support high growth companies and will provide specific support to unlock their business potential. They will provide expertise and help improve access to finance and assist to develop open innovation and knowledge transfer opportunities. For further information http://www.innovationgrowth.co.uk/solent/

  • Multi Area Agreement

    The Economic Chapter of the MAA is the most complex and cover a range of issues from skills, employment, business creation, employment sites development and innovation. As part of the refresh of the MAA a number of new "asks" have been sought of the government. The key to these is to secure the designation for the ESB to become a specified body under section 24A of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 and as amended by section 112 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009. This would provide powers for the ESB to enable it to direct funding for Learning and Skills. A similar devolution is also sought for the devolved responsibilities for DWP contacted employment programmes.

  • Collaborate 2 Innovate 2009

    was a new event concept to the Solent sub-region, aiming to encourage collaboration between businesses, both large and small. It was held on 6th October 2009 at Southampton’s City Cruise Terminal and had the following outputs:

    • 322 total attendance/ participation. 54% came from companies with 10 or fewer staff, 46% with larger companies. Major road disruption and very bad weather affected attendance

    • 25 exhibition stands

    • 3 keynote speakers and 15 workshops

    • 93% of attendees would recommend the event to others

    • 70% rated the workshops/info as excellent or very good, 28% as acceptable and 2% as poor/below expectations

    • 86% rated event organisation as excellent/very good, 14% as acceptable

    • One of the winning PUSH AHEAD schools, Quilley School of Engineering, also had an exhibition stand for their product

Further details of the event are available at: www.collaborate2innovate2009.co.uk

  • PUSH Ahead Challenge

    Targeted at schools to encourage innovation. The launch event of the challenge was held on 22nd September 2009 at NATS in Swanwick with good attendance from schools as well as representation from PUSH LAs. Cllr Woodward, PUSH Chairman, spoke at the event. The hospitality of NATS was outstanding. School teams have now been matched with Business Mentors and are working on their projects. Preparations are in progress for the Grand Final event on 24th March at Southampton’s Ocean Terminal. Quilley School of Engineering in Eastleigh, winners of Best Presentation in last year’s challenge, exhibited their product at the Collaborate2Innovate event on 6th October 2009.

Housing and Planning

PUSH now undertakes Annual Housing Market Monitoring Reports. This report monitors key indicators of the housing markets in South Hampshire and is the first of 3 annual reports due to be published. The indicators contained in this report will help inform PUSH and individual local authorities in developing policies in relation to housing and responding to market changes.

Hotel study

Research is underway into the prospects for hotel development in South Hampshire and how to maximise its contribution to economic growth. The study has been commissioned by the PUSH Housing and Planning Delivery Panel in conjunction with the Economic Development and Quality Places Panels.  It will provide:-

  • an audit of current hotel performance and development proposals

  • an assessment of growth prospects, including conference tourism potential

  • recommendations of how to secure and accommodate hotel development

Hotel Solutions

A leading consultant in this field – has been engaged by PUSH through Tourism South East.  The study was due to be completed by May, with a presentation to senior PUSH Members and officers in early June.

For more details please see the PUSH Hotel Futures Study PDF 52Kb or contact PUSH’s Planning Theme Lead, Stuart Roberts: stuart.roberts@hants.gov.uk.

Local Development Documents(LDDs) benefit from PUSH support

PUSH is helping to pave the way for successful adoption of Local Development Documents (LDDs). Over recent years PUSH has compiled a series of Policy Frameworks and other documents to inform and support the preparation of LDDs. These are now proving their worth. Planning Inspectors who assessed the New Forest and Southampton Core Strategies placed considerable weight on the sub-regional context provided by PUSH and the content of the Policy Frameworks. The resulting Inspectors’ reports enabled each authority to adopt its Core Strategy last December – the first in Hampshire.

PUSH is lodging supportive representations on draft Core Strategies and other LDDs which take forward PUSH objectives and policies: the most recent being on the draft East Hampshire Core Strategy.  A PUSH protocol is now in place, under which representations prepared by the PUSH Planning Officers Group are seen by Members of the Housing and Planning Delivery Panel, before being signed-off by the Joint Committee Chairman.

Further details from Stuart Roberts, PUSH Planning Theme Lead, Tel 01962 846782.

MPs to probe housing issues

PUSH has submitted evidence to the South East Regional Select Committee’s inquiry into housing. The Committee of MPs is to investigate the amount, type, tenure and sustainability of new housing which is being built in the Region and whether it is meeting requirements.  They will also look at how the recession is affecting housebuilding and the consequences of providing too few new homes.

PUSH’s response to the Committee’s request for evidence was signed-off by the Joint Committee on 26 January.  The PUSH submission calls for more family homes and fewer apartments, additional affordable housing including intermediate tenures, and action to retrofit higher energy efficiency into the existing housing stock.  Housebuilding will only be truly sustainable if accompanied by the timely provision of transport and other infrastructure, the PUSH submission says.

Whilst housebuilding in South Hampshire has been slightly above the South East Plan’s target during the last three years, dwellings under construction and new starts have fallen, signalling much lower completions over the coming years.  The PUSH submission argues that projected housebuilding rates, which are below South East Plan-based trajectories, should not be a reason for planning inspectors permitting additional sites on appeal.

Sustainability and Community Infrastructure

The Panel in 2010 will be progressing a number of initiatives including:

  • A feasiblity study to look at how informal recreation activities such as walking and cycling can be promoted within the woodlands on the northern edge of Southampton

  • Working with the the local authorities, Forestry Commission and landowners

  • Supporting Hampshire Wildlife's bid for funding, for its Access to Nature project

  • Working with the County Council on developing a strategy on how South Hampshire should adapt to climate change

  • Working with the Environment Agency and the water companies to develop plans and strategies to address issues relating to the provision of infrastructure and flood risk and supporting an innovative project on sustainable urban drainage at the West of Waterlooville major development area'

The Panel has also supported a research undertaken by Radian Housing group and EA to investigate the potential for Water efficiency measures in existing residential properties. For further information, please visit the website: www.southernwater.co.uk/meteringprogramme

The Green Infrastructure Strategy is now complete. Extensive consultation has taken place with a wide range of partners including Natural England, Environment Agency and the Forrestry Commission.

Quality Places

One of PUSH's key aims is to ensure that South Hampshire maintains and enhances its reputation as a good place to live, work and invest over the next 20 years. This work is the responsibility of the Quality Places Delivery Panel. In July 2009 the Panels business plan (quality_places_action_plan-_dec_2009.pdf PDF 103Kb) was formally integrated into the PUSH business plan. This work has also been supported by the Living Places partnership of cultural agencies who have identified PUSH as a priority place. To support the work of the panel, a Quality Place Delivery Manager was appointed in March 2009. The Panels achievements in the last year include:

  • Portsmouth Harbour - In partnership with Portsmouth City Council, the Quality of Place Delivery Panel hosted a workshop to review the role of Portsmouth Harbour as the 'Home of the Navy'. Portsmouth, Gosport, Fareham, Isle of Wight and Winchester Councils are now collaboratively working to further develop this agenda.

  • The New Theatre Royal - The Quality of Place Delivery Panel secured a contribution of £700,000 capital funding to support work aimed at progressing the University of Portsmouth's Creative Campus and New Theatre Royal Extension project.

  • City of Culture - The Delivery Panel supported the joint Southampton City Council and Portsmouth City Council bid to become UK City of Culture 2013. The Initial bid was submitted in December 2009.

  • Cultural infrastructure needs assessment - The Panel secured £60,000 from SEEDA to pilot the SEEDA Culture and Creative Opportunities Framework to be completed by April 2010. This work will be used to conduct a supply and demand analysis of cultural infrastructure provision in the South Hampshire area. The findings will inform cultural planning in the South Hampshire area, the integration of cultural provision in the Building Schools for the Future programme and cultural sector input into spatial planning policy and infrastructure needs assessments. The outcome will in turn inform the delivery of Local Development Frameworks.

  • Building Schools for the Future (BSlF) - the panel is working jointly with HCC on the Havant Tranche of the BSF programme. The work will act as a demonstration Project and will inform the role out of BSF in the county.

  • Supporting the Cultural and Creative Economy - The Panel has prepared a consultation draft of a Creative Industries development framework for South Hampshire. (Consultation Draft Creative Industries document PDF 172Kb). Comments to be sent to Cfreeman@winchester.gov.uk by the end of April 2010. The panel has agreed £50,000 investment in CIBAS to support creative industry business advice in Hampshire up to 2011, and a further £25,000 investment in the Arts Organisation 'A Space' to support creative workspace development in the sub region.

  • Supporting Visitor Economy - The Quality Places Delivery Panel, the Economic Development Delivery Panel, and the Planning and Housing Delivery Panel, jointly commissioned a review of hotel needs assessment for the PUSH area.

  • The PUSH Design Guidance - seeks to introduce measures that ensure growth results in places where people want to live. This include the publication of a PUSH design guide, investment in design training which has been part financed by CABE and the promotion of the PUSH design guidance which will celebrate good practice.

External Funding & Resources

The Panel has a challenging work programme to deliver its objectives within 2010/11, and has already started the ball rolling through a workshop held in Winchester for key members and senior officers setting the scene, challenges ahead, and some of the options on the table.

Work is continuing on refining our list of infrastructure investment needs, and turning this into a Strategic Investment Plan, as well as identifying possible pilot sites to test out some of the funding options that may become available. However, much remains uncertain about what funding options might become available after the general election.

In the meantime, the External Funding Panel is looking to secure the services of specialist financial advisors, through a spring time procurement process, with a view to have consultants in place by the summer to help us explore the options and create workable solutions for pilot projects.