Agenda item

(i)         Joint Report of the Assistant Chief Executive and Corporate Director of          Regeneration and Economic Development.

(ii)        Discussion with Ken Jarrold, Chair of the County Durham Economic    Partnership.

The Chair introduced the Chair of the County Durham Economic Partnership (CDEP), Ken Jarrold who was in attendance to give Members and update in relation to the work of the CDEP.

The Chair, CDEP thanked Members for the opportunity to speak and noted that it was timely in that his second, 3 year term as Chair of the Partnership would end 31 July 2012.  The Committee noted that the successor to the role of Chair of the CDEP was Professor Brian Tanner of Durham University, a Physics Professor, a Director of Kromek (a NETPark company) and also the recipient of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion 2012. 

Members were informed that the Chair, CDEP wished to highlight the successes of the CDEP; the issues associated with the state of the economy in general; the role of the CDEP moving forward; and the Work Programme of the Committee linking into that role. 

Councillors were reminded that the economic position over the last 6 years had worsened, despite the efforts and hard work of all those involved in the economic partnership.  It was noted that 2 indicators that highlighted this were the number of those in receipt of JobSeekers' Allowance (JSA) having increased over that period from around 7,500 to approximately 16,000 and that youth unemployment had roughly doubled in that 6 year period.

The Chair, CDEP noted that the Council’s Regeneration Statement was a powerful guide and would benefit from its refresh and that also the Business, Enterprise and Skills Strategy was another important document that also highlighted that a key focus must be to make an improvement to the employment rate in County Durham.  Members were asked to note the positive contribution to the CDEP on regeneration issues linked to transport, planning, highways and tourism and the healthy state of the Partnership, with mention of County Councillor E Tomlinson, who is Chair of the CDEP’s Rural Working Group. 

The Committee was reminded of the increased participation of the private sector over the last 6 years at the CDEP and paid tribute to Sue Parkinson, Vice-Chair, CDEP and Chair of the Business and Enterprise Working Group.  It was added that whilst the public sector was the largest employer within the County, the manufacturing industry was the second largest and representation from the industry within the CDEP was welcomed.

Members noted that, as mentioned within the Committee’s recent report on Increasing Employment Opportunities of Young People (18-24) activities such as the “Learning the Business” scheme and the DCC Apprenticeship scheme were welcome boosts, however, as resources continued to reduce there was a challenge to be able to fund all the activities in the future.  It was noted this was an area for the CDEP together with partners, including the Council’s Corporate Director of Adults and Children Services Rachael Shimmin, in her role within the Children’s Trust, to work together on.

The Chair, CDEP explained that the Work Programme of the Economy and Enterprise Overview and Scrutiny Committee was welcomed by CDEP, most notably the focus on youth employment and on the issue of Welfare Reform, both of which were key in tackling the poor economy including the reduced purchasing power within the economy. 

The Chair, CDEP concluded by noting that it had been a privilege to live and work in County Durham for the last 15 years, in previous roles within the NHS and as Chair of the CDEP.

Members thanked the Chair, CDEP for his positive contributions and engagement with the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny function and noted that he would be a tough act to follow in his role as Chair of the CDEP.  Councillors asked whether the impact of the loss of the Regional Development Agency (RDA) had been felt, and what the future may hold for the region.  The Chair noted that the loss of the RDA had been a huge loss, in respect of the funding that flowed through the RDA into the region.  It was added that the formation of the Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) was welcomed, though there could be difficulties with 7 separate Local Authorities working together and that the LEP funding and support was significantly less than that of the former RDA.  The Chair, CDEP noted that the incoming Chair, Professor Brian Tanner, would continue to support the CDEP and may be able to offer insight into new technologies and businesses that could help the region in the future.

Resolved:    

That the information provided during the discussion be used to help identify any additional areas of focus for inclusion in the Committee’s Work Programme for 2012-2014.