South West of England Regional Development Agency

The South West of England Regional Development Agency leads the development of a sustainable economy in the South West England, investing to unlock the region’s business potential. It is a Non-Departmental Public Body. On Tuesday 17 July 2007, Local Government Minister John Healey MP announced Government plans to abolish regional assemblies. Functions of regional assemblies are planned to pass to Regional Development Agencies in 2010. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6903108.stm BBC news July 2007 - Regional assemblies will be axed] ]

In the North Devon town of Ilfracombe, the agency is working with The Ilfracombe & District Community Alliance and North Devon District Council formulating detailed plans for the town's economic and physical structures. Proposed key developments include; enhancement of the harbour; implementation of a light vehicle and foot passenger ferry service to Swansea - a Welsh city which is only twenty one miles away across the Bristol Channel; the re-development of the derelict bus station site; and creation of better youth support and recreation facilities on the Eastern side of the harbour area.

Criticism of the South West RDA

Critics of the South West Regional Assembly and the South West RDA say they are unelected, unrepresentative and unaccountable "quangos", and the area covered is an artificially imposed large region and not natural. [ [http://www.mebyonkernow.org/ Mebyon Kernow opposes SWRA] ] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/3961911.stm Liberal Democrat MP backs Cornish Development Agency] ] [ [http://www.mebyonkernow.org/?q=policies_economy Mebyon Kernow says Cornwall needs its own Development Agency] ] This opinion is based upon geography, arguing that having the Isles of Scilly and Cornwall in the same region as Gloucestershire would be comparable to linking London with Yorkshire. [ [http://www.cornishassembly.org/ Senedh Kernow] ] The feeling is especially strong in Cornwall where there have been calls for a Cornish Development Agency from Cornish MPs Dan Rogerson and Andrew George along with the Cornish political party Mebyon Kernow. [ [http://www.danrogerson.org.uk/news?id=303 Dan Rogerson MP - New powers for Cornwall 'In sight'] ] On 19 July 2007 Dan Rogerson welcomed a government announcement that unelected Regional Assemblies are to be scrapped and he asked the government to look again at the case for a locally accountable Cornish Development agency, "in light of the important convergence funding from the EU”. Cornish MP Andrew George said in July 2007 "I’m optimistic that the Minister’s announcement will give us the future prospects to build a strong consensus, demonstrate Cornwall’s distinctiveness from the Government zone for the South West and then draw up plans so that we can decide matters for ourselves locally rather than being told by unelected quangos in Bristol and elsewhere.” [ [http://www.danrogerson.org.uk/news?id=303 Cornish MP Andrew George asks for a Cornish Regional Development Agency] ]

Claims that SWRDA should be more publicly accountable

The South West Regional Development Agency has an annual budget of around £180 million and has spent almost £2 million opening offices as far away as Australia and China and has offices or representatives in five international cities. SWRDA admitted in 2008 that it has spent £1,871,829 on international offices and staff since 2005 - these include Boston in the US, Tokyo in Japan, Shenzhen in China, Melbourne in Australia and Mumbai in India. In the 2007-8 financial year, SWRDA also started an operation in Mumbai, which contributed to a total spend of £555,880.43. In March 2008 former Bristol Lord Mayor Peter Abraham criticised the SWRDA for these actions saying that it should be more publicly accountable. [ [http://thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=145365&command=displayContent&sourceNode=145191&contentPK=20176216&folderPk=83726&pNodeId=144922 SWRDA should be more publicly accountable] ] The SWRDA was also criticised in December 2007 for spending more than £60,000 of taxpayers' money at a property trade show on the French Riviera, £61,000 on its annual staff conference in Wiltshire, plus £28,279 on another staff meeting last year in Torquay.

References

External links

* [http://www.southwestrda.org.uk/ South West of England Regional Development Agency]