Sub-National Review Transition

The Sub-National Review of Economic Development and Regeneration (SNR) published in July 2007 sets out some major challenges for the way regional development agencies such as Advantage West Midlands work at a regional and local level.

Specifically, it sets out the parameters for managing policy at the right regional levels, ensuring clarity of roles and enabling places to reach their potential.

SNR sets out proposals for all regions to develop a Single Integrated Regional Strategy, additional responsibilities for local government, a new and more strategic role for RDAs and changes to the regional architecture.

Reforms will take place around four key areas:

• Reform of central Government’s relations with regions and localities

• Strengthening the regional level through responsibilities transferred to RDAs from Regional Assemblies

• Supporting local authorities to work at the sub-regional scale

• Empowerment of local authorities to promote economic development and neighbourhood renewal

To steer the implementation of SNR, Government Office with regional partners has established a West Midlands Strategic Transition Group (STG). This group is chaired by Professor Michael Clarke (GOWM Board) and has 14 members including representatives’ leaders of local government, GOWM, Advantage West Midlands, the Regional Assembly and business.

The STG has agreed a broad work programme which includes scoping the work required to take forward proposals for developing the evidence base and the Single Integrated Regional Strategy, as well as delegation of activity and funding from the regional to the local level.

The STG is supported by the West Midlands Executive Transition Group (ETG), an executive broadly mirroring the STG and chaired by GOWM Regional Director Trudi Elliot.  The ETG brings together senior officers from the above mentioned agencies.

On behalf of the region, Advantage West Midlands has established a Sub-National Review Transition Team to lead the work that the Agency and regional partners need to undertake in order to secure the smooth implementation of the ambitions set out in SNR.

The consultation document prepared jointly by the Departments for Communities and Local Government and Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform on taking forward key Sub-National Review (SNR) recommendations was formally launched on Monday March 31. The document can be downloaded from the related documents link above.

The document highlights a number of key discussion points and questions which Advantage West Midlands will need to work closely with regional partners to address either as part of a combined regional response or in formulating its own corporate response.  The consultation period ends 20th June 2008.

All interested parties will be encouraged to respond directly to Government while STG will be developing a response to the Consultation Document.  That response will be informed by regional partners’ views and perspectives and strongly influenced by Advantage West Midlands.