Minutes:
The Chair thanked everyone for their work over
the past 7 weeks, and advised that the intention was for the
production of a strong and rounded Town Investment Plan (TIP)
bid. The Board was now at a stage where
options/projects could be considered and prioritised.
The Chair considered it to be important that a central theme would be for the benefits of any changes being beneficial to the resident population of Stevenage, who would be most affected by the disruption caused whilst these changes were being implemented. The importance of the heritage of Stevenage as the UK’s first New Town should be strongly emphasised. There was an opportunity for a transformational change for the town, which he hoped would be supported through the TIP submission.
The Chair thanked the SBC Regeneration Team for their hard work and dedication in supporting the process. Later in the meeting, the Board would see an ambitious plan and noting the potential to bid for up to £50Million of Town Deal funding that could be considered for Stevenage. The Chair noted there could also be potential to build on the already successful science and technology businesses in the town.
Andy Fisher (Barton Willmore), assisted by Graeme Collinge (Genecon), provided an update on the TIP. Andy advised that, since the last Board meeting: work had taken place with the thematic leads and technical team to deliver outcomes, objectives and solutions to the challenges faced by Stevenage; further Government guidance had been published; further clarification had been received on the opportunity to bid for up to £50M; and a check and challenge session had taken place with the MHCLG’s Town Deal Team.
Andy reminded the Board of the geography of Stevenage, and of the key outcomes and proposed projects within the four thematic work streams of Arts & Culture; Skills & Enterprise; Connectivity; and Regeneration.
In respect of check and challenge, Graeme explained that the MHCLG had established the Towns Hub, and had appointed a consortium including Arup, the Nichols Group, Grant Thornton, FutureGov, Savills and Copper Consultancy to provide consultancy support to the process. A Towns Co-ordinator from Arup had been appointed for the Stevenage TIP (who fulfilled a similar role for 10-12 other Town Deal bids).
Graeme stated that the check and challenge process allowed for the draft TIP document to be evaluated by a “critical friend” prior to submission and created an opportunity for the sharing of best practice. A key Government message was for the development of a “golden thread” for the TIP (through the Vision - Challenges – Outcomes – Objectives – Projects). There should be a strong evidence base; relationship of Stevenage to London should be emphasised; how the TIP responded to Covid-19; how the TIP responded to Clean Growth; project prioritisation; and alignment with wider Government investment/support.
Graeme commented that if the Board wished to bid for £50M then a “national” narrative needed to form part the bid, ie. its impact on areas beyond the boundaries of Stevenage. The check and challenge process had also resulted in the following feedback:
· Evidence on strengths/assets/challenges – more evidence around economic issues / accommodation, skills analysis, trend analysis;
· Specific needs – eg. night time, biotech, the Railway Station;
· More on town centre issues to justify regeneration type projects;
· Why high value jobs not taken by local people;
· Quantify the scale of opportunity – jobs / GVA etc.;
· Justify the spatial concentration of projects and how they inter-related and impacted on the wider town;
· Important to show evidence of consultation with the local community and how this had shaped the proposals;
· Get endorsement from local stakeholders;
· Provide more detail on existing partnerships with the business sector and how these had been reflected in the vision and project selection;
· The TIP would need to set out plans for future engagement; and
· Engage with other areas of Government that may be able to unlock complementary opportunities.
Graeme reported that those conducting the check and challenge process had pointed to the challenges of Economy and Regeneration as being key to the Stevenage TIP.
The Board noted that the check and challenge Frequently Asked Questions stated “in some exceptional circumstances, more than £25M may be considered” and “This will be limited to the most ambitious TIPs”. Projects would need to demonstrate transformational impact for the town, but also for the wider region and nationally. Such proposals would be subject to a wider level of scrutiny around Value for Money and deliverability. Councils would need to demonstrate that they had capacity and capability to deliver the TIP.
Graeme was of the view that, following discussions with BEIS, consideration should be given to submitting a £50M TIP bid.
Andy Fisher advised that the core narrative for the TIP bid should build on the evidence base in place throughout the themes; reflect the requirements from the check and challenge; and press the “regional and national” buttons for the Government, given the opportunity and ambition to bid for £50M. He felt that the Stevenage Town Deal core offered to the Government:
1. Supercharging Stevenage’s national and international business, capturing inward investment, spin-off opportunities, and improving access for local people by upping skills;
2. Levelling up the opportunities for Stevenage residents and raising aspirations in line with those in the rest of Hertfordshire; and
3. A town centre regeneration opportunity that was of such an impact that it excited at the national level.