Proposed regional 'shake-up'
Please find below Sustainability South West's letter to Gordon Brown PM (20 July 2007) responding to the recently published 'Review of sub-national economic development and regeneration' (17 July 2007).
Dear Prime Minister,
Holistic leadership fit for the 21st century is needed to deliver genuine Sustainable Development in the English regions:
As the region’s independent champion body for sustainable development, Sustainability South West read with interest the government’s recent launch of the review of sub national economic development and regeneration.
The concept of ‘prosperity’ at the beginning of the 21st century has moved on. Wise leaders have learnt the lessons of the development models of the 20th Century and now understand about the unacceptable risks that unsustainable economic development pose for the future of our people - in particular, the biggest risk mankind has ever faced - catastrophic climate change. There is also recognition that prosperity is about more than money alone. It is about achieving global and personal well being for all and, in today’s world, that these things are interdependent. Economic growth at any social or environmental price will not secure a safe, fair or prosperous future for all.
The regional development agenda
The English regions each have their own particular qualities, priorities and challenges. A national ‘one size fits all’ development plan will not fully serve their particular needs. Regional development policy that is not able to reflect the particular circumstances and aspirations of the people of each region serves little purpose. Focusing only on reducing disparities in GDP between the regions is only one isolated and blunt measure of progress. Income is but one factor of deprivation. Many economies with high GDPs are failing to reduce inequalities. Yet in a backward facing proposal this government review, according to Minister Steven Timms, sets regions ‘just one over-arching goal - to improve the rate of growth in the region’. Here in the South West we have far wider development challenges to meet including providing affordable housing; managing England’s fastest growing and ageing population; accessing goods and services in a region with challenging geography and maintaining the special natural environment that attracts so many to live, work and visit. Any overall regional plan must respond to all of these issues and address deprivation through genuinely sustainable development that creates a region that is healthy, socially just, productive and living within environmental limits.
Regional leadership and democracy
A sustainable community is also secured by sound governance and leadership. Any new process introduced to facilitate democratic decision making; accountability and scrutiny of agencies including regional development agencies will require a strong understanding not only of local issues, which local authorities can ably provide, but also of region wide, cross-sectoral strategic issues and the global sustainable development context in which 21st Century decisions must now be made. Sustainability South West with its cross-sectoral membership is willing and able to assist the region with this.
A sustainable regional economy
The region needs a resilient, sustainable economy fit for the 21st Century which must, by definition, be a low carbon economy - maximizing long term business competitiveness through resource efficiency; building sustainably constructed affordable homes and workplaces resilient to the future with very low energy needs and therefore costs; using locally generated safe energy sources; supporting local communities through the use of local goods and services and moving away from high carbon sectors towards the increasingly financially viable low carbon sectors of the future. Business advice and support must focus on integrating this low carbon and resource efficient approach across sectors and promoting environmental technologies. Reference to the advice of the Stern Review is curiously omitted in the Government's Review proposals despite the new clarity it offers about the significant economic benefits of responding to the climate change agenda sooner rather than later.
A single regional strategy
SSW welcomes the Review’s recommendation of a single strategy co-ordinating jobs, economic growth, housing, planning and environmental objectives to ‘replace the current myriad of overlapping strategies’ (though it must also relate to issues including low carbon access, health and learning and skills). However, such a strategy will only succeed if it becomes a strategy for delivering sustainable development which responds to social, economic and environmental issues in an integrated and holistic way. To date the initial attempt to create a South West ‘integrated regional strategy’ did not resolve incompatibilities between the various economic, social and environmental aims which a successful sustainable integrated strategy must do.
The review also proposes to ‘Sharpen the role of RDAs with a clear focus on increasing economic growth’. However at the same time it is proposed that RDAs are being given a widening role to co- ordinate a single regional strategy which covers not only economic growth but also planning, housing and environmental objectives. It would be inappropriate for an agency focused only on economic growth to lead in this role, unless it is transformed into a Regional Sustainable Development Agency with expertise in other areas and a proper accountability system. The Regional Assembly has recently prepared a draft Regional Spatial Strategy which clearly demonstrates a commitment to delivering sustainable development. However, during the Examination in Public it was clear that some of the region’s ambitions to deliver sustainable development are likely to thwarted by some national policies which are currently for example, incompatible with the delivery of an overall reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
The concept of Sustainable Development was born towards the end of the 20th Century in response to lessons learned and our changing needs. The time for its delivery has come. Experts on climate change advise that reductions to greenhouse gas emissions must be made within the next ten years if we are to avert dangerous, runaway climate change – the biggest threat to economic prosperity and social progress we have ever faced. Only strong reforming leadership will be able to effectively respond to such an urgent challenge. Consequently, Sustainability South West recommends that this review must lead the way to delivering a decade of innovative genuinely sustainable development in our regions if we are to secure for our people a safe, fair and prosperous future for the 21st century.
Yours sincerely
Leslie Watson (Director) and Julian Dennis (Chair) Sustainability South West
© 2007 Sustainability South West - UK registered charity, no. 1106125 - info@sustainabilitysouthwest.org.uk.