Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to the 5th edition of the
3SC Devolution Newsletter.
This edition is intended to bring readers up to
date with the current position with the 3SC devolution proposals and in
particular:
- remind readers of the key mechanisms for leading work on our devolution proposition,
- summarise the outcome of a recent meeting of the Strategic Oversight Group and report plans for a full day session for council leaders and LEP chairs on 8 April, and,
- include links to some core material on the 3SC devolution proposition.
This newsletter is available to everybody who
has an interest in our devolution proposals. Please forward it to anybody you
think would be interested in it. If you would like to receive further editions
of the newsletter you can sign up here
if you have not already done so.
Creaking
infrastructure, unfunded and growing demands on public services and a
population that will balloon to 3 million by 2037 are three of the drivers
behind the 3SC devolution bid.
3SC, a
partnership of three county councils, districts, boroughs and partners in
Surrey and Sussex, is calling for a devolution deal with government that will
improve outcomes, increase growth, enhance productivity and transform public
services.
The
partnership’s initial pitch to government in January got the green light. The
meeting with Baroness Williams, Parliamentary under Secretary of State, was
described as “extremely positive”.
3SC was
encouraged to carry out further work prior to making a final submission to
government.
The
devolution proposals, if accepted, will deliver four key outcomes across three
counties.
- Improve road, rail and
digital networks
- Increase and improve the
range of housing
- Improve the skills offer,
helping to meet business and organisations’ needs
- Secure a share in the
financial proceeds of growth to invest in improved infrastructure
Mustering
a large partnership creates a significant workload. The devolution programme is
being steered by a Strategic Oversight Group (SOG) chaired by the chief
executive of Surrey County Council, David McNulty.
The SOG
provides strategic direction to the programme under the political steer of
council leaders. Two reference groups support SOG, with chief executives from
all partner authorities represented. Political leadership is exercised through
regular meetings of county leaders.
The
detail around the emerging final bid is being fleshed out in six work streams.
These cover key areas of work associated with the bid: double devolution;
governance; housing and planning; infrastructure; and skills. Each work stream
has a chief executive sponsor and lead officer.
A
Communication and Engagement Group, which sees county representatives working
alongside district and borough communications professionals, has been
established to support the work of the SOG and work streams. West Sussex County
Council leads this group.
The
Programme Office, which is run by Surrey County Council, ensures that the
overall programme functions efficiently and manages all key documentation.
Authority
to sign off the final bid to government rests with partner authorities. These
will have a final say on whether their council will be part of the final
submission.
Work is
being done to understand and learn from the implications for the Devolution
bid following recent decisions made by government in the Budget.
The SOG met on 9 March. It recognised the
significant progress that had been made in developing our propositions and the
strength in partnership working. The
group also reviewed progress on each of the work streams and preparations for
future negotiations with government. A meeting has been sought with senior
civil servants to test the government appetite for the 3SC proposals which we
hope will be shortly after Easter. In the meantime work streams are deepening
and refining their proposals. Work on double devolution continues in parallel,
with each area pursuing what works best in particular localities.
The next leaders meeting will take the form of
a full day workshop on 8 April. The chairs of the three Local Enterprise
Partnerships which cover our area have also been invited to participate in the
session. The seminar is designed to provide leaders with an opportunity to take
stock of progress and discuss next steps.
More detailed information on our devolution
proposals is available in the form of:
- A one
page summary – Our Drive to Thrive;
- A set of
frequently asked questions;
- A
standard PowerPoint presentation.
|