Agenda item

The Board considered a report, which set out the Council’s new Regeneration Strategy.

The Board was advised that the Regeneration Strategy was intended to provide a concise summary of the regeneration priorities for the Borough. Contained within it were three key focus areas, People, Places and Prosperity.

The statements for each priority within the Strategy were as follows:

‘People

To unlock the potential of Haringey residents through increasing skill levels, and raising employment so that they can contribute to and benefit from being part of one of the most successful cities in the world. 

Places

To transform Haringey into a place in which more people want to live and invest by using the opportunity of major sites and key locations to create positive change.  

Prosperity

To develop a 21^st century business economies that offer opportunities for sustainable employment and enterprise, to help make Haringey a place that people want to work and visit.’

It was noted that the Strategy had been designed as the principal component in the delivery of one of the Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS) objectives to ‘create economic vitality and prosperity shared by all’. It was also consistent with the Government Office for London’s (GOL) recently launched Development Investment Framework, the London Development Agency’s priorities for Haringey and the wider London region and North London Strategic Alliance vision for the Upper Lee Valley.

The Board was advised that the Strategy would play a key role in meeting both LAA mandatory outcomes and existing Stretch Targets. In addition, it reflected the national floor targets for enterprise and employment and skills, which contributed towards increasing Haringey’s overall employment rate, increasing the employment rate amongst target groups and raising the number of VAT registrations.

The HSP would act as the key mechanism for providing the strategic coordination and input from Partners. The Thematic Boards would be asked to take responsibility for overseeing the relevant streams of the Regeneration Programme.

Following endorsement by the HSP, a Delivery Plan would be prepared, which would set out in detail how the Strategy would be translated into action.  The targets included within the Strategy would reflect the LAA and national economic development targets and the success of the Strategy would be measured against these.

The Board discussed the Strategy and there was a consensus that the clear and concise format was helpful in expressing its purpose and goals. It was noted that it would be helpful if the Delivery Plan were brought back to the Board for further discussion once finalised.

It was noted that the Integrated Housing Board had commented on the Strategy and requested that further reference should be made to housing within it.

In response to concerns that residents of the Borough may unaware of the positive work been done in this area, the Board was advised that information was fed through Haringey People. It was acknowledged that it may be useful to gauge public awareness of the issue.

There was agreement that within the People section of the Strategy, reference should be made to Adult Skills and how skill levels could be improved with the support of businesses. It was also noted that consideration in relation to how community buildings could be better utilised as an asset to the local community in terms of regeneration.

RESOLVED:

1. That the Regeneration Strategy be endorsed by the HSP.

2. That the Delivery Plan, through which the Strategy would be delivered, be brought to the HSP for endorsement by the end of March 2008.

3. That the HSP should act as the key mechanism for providing strategic co-ordination and input into delivery of the Strategy from Partners

4. That the Theme Boards would take responsibility for overseeing relevant streams of the Regeneration Programme.