The North Devon and Exmoor Regeneration CompanyThe General Manager's Report – AGM 2003
The North Devon and Exmoor Regeneration Company was incorporated in March 2002 and became operational in May 2002, when the assets and liabilities from the Torridge LEADER Company were transferred. At that time I was the only member of core staff with the project team on face2face IT. The four full time members of staff are delivering IT support to small businesses, alongside grants for website development and IT training, within a £672,610 budget. The project is due to complete in December 2003.
In May 2002, the LEADER+ Programme Manager joined the staff, leading the North West Devon bid, which was successful in the early part of the year. She is running a project with a potential £4.6m spend by 2008, with support from two members of staff. The theme is ãQuality of Lifeä in rural areas and is based on an area covering 98 parishes in Torridge and North Devon. The project is attracting a lot of interest from GOSW, as it has successful projects at an early stage of the programme and has been visited by DEFRA, London and by the Rt Hon Alun Michael the MP for Rural AffairsUrban Quality of Life.
In June 2002, a project co-ordinator was employed to complete health- checks on the towns of South Molton, Holsworthy, Torrington and Crediton, developing capacity building within the community to develop action plans for each of the Market & Coastal Towns containing a strategy for the next 10-20 years. This project is supported by the South West RDA and the Countryside Agency.
During the summer, the Objective 2 bid, Capacity Building for Regeneration through Neighbourhood Renewal funding was successful, allowing four community development workers to be employed from September. They are working in the socially deprived areas of Appledore East, Westward Ho!, Barnstaple St Mary's, and Trinity and Ilfracombe East and Central. This project has drawm together over £385,000 from the EU, NDDC, TDC and DCC. The project is working across both districts and will develop local capacity and allow project ideas to come from the community. Two additional members of staff work alongside this project on Forches.
By September, the Regeneration Company received offer letters as the accountable body for the Market & Coastal Towns process in Holsworthy and Northam (DAWN). The main tasks include: employing staff, managing the finance and completing the reporting procedures. The whole process within the towns depends on voluntary time and this has delayed some of the progress.
During the winter months, one of our employees has been working hard as the Torridge Tourism Secretary and is developing the association. Ruth Benney is also taking the lead with the tourism assistance at Atlantic Village, alongside Jenny, providing information to visitors.
The most recent projects to gain funding support, were the ERDF and ESF Objective 2 Technical Assistance bids. For the first time, technical assistance staff are available outside of GOSW. The Integrated Area Plan was developed as part of the original bid and the IAP Manager amd Objective 2 Bid Writer is updating the project element in time for a June 2003 deadline. This joint project with West Somerset District Council and North Devon College is allowing a win-win situation. It is a great source of support, especially to local communities, where additional funding is available in the socially deprived areas.
In all, a total of 22 staff are currently employed. To support this personnel increase, a staff handbook and revised employment contract have been devised, with support from a specialist solicitor.
Launch
The North Devon & Exmoor Regeneration Company was launched in March of this year. The successfull day in Filleigh, allowed communication between local officers, the private sector and agencies and paved a way forward for working together in the future. The three District Councils have all been very supportive in the formation of the Company and continue to provide the core funds and match funding for the Objective 2 Technical Assistance posts.
The Future
An outline Rural Renaissance bid by the District Councils, covering the Objective 2 areas, is being developed by consultants. In the managing framework, the Regeneration Company is favoured to deliver the programme locally.
An ESF project proposal is being developed, to complement the Objective 2 Broadband bid, to allow support for our local small businesses who will not be choosing the Broadband route and to try and meet the IT training needs with grant support.
Both of the above issues will form part of the developing business plan, which will be written over the coming months.
Conclusion
The support from the Board of Directors, especially their representation on project steering groups and/or specialist sub groups, is very much appreciated, in their voluntary capacity. After being in place for a year, the opportunity to make decisions on potential projects is being realised, firstly through acting as the accountable body for the project planning bid to the Heritage Lottery for the Kathleen & May and in the future on potential Objective 2 bids joining the IAP and subsequently becoming full bids. The good work and flexibility of the Regeneration Company is becoming known and enquiries are being made as to starting up one of their own in other Districts of Devon.
The past year has been very challenging as additional projects are being developed and coming on line. The financial element of the managing role, is particularly complex and support is now in place with the Senior Administrator, a much welcomed extra member of the core staff.
Sue Gear