The East of England and EEDAPaul Burall

Board memberEast of England Development Agency

29 April 2006

One of the fastest growing regions

EEDA’s statutory responsibility

• set up in April 1999 under the 1998 RDA Act

• a non-departmental public body

• statutory responsibilities:- further economic development and regeneration

- promote business efficiency, investment and

competitiveness

- promote employment

- enhance development and application of skills relevant

to employment

- contribute to sustainable development in the UK

EEDA’s statutory responsibility

• set up in April 1999 under the 1998 RDA Act

• a non-departmental public body

• statutory responsibilities:- further economic development and regeneration

- promote business efficiency, investment and

competitiveness

- promote employment

- enhance development and application of skills relevant

to employment

- contribute to sustainable development in the UK

The vision for the East of England…

…is for ‘a leading economy, founded on our

world-class knowledge base and the

creativity and enterprise of our people, in

order to improve the quality of life of all who

live and work here.’

The regional economic strategy

a leading information society

skills base that can support a world-class economy

global leadership in developing and realising innovation in science, technology and research

high quality places to work and live

making the most from the development of international gateways and national and regional transport corridors

growing competitiveness, productivity and entrepreneurship

social inclusion and broad participation in the regional economy

an exemplar in environmental technologies and the efficient use of resources

The regional economic strategy

high quality places to work and live

an exemplar in environmental technologies and the efficient use of resources

Priorities include environmental issues

• Strategic Goal 4, Priority 4 - Developing and enhancing green spaces and infrastructure to support economic growth

• Strategic Goal 8, Priority 4 - Establishing the region as an exemplar of environmentally sustainable development

Focusing on priorities

• improving skills for employment

• better business support

• success in science and innovation

• Growth Areas and urban renaissance

• regenerating communities

• sustainable economic growth, particularly in rural areas

• international quality transport and infrastructure

• promoting the region

Focusing on priorities

• improving skills for employment

• better business support

• success in science and innovation

• Growth Areas and urban renaissance

• regenerating communities

• sustainable economic growth, particularly in rural areas

• international quality transport and infrastructure

• promoting the region

Climate change is the biggest threat to biodiversity

EEDA has a role both in:

• reducing global warming emissions

• ensuring that development is designed to support adaptation to the changes that are inevitable

Renewables East aims ‘to drive forward the deployment and development of a full range of low carbon energy solutions into the East of England economy whilst ensuring that the region exploits the best economic benefit’

Scroby Sands

This 60 MW, 30 turbine project has been developed on a sand bank approximately 3 km east of Great Yarmouth

Wissington sugar plant

British Sugar is building a plant to convert sugar beet into bioethanol motor fuel at its Norfolk factory. The plant will have a capacity of 50,000 tonnes of bioethanol a year

Key objective is ‘to drive up skills and knowledge in the related fields of regeneration and neighbourhood renewal’

Inspire East is developing an Excellence Framework to provide a guide for development. This will include a substantial environment section

Wildlife corridor

Major regeneration projects

EEDA is funding major regeneration projects around the region

These are assessed for their environmental impact using the regional Sustainable Development Toolkit

The global challenge

The East of England’s environmental footprint is 5.64 global hectares per capita (gha/cap)

The UK average is 5.36 gha/cap

The world average is 2.2 gha/cap

Source: Counting Consumption, WWF & the Swedish Environmental Institute, 2006

The regional challenge

Water resources are close to capacity

Climate change emissions are still rising

Biodiversity is declining

Sea level rise threatens key habitats

Fenland soils are losing their fertility

The regional challenge

Development rates are increasing and include:

Nearly 500,000 new homes in the next 15 years

The Olympics

Major transport expansion at Stansted & Felixtowe

What more should EEDA do?

• The review process for the key Regional Economic Strategy will begin soon

• Need to better understand and work within the environmental constraints

• Wide consultation