The document discusses the development of a common approach to local economic assessments (LEAs) in the UK. It provides an update on a questionnaire sent to local authorities to understand current capacity and practices regarding LEAs. The responses highlighted concerns about resources, skills, data availability, and timelines for completing LEAs. Next steps discussed include sharing best practices, commissioning pilot LEAs, and further meetings between local authorities to coordinate their approaches to meeting the new requirements.

1. Developing a Common Approach to Local Economic Assessments - Update Lorna Gibbons, South West Observatory

2. LEA Evidence Coordinator activity to date Questionnaire sent to LA’s to get a clear picture of ‘where we are now’ (July 2009) . Aimed to provide information on any capacity issues, what action has already been taken, to identify best practice and to discover any obvious gaps. The questionnaire responses highlighted a number of issues:

3. Highlighted issues Capacity concerns: A common response was that there is no money to recruit for a new post to complete the LEAs. Other responses indicated that consultants may be brought in to provide this function Concerns about if the LA has the correct skill sets “ With so many areas to cover in the LEA it will be a tremendous task to access the data and be able to meaningfully analyse it” Difficulties around selecting the correct geography If there are to be joint assessments – who will do what and who will pull the evidence together at the MAA level Selecting Functional Economic Areas Complexities of delivering the duty in a two tier environment

4. Highlighted issues Data availability concerns “ There is some concern that data on the economy and labour market is difficult to break down below the county level and info below county level is usually more unreliable” An agreed cut off date for data will be necessary to enable comparisons. Could this be agreed nationally to enable comparisons outside of the region? Without expert support LEAs will be too much about past trends rather than future prospects Timescales Will the timescales of the SRS allow the LEAs to meaningfully feed into this process

5. Quick win outcomes from the questionnaire: Website resource suggestion Getting key contact information Encouraged dialogue within and between LAs

6. Website example

7. Website example

8. What else? Sharing best practice nationally Presentation given to the Local Government Information Unit on 6th September on: Co-ordinating Local Economic Assessments in the South West Region Working with ONS regional presence team. They are able to offer training (if appropriate) and have been working with IDeA on their guidance. Informal links made in these regions: North East South East West Midlands East Midland As a result a copy of the proposed core indicators for three of the four regions above has been obtained. The North East is taking a different approach.

9. What have you been doing? Work plan for the LEA is developing. Existing Economic evidence review is being shared and tweaked to make suitable for LEA requirements. Working with Economic Development service to establish a plan for business and stakeholder engagement. Cornwall Council Katherine Byfield Initial meetings and planning has commenced. Bristol City Council Chris Hackett A meeting is arranged on the 9 th October between David Walsh, Dorset County Council, and Gwen Brennan Barrass from the Borough of Poole, Steve Garrett Principal Planning officer and I to discuss the LEA and a way forward. Bournemouth Borough Council Chris Kelu There is a meeting arranged on 9 th October between Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole to discuss how best to undertake the LEA. Borough of Poole Gwen Brennan-Barrass A pilot LEA will be commissioned towards the end of 2009. BANES John Cox LEA position Local Authority Lead Contact

10. We now have a Research Officer in place to help with the LEA. The first meeting with partners regarding the methodology and outcomes is scheduled for early October. Gloucestershire County Council Karen McDonald We have arranged an initial meeting for the MAA lead Councils to discuss how we undertake the LEA across Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole. Dorset County Council David Walsh We are currently on schedule with preparations for our Local Economic Assessment in line with the statutory timetable. We have begun scoping several potential studies to feed into our LEA and are studying the recently published DCLG guidance with which we are aligning our aspirations. We aim to consult with our District Council colleagues over the Autumn to ascertain their views on issues and datasets and highlight any crosscutting themes and local circumstances that need to be addressed in our evidence and analysis. Devon County Council Sofie Ruggieri Capacity issues being resolved. Council of the Isles of Scilly Craig Dryden

11. The position in Somerset is that we will be commissioning work through the second half of this financial year to refresh and expand our evidence base prior to the development of an initial assessment in 2010. Somerset County Council Paul Hickson Initial meetings held and planning commenced. Still in very early stage. Plymouth City Council Jeffery Kenyon NSC arranged an initial scoping meeting with sub-regional partners. Draft guidance reviewed. Will shortly be identifying who can provide information/statistics/evidence in line with emerging guidance & will begin to meet various teams/organisations to raise awareness of the new duty & scope out what information is available and gaps. North Somerset Council Simon Gregory

12. Our (pilot) LEA was positively received by our Economic Partnership board and created a desire to engage further around what we can do with this document. We hope to get a group of stakeholders together to ask the 'So what?' question. We hope to start consultation for the 2010 LEA in November. Swindon Borough Council Tiso Fiaola Key officers met from across the West of England to discuss options prior to publication of guidance. No decisions reached at that stage on the best way forward for the LAs in our sub-region. Draft economic assessment for sub-region prepared some time ago. The subject will be on the agenda for West of England Heads of ED meeting next month (October). In South Glos – not yet agreed requirement and/or process needed at LA level to fit in with sub regional plans. No plans or resource in place yet to develop an individual LA LEA. South Gloucestershire Council Antony Merritt

13. Recruitment exercise for Senior Economist underway. Internal recruitment completed with post now being advertised externally, closing date 23 rd September 09. Wiltshire County Council Debby Skellern A draft Sub-Regional Economic Assessment was prepared in autumn 2009 in support of the West of England MAA. The role of a sub-regional economic assessment in the context of economic assessment work to be undertaken by the unitary authorities of the sub-region will be clarified through discussion with UA colleagues later in 2009. West of England Partnership Tim Lansley Early research commissioned, outline programme developed to be presented to Council management team and Cabinet in early October. Capacity needs identified. Torbay Development Agency Alan Denby

14. BDP have formed an LEA steering group West of England have also met and will be working together on their LEA’s

15. [email_address] 01823 447 397