Regional Initiatives
Regional Funding Allocations
The Spending Review 2004 announced that the Government would examine new ways to integrate transport, economic and spatial development strategies in each region. Central Government requested advice on regions’ priorities in transport, housing and economic development to strengthen regional input into policy development.
The three strands of work are steered and managed by current regional structures:
- Economic Development by Yorkshire Forward Board and officers. The revised Regional Economic Strategy has formed a basis for the strategic element, and will inform the more specific identification of investment priorities. The resource will be the Single Pot.
- Housing is led by the Regional Housing Board. Consultation was undertaken through existing regional and sub-regional housing structures. The resource will include the current regional housing pot, and market renewal pathfinder funding.
- Transport by the Regional Transport Board. The resource will include funding identified under local Transport Plans, major Highways Agency schemes, and rail franchise.
The RFA consultation influences where large chunks of Exchequer grant funding for transport, housing and economic development are allocated - both across and within the different English regions.
As a process that feeds into the Comprehensive Spending Review regional priorities will be strategically important projects or programmes that aid regional/national competitiveness.
Within this region there are several key points of influence in relation to the RFA process. These include:
- The recently restructured YHA has developed functional boards for transport and housing to draw up a priority list of schemes for direct exchequer funding.
- The process for deciding economic priorities will remain the responsibility of the Yorkshire ForwardBoard
- Thenew YHA Regional Executive will be expected to ensure, as part of its overall co-ordination function, that the region’s priority schemes meet regional (and pan regional) sustainable growth and development objectives.
The final advice was signed off by meetings of the Yorkshire Forward Board and the Assembly in the last week of January and sent to Government for approval.
Regional Funding Allocations: Advice From The Yorkshire And The Humber Region
Meetings with central government officials have taken place in the spring. A verbal response indicated that the Government was satisfied with the submission, which will influence the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review 2007.The Assembly will be making a separate response to CSR.A formal response to the advice is expected in summer 2006. |
