I hope you all managed to take a break over the festive period and can start the new year with renewed energy and optimism.
Last year, and especially the second half of 2023, was one of rapid acceleration and development for the Pan-Regional Partnership. Many of you attended the all-partner conference in late November and hopefully witnessed this first hand. This bulletin features some of the projects and programmes which we now have underway, as well as some in the advanced stages of development. Our focus has been on positive, added-value delivery in areas where partners see value in taking a pan-regional approach. This will continue through 2024. A next significant milestone will be UKREiiF in May where we will unveil the Investment Prospectus and in effect launch the partnership on a national and international basis.
Please do contact me, or one of the team, if there are projects you would like to be more fully engaged in. With a general election on the horizon, and more change inevitable, whatever the outcome, we are determined to keep delivering for the region anddemonstrate the power, impact, and benefit of regional collaboration.
Thank you for your support, and I wish you a Happy New Year.
Dr Richard Hutchins
Managing Director
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Programme updates:
Environment and Sustainability
Building on the discussions and workshops at our all-partner conference, we are assembling our programme of activity for 2024, as approved by the Partnership’s Board in September 2023. Beginning with an update to the Environment Principles, the Chair of the Environment and Sustainability sub-group, Cllr Bridget Smith along with Dr Paul Leinster CBE who was recently appointed to the Partnership as a Non-Executive Director will soon invite expressions of interest from partners and stakeholders to lead on, and be involved in, specific aspects of the Principles’ development. Watch this space.
The panel discussion at our conference on nature finance stimulated much discussion and engagement – it is clearly an issue many partners across the region are engaging and grappling with. The discussion continues next week at The 100 Together conference in Oxford on 11 January; for colleagues attending, we’ll see you there!
Contact Nathan Vear, the Partnership’s Programme Lead for the Environment and Sustainability Sub-Group @ nathan.vear@kapaciti.com.
Innovation and Economy
Thank you to all Partners who submitted projects for the Investment Atlas. The ekosgen team have reviewed them against the assessment criteria. The project Steering Group and the Economy and Innovation sub-group members are finalising the list of opportunities to be recommended to the Partnership Board. We hope to confirm these with you later this month. In the meantime, the consultants are progressing the region’s investment Prospectus and will be consulting further with Partners in the coming weeks.
Activity to develop the region’s Data Observatory has reached another milestone. Following an Invitation to Tender process, and with a lot of interest from the market, we aim to select a supplier by 22 January 2024.
Partnership presence at UKREiiF
We’re delighted to be sponsoring a Pavilion at this year’s UKREiiF – 21-23 May in Leeds. UKREiiF will provide a platform for Partners to showcase their place investments to investors, national and international audiences involved in real estate and infrastructure developments. It’s also an opportunity to join leadership debates and discussions on the future of place-making.
Thanks to all colleagues who have responded to our call to join a UKREiiF working group to develop the Pavilion Fringe Programme. So far, in addition to colleagues on the Partnership’s sub groups and the Arc Universities Group we have further representation come forward from Oxfordshire County Council and OXLEP, West Northants Council, Luton Council and North Northants Council, representing the Central Area Growth Board; and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority team who are planning a strong presence at the event this year.
Dates for working group meetings will be making their way into diaries. Please let us know if you want to contribute towards shaping the programme.
For more on the above, contact:
Placi Espejo, Innovation and Economy lead @ placi.espejo@cherwell-dc.gov.uk
Arthur Le Geyt, Data and Analysis lead @ arthur.legeyt@cherwell-dc.gov.uk or
Karen Clarke, leading on UKREiiF @ karen.clarke@cherwell-dc.gov.uk
Communications and engagement
Following Board endorsement of the regional branding and identity project scoping at the November meeting, we are currently seeking a place brand specialist to progress with brand development. The closing date for responses to this Open Invitation to Tender is Monday 15th January. We’ll be working with the successful agency at pace on brand development which will involve wide engagement and conversation with Partners, regional, national and international stakeholders.
Karen Clarke is working with the Branding Steering Group, chaired by Richard Hutchins on this project and can be reached @ karen.clarke@cherwell-dc.gov.uk
With much Programme work on-going, we are also seeking an agency to support us to strengthen our communications and engagement. The closing date for this Open Invitation to Tender is 2nd February 2024. Please do pass on this opportunity to agencies you would recommend.
Team update
We’re pleased to welcome a new member of the team. Natalie Carlson has joined us as Senior Executive Assistant. Natalie can be reached via natalie.carlson@cherwell-dc.gov.uk.