Funding cuts hit South East planning body
Cuts to funding for regional planning in England mean that the South East England Partnership Board - the body set up in 2009 to help plan for South East England's transport, housing, economic development and environmental needs - will be wound up on 31 July 2010.
The Board - which is a partnership between the South East's local authorities and economic development agency, SEEDA - is supported by a 33-person team funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government. After learning that this funding was no longer available the parent company, SEERA Ltd, decided that the organisation will close at the end of July. As a result, a Planning Panel meeting scheduled for 7 June and Housing and Regeneration Board meeting scheduled for 9 June were cancelled. A meeting of the Transport Board on 11 June went ahead so local authorities could discuss their priorities before the Government’s autumn spending review.
Planning responsibilities will now be devolved to county, unitary and district councils, working within a national framework. On 16 June, South East England Councils met in London to discuss how local authorities will continue to address issues, such as the need for investment in infrastructure, that require cross border cooperation. SEEDA is also in discussion with local authority leaders about the future.
This e-newsletter will be the last we distribute and wraps up some of the work we began before the changes to regional planning were announced. Thank you for being one of our subscribers.
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