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Community Strategies/Local Strategic Partnership meeting - 7 April 2003

1. Welcome and Introductions

Bernard Sully, Chair for the meeting, welcomed all those present.

2. Round-up of Community Strategy Consultations/LSP Development

All the local authorities and other partner organisations present updated the meeting on their current positions with regard to Community Strategy consultations and LSP development.

The Environment Agency mentioned that it attended County and Southampton LSP meetings and asked how it could be more involved generally.

John Dunk of GOSE reported that the 2004 spending review was being implemented. This would target all LSPs who would receive funding - in a future funding review - for secretariat support and pump priming local activity. He agreed to take back the support of those present on this to GOSE.

The Environment Centre was represented on several LSPs. It also helped with work on sustainable development for the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA). It would report back relevant points from this meeting to SEEDA.

Nigel Bell asked for information on to what extent parish councils were involved in LSPs. Many of the local authorities present involved parish councils on their LSPs.

He also raised issues regarding protection of the environment through LSPs. Several local authorities were looking at environmental concerns through their LSPs.

3. The Sustainable Development Project, South East Region

The Chair introduced Clare Wilson from the Regional Assembly.

Clare spoke about the background to the regional Sustainable Development Framework (SDF) project. She gave details on the project output, the results and experiences with other regions in England and the project results. She reported on the way forward for the project and its further development. She gave details on how the Regional Assembly could link to LSPs and their possible input to and promotion of the SDF. There would be an area devoted to the SDF on the Assembly’s website from this month.

Clare asked for an indication from those present as to how best to develop links between the project and LSPs. She hoped this could be assisted through meetings such as this. A suggestion was made that direct contact from the Assembly to individual LSPs would be more beneficial.

A question was asked about how the project linked in with the Audit Commission "Quality of Life indicators". Clare answered that the Assembly was not taking this on wholesale and that it was an on-going debate.

Concern was expressed by Nigel Bell that parish councils, and people in the countryside generally, did not know about the Regional Assembly and its work and urged that the Assembly look at this issue.

4. Asylum Seeker Policy

The Chair introduced Joan Ward of the South of England Consortium for Asylum Seekers and Refugees.

Joan addressed the meeting on the background and history of asylum seekers and refugees. She also gave details on the membership of the Consortium.

She reported on the legal definition of refugees and asylum seekers, the worldwide situation, the nationalities of people coming to Britain and gave details of the different kinds of refugee status in this country. Joan also gave details of the background to the current legislation and also details of the new legislation which had now come into force.

She highlighted the problem of inappropriate siting of accommodation centres and the numbers housed in them. She also gave details of the problems faced by refugees in finding work, housing etc.

A debate took place on this issue during which Malcolm Crocker of Gosport Borough Council reported on the proposed housing of refugees at HMS Daedalus in Lee-on- Solent. He stressed the importance of involving LSPs to help secure a level-headed debate on the issue.

5. Update on Staff Development

Jo White of Hampshire County Council gave details of the staff development seminar held on 26 February which a number of staff present had attended. The key issue in discussion was to create a clear and separate value-added role for the Hampshire Strategic Partnership (HSP).

It was noted that GOSE, the Association and HSP would be sponsoring future staff development events.

5. Future meetings of the network

It was agreed to hold another meeting of the network once district Comprehensive Performance Assessments had been completed.

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