Agenda item

            The Committee considered the following report:

 

“1.0     Purpose of Report/Summary of Main Issues

 

1.1       To update the Committee on the terms of reference, programme of work and governance of the newly-established Innovation and Inclusive Growth Commission.

 

2.0       Recommendations

 

2.1       The Committee is requested to;

 

                                                  i.          note the membership of Commission and how this will link with political decision-making and existing governance arrangements, the resource allocation including financial budgets and also the programme of work; and

 

                                                ii.          note the update on the work of the Innovation and Inclusive Growth Commission. Regular updates will be provided to this Committee throughout the Commission’s lifetime. 

 

            This report was agreed by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on Friday 20th September.

 

3.0       Main Report

 

3.1       The Innovation and Inclusive Growth Commission was set up to support the Council and city partners in the further development and implementation of the priorities as set out in the Belfast Agenda.  A particular focus has been given to the priorities of (1) growing the economy and (2) city development.  The Commission will seek to deliver the core objective of inclusive growth. 

 

3.2       The work of the Commission will take place in three distinct phases – analysis, visioning and participative to include a full economic review and baseline for the city and completion of a mini stern (by January 2020), scenario planning and ultimately the production of a full economic growth plan for the city by Autumn 2020.

 

            Belfast City Council CEO will Chair the Commission and lead its work. She will be accountable for ensuring the Commission meets its goals and works within its terms of reference. The Commission will take evidence from all eight political parties represented on the council and will engage with the City Growth and Regeneration Committee throughout the process.

 

3.4       Accountability for day to day operation of the Commission (SRO) will rest with the Commissioner for Resilience, who will be tasked with advising and supporting the Commission, identifying resources (including from 100RC) and producing final outputs, as part of her requirement to produce a Resilience Strategy for the city. She will work alongside John Tully to ensure that the effective support is in place to support the Commission and its workstreams, provide research and ensure linkages with Community Planning and City Deal. Close working arrangements will also be put in place, the Director of Finance and Resources, the Director of Place and Economy and the City Deal lead and regular reports brought to CMT.

 

3.5       Core membership of the Commission is as follows:

 

-       Suzanne Wylie, Chief Executive, Belfast City Council

-       Michael Lyons, Chair- English Cities Fund

-       Matthew Taylor, RSA (previously led RSA Inclusive Growth Commission)

-       Owen Reidy, or nominee, ICTU (tbc)

-       Emma Cariaga, British Land

-       Alice Charles, World Economic Forum

-       Joe O’Neill, Belfast Harbour Commissioners

-       Paddy Nixon, Vice Chancellor and President, Ulster University

-       Ian Greer, Vice Chancellor and President, Queen’s University Belfast

-       Rotha Johnston

-       Ronan Cregan, Deputy Chief Executive, Belfast City Council

-       Anne McGregor, NI Chamber of Commerce

-       Judith Totten, INI Non-Exec Board Member

-       Ed Vernon

-       Angela Magowan, Director, CBI Northern Ireland

-       Neil Gibson, EY

 

            However, the Commission will also take advice from a wide range of organisations, including the Nevin Institute and JRF etc.

 

3.6       Inclusive and Sustainable Growth

 

            The Commission’s membership has been broadened to include a wider range of economic expertise and viewpoints.  ICTU has confirmed it will nominate a member and the Nevin Institute has also been contacted to provide advice and insight to the Commission.  As the Commission’s work proceeds, it will also seek advice from Trademark and other similar organisations to ensure that insights and practice on co-operative development inform the Commission’s work.  We are also seeking insight from social enterprise organisations to provide advice throughout.  Inclusive growth has been re-emphasised in the Commission’s terms of reference and its title brief, and Commission members were also briefed on the importance attached to inclusive growth at its first meeting.  Specific reference has been made to cities that have developed economic strategies with inclusive growth or ‘good growth’ as core goals, and officers have been tasked with seeking input and insights from cities that can demonstrate success in this area.  As the Commission develops it will align with ongoing work on climate change and sustainable development and seek advice from Leeds Climate Commission, Place based Climate Action Network (PCAN), Friends of the Earth etc

 

3.7       Governance and Member Engagement

 

            The Commission is a collaboration between four city institutions, namely, Belfast City Council, Belfast Harbour, Queen’s University and Ulster University.  Each organisation will take part in the Commission as per its own system of governance.

 

 

            The following approach has been agreed for Belfast City Council:

 

1.     that the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee remains the primary Committee through which the Chief Executive will report on the Commission’s work.  That Committee will ultimately approve early and final drafts of outputs produced by the Commission, for formal ratification by Council. The City Growth and Regeneration Committee will also be consulted;

 

2.     Three events, attended jointly by BCC members and Commission members, will be held throughout the Commission’s work.  The first will take place in the autumn to inform the Commission’s early thinking; the second in early 2020 when some initial themes have begun to emerge and the third to inform draft conclusions;

 

3.     Party briefings will take place in the normal way to ensure that Parties are informed continuously throughout; and

 

4.     A summary note of each Commission meeting will be produced for the Strategic Policy and Resources and City Growth and Regeneration Committees.

 

3.8       Summary of the Commission’s First Meeting

 

-       The first meeting was a general introduction and context setting meeting- held on the evening of the 9th and all day on the 10th September;

 

-       The meeting included presentations from local SME sector and large local and global businesses based in Belfast.  It also included an overview of the UK Industrial Strategy – to ensure alignment with wider policy goals.  Data was presented on Belfast’s existing economic and ‘good growth’ performance and how it compares with other cities across Europe and globally, as well as presentations and discussion on cities as drivers of inclusive economic growth;

 

 

 

3.9         Some critical issues emerged in the discussion:

 

1.     Belfast has an immense opportunity to align its economic ambitions with its social and environmental goals.  For example, the transition to a low-carbon economy must be an equitable one, and this, therefore, presents an opportunity to significantly reduce and perhaps eradicate fuel poverty over time.  Recent successes by industry (e.g. exceeding our targets on renewables) must be learned from and scaled up;

 

2.     The Commission’s eventual conclusions/outputs must ensure that Belfast builds on its strengths- where it has already proven to succeed.  However, its work will be impacted by national (UK) policy and we must be cognisant of that—an example is UK government policy on visa restrictions for international students;

 

3.     The Commission does not intend to work ‘behind closed doors’ for a year, and then produce a report.  It wants to focus on practical solutions to drive city growth in the interests of communities, and will be looking for ways that the four anchor institutions (BCC, Belfast Harbour, QUB and UU) can work collaboratively to deliver ‘good growth’;

 

4.     Belfast has significant advantages given its proximity to Dublin and London.  Both cities will continue to be successful in a post-Brexit environment, and therefore we must find ways to better leverage this connectivity and proximity, given the scale and nature of growth in both cities;

 

5.     The major issues remain those we’ve been debating for years- how to build skills among those furthest from the labour market and those economically inactive, so that they feel there are opportunities for them, as well as ensuring that we do not lose talent from the city.  Skills already emerging as a major challenge;

 

6.     The city has many strengths but we are one of many cities that is promoting our distinctive ‘offer’.  Belfast has yet to really ‘hone’ what makes us unique.  For example, the fact that the city is a leader in cyber security and food security is little known outside of these niche sectors.  Generally speaking, there’s a perceived lack of strategy on our economic future- other successful cities are clearer about their assets (economic, social and environmental) and focused on what they are going to do with them.  A grand vision is needed- e.g. the Oxford/Cambridge corridor has a vision to be the R&D Centre for the UK;

 

7.     A focus on inclusive growth and/or ‘good growth’ (term used by Edinburgh) is an example of how we can be competitive and distinctive…  Glasgow has done this by stressing its quality of life and really pursuing a strong environmental agenda- which is increasingly being sought by people visiting the city and those investing in the city- both companies and workers; and

 

8.     Several presenters/contributors emphasised the importance of focusing on the current drivers of growth – investing more in them rather than trying to do too many things. 

 

              3.10     Future meetings/themes/areas of focus:

 

-       Transition to a low-carbon/carbon neutral economy, and how we do this in an equitable way

-       Learning from economic shocks and how the poorest and most economically vulnerable have been impacted- including across the generations

-       Opportunities from energy transition- retro-fitting our existing stock and possible job opportunities for this/next generation

 

3.11     Financial and Resource Implications

 

            Utilising existing budgets and resources, a maximum budget of £200k has been allocated to include commissioning three key phases of work and the five workstream research pieces (inc a mini stern).

 

3.12     Equality or Good Relations Implications/Rural Needs Assessment

 

            None.”

 

            After discussion, the Committee adopted the recommendations set out within the report and agreed:

 

                            i.     that the data on Belfast’s existing economic and ‘good growth’ performance and how it compared with other cities across Europe, which had been presented at the Commission’s first meeting, be circulated to Members; and

 

                           ii.     to recommend that a representative of the sustainability sector be added to the membership of the Commission.