GBSLEP Board Meeting Round-up (March 14 2013)

The GBSLEP Board met on March 14 2013 at the Land Rover Experience, Lode Lane, Solihull.

Key talking points and decisions:

• The Greater Birmingham Project report was approved, subject to final amendments. It was agreed it should be launched at a media event on 17 March 2013.
• An allocation of £61.3 million of Birmingham City Centre Enterprise Zone (EZ) resources for phases 1 and 2 of the Paradise Circus project from the EZ Investment Plan was agreed. Report was then taken to the Cabinet of Birmingham City Council for approval.
• The latest version of the Strategy for Growth was discussed in advance of publication in May 2013.
• An update was received on the GBSLEP Spatial Planning Framework which is due to be published for consultation during the summer.
• Solihull MBC and Arup made a presentation on the progress being made with UK Central (previously the M42 Economic Gateway) including plans to publish a masterplan for the site later in the year
• Andrew Cleaves, the GBSLEP Board Director with the lead for Transport, was appointed to the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Transport Board.
• The development of an agreement with Marketing Birmingham for the promotion of the visitor economy and the delivery of strategic marketing services was approved.
• Updates on progress with the City Deal and GBS Finance were presented, the Mid-sized Business Review and Creative City Partnership and Access to Finance.
• The Board approved for £5,000 from the GBSLEP’s Capacity Fund to support research into the Social Enterprise sector.
• It was agreed that Professor Dame Julia King join the Board as representative of Higher Education, replacing Professor David Eastwood, and that Steve Hollis would continue as Deputy Chair for a further year.