Agenda item - Chair's Communications

32.1      The Chair provided the following communications:

“On behalf of The Board I would like to welcome Clare Mulholland, Greater Brighton Business Manager and Stuart Douglas, Greater Brighton Project Support Officer to the Greater Brighton Economic Board support team. This brings the team to its full complement at the start of this financial year.

“I am pleased to announce that EU Interreg funding of £35,000 has been confirmed for the Greater Brighton Energy Plan. This is in addition to funding provided by the Board and Brighton and Hove City Council to bring the total funding to £54,000. This will enable development of the Greater Brighton Energy Plan. This will detail how the City Region will deliver the Government’s Industrial Strategy and Clean Growth Strategy at a local level. It will enable development of the right infrastructure to support the growth of a smart and sustainable Greater Brighton economy.

“On behalf of the Board, I would like thank Coast to Capital for consulting us on the emerging Strategic Economic Plan, the consultation period for which closed on 23rd March. The Board welcomes the opportunity to respond and work with Coast to Capital, to both help shape this important plan and to support its delivery at a City Region level. I look forward to the presentation from Coast to Capital this morning.

“The Department for Transport has confirmed funding for the design stage of the Croydon Area Remodelling scheme. The project is the central element of Network Rail’s Brighton Main Line upgrade programme to deliver major improvements in punctuality between London, Gatwick Airport and the Sussex coast with the potential for more frequent services in the longer term.

“The University of Brighton Advanced Engineering Centre will be officially opened this week on 19^th April.  The centre provides specialist science-led teaching and research facilities for advanced automotive engineering, and will allow the university to expand its pioneering work on novel low carbon internal combustion systems.  This will have a direct environmental impact through creating greater fuel efficiency and reducing CO2 and other harmful emissions”.

32.2      Board Members expressed their thanks to Councillor Smith for his diligent chairmanship of the Board adding that the Board had continued to build and strengthen relationships both across and beyond the partnership, raising its profile and voice of the Region over the past municipal year.