Event Detail : 27 November 2007
Exeter Vision Partnership
27 November 2007 at Ashford HouseTalk by Peter Lacey on the role of Exeter Vision Partnership
Mr Lacey, the Chairman of the Exeter Vision Partnership, begun his talk with a short overview of the formation and constitution of the Partnership. Mr Lacey explained that the Partnership had been set up in November 1998 following the Exeter Vision Conference which had taken place in January during the same year. Mr Lacey told the forum that one of the main inspirations that had led to the formation of the Partnership was a desire for members of Exeter's business community to play a full part in the growth and development of the city.
Mr Lacey showed to the forum the list of members of the Partnership and highlighted how its members include representatives of Exeter City Council, Devon City Council, the Devon Wildlife Trust, the Environment Agency, Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw, the Met Office, Exeter College, the Express and Echo and the University.
Mr Lacey identified several major successes that had taken place in Exeter over recent years which the Partnership had been part of. These included:-
- The relocation of the Met Office to Exeter;
- The relocation of the Regional Development Agency to Exeter;
- The promotion of the redevelopment of the Exeter city centre;
Mr Lacey told the forum that the Partnership had a grand vision for the future of Exeter and that what in his opinion made the city unique is how businesses and Exeter City Council are willing to work with one another to ensure that there is sustainable growth to the city.
Although Mr Lacey acknowledged that Exeter had enjoyed sustained growth in recent years, he reminded the forum that some areas of the city were in the top 5% of disadvantaged areas in the country and that work needed to be done to improve these disadvantaged areas.
Mr Lacey explained that shortly after its formation, the Partnership devised the following 10 themes for the future:-
1. Prosperous City
Mr Lacey stated that greater prosperity is to be achieved by improving homegrown businesses through better training and increased internal investment. This will help address the skills deficit in the city.
2. Accessible City
Mr Lacey highlighted the need for improved transport links both to and from the city, and also within the city. Mr Lacey said that progress had been made here and cited the improvement in the bus services within the city and to and from Exeter's business parks.
3. Electronic City
Mr Lacey told the forum that city businesses are to be encouraged to maximise their take-up of new business technologies and improve e-learning.
4. Cultural and Fun Place to Be
This includes the promotion and development of anything associated with a pastime activity or event and the enhancement of leisure facilities. Mr Lacey highlighted in particular the establishment of Rougement Gardens as a cultural quarter and the £50 million pounds that is to be spent on developing the museum.
5. Learning City
Mr Lacey informed the forum that educational levels in the city were improving but they were still below Devon's average level. The aim of the Partnership was to raise aspirations at schools and ensure that more pupils stayed on in education beyond the age of sixteen.
6. A City of Strong Community
Mr Lacey explained his vision of organisations such as the police and the primary care trusts working in partnership to promote a better sense of community. Mr Lacey told the forum that he felt Exeter already felt a greater sense of pride and community following the physical changes to the city centre and the improved facilities in the town.
7. A City where Everyone has a Home
Mr Lacey said that it was imperative that the community as a whole was able to share the benefit of the growth of the city. Mr Lacey identified key areas such as the construction of more affordable homes and the better use of available land to try and achieve this.
8. A City where People are Healthy and Active
The focus of this area, Mr Lacey said, is to tackle drug, alcohol and smoking in the city and reduce the participation of residents in these areas. Mr Lacey highlighted the TVRS project in Wonford which has provided new facilities for the area and was backed by a large grant from the Regional Development Agency and had been going for the past five years.
9. A City where the Environment is Cared For
Mr Lacey told the forum that the Partnership aims to encourage a response to climate change, more environmentally friendly homes and to keep the city clean and tidy. Mr Lacey said he was of the view that the relatively small size of Exeter should enable businesses and the council to work together to achieve these goals.
10. A Safe City
Mr Lacey said that this concerned the usual areas of tackling drug and alcohol issues through improved partnership working.
Mr Lacey informed the forum that the Partnership was constantly evolving and looking at ways to address the needs of Exeter's poorer communities and that a 2006 review had identified four main themes :-
1. Become more sustainable;
2. Reduce inequalities;
3. Raise attainment levels (for example in education, employment, training, social well being);
4. Raise aspirations. Mr Lacey stated in particular that aspiration levels in educational organisations were relatively low and that this was something that needed to be stopped and reversed.
Mr Lacey said that it was becoming increasingly common for the government to deliver its funding through Local Strategy Partnerships as opposed to providing funding directly to organisations such as police authorities or healthcare trusts. This, Mr Lacey continued, increases the level of power that Local Strategy Partnerships have.
Mr Lacey concluded by informing the forum that the Exeter Vision Partnership is developing a new sustainable community strategy. Mr Lacey stated that the Vision Partnership continued to meet 4 – 5 times a year to review the progress of the Partnership.