So. Farewell then...
Greater Nottingham Partnership
...
(That's enough poetry. Ed. And if you can leave off the Private Eyeisms for a bit...)
Yes, the 'Post' is today reporting that the Greater Nottingham Partnership is off to the great quangocracy in the sky. This follows the demise of the East Midlands Development Agency, a decision that I also chose to lament in verse.
Regeneration isn't really my thing so I'm in no position to give an opinion as to the usefulness of either of these organisations. Certainly my post on EMDA attracted a comment from one of their fans.
What I do know is that I get quite a few visits from GNP peeps so I'd like to say to those individuals that I'm genuinely sorry about you losing your jobs and hope you find something else soon.
The article in the 'Post' is quite interesting. It carries a number of quotes from people criticising the decision to wield the axe, including one from NCC Deputy Leader Graham Chapman -
"I think we will lose a very helpful lobbying body. It has been very supportive in bringing in business involvement on a whole range of issues, from the station to the A453.
I have sympathy with getting rid of bureaucracy. But this is real stuff that's going to undermine growth."
Then there is a quote from a Diana Gilhespy, EMDA's executive director of regeneration -
"In the case of GNP, we were unable to reach an agreement with Nottingham City Council on how economic development will be delivered in the future within the City. As a result, GNP's board decided at the end of 2009 to wind up its operations by April 2011."
Hello? Unless I'm very much mistaken that seems to be putting the blame fair and square on Nottingham City Council. Strange that Cllr Chapman didn't mention anything about that and instead seemed to imply that it was about reducing bureaucracy.
So, the Greater Nottingham Partnership no longer covered Greater Nottingham (only the City) and there probably wasn't much partnership left once the County Council withdrew from it in April and there was no agreement with the City Council. At that point, the GNP decided to wind themselves up. It doesn't sound as though they had much chance of continuing if both councils effectively withdrew their support. It would be interesting to know more about the issues of disagreement between the City Council and EMDA. The GNP's role of regeneration and economic development for the city area now passes to Nottingham City Council.
ReplyDeleteBut comments in favour of the City Council taking on the role, even from its deputy leader, seem conspicuous by their absence in this story. If Councillor Chapman had made any comments about whether he thinks the City Council can do this important role properly then surely the Post would have quoted him saying something about that? And Nottingham East Labour MP, Chris Leslie said: "If you don't have the focus of institutions like the GNP then the councils will retreat back into their core activity and things that require partnership working will suffer." Hardly a ringing endorsement from him either about his view of the City's ability to take on the role.
'MP admits he has no confidence in his local council's ability to do things that require partnership working'??