10 October 2008
Business groups and local authorities have raised doubts over plans to expand regional development agencies' role, warning of a lack of capability and confused accountability.
At an evidence hearing for the Commons business and enterprise select committee's inquiry into the role and effectiveness of RDAs, council and private sector representatives said the agencies had been 'loaded up' with extra responsibilities, 'diluting their focus away from economic issues'.
At the hearing on October 7, the committee chair Peter Luff said that RDA chief executives had privately said they did not want the planning role proposed in the sub-national review. The proposals would give RDAs additional strategic planning responsibility from the defunct regional assemblies.
David Sparks, chair of the regeneration and transport board at the Local Government Association, responding to Luff's remarks, told MPs: 'It is not surprising they don't necessarily want this, because they are not staffed to do it.'
The LGA has raised concern over a 'lack of direct accountability of RDAs to councils and communities', saying there should be joint agreement between councils and RDAs on planning strategy.
Sparks said the local authority leaders' forum, proposed in the sub-national review, was insufficient, and business groups have also raised concerns about it, saying the model was not practical.
PFoct2008
