The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) has admitted that it is “closed for any new business” after revealing the full list of projects that will suffer as a result of its enforced budget reduction. More than 100 organisations and programmes – including economic development companies, regeneration schemes, sporting and cultural events – have been affected by the £52m cut to the agency’s annual spend.
The NWDA said all uncommitted projects would not receive funding in the 2010/11 financial year and there would be no new financial commitments in 2011/12. It will also review existing programme commitments and “assess the scope for reductions” on a case-by-case basis. The announcement comes a month after the coalition government confirmed it intends to abolish regional development agencies (RDAs) by April 2012 and replace them with local enterprise partnerships.
Among the wide-ranging list of projects hit by the cuts are urban regeneration and economic development companies in Liverpool, Salford, Blackpool, Manchester, Cumbria and Lancashire. Cluster organisations, set up to promote various industry sectors including the chemicals, textiles, food and aerospace industries, have also been told their NWDA funding will end in March 2011.
Other projects that stand to lose out are the Manchester International Festival, the National Football Museum’s move to URBIS in Manchester, Blackburn’s cathedral quarter and the £220m Talbot Gateway scheme in Blackpool.
NWDA chief executive Steven Broomhead said: “We have made a start by cutting non-contracted projects and reducing our own administration budget, but we now need to re-examine all existing projects and programmes to identify where further savings can be made.
“We will use all available flexibility to try to meet these challenging reductions but the reality is that this is a substantial reduction to our in-year budget and there is bound to be an economic impact on the partners, businesses and communities with whom we work. In addition, the size of the cuts means that we have little flexibility in our future budgets and the agency will not be able to make any new investments or renew partner contracts before our dissolution in April 2012.”
He added that projects and organisations that have had their funding stopped or withdrawn would be able to apply for the government’s new Regional Growth Fund set to launch next April.
Since the announcement, NWDA-funded programmes affected by the cuts have been weighing up the implications. Cumbria County Council told Insider that the majority of funding for its work in economic development has been funded by NWDA and 45 of the 77 people working in the area in Cumbria are directly funded by the agency’s cash. The council contributes £1.5m towards economic development and expected £3.2m from the NWDA in April. However, this was reduced to £2.5m in May and has since been cut to £1.8m. It said it was now seeking clarification from the government as to the future of economic development in the county.
Blackpool Council meanwhile said it was already looking to bid to the Regional Growth Fund after missing out on £23m for the Talbot Gateway scheme, first revealed by Insider yesterday. Helen France, the council’s executive director with responsibility for regeneration, said: “We are looking at alternative methods of supporting the scheme and will be looking to bid to the recently set up £1bn Regional Growth Fund.
“Our partners Muse remain on board and we are confident that the Talbot Gateway scheme will still go ahead and remains an important part of our plans for the redevelopment of Blackpool.”
Urban regeneration company New East Manchester added that it was seeking talks with Manchester City Council over its future.
The full list of projects affected by the NWDA budget cuts can be seen here:
Full list of NWDA cuts
Operational/capacity funding for partner organisations which will end in March 2011 (This does not include any existing individual projects managed by the partners, which will be discussed as part of the wider committed project discussions) Sub regional partnerships (Includes core funding, inward investment and Climate Change Action Plan funding):
- Cumbria County Council / Cumbria Vision
- Commission for New Economy (includes GM Environment Commission Low Carbon Economic Area but excludes inward investment, done through MIDAS)
- Lancashire Economic Partnership
- Cheshire and Warrington Economic Alliance
- The Mersey Partnership (includes Mersey Waterfront project management but excludes inward investment funding which runs until March 2012) Urban regeneration and economic development companies:
- Liverpool Vision
- Central Salford
- New East Manchester
- Blackpool, Fylde & Wyre EDC
- Westlakes Renaissance (via Cumbria County Council)
- Regenerate Pennine Lancashire Cluster organisations:
- Northwest Automotive Alliance
- North West Aerospace Alliance
- Northwest Textiles Network (NW Texnet)
- BioNow
- Chemicals Northwest
- Pro Manchester
- Envirolink Northwest
- Food Northwest
- Call Northwest Other support organisations:
- Preston Vision
- Burnley Vision
- Liverpool City Council
- City Centre Movement Strategy
- Leyland Vision
- The Southport Partnership
- Manchester Knowledge Capital
- Salford City Council
- MediaCityUK Public Sector Partners Programme
- Chester Renaissance
- Northwich Regeneration
- Domestic Energy Alliance
- Climate Change Action Plan
- Business in the Community
- Climate Change Action Plan
- Energy Saving Trust
- Climate Change Action Plan
- Natural England
- Climate Change Action Plan
- Tidy Britain Group
- Climate Change Action Plan
- Development Education Project (Manchester)
- Climate Change Action Plan
- Media Sector Development Plan
- Audio Visual Skills 2001/12
- Manchester Metropolitan University
- Birley Fields Education & Health Campus
- All Souls Church Restoration, Bolton
- Preston Guild 2012
- English Half Marathon
- World Series Netball
- Manchester International Festival
- Midpoint 18 Employment Site Development, Middlewich
- Parklands Plot 5B, Middlebrook,Bolton
- Talbot Gateway, Blackpool
- Burnley Bridge Business Park
- The Corridor Manchester Public Realm
- The Dispensary, New Islington, Manchester
- The Manchester Sq, Waterloo and St Chads Headlands, Blackpool
- Kingston House, Liverpool
- Planning Fees
- Leyland Trucks Training Programme
- Chester Zoo Natural Vision
- Crewe Rail Gateway
- Main Project
- Ancoats Estate Management Company
- Crewe Green/Basford Link Road
- Main Project
- Preston Vision: Winckley Square Public Realm
- Whitefield Economic Development Programme
- CBC Aintree
- Getrag Training Project, Halewood
- MakeMedia Centre
- Manchester Ship Canal Aeration (Salford Quays)
- Trafford Park Masterplan
- Parsonage Colliery Phase 1
- Royal Eye Hospital, Manchester
- Enabling Works
- Next Generation Access Broadband Manchester
- Citadel
- Court Square,Carlise
- Roman Maryport
- Lancaster Science Park
- Everyman and Playhouse Theatres, Liverpool
- Liverpool Science Park Innovation Centre 3
- National Football Museum , URBIS
- Blackburn TC Knowledge Zone
- Cathedral Quarter
- Sportscity Major Destination Site
- West Float Land Remediation
- Wirral
- Trafford Wharf land remediation
- Preston Vision: Flag Market Public Realm
- Riverside Park 2b
- Wirral
- The Liverpool Institute of Vaccine Research (LIVR)
- Regional Aero Park
- Samlesbury
- Phase II
- BAE Submarine Solutions Training Programme
- Blackpool
- Central Corridor Phase III
- Horwich Loco Works (remediation)
- Church Wharf, Bolton
- Manchester
- Burnley
- Accrington direct rail link
- Carlisle Historic Core Public Realm
- Process Innogateway 2
- Town Wharf, Middlewich
- Crewe Vision Partnership contribution to costs
- Frodsham Gateway
- Faithful Enterprise
- Cibitas
- Chester review
- Lake District National Park Authority
- Employment Sites Programme
- Lake District Electric Vehicle demonstration
- Environmental Technologies Business Park
- Solid State Lighting Demonstration
- St Annes public realm
- Open Golf 2012
- Gen
- Probe UK Consolidation at Wythenshawe
- Aviation Power Up
- Climate Change Action Plan Northwest Climate Fund Phase 2
- Jaguar Land Rover Training Project
- Leyland Trucks Hybrid Demonstration
- Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral Arts Project
- Manchester is my Planet Phase 3
- Incubation National Nuclear Lab
- NW Autonomous Systems Programme
- Innovation
- Centre of Excellence for low carbon vehicles technologies
- Mersey Tidal Test Centre
- Preston Vision: Innovation Trail
- Royal Institute for British Architects Second National HQ
- Rossendale Vocational Training Centre
- Rawtenstall Town Centre Public Realm
- Haslingden Public Realm
- Skelmersdale College Campus Renewal
- Coop Office Development Skemersdale
- Stobart Air
- Thomas Storey Stockport
- Stalybridge West
- Trinity Mirror Transformation Project
- Wirral HE Campus
- University of Chester
- County Hall refurbishment
- Chester University Food Research & Development
- Cumbria Higher Learning
- Sands Centre, Carlisle
- Centre for Genomics Research
- NW Clinical Fellowships Industry Programme
- Strategic Affordable Manufacturing in the UK Leading Environmental Technology
- Smart Grid Centre of Excellence
- Nuclear Fuel Applied Research Centre
- Warrington Bank Quay Station Business Lounge & Subway
- Nuclear Low Carbon Economic Area
- Wigan On Side Centre, Mesnes Park
- Turnpike Centre, Leigh
- Fleetwood Fish Park
- Centre for Exploitation of Energy Research
- City Centre North
- the Cooperative Quarter
- NW Autonomous Systems Programme
- Regional Sectors Project
