Haven Gateway AGM
14/07/2009
THE strengths and advantages of the Haven Gateway will help the subregion to emerge from recession significantly faster than other areas. This was the positive message from Haven Gateway Partnership chief executive David Ralph at the Partnership's Annual General Meeting today (14 July).
"Our investments as a Partnership are long-term in nature but clearly take place against the background of the effects of the current downturn," he said. "But I am confident that the Partnership's actions, combined with the Haven Gateway's key competitive advantages and proximity to Europe, will help us to emerge from recession significantly earlier than many other areas.
"However, I feel strongly that to do so, public and private sector across the Haven Gateway subregion should not do business coming out of recession in the same way as we went in. We must be increasingly aware, creative and decisive and work better together to minimise both the impact of recession - and take advantage of the upturn when it comes."
The AGM was held at Harwich International Port's Cruise Terminal - a significant regional and national success story in its own right. Mr Ralph outlined the key achievements of the Haven Gateway in the past 12 months, and said there were plenty of reasons for optimism looking forward.
"The Haven Gateway sub-region has key strengths in growing and diverse and innovative sectors, including tourism, creative industries, energy provision and ICT, as well as its strong ports, maritime and logistics sector all likely to be key economic drivers in the coming years.
"Hutchison Ports (UK) has started work on its new Felixstowe South deepsea container terminal and this will put the port way ahead of the competition in terms of desperately needed deepwater facilities when we come out of recession and container volumes begin to build again.
"The huge and ongoing investment in further and higher education facilities in the subregion will ensure that we have a robust infrastructure for delivering skills."
Among achievements in 2008-09, David Ralph highlighted:
- The launch of the Haven Gateway's Integrated Development Programme;
- Major funding awards through New Growth Point and Community Infrastructure funding;
- £120m confirmed by the Government for A12 improvements;
- £50m earmarked by Network Rail for Felixstowe-Nuneaton rail freight capacity improvements;
- Construction work under way on the Felixstowe South container terminal;
- The Haven Gateway's role as a core partner in the EU Dryport project, another example of the subregion's growing profile in Europe.
Tied in with the AGM was the launch of the Haven Gateway's Green Infrastructure Programme, a vital package of measures to protect and enhance the subregion's natural environment and residents and visitors' access to green spaces.
This is just one element of the Haven Gateway's Integrated Development Programme, which identifies 11 immediate Investment Packages centred around six key spatial areas - Colchester North, East Colchester, Colchester Town Centre, IP-One, Ipswich East and Coastal Towns. These are real projects chosen on the basis of real targets for growth and prosperity.
In addition, there are five Thematic Packages - Transport, Green Infrastructure, Culture & Tourism, Skills and Housing.
The next 12 months will see a strong focus on making the most of the subregion's key competitive advantages, David Ralph said.
"We will redraft our Integrated Development Programme to ensure it is specifically geared towards growing the economy out of recession. We will increasingly engage business and develop economic intelligence. And we will target European funding to support us in gaining the most from our activities and current funding."
And above all we will continue to focus on our Vision to deliver a high-quality environment for the Haven Gateway's residents, workers and visitors by:
- Capitalising on its location as a key gateway;
- Realising its potential for significant sustainable growth;
- Addressing its needs for economic regeneration;
- Creating an additional focus for growth in high-tech, knowledge-based employment; and
- Enhancing its high-quality, attractive and natural assets.
