East of England Regional Assembly

East of England Regional Assembly
Name	East of England Regional Assembly
Formation	1998
Dissolved	2010
Type	Regional chamber
Headquarters	Chelmsford
Region served	East of England
Leader title	Chairman
Parent organization	East of England Development Agency

East of England Regional Assembly was a regional chamber established to provide strategic coordination across the East of England region. It operated alongside agencies such as the East of England Development Agency and engaged with national bodies like the Department for Communities and Local Government and the European Union through regional programmes. The assembly sought to influence planning frameworks connected to initiatives by Rugby Football Union, Network Rail, Highways Agency, Natural England, and other statutory and non-statutory organisations.

History

The assembly traced origins to regionalisation debates following reports by the Audit Commission, the Local Government Association, and the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution. Early advocacy involved groups such as the Countryside Agency, the Policy Exchange, and the Institute for Public Policy Research, aligning with regional forums established in the wake of the 1997 United Kingdom general election and the New Labour agenda. It developed alongside regional development strategies produced by the East of England Development Agency and regional spatial strategies influenced by the Blenheim Palace Conference-era planning reviews. Major milestones included collaboration on the East of England Plan and responses to consultations from the Office for National Statistics and the Homes and Communities Agency.

Structure and Membership

The assembly comprised appointees from county and unitary councils such as Essex County Council, Hertfordshire County Council, Cambridgeshire County Council, Suffolk County Council, Norfolk County Council, and Bedford Borough Council. Membership included representatives from the Business Link network, trades unions linked to the Trades Union Congress, education providers such as University of Cambridge, University of East Anglia, Anglia Ruskin University, and health service bodies including NHS East of England. The governance model featured a Chair drawn from local authority leaders and committees reflecting sectors: transport bodies like Transport for London had peripheral interest, while agricultural interests connected to National Farmers' Union and environmental NGOs including RSPB and Friends of the Earth engaged through stakeholder seats. Secretariat support was provided by officers seconded from councils and agencies including the Local Government Association.

Functions and Powers

Statutory and advisory roles tied the assembly to regional planning instruments such as the Regional Spatial Strategy and funding programmes derived from the European Regional Development Fund and European Social Fund. It advised on allocations involving the Homes and Communities Agency, coordinated input to the Highways Agency and Network Rail on infrastructure projects, and contributed to strategies linked with English Heritage and Natural England over conservation designations like Suffolk Coast and Heaths. While it lacked primary statutory executive powers akin to the London Assembly, it exercised influence through consultation on major projects like the expansion of regional airports and port works involving Felixstowe and London Stansted Airport. The assembly also produced policy positions used by national departments such as the Department for Transport, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Relationship with Regional and Local Government

The assembly operated in concert with the East of England Development Agency and county councils, negotiating funding priorities with the Government Office for the East of England and participating in cross-border initiatives with neighbouring regions represented by entities like the East Midlands Development Agency. It interfaced with local strategic partnerships anchored by councils such as Cambridge City Council, Peterborough City Council, and Norwich City Council, and liaised with transport bodies including Railway Heritage Trust stakeholders. Relationships extended to national institutions like the Cabinet Office during major resilience planning and to academic centres including University of Hertfordshire and Cranfield University for research support.

Criticism and Controversies

Critics from think tanks such as the Policy Exchange and TaxPayers' Alliance challenged the assembly's accountability and cost, arguing overlap with bodies like the East of England Development Agency and the Government Office for the East of England. Local political groups including factions within Conservative Party (UK) councils and campaigners allied with Local Works contested its democratic mandate, while commentators in outlets akin to The Times and The Guardian highlighted perceived bureaucracy and duplication with parish and borough councils. Debates involved high-profile planning disputes near Hertford and the Thames Gateway fringe, and controversies over allocations tied to European funding monitored by the European Court of Auditors.

Abolition and Legacy

Abolition followed the broader national review leading to the winding down of regional chambers after policy shifts under the Coalition government formed in 2010. Responsibilities transferred to local authorities, local enterprise partnerships such as the New Anglia LEP and Greater Cambridgeshire Greater Peterborough LEP, and to central bodies including the Department for Communities and Local Government. Its legacy includes contributions to regional strategy documents, modelling work used by Homes England successors, and frameworks later referenced by private sector bodies like the Confederation of British Industry and civic organisations including the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. Many former members continued involvement in regional coordination through county councils and partnerships like the Suffolk Local Enterprise Partnership.

Category:Organisations based in the East of England