Agenda item

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director – Environment which aimed to summarise the “Atlantic Gateway Spatio-Economic Framework Options Paper”, published by the North West Development Agency (NWDA) in terms of its implications for Halton.

            The Board was advised that the “Atlantic Gateway Spatio-Economic Framework Options Paper” (the Options Paper) was prepared by the consultants Ekosgen on behalf of the NWDA, and was published in August 2009 for a period of stakeholder consultation. The Options Paper sought the views of partners on the options for interventions associated with the implementation of Atlantic Gateway, across a series of themes. The Options Paper was attached to the report at Appendix 1.

            It was noted that the Atlantic Gateway was the spatial area anchored by the cities of Liverpool and Manchester and the corridor between them, including Warrington, Halton and parts of Cheshire. The Atlantic Gateway concept sought to join together the disparate elements of this large sub-region, linking initiatives and interventions, including physical sites and infrastructure, and also social, environmental and most significantly economic policy approaches.

            It was further noted that the Options Paper was primarily based upon themes of intervention, creating a high level economic and spatial framework. This methodology looked to establish what the Atlantic Gateway should aim to become rather then assessing the potential contribution of individual development sites in the first instance. However, the Atlantic Gateway would be influenced by Peel Holdings Ocean Gateway investment strategy, which was based on the development of Peel’s portfolio sites in the North West and shared some of the same themes, aims and goals.

            In policy terms, the Atlantic Gateway sought to build upon the Government initiatives to focus economic development on strong regions and sub-regions, and sought to overcome potential problems with City Region insularity by ensuring that both Manchester and Liverpool look outwards as well as inwards. This meant that there was an opportunity for Halton, over and above its role in the Liverpool City Region, to play an important role in this larger sub-regional area.

            The Board was advised that the Options Paper built on a series of Foundation Reports assessing the Atlantic Gateway in a number of ways, which were set out in the report. The Options Paper set out a number of areas in which it was anticipated that organising, planning, advocacy and prioritisation at the spatial level of the Atlantic Gateway had some merit. The paper also recognised that in some areas, a more localised, informal approach to capitalising on opportunities may be more appropriate. The key areas identified were outlined in detail in the report.

            It was further noted that the Options Paper focussed on a number of underlying principles guiding the Atlantic Gateway, as outlined in the report. The Options Paper stated that it was not the intention for the Atlantic Gateway to subsume current arrangements or to take over the role of the city regions and sub-regional partnerships; rather, there would be a focus on key areas of added value.

            The Board was advised that the Options Paper presented the key areas outlined above in terms of the pertinent issues, why the key areas presented an opportunity for the Atlantic Gateway, and the potential options for dealing with the key area within the Gateway remit. In most cases, there were around three options presented, based on varying levels of intervention, ranging from no or little intervention to high level or radical intervention.

            The Board was further advised that a summary of the issues and options presented for each of the key areas, along with suggestions of potential implications for Halton, was attached to the report at Appendix 2.

            It was noted that being in a central position within the Atlantic Gateway Area, the implementation of the options proposed would have an impact upon Halton. Depending on the degree, type and level of intervention which formed the preferred options, these impacts would range from relatively minor to potentially extremely large. The most significant of these impacts were summarised and set out within the report, with consideration being given to the opportunities afforded by the Atlantic Gateway for Halton, as well as the areas of the Options Paper which could be altered or improved to better reflect Halton’s needs and aspirations.

            RESOLVED: That

(1)       the implications of the implementation of the “Atlantic Gateway” Options in Halton are noted; and

(2)       the Council respond to the Options proposed within the “Atlantic Gateway Spatio-Economic Framework Options Paper” in the manner outlined within this paper.