Doomed quango gave town a helping hand
Tuesday, 6th July 2010.
A quango which the Government is set to abolish has played a role in improving Haverhill's economic prospects in recent years.
The East of England Development Agency (EEDA) is to be done away with along with many of the eight over regional development agencies across England.
It was EEDA which paid for the initial study into the land around Haverhill's Gateway roundabout and its suitability for development as a research park in the future.
By an irony, news that EEDA was doomed came just as a draft concept statement for the land came forward from St Edmundsbury Borough Council, which is now out to public consultation.
The Coalition Government announced the demise of the RDAs as part of its initial Treasury statement last week, along with plans to replace them by Local Employment Partnerships.
EEDA has also played a background role in encouraging businesses to invest in Haverhill, either through relocation or through expansion if they were already here.
The chairman of town business group Haverhill Enterprise, Richard Herbert, said he was sceptical of quangos generally but there was a need for someone to fight for the East of England other than local authorities, which were too small to have much clout with Government.
He said: "You could argue that St Edmundsbury Council and Suffolk County Council could fight as hard for us.
"But with EEDA there was more focus on inward investment and developing companies within the area."
EEDA, which is based near Cambridge, has been criticised for its £13.5million a year running costs, mostly made up of salaries for its 245 staff.
Its chairman, William Pope, said the RDAs accepted the need for change and would be working with others towards what would take its place, although for the time being it was 'business as usual'.
Even this is likely to be short-lived, because EEDA had already been told over £20million was to be slashed from its this year's budget.
Business secretary Vince Cable said he could not see the justification for the regional development agencies, which were set up in 1998 by John Prescott, in the better-off south of England.
Initially he had wanted to abolish all of them, but has back-tracked over some in the north of England after heavy lobbying from businesses.
The local employment partnerships which will replace them have yet to be formulated, but they are unlikely to employ many people as the use expertise which is already there in businesses and agencies.
Haverhill is alredy included in several partnerships of various kinds, of which the most important is the Greater Cambridge Partnership.
The East of England Development Agency (EEDA) is to be done away with along with many of the eight over regional development agencies across England.
It was EEDA which paid for the initial study into the land around Haverhill's Gateway roundabout and its suitability for development as a research park in the future.
By an irony, news that EEDA was doomed came just as a draft concept statement for the land came forward from St Edmundsbury Borough Council, which is now out to public consultation.
The Coalition Government announced the demise of the RDAs as part of its initial Treasury statement last week, along with plans to replace them by Local Employment Partnerships.
EEDA has also played a background role in encouraging businesses to invest in Haverhill, either through relocation or through expansion if they were already here.
The chairman of town business group Haverhill Enterprise, Richard Herbert, said he was sceptical of quangos generally but there was a need for someone to fight for the East of England other than local authorities, which were too small to have much clout with Government.
He said: "You could argue that St Edmundsbury Council and Suffolk County Council could fight as hard for us.
"But with EEDA there was more focus on inward investment and developing companies within the area."
EEDA, which is based near Cambridge, has been criticised for its £13.5million a year running costs, mostly made up of salaries for its 245 staff.
Its chairman, William Pope, said the RDAs accepted the need for change and would be working with others towards what would take its place, although for the time being it was 'business as usual'.
Even this is likely to be short-lived, because EEDA had already been told over £20million was to be slashed from its this year's budget.
Business secretary Vince Cable said he could not see the justification for the regional development agencies, which were set up in 1998 by John Prescott, in the better-off south of England.
Initially he had wanted to abolish all of them, but has back-tracked over some in the north of England after heavy lobbying from businesses.
The local employment partnerships which will replace them have yet to be formulated, but they are unlikely to employ many people as the use expertise which is already there in businesses and agencies.
Haverhill is alredy included in several partnerships of various kinds, of which the most important is the Greater Cambridge Partnership.
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