Chairman’s Report

To: The Board Date: 7 September 2016 From: Peter Wragg, Chairman

Summary: Chairman’s update for the Board for the period June 2016 – August 2016.

LEP

Continued with my work as an LEP board member, keeping the board’s focus on the “Visitor Economy” sector as an important economic driver. A work group has been formed which is developing the “Growing Places” agenda, one of the priorities specified in the LEP’s refreshed Strategic Economic Plan (SEP). Also identified in the recent LEP submission to Government as part of the Regional Growth Fund 3 bid. I now sit on that work group as the development of the visitor economy is one of the activities within that group.

Confidential: The LEP have awarded grants of £1.35m to the Swindon Museum & Art Gallery and to the Salisbury Plain Heritage Centre (see below).

Confidential: The Salisbury Maltings and Station interchange projects are both in the LEP bid for funding from the next round of the Regional Growth Fund.

Salisbury Plain Heritage Centre - Home of the Royal Artillery Collection (SPHC)

Work is ongoing on the preparation for the next bid for HLF funding and it is expected the bid will go in at circa £13.5m as opposed to £15.6m last time. This reduction takes into account the advice given by HLF that the amount asked for last time was too high, it also is under the level of the successful grant of £13.85 given to the Royal Marines for their museum development this year.

As well as LEP support for the project there is an extensive fundraising programme in place to raise a further £6.5m. As a Director now on the Royal Artillery Museums board I have the responsibility for fundraising. All other activities on the project are going to plan and the project is at RIBA stage 2. Assuming that there is no further hiccup with funding the plan to open the attraction late 2021/early 2022

Melksham Link

This project to build a new canal, a wetlands preservation and education area, a school, a marina, a hotel and housing continues to gain momentum and a planning application has now been submitted for the first phase which takes in approximately one third of the canals length starting at the Kennet and Avon. I continue to provide support and assistance to the development team working on this project.

Other Development projects

As reported for the last board meeting I am supporting and assisting the development team on a number of Swindon based projects. Progress is slow and getting Swindon Borough Council to engage enthusiastically was the biggest challenge. All the projects are connected in the sense that the proposal is to create a revitalised town centre and each project works with the others to contribute to that objective.

Swindon Borough Council has now asked for an economic impact study to be undertaken based upon the Governments Blue Book process and the developer has agreed to undertake that work. Northampton University and Temple a town regeneration specialist consultancy have been engaged to undertake this work. Should this prove successful Swindon Borough Council has agreed to issue a contract of cooperation with the developer to take the project to the next stage. I have met with both Northampton University and Temple to input from a visitor economy perspective. Things are moving therefore and we await with interest the outcome of the economic impact study. The projects are

A building development over the station that will house a conference and exhibition centre, a hotel and offices.

I attended a meeting with Network Rail who own the station and they have shown interest in the proposal.

A monorail linking the station with the Swindon Designer Outlet and other key developments

A new university created through a joint venture with a British University and one in Central .

Trier University in Germany and Oxford Brookes University are both very interested in this proposal and it satisfies the HE development requirement identified by both Swindon and . I have met with Amanda Burnside the Principle of Wiltshire College who is very interested in the project and will be meeting next week Paddy Bradley’s replacement at Swindon Council and the gentlemen responsible for the HE provision development in the town.

A new canal and waterside development through the town centre.

This is really the most important element as it will unlock most of the enabling development.

A steam railway between “STEAM” in Swindon and Cricklade

As reported all the above projects would have a significant effect on the visitor economy in the region and we support their development.

Meetings attended Other Activities attended

With Melksham Link Developers Ted Heath Lecture in Salisbury With National Rail re the Swindon Station project Tourism Alliance briefings With Planners re the Melksham Link project I gave a presentation on Tourism to the Westbury With David Reynard, Leader of Swindon Borough Council Area Board re the Swindon rejuvenation project I gave a presentation on Tourism to SWLEP Place Shaping Group meetings Rotary Club With General Sir Tim Granville-Chapman (The Master Gunner) A presentation to Devizes Town Council re the Museum project. Open day at the Crofton beam engine With General Sir Richard Barrons (The new Master Gunner in May 2017) re the Museum project With John Glenn MP re the Museum project With Jane Scott for a VisitWiltshire and Museum project update With Shahina Johnson LEP Director re the proposed new Swindon Art Gallery With Singapore High Commissioner re the Museum project LEP board meeting With Jeff Smith RAML Project Director With Jock Mackenzie re the Melksham Link project LEP SEP Refresh Group Amanda Burnside re HE development With Councillor Jonathan Seed re tourism development LEP Regional Growth Fund bid meetings LEP Rural Sub Group meeting Vale Action Group meeting With RAML re LEP grant Various meeting with VisitWiltshire Chief Executive With Major General Nick Eeles the new Chairman of RAML With Nigel Carter Devizes Town Councillor With Canadian High Commissioner re the Museum project With a senior team from Northampton University With the Directors of the Temple Group.