Economic development and social regeneration

Medway Council's Economic Development and Social Regeneration Service has been steadily implementing the council’s corporate socio-economic strategy, agreed in December 1999 and covering the period 2000-2006. Titled Medway, Closer to the Heart of Europe, this strategy identified six priorities directly linked to the vision of establishing Medway as a premier European city, namely:

• a prime location for European business;
• a model for European urban renaissance;
• a leader in European maritime heritage and environment;
• a city where the citizen profits from Europe;
• education with a European dimension;
• a reputation for excellence in European projects.

In its day-to-day delivery, the service has been responding to this vision and strategic priorities by:

• raising Medway’s European profile;
• enabling the development of regional and EU projects that respond directly to Medway’s strategic priorities;
• maximising the level and contribution of EU income in support of Medway’s community, economy and strategic development, as well as enhancing Medway’s partnership working across Europe;
• generating and facilitating new project partnerships involving Medway at local, regional, national and trans-national level;
• project-managing and co-ordinating, where appropriate, flagship projects and partnerships that deliver outputs and outcomes with both a strong European dimension and with tangible benefits to Medway’s community and economy;
• monitoring the performance and delivery of externally funded projects by organisations in Medway.

The major achievements that the service has facilitated, enabled and delivered include:

• securing £5.9million of EU funding income for 37 projects in Medway since 2003, of which £2.07million has been secured from Interreg IIIA;
• the successful programme management and provision of skills development and training programmes for Medway’s workforce, made possible by European Social Fund part-financing, to 696 beneficiaries, with the participation of 70 companies and 47 voluntary sector service providers - this relates to the Autotrain, OASES and Global Grants projects;
• the successful project management of two flagship EU projects for the council in support of the exchange of good practice with EU partners on social, economic and physical regeneration methodology and delivery - this relates to the ASCEND and POSEIDON projects;
• the instigation of a development partnership of local organisations, the securing of the necessary funds and the project management of a large scale EQUAL programme to enable the development of an all-round package of training and support services for older workers, designed to empower their position in the labour market: here, the Prime Advantage project was worth a total of £861,123 of European Social Fund finances.

The development of a new growth strategy for Medway

A new funding programme for socio-economic activities runs from 2007 to 2013. Medway has excellent opportunities to reinforce and expand its local and EU partnership working and access to funding in support of its wealth creation and regeneration initiatives.

In particular, there will be new programmes of cross-border and trans-national co-operation, through which Medway should be able to access European regional development funds alongside EU partner cities.

Furthermore, the competitiveness and employment strand of the new programme period offers the opportunity to access funding in support of social and economic regeneration, in view of its emphasis on sustainable communities, employability development, innovation and enterprise.

The Economic Development and Social Regeneration service will be drawing up a proposed new growth strategy for Medway in close consultation with stakeholders across Medway, seeking approval from councillors this year.

The strategy will set out new priorities and targets which both respond to the new opportunities and threats that relate to the overall vision of establishing Medway as a premier European city.

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