Ensuring our region is an even better place to live, work and do business

SEC agenda

South East Councils utilises a cross-party approach to bring together senior councillors from all main parties and political groups to gauge a broad range of views in order to act as an authorative reference point.

The South East is the UK’s gateway to the world, positioned on the doorstep of the EU, with significant clusters of commerce and industry – long championing trade, the South East has been England’s highest exporting region. The South East has been one of only three UK regions to be a net contributor to the UK Treasury.

South East Councils wants to see a successful UK, however to secure that all regions need to be enabled, existing regional strengths optimised and untapped regional potential utilised.

The South East region enjoys strong economic relationships with other UK regions and our future growth is intertwined.

Any future consideration of more devolution to England’s regions cannot bypass the South East. Our region can do more, can support more, can deliver more for the UK with greater control over decisions that will shape its destiny.

As Government and Parliament consider priorities for the future, Ministers, MPs and Peers will want to ensure the South East has a secure economic foundation to meet notable challenges, including climate change and regional population set to reach 10 million people by 2030.

Our priorities

Efficient Transport to keep our region moving
Affordable, decent Housing to grow sustainably
Collaboration for a Smarter and Greener future
Adequate Skills provision to compete successfully

For the South East that will require:

Devolving financial competencies to allow the South East to decide on how invest in its future – rather than lobbying Whitehall to get our own taxpayers’ money back.
Endowing local government with powers to ensure adequate infrastructure and public services provision, to make the South East region attractive as a place to live, work and do business.
Creating a new regional delivery model to harness innovation, experience and funding – to empower locally elected representatives to deliver for the communities they serve.

Transport

Efficient Transport infrastructure to keep our region moving. Transport underpins economic growth, supports employment and facilitates trade. Enabling more efficient east-west journeys and swifter links to/from regional ports of entry will unlock potential and create opportunities.

Housing

Affordable, decent housing for our region to grow sustainably. Undersupply of accessible housing gives rise to a host of impacts on communities and businesses. Enabling local authorities to identify and build the affordable, practical homes that local people need will spur wider growth.

Smarter and Greener

Collaboration for a Smarter and Greener future for our region. A smarter place for people to connect and communicate, for businesses to locate and prosper, will require collaboration to integrate data innovation and digital technology.

Skills

Adequate Skills provision so our region can compete successfully. Local areas have specific Skills needs where a centralised, uniform approach cannot optimise local potential. Empowering local councils to collaborate with independent providers to design and deliver training tailored to local economies can work.

Management Committee

Cllr Phil North

Chair: South East Councils

Conservative

Test Valley Borough Council

Cllr Liz Terry

Labour

Reading Borough Council

Cllr Keith House

Liberal Democrat

Eastleigh Borough Council

Cllr Hannah Dalton

Independent

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council