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Observatory PASCAL
Place Management, Social Capital and Learning Regions PURE Regional Profile THAMES GATEWAY, UNITED KINGDOM Appendix 1 Region: Thames Gateway, United Kingdom Principal PURE contact: Mrs Alison Bowerbank Institutional base with full postal mailing address: Thames Gateway and Olympics Directorate Department for Communities and Local Government Eland House Bressenden Place London SW1E 5DU United Kingdom Contact Details: Email: Tel: Mob: [email protected] +44 (0) 207 944 2129
Name of main collaborating region: Thames Gateway Region Suggested members of your Regional Co-ordinating Group (RCG) (between 3 and 5 Persons): Name, organisation and email: 1. Sir David Melville, Chair, Lifelong Learning UK [email protected] 2. John Storan, Director, Continuum, University of East London [email protected] 3. John Middleton, Head of Economic Development, London Thames Gateway Development Corporation [email protected] 4. Nigel Relph, Director of Corporate Affairs, Queen Mary, University of London [email protected] 5. Liam Jarnecki, Partnership Director, Thames Gateway Strategy, Communities and Local Government [email protected]
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Place Management, Social Capital and Learning Regions Suggested Peer Reviewer from region: ‘Identity’ of Region (eg. governmental admin. region; special development zone; informal ‘working reality’ region, etc) The Thames Gateway is an area of land stretching 40 miles (60 km) east from inner East London on both sides of the River Thames and the Thames Estuary. The Thames Gateway comprises sections of 16 different local government districts in three English regions (South East, East and London). The area, which includes much brownfield land, has been designated a national priority for regeneration and economic growth. The boundary of the Gateway was drawn to capture the riverside strip that formerly hosted many land extensive industries, serving London and the South East. The Thames Gateway boundary also covers the Olympic Park for the 2012 Games. Regeneration was at the heart of London’s bid for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and remains one of the core legacy objectives. The decision to build the Olympic Park in Stratford makes it one of the major focal points for regeneration and development. It is one of four economic transformers for the area. Further information on Olympics legacy and the other transformers can be found in the Thames Gateway Delivery Plan (November 2007) – http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/thamesgateway/pdf/565039.pdf REGIONAL PORTRAIT (Please list key issues of interest and relevance to PURE) (i) Approx. population and any key features: (e.g. new migrant numbers) The area is home to around 1.6 million people and contains some of the most deprived wards in the country, characterised by lack of access to public transport, services, employment and affordable quality housing. Although improvements are being made, the Thames Gateway still has noticeable disadvantages compared to the national average for key indicators including housing affordability, high levels of social housing, a high proportion of lone parents and A8 migration. The communities living in the Gateway are very diverse both in terms of race and faith. Data from the Best Value Survey (2006) shows that there is considerable variation in the levels of cohesion in the 16 districts that have part of their boundary within the Thames Gateway. Barking and Dagenham has the lowest results at 48% (the second lowest in the country) and Rochford the highest at 86%, with the England average at 79%. In addition 11 of these districts were in the lowest 20% of districts in the country. Cohesion in this instance is measured by the proportion of residents agreeing that 'their local area is a place where people from different backgrounds get on well together', taken from the BVPI survey. (ii) Other essential geographical features: The river provides a shared context for land use in the Thames Gateway. The industrial heritage afforded by the river has left a large amount of brownfield land with potential for development. The Thames Gateway has a rich environmental heritage. Over 60% of the area is greenspace and designated areas protect the coastal wildlife. Over 80% of the residential development that has taken place in recent years in the Thames Gateway is on brownfield land, which is above the national 60% target.
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Place Management, Social Capital and Learning Regions (iii) Economy, industries and employment features: There has been a significant structural change in employment sectors in recent years, with a large increase in employment in banking and financial services and a contraction of the manufacturing sector. KEY ISSUES AND CHALLENGES CONFRONTING THE REGION (i) Economic issues: 1. 2. 3. 4. Economic downturn. Economic productivity gap (potential £12 bn GVA) between Thames Gateway. Skills gap from Level 1 upwards (see Thames Gateway Skills Framework1 for data). Skills gaps in specific sectors eg construction (national issue reflected in Gateway).
Key websites for more information: 1. Strategy to address economic development and sector-specific skills gaps – Thames Gateway Economic Development Investment Plan: http://www.seeda.co.uk/publications/global_competitiveness/docs/TGED-InvestmentPlan.pdf 2. The Learning and Skills Council’s Thames Gateway Skills Plan (July 2008) – http://readingroom.lsc.gov.uk/lsc/London/Thames_Gateway_Skills_Plan_-_FINAL.pdf – sets out a set of actions to equip local people with the training they need to fill skills shortages in the Gateway. 3. In addition, the Thames Gateway Skills Framework (November 2008) – http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/thamesgateway/pdf/1074219.pdf - sets out a set of agreed principles to tackle skills gaps. (ii) Social issues including health: 1. Skills gap in health sector – arguable need for additional health professionals in face of population growth. 2. Index of Multiple Deprivation 2007 shows health inequalities in a number of areas in the Gateway. Key websites for more information: 1. http://www.communities.gov.uk/communities/neighbourhoodrenewal/deprivation/ deprivation07/ (iii) Environmental issues: 1. Land contamination – as as a legacy of previous industrial development. The Parklands programme was set out in the Thames Gateway Delivery Plan in 2007. Its overarching objective is to celebrate and enhance the natural and urban environment of the Thames Gateway, to improve the quality of life for residents, workers and visitors, and to make it an attractive place to invest: http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/thamesgateway/parklandsvision . In addition, the Thames Gateway Eco Region Prospectus (November 2008) considers the specific environmental opportunities, and obligations, that exist in the Thames Gateway and describes the first steps Government and partners will take to realise the vision of the Thames Gateway as the UK's Eco-Region: http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/thamesgateway/pdf/1074037.pdf
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Place Management, Social Capital and Learning Regions Key websites for more information: 1. (iv) Cultural issues: 1. Arguable, dearth of aspiration in parts of the Gateway driving low levels of participation (see below). Key websites for more information: 1. (v) Other issues or dimensions: (e.g. political & administrative, civic and participation) 1. Thames Gateway boundary presents a challenge as the area includes sections of local authorities. Ward level data is not available for all datasets and therefore aggregated data for 16 local authorities is often used as a proxy. 2. (Higher) Education participation challenges – single figure percentages in certain wards of the Gateway. Key websites for more information: 1. See definition of Thames Gateway in State of the Gateway (November 2006) http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/thamesgateway/pdf/153430.pdf
UNIVERSITY AND OTHER HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS (HEIs) PORTRAIT (Please describe in a few words the HE system operating in the region, in terms of any important matters, the following): (i) Structure, legal and financial status of HE system Funding: all HEIs in the Thames Gateway are funded by Higher Education Funding Council for England. Type: a mixture of research and teaching-based universities with some HE provided through vocational colleges. Rating: some provision and research assessed as ‘Excellent’. Other features: high level of partnership working and knowledge transfer activity; unique progression framework agreed. (ii) Main priorities for the HEIs in the region Varies from institution to institution but some cross-cutting themes include:  Drawing local benefits from HE provision.  Working more effectively in partnership (eg co-located FE/HE and/or community services and/or private sector organisations.  Knowledge transfer. http://www.obs-pascal.com/ 
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Place Management, Social Capital and Learning Regions (iii) Relevant recent changes and developments in policy and/or practice Throughout the past decade there have been some significant changes in student funding across England – this has affected the Gateway as well as other areas of the country. In 2008, the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills published a consultation document entitled University Challenge2 proposing an expansion of local and regional HE provision. The Thames Gateway already features two successful examples of joint provision of further and higher education (in Medway and Southend) with further proposals in the pipeline. (iv) Ways of organising and managing within the HEIs Institutions are either collegiate (part of the University of London) or satellite town centre campuses (eg Southend). The Thames Gateway Further and Higher Education Action Group comprises all Higher Education Partners operating in Gateway and meets six times a year – twice chaired by the Minister for Higher Education. A number of other partnership groups exist, including KnowledgeEast3, a business-focused network of eight universities and colleges in East London and the Thames Gateway.
HEIs in REGION 1. University of Greenwich  Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London SE10 9LS & Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, Kent ME4 4TB.  Martin Davies ([email protected]) – http://www.medway.ac.uk 2. Goldsmiths College, University of London  New Cross, London SE14 6NW  Michael Metelits ([email protected]) – http://www.gold.ac.uk/ 3. University of East London  Docklands Campus, 4-6 University Way, London E16 2RD  Selena Bolingbroke ([email protected]) - http://www.uel.ac.uk/ 4. University of Kent  University of Kent at Medway, Medway Building, Chatham, Maritime, Kent ME4 4AG  David Nightingale ([email protected]) – http://www.medway.ac.uk 5. Birkbeck College, University of London  c/o University of East London, Romford Road, E15  Professor Philip Dewe ([email protected]) – http://www.bbk.ac.uk/ 6. University of Essex (Southend Campus)  Elmer Approach, Southend-on-Sea, SS1 1LW  Nigel South ([email protected]) – http://www.essex.ac.uk 7. London Metropolitan University  31 Jewry Street, London EC3N 2EY  Dr Jennie Somerville ([email protected]) – http://www.londonmet.ac.uk
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Place Management, Social Capital and Learning Regions 8. Anglia Ruskin University  Bishop Hall Lane, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 1  Cajiten D’ Silva (cajiten.d'[email protected]) – http://www.anglia.ac.uk 9. Canterbury Christ Church University  Rowan Williams Court, 30 Pembroke Court, Chatham Maritime, Kent ME4 4UF  Jan Druker ([email protected]) – http://www.medway.ac.uk 10.Queen Mary, University of London  Mile End Road, London E1 4NS  Nigel Relph ([email protected])– http://www.qmul.ac.uk 11.Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication  Walden Road, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 5SN / Greenwich Peninsula  Bob Harris ([email protected]) – http://www.rave.ac.uk 12.University College for the Creative Arts  University for the Creative Arts at Rochester, Fort Pitt, Rochester, Kent ME1 1DZ  Dianne Taylor-Gearing ([email protected]) – http://www.ucreative.ac.uk
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Place Management, Social Capital and Learning Regions PURE Regional Profile THAMES GATEWAY, UNITED KINGDOM Appendix 2 Regional Aspirations and Agenda
1. What aspects of regional development and the role of higher education in particular do you wish to engage with, focus on and improve, through your involvement in PURE? (a) From the point of view of the region and its priorities, objectives and ways of working? It is one of the main aims of the Thames Gateway programme to ensure that planned growth in the area, in jobs, housing and the economy, takes place in a sustainable way that brings benefits to the national economy, local environment and local communities. The particular aspects relevant to PURE include:  The need to increase education achievement at all levels but specifically post-16.  Raise aspirations of young people.  Improve the skills base of the population in order to attract new business and retain talent.  Service new centres of population – i.e. schools and healthcare provision.  Future-proof skills development to ensure they match the future needs of the local economy.  Reduce inequalities and tackle worklessness.  Promote community cohesion (i.e. ensuring the benefits of TG regeneration accrue not just to new populations but that there are benefits for existing communities). (b) From the point of view of the higher education institutions and their priorities, objectives and ways of working?  Work with business to identify future needs for growth sectors eg logistics industry.  Develop new technologies.  Better meet needs of local communities. 2. In terms of the wider global, political, administrative, economic and environmental setting it was agreed at the PURE Glasgow working meeting (September 2008) that the following aspects (included in Briefing Paper No. 3) were of wide general significance for the PURE project as a whole: (a) What role are strong national and/or regional policies in favour of third mission playing to overcome barriers for PURE work in regions? The existence of the Thames Gateway as a programme of national importance (it is one of the Prime Minister’s top 43 projects) and through the project and a range of partnership working there already exists a Skills Framework for the Thames Gateway, and a Skills Plan developed by the Learning and Skills Council. Thames Gateway Skills Envoy, Sir David Melville is spearheading the transformation of skills in the region. The Envoy’s role will bring together business, local authorities, and further education and higher education institutions for the benefit of the local communities and local people. http://www.obs-pascal.com/ 
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Place Management, Social Capital and Learning Regions Thames Gateway Further and Higher Education Action Group, which has been in existence for over five years brings together the leaders of over 30 further and higher education institutions in the Thames Gateway and is chaired by a Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills Minister, the group coordinates wider strategy of the development of the Thames Gateway particularly the interaction between education and innovation, housing growth, transport, and the environment. A recent community empowerment White Paper “Communities in control: real people, real power" aims to pass power into the hands of local communities., and generate vibrant local democracy in every part of the country, and to give real control over local decisions and services to a wider pool of active citizens. The aim is to shift power, influence and responsibility away from existing centres of power into the hands of communities and individual citizens. Government is strongly committed to both increasing and widening participation in higher education and increasing the skill levels of those already in the workforce. Lifelong Learning Networks (LLNs) bring together HE and FE institutions across a city, area or region to offer new progression routes into HE for vocational learners. The role of LLNs is to improve the coherence, clarity and certainty of progression opportunities for vocational learners into and through HE. Government has also allocated new resources to support employer co-funded entrants to higher education. In January, the New Opportunities White Paper, published by the Prime Minister, announced a wide-ranging package of investment and support from across Government for people to make the most of their potential throughout their lives giving them lifelong chances to succeed. This included making it simpler to go to university after an apprenticeship. More detailed information on national policy can be found at: http://www.dius.gov.uk/policy/highereducation.html and http://www.dius.gov.uk/consultations/con_0408_hlss.html The forthcoming abolition of Learning and Skills Councils and the transfer of some of their functions to local authorities will pose a challenge to those local authorities and institutions that will need to work together in future. (While the LSC is concerned with further education, the focus of Thames Gateway on promoting co-located and joined up provision to encourage progression and participation, the FE sector when controlled by local authorities will be an important aspect of developing “the offer” for residents of the Thames Gateway. (b) Will strong national and regional policies in favour of sustainable development have an impact on PURE activity on environmental issues? The Thames Gateway Eco-region Prospectus published in late 2008 sets a framework the development of the Thames Gateway. The eco-region will aim to:  Be a place where economic development fully respects and is in tune with environmental limits and the services provided by ecosystems.  Be an international exemplar of leading practice in development of environmentally sustainable infrastructure – for waste management, water supply, flood risk management, sustainable decentralised energy systems, and low-impact transport.  Exemplify effective approaches to mitigating and adapting to climate change.  Offer an attractive, vibrant and sustainably managed set of landscapes and living places, with wildlife protected and the historic environment enhanced.
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Place Management, Social Capital and Learning Regions  Be a place where people, businesses and wildlife all find a sustainable and attractive home, and where environmental quality and sustainability are fundamental to economic development and thriving community life.  It is important that HEIs identify how they can contribute to the creation of the eco-region – through their teaching, research, links with employers and management and building of their own estates. (c) Will strong policies on implementing LLL at national and/or regional levels have an impact on PURE activities? (LLL = life long learning?)? The growth in student numbers at all levels has been the result of the availability of wide range of courses at institutions like Canterbury Christ Church University in Medway. Lifelong Learning Networks continue to play an important role in terms of improving coherence, clarity and certainty of progression opportunities for vocational learners into and through higher education. One network, the Creative Way is a partnership of 37 institutions which aims to lead the development of clear and coherent progression pathways into and through higher education and on into employment in creative and cultural industries. Established with funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England in 2006, to date it has:  Built and launched a comprehensive web-based portal linking career areas to course provision across the Thames Gateway.  Developed a pan-Thames Gateway Progression Agreement Scheme, linked to the overarching Thames Gateway Guarantee of Assured Progression - 29 partner institutions are signatories to one or more Programme Progression Agreement.  Directed a Development Fund to support a range of new courses and projects, promoting participation and facilitating institutional and employer partnerships. (d) Will strong national and/or regional innovation and research policies have as impact on PURE activities? Strong national and regional innovation, research and knowledge transfer policies have helped Knowledge Institutions to more meaningfully engage with business and community organisations. This engagement has arguably been most effective when policy imperatives have been joined up with allocations of resources and/or are in tune with the delivery objectives of regional and sub-regional bodies. The impact of HEROBAC then HEIF, for example, has helped bring about a step change in how HE institutions engage with business and the community. Third leg activities are now a key part of the mission and values of HE sector where once they were at the periphery. The existence of an HE group allied to the Thames Gateway London Partnership provided an easy route to the creation of Knowledge East – the knowledge exchange centre for the London Thames Gateway. Knowledge East has led to improved collaborative working and delivery amongst the partner members and is likely to continue beyond the period of direct HEFCE funding. In a similar vein, the creation of Creative Way – the Thames Gateway Lifelong learning network for cultural and creative industries – has created significant opportunities for joined up engagement with both F&HE institutions. The Institute for Sustainability and the linked proposal to create a sustainable industries business park at Dagenham Dock is an initiative that brings together both a sub regional
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Place Management, Social Capital and Learning Regions Development Corporation and HE partners. Some revenue funding has already been secured from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to help use the resources of the Knowledge base to help create a supply chain of high quality environmental technology SMEs to populate the business park. Thurrock Learning Campus – a partnership between a Development Corporation, the local authority and FE and HE partners – is a further example of how policy objectives, in this case improving the poor level of skills and HE participation rates in the local area – work better when structures and incentives are in place to help focus the input of a variety of different players. (e) Will strong and/or regional policy on administrative and governance issues have an impact on PURE activities? The work of the Thames Gateway Further and Higher Education Action Group (see above for details) provides a means to bring key stakeholders together across regional and other organisational boundaries. (f) How is the third mission seen and developed, and how central is it to the future especially of nonelite universities? The third mission is seen as critical by institutions and the existence of the Thames Gateway FE and HE Action Group has enabled them to “raise their game” and better understand how they can contribute to the delivery of the Thames Gateway programme. (g) Is the globalisation of the economy changing regions' ecological, social and cultural policies? If so, how will it impact on PURE activities in the region and the university? 3. At this stage, do you have a clear sense which subject(s) of special interest you would like to concentrate on in a PURE regions sub-group; for example – ecotourism, SME development, megaevents like the Olympics, cultural development and creative arts, etc? We would be interested in the following sub-group specialism(s):       New technologies – eco –region and environmental technologies. SME development – knowledge transfer. Local community engagement. Mega- events (Olympics). Creative and cultural industries. Credit and qualification transfer.
Thames Gateway Strategy Communities and Local Government February 2009.
4. Are there any other points that you wish to mention at this stage?
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