The European Centre for Environment and Human Health (ECEHH), an initiative of the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry - a joint venture of the University of Exeter and the University of Plymouth and the NHS in the South West - has received the investment it needs from the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) Convergence Programme to begin its work in earnest.

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Global helicopter giant AgustaWestland has based its new helicopter training programme at Newquay Cornwall Airport. The initiative, worth more than £1 million, has been agreed following extensive work with airport owners Cornwall Council, operating company Cornwall Airport Ltd and the South West RDA. £303,000 of the total has been approved from the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) Convergence Programme.

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A new purpose-built base for successful environmental company Clear-flow Ltd has been approved for more than £425,000 of ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) Convergence investment.

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The South West ESF Awards took place on Thursday 18th March in Exeter. Seven of the awards went to Convergence supported people or projects from Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, whilst Jobcentre Plus European Programmes Manager Carolyn Webster won the Outstanding Contribution Award.

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A graduate employed through the ESF Convergence invested Unlocking Cornish Potential has used her expertise in online marketing to launch two Cornish hotels into the world of social media.

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“The agenda for Cornwall and its economy is an exciting one, one that offers real opportunities. Now we have one council to represent the whole of Cornwall, I see the ultimate goal as devolution of powers to Cornwall as a region in its own right.

“The new council is now firmly established, despite having some fragile services to deal with. We have identified four priorities – affordable housing, health and wellbeing, environmental sustainability and, at the top, the economy.

“Things are moving: we have produced the first Green Paper on Cornwall’s economy; we have created the Cornwall Development Company as the delivery arm and have merged the Camborne Pool Redruth Urban Development Company with it to make it more effective; as a council, we want to make the right use of the infrastructure that supports the economy, things like the planning system and schools, for example.

“Our economy is developing: GVA growth has been above the national average over the last decade, following over a century of decline. Our landmark development has, of course, been the Combined Universities in Cornwall, a project we should all be very proud of and which has been genuinely economically transformational.  But not everything is rosy in the garden.
 

“Far too much time and money has been spent on studies, master plans and reviews, with power points and blueprints abounding all over the place. Do we really need them all? Can they be done in half the time at half the cost?

“We need a greater sense of urgency to spend the Convergence money. The public sector is very good at procrastinating and not making commitments quickly!

“The “SIFs” (Strategic Investment Frameworks) seem bogged down in workspaces, public realm works, master plans and feasibility studies! We need a really clear vision for each town and to fund projects that will leave a lasting legacy.

“We need more focus on our priorities. Low carbon and cultural projects need a higher profile. They are two of Cornwall’s real strengths, but they don’t get top billing. They should!

The council needs to be more active within the economic partnership, providing strong leadership. It has been too passive up to now. But it is vital that we continue to work with the Regional Development Agency, Government Office for the South West, and the private and voluntary sectors, as we have done so successfully already, whatever institutional changes emerge after the General Election.

“In conclusion, we have done well, Convergence funding is making a difference, but we can make Cornwall even better by working together. Let’s make Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly a region where problems come to get solved! Remember three key themes: Creativity, Partnership and Delivery.”

Find Rural Development Programme contact details and updates on the Convergence website.

For the dates of forthcoming EFF panels, contact details for Steve Bailey who provides a facilitation service for developing applications and information about the fisheries programme, visit the Convergence website.