Oxfordshire Strategic Environmental Economic Investment Plan Stakeholder Workshop, 20 th May 2015
Agenda 13:15 Welcome and introduction to the Strategic Environmental and Economic Investment Plan (SEEIP) 13.30 Emerging priorities for the SEEIP 14.00 Networking and generating ideas 14:15 Call for proposals for the SEEIP 14.30 Making the economic case for environmental investment 14.45 Coffee break 15:00 Group discussions about SEEIP proposals 16.00 Next steps 16:15 Close
1. Welcome and introduction
Context Economic strengths: Research and high tech business: - Life sciences - Physics - Engineering - Electronics - Telecoms, computing Rural economy, agriculture, renewable energy Culture, heritage, tourism and leisure
Strategic Economic Plan Key sectors for growth: Big science Green economy Visitor economy Aim to drive accelerated growth through investment in innovative: Enterprise People Place Connectivity
Strategic Environmental Economic Investment Plan (SEEIP) Oxfordshire Strategic Economic Plan Connectivity Place People Enterprise Innovation Investment Plan Oxfordshire Skills Strategy Environmental and Economic Investment Plan Cultural, Heritage & Tourism Investment Plan Connecting Oxfordshire Growth Deals European Structural Investment Fund Regional Growth Fund Growing Places Fund Business Rates Uplift Other funding sources
Objectives Demonstrate the importance of environmental investment to economic growth, development, health and wellbeing in Oxfordshire Ensure that environmental investment is coordinated, prioritised and targeted to: Maintain or enhance ecosystem services Support the green economy Enable wider economic growth and development, contributing to the objectives and targets in the Strategic Economic Plan Make a compelling business case for further funding from government, business and other stakeholders Build on the LEED Level 1 Workshop held in February 2014, completing the LEED process for Oxfordshire LEP
Approach 1. Review evidence base and develop local natural capital inventory 2. Review and rank opportunities and challenges 3. Develop the vision and priorities for the SEEIP 4. Confirm the key types of environmental, physical and social infrastructure to consider for investment 5. Collect project proposals 6. Review project proposals, assess economic impacts and prioritise 7. Agree portfolio of projects and develop delivery strategy 8. Prepare the Investment Plan and launch Stakeholder engagement
Stakeholder engagement Public communications One-to-one key stakeholder meetings in April Workshop 1-20th May 2015 Open call for project proposals Workshop 2 15 th July 2015 Final publicity and SEEIP Launch
2. Emerging priorities for the SEEIP
Emerging priorities Growing the green economy in Oxfordshire Promoting and enabling access to Oxfordshire s countryside, environmental and heritage assets Improving management of land in the Thames River Basin catchment Improving the setting of development and heritage assets Engaging people in the environment and encouraging sustainable lifestyles
Growing the green economy Green economy defined broadly, includes: Sectors providing environmental goods and services (e.g farming, forestry, low carbon energy, nature conservation, environmental research and services) Actions to improve environmental impacts in wider economy (e.g. more sustainable housing, low-impact manufacturing processes) Part of a modern and competitive economy, to deal with: Long term risks on energy supply/carbon emissions/ natural resource use (avoid stranded assets) Maximise growth and value of development, utilising green infrastructure Strategic response to increasing demand for resources and ecosystem services as a result of growth and development Gaia values
Promoting and enabling access Oxfordshire has extensive environmental assets (e.g. AONBs, Green Belt, River Thames and its tributaries, the Oxford Canal, wildlife sites, historic buildings and landscapes), but: A deficit of accessible green space? Lack of modern facilities in rural areas (organised transport, suitable access, toilets, affordable accommodation) Lack of iconic natural environment visitor locations to make assets appear accessible Access to green space (not sport) provides public health benefits: Helps most vulnerable groups (elderly, young families) A major service from green space, potential to reduce pressure on NHS Key part of image of Oxfordshire, influencing property prices and inward investment decisions
Improving management of land Opportunities to improve management of land for various other ecosystem services (ES), including flood risk management, water quality/quantity, and biodiversity Requires coordination and additional resources, but offers additional benefits: Woodland planting/management targeted to provide woodfuel Catchment improvements where it is the key pressure (lower population catchments) ~ target agricultural management changes and woodland planting Sufficient space/agglomeration for continued/enhanced food and fuel production Brian Smithson Brian Smithson
Improving the setting of development Opportunity to invest in strategic green infrastructure, including public open space, habitats, sustainable drainage systems, and walking and cycling connections Support regeneration and maximise value of development through healthier workforce, enhanced property values, attractiveness to inward investors Ability to use green infrastructure to provide cost-effective development options (exploit green economy, access, land management priorities) Meet increasing demand due to planned housing/economic growth Dave Price / Port Meadow development Christina Palmarini thriddle
Improving the setting of development Dave Price / Port Meadow development Christina Palmarini thriddle
Engaging people Need to be specific about owners/managers/users of natural capital assets Engagement done so far: discussions with over 15 key stakeholders Integrate environmental investments into economic development plans (not a separate green strand) Motivating volunteering to maintain/exploit the assets that are already there Motivating more sustainable lifestyle choices Need for trusted & neutral ethical broker of long term objectives: e.g. land management (PES) deals Need for shared understanding of strategic objectives (e.g. Net Positive Impacts) Jesoni Kuruyawa
Discussion on emerging priorities Do you agree with these overall priorities for environmental investment to benefit the economy? Do you think there are any missing? Which of these priorities do you think are most important, if any?
3. Networking and generating ideas
Networking and generating ideas Pick a card Find other people with the same number card Introduce yourselves and come up with an idea of a joint project for the SEEIP Write it on a sticky note and add it to the map
4. Call for proposals
Call for proposals Local organisations are invited to submit projects for inclusion in the SEEIP Preference will be given to projects which can demonstrate: Clear contribution to one or more of the SEEIP priorities Ability to deliver multiple benefits, including economic, environmental and social outcomes Evidence of partnership working and match funding Submission should not be viewed as a funding application and inclusion in the SEEIP will not guarantee funding for individual projects Deadline Friday 26 th June 2015 Relevant projects which have already been submitted to the Local Growth Fund do not need to be resubmitted
Types of proposal Our aim is to assemble a portfolio of proposals for the SEEIP, including: Strategic projects, which deliver improvements to physical assets within a defined geographical area, and are of a significant scale for the county Investment programmes, which might be set up to distribute funding to multiple stakeholders and smaller projects across a wider area according to agreed criteria Supporting interventions such as awareness-raising, training or guidance These could be completely new ideas, or existing or ongoing projects which have the potential to contribute to the priorities of the SEEIP and would benefit from further investment
5. Making the economic case for environmental investment
Making the economic case Investment Proposal Form allows benefits to be described: In Overview : Describe the challenge or opportunity that the proposal is intended to address Breakdown of this response under detailed description: How would your proposal contribute to the objectives and priorities of the SEEIP? Covers economic, environmental and social impacts The Prince s Accounting for Sustainability Project
Making the economic case Value of environmental impacts: Values relate to changes in provision of benefits from environment Anthropocentric, not a moral judgement Encouraged to use: ecosystem services language (organised typology of impacts), and monetary values (useful to assess trade-offs), BUT NEITHER ARE ESSENTIAL Economic value of environmental impacts: Assessed through a welfare (not financial) perspective Includes non-market values, not just market goods and services Reflects value (what its worth), rather than price (what you pay) Both are context-specific (depends on amount, substitutes, incomes etc).
Making the economic case Qualitative, quantitative and monetary expressions of values: Types and distribution of impacts Quantify these where possible in other units (scale of change to environment, employment, social groups impacted, timing) Distinguish non-market goods (e.g. environmental recreation, future impacts) that justify strategic investments Monetary values helpful, but may not be needed, and less meaningful without this context
Making the economic case Social impacts Similarly qualitative, quantitative and monetary expressions of values are possible Don t double-count with environmental impacts (e.g. distinguish local recreational/ health benefits from recreational visitor markets) Social distribution of impacts informs economic and environmental outcomes: Who will obtain health benefits? What types of jobs in what locations? How are environmental impacts addressed currently distributed within society (e.g. vulnerability to flooding, demand for water)?
6. Group discussions about proposals
Group discussions about proposals Please choose which of the five priorities you want to focus on and move to the relevant table In your group, please consider: One or more ideas for strategic projects, investment programmes or other supporting interventions which could contribute to this priority What organisations would need to work together to make it happen How it could be funded How the idea contributes to the other SEEIP priorities and any other wider economic, social and environmental benefits Record your answers in the template provided and nominate someone to provide feedback Use a new sheet for each different idea
Recap on priorities Growing the green economy in Oxfordshire Promoting and enabling access to Oxfordshire s countryside, environmental and heritage assets Improving management of land in the Thames River Basin catchment Improving the setting of development and heritage assets Engaging people in the environment and encouraging sustainable lifestyles Others?
6. Next steps
Next steps Issue the call for project proposals Collate and review proposals following deadline on 24 th June Review and assess the proposals against the SEEIP priorities Start to prioritise and assemble portfolio of projects for the SEEIP Workshop to agree portfolio of projects and discuss delivery strategy on 15 th July
Supplementary slides
Key areas for growth and development
Strategic access and infrastructure
Areas of deprivation
Leisure, recreation and tourism
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Character and identity of Oxfordshire
Flood risk and water supplies
Habitats
Nature conservation designations