Attendees:
Melanie Sealey (Chair), Keir Duffin, Neil Blaney, Richard Marsh, Sarah Jane
Mackenzie-Shapland, Chris Parsons, Paul Britton, Patrick Rafferty, Sarah Ratnage, George Marshall, Sean Anstee, Mirela Doana, Alison Hayward, Chris Shears, Leroy Venn, Hannah Dixon (minutes)
Apologies:
Helen Bone, Ian Collinson, Roger Clotworthy, David Lang, Iain Masters, Tim
Child, Jamie Hulland, Heather Hillman, Alex Lessware
1. Update DTCCA – Sean Anstee / Various
The DTCCA formed in February, and since have set up several advisory groups e.g. housing, skills and employment, business, to enable the CCA to support ambitions across Devon and Torbay and providing a coherent sounding voice.
Matt Dodd has been appointed as the Housing Lead for the CCA and will start on 12 June 2025, Matt will develop strategic relationships with Homes England. Work is underway on the Connect to Work Programme.
The DTCCA Board will be meeting bi-monthly – next meeting 29 May 2025, and will include the newly elected Members from DCC.
Working with Metro dynamics on the Local Growth Plan, to describe opportunities for Devon and Torbay. ACTION: Sean to share the Local Growth Plan when it’s finalised.
When this document is in place Sean would like everyone to be able to use it consistently, it will form our future devolution asks and investment asks. Chris Parsons offered to help facilitate the marketing piece for this.
UKSPF – the DTCCA Board will receive a report re: the thematic insight and funding for each scheme. The investment plan has been signed off by the DTCCA and will submit to MHCLG as the Accountable Body by the 30th April deadline. This includes UKSPF and Rural England Prosperity Fund.
ACTION: Sean/DCC team to circulate the finalised funding agreements as soon as complete.
ACTION: Sean to share the CCA Board workplan once it’s developed.
There has been a real strength in partnership to develop so many programmes in such a short space of time.
ACTION: Sean to feed back to Government that Councils need more time to get agreement for funding streams, Members had expressed concerns at meetings.
2. Ilfracombe / Strategic plan – Sarah Jane McKenzie Shapland
Ilfracombe is a Coastal town in North Devon which is difficult to get to and tends to present a population in deprivation. However, North Devon didn’t qualify for Levelling Up Funding as there are more affluent places within North Devon. Ilfracombe is one of the towns that was selected in the Revitalising Devon Towns programme.
The governance of the town needed closer scrutiny, and an overall strategy to seek long term change, so North Devon District Council and DCC have been working with the Town Council to review the governance. We’ve learnt that shared learning, having one truth and working together has really helped.
Housing pilot project – CCA funding awarded £1.9m to provide healthy homes in the most deprived part of the town. We hope we can use this as a pilot to guide future delivery.
3. MHCLG update – Chris Parsons
Awaiting outcomes from the ongoing spending review. The spending review will look at the funding opportunities coming up and therefore should give Councils more time to develop and approve funding streams going forward.
Devolution – There has been a strong focus on ensuring the latest cohort of places that went through are progressing. Will know more about future cohorts after the spending review and Chris will keep this group updated.
LGR – received proposals from all 21 of the possible areas who could put in the proposals, differing levels of proposals and the numbers included. Working to the 28 November timeframe. There is a view that proposals would go live for public consultation in the first quarter of 2026 and final approval between May-August 2026.
Future Meeting Dates
Wednesday 16th July 2025
Wednesday 22nd October 2025