ERN

Cllr Keith R Mitchell CBE
This site was last updated 22-08-2008	English Regions Network

The English Regions Network (ERN) is the umbrella organisation for England's nine partnership Regional Assemblies:

	East of England Regional Assembly
	East Midlands Regional Assembly
	London Mayor's Office
	North East Assembly
	North West Regional Assembly
	South East England Regional Assembly
	South West Regional Assembly
	West Midlands Regional Assembly
	Yorkshire and Humber Assembly

Regional arrangements in London are different where the Mayor is the Planning Authority. While London works with ERN on some issues it is not a full member of the Network.

Regional Assemblies are presently responsible for:

	preparing a statutory Regional Spatial Strategy, including the Regional Transport Strategy;
	scrutinising their Regional Development Agency;
	integrating policy development and enhancing partnership working at the regional level across the social, economic and environmental policy agenda;
	being the 'voice of the region' and speaking out on behalf of the whole of the region at a national and international level.

The role of ERN is threefold:

	to represent the collective views of Regional Assemblies to Government and other key national and European institutions;
	to encourage new thinking and research on the regional agenda;
	to share best practice and facilitate inter-regional networking among Regional Assemblies.

A feature of the eight Regional Assemblies (excluding London) is their membership which comprises 70% elected councillors who are appointed by their councils and 30% economic, environmental and social stakeholders who are appointed by representative organisations in their region. 75% of the councillors appointed to Regional Assemblies are either the leader or deputy leader of their council.

The government has announced (in the Sub-National Review of Economic Development and Regeneration) proposals to transfer planning and transport powers to the Regional Development Agencies. These are unelected quangos with business-style boards appointed by, accountable to and paid by central government. Regional Assemblies are to be abolished in 2010.

I was appointed Chairman of the English Regions Network in July 2006 for a two-year term. I handed over to Cllr Peter Box from the Yorkshire & Humber Region in July 2008.

This is a link to the ERN web Site: http://ern.smartregion.org.uk