Sustainability Appraisals for Yorkshire Forward 2002-04
Yorkshire Forward (YF) is the Regional Development Agency responsible for the sustainable economic development and regeneration of the Yorkshire and Humber area. It has a statutory duty to promote sustainable development where it is appropriate to do so. This involves directing significant funding streams to support proposals and programmes to achieve its objectives and fulfil its statutory responsibilities.
In consequence, YF has sought ways to integrate sustainability into the decision making process for funding applications. The primary way in which this is achieved is through the completion of a sustainability appraisal of proposals that exceed threshold criteria (for total funding value, outcomes and contributions). The appraisal provides an opportunity to examine the performance of the proposals against a series of sustainability objectives (derived from the Regional Sustainable Development Framework), to determine where the contribution towards sustainability is strong and where there is opportunity to improve performance. The proposal can then proceed, subject to responding to the recommendations of the appraisal.
Through a two-year framework contract, Entec provided support to define the appraisal process and reporting format and has subsequently completed numerous appraisals of proposals for investment through the Yorkshire Forward single pot funding process. Each appraisal provides a qualitative assessment of the development’s contribution towards these sustainability objectives and the RSDF and highlights strengths, weaknesses and any opportunities for performance improvement. A broad range of economic development projects have been appraised covering site compilation, property development and regeneration, business support services, skills development, cluster initiatives, enterprise networks, and other themes.
The completed appraisal provides YF with an independent appraisal that gives additional assurance that the sustainability performance of proposals has been considered and enhanced. Recommendations have included maximising local sourcing of materials, use of considerate constructor schemes, use of socially responsible investment funds, ensuring that the impact on `hard to reach’ groups such as the mobility impaired or the elderly are adequately considered and ensuring that accessibility issues have been addressed.
For more information contact Susan Wakerley by e-mail at
wakes@entecuk.co.uk
or on 0191 2726151.
Further
information on Yorkshire Forward can be found at their website:
www.yorkshire-forward.com
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