Value the Economy - Maesteg and the Llynfi Valley

Procurement

The April session allowed us to see how Valleys to Coast Housing Association (V2C) have been using ‘targeted recruitment and training’ (TR&T) to bring greater value to the local economy through renovation work to houses in the valley. A full report is available to download here.

Ideas:
• Pre Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) interviews / workshops
• Change in public sector procurement
• Social clauses within contracts (e.g. prescribe a certain number of jobs and training)

What is happening; how effectively does it support local money flows?

V2C explained in the workshop how nearly £6m of money spent on refurbishment to properties was advertised with a specific requirement for TR&T of 156 weeks per £1m spent. The contracts have exceeded targets to actually generate over 1,260 weeks of training. The plan (above) shows how many people from the Llynfi have benefited from the training.

What are the realistic opportunities to improve local money flows?

Organisations that provide public goods, such as Bridgend Council or V2C, spend significant amounts on procuring services such as school dinners, social services and housing improvements. As such, there are opportunities to make this public expenditure work harder for the local economy. The Can Do toolkit is an excellent practical guide to TR&T.

• Supporting sustainable development

The demand for school food is seen as opportunity to support locally-grown food. Providing children with locally-grown food has environment benefits by reducing food miles, social benefits through healthier food and cultural connections with the local area as well as economic benefits to local producers. The School Food Revolution written by Kevin Morgan and Roberta Sonnino at Cardiff University, gives an excellent introduction to the topic.

• Developing local supply chains

Since the workshops took place, a planning application has been received for a 24Mw biomass power station to the south of Maesteg. A demand for wood could help find new uses for the extensive local woodlands. There may also be uses for excess heat from the plant. Furthermore, investment in rail access to the power station could also help improve passenger rail service, supporting improved visitor experience in the valley.

Links to other organisations

• The School Food Revolution
• The Can Do toolkit for targeted recruitment and training 
• Valleys to Coast Housing Association 

Page last updated: 21 September 2011