New Enterprise Agency for the South of Scotland: consultation

6. Effective boundaries

6. Phase 2 of the Enterprise and Skills Review explored the most appropriate geographic boundary in which the new organisation should operate. In discussions with stakeholders, a consensus emerged that the new organisation should operate in the local authority areas of the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway. This reflects the economic context and the similarity of challenges faced in those two areas, challenges which present differently in other local authority areas. It also ensures clarity for those using services, and ensuring a focus on tackling the specific challenges of the area.

6.1. With those boundaries, the Agency will operate across an area of over 4,300 square miles which stretches the breadth of Scotland from the North Sea in the east to the Irish Sea in the west - coast to coast a distance of over 150 miles. With a population of 264,000, the area is one of the most rural regions in the United Kingdom.

6.2. The Agency will need to establish effective relationships outside its specific geographic boundary to enable it to support work that benefits the economy of the South of Scotland. This means that the South of Scotland will benefit from national support and opportunities, and the Agency will be able to work with other local authorities.

Question 10: What could the Agency do outwith its boundaries working with other local authorities or with agencies like Highlands and Islands Enterprise to support specific projects which benefit the South of Scotland and with national agencies?