Issue - meetings

This item will be subject to pre-scrutiny at a meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee that is due to take place on 7^th November 2019.  Any recommendations arising from this meeting in respect of this item will be reported for the consideration of the Executive Committee.

As requested by Members the covering report for this item will be included in the main agenda pack and the appendices in an Additional Papers pack.

The Head of North Worcestershire Economic Development presented a report which outlined the outcomes of a master planning exercise for the regeneration of Redditch town centre and the vision for the town moving forward.  During the presentation of the report the following matters were highlighted for Members’ consideration:

·                The consultants BDP had reviewed options available for the use of a number of sites, including the railway quarter, Church Road and the former covered market area.

·                Potential development across the sites had an estimated value of between £200 and 250 million, which could involve development of both residential and commercial properties.

·                The community hub had been conceived as a one-stop-shop in terms of public service provision to local residents.  The hub could provide integrated services, enable business efficiencies within the public sector and ensure good use of public land.

·                Dragongate had held conversations with a number of partner organisations about the potential to introduce a community hub.  Initial feedback received from partner agencies had been very positive.

·                Partner agencies had overwhelmingly been in favour of building a new property to house the community hub, rather than using an existing building.  This would ensure that the varying needs of each organisation could be met through bespoke building design work.

·                The next step would be for a tender process to be undertaken to procure an architect-led team to start design work for the community hub.

·                Work was still required to clarify the space requirements of each organisation that would take part in the hub as well as operational requirements.

·                Officers were focusing on the area encompassing the Redditch library, former covered market area and Redditch Town Hall as the potential location for a future community hub, though the exact site remained to be determined.

·                Redditch had been announced as one of 100 towns that would be eligible for funding from the Town’s Fund.

·                Guidance for the Town’s Fund had been published after the publication of the report in respect of the regeneration of Redditch town centre.

·                Redditch could potentially receive up to £25 million from the Town’s Fund.  In order to secure funding from this source public consultation about potential use of the funding would be required and the Council would need to develop a Town Investment Plan and a business case.  The government would make a decision about the level of funding that would be awarded to Redditch based on these submissions.

Following the presentation of the report Members discussed a number of points in detail:

·                The need for Redditch town centre to be regenerated.

·                The hard work of officers to date in respect of the regeneration of Redditch town centre.

·                The length of time that had elapsed since the original plans to regenerate the town centre had been considered by Members in March 2018.

·                The state of the area debates, how these had been advertised, the number of people who had attended and whether there was an intention for these to occur in every ward in the Borough.  It was suggested  ...  view the full minutes text for item 62