Agenda item

To receive a presentation from the Portfolio Holder for Environment, Planning and Transport based on questions proposed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

(Report attached)

The Chair welcomed Councillor MacMillan, the Portfolio Holder for Planning, Economic Development and Transport to the meeting.  Councillor MacMillan presented his Portfolio Holder Annual Report in accordance with the questions set by the Committee. In response to the first question which asked whether the Council as the Planning Authority should influence and encourage private developers to build new developments to certain required standards, he felt that the Council should not take any more action than it currently takes.  He felt that the Council provided adequate guidance in planning documents such as the Core Strategy.  Some Members of the Committee disagreed with this and felt that more should be done by the Council.  In justification of his view, Councillor MacMillan argued that builders and developers understood the market they were working in and therefore knew what would sell.  By being too stringent in the application of rules and regulations, the Council would run the risk of deterring companies from building in the town.

Members of the Committee pointed out that the recent housing developments built by some of the town’s Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) had resulted in high quality buildings that were both spacious and incorporated environmentally friendly design features.  It was questioned why many private sector developers were unwilling to also do this.  Officers commented that it was interesting that there was this difference between private sector developers and RSLs.  One of the reasons for this was because of the need for RSLs to comply with Homes and Communities Agency (HCA)standards. 

The Committee asked Councillor MacMillan his views on how the Council should work in partnership with other agencies to combat the problem of people Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEETs).  Councillor MacMillan admitted that this was a complex issue that required a long term solution.  It involved the Council working in partnership with organisations such as Jobcentre Plus, Connexions and other education providers.  The Council had already worked with the Prince’s Trust to undertake a scheme helping to support school leavers in applying for jobs.  The Council had also been working in partnership to organise a careers fair for year 8 pupils in the town and also to establish a ‘young entrepreneur of the year’ award. 

He informed the Committee that he had met along with other Councillors with Professor Michael Clarke, a former Vice-Principal of Birmingham University, regarding the possibility of establishing a ‘Redditch University Centre’.  The idea of this initiative was that educational institutions in Redditch such as the North East Worcestershire College could provide foundation level degree courses that could enable young people in the town to readily access a University education.  Councillor MacMillan felt that what was needed in the town were organisations that would be able to work with the community to initiate effective schemes like this that could help address the issue of NEETs. 

The Committee discussed the performance of children at school and the merits of the two-tier versus the three-tier system in enhancing pupils’ performance.  It was also noted that parents played a huge role in influencing the attitude and aspirations of their children.  It was suggested by the Committee that the subject of NEETs might be a suitable subject for a scrutiny exercise. 

The Committee asked Councillor MacMillan his views on the future of the Business Centres.  He explained that Officers in Property Services had proposed that the Business Centres be reviewed.  He explained that he believed the Council needed to be clear about what it wished to use the Business Centres for.  In the past, it had been envisaged that they would be used to provide office space for start-up businesses.  However, it had been shown that very few new businesses had taken up units.  He argued that if the Council wished to provide support for start-up businesses then it may be more effective to give the resources spent on Businesses Centres directly to start-up business in the form of grants.  Furthermore, he suggested that before any review was undertaken of the Business Centres, work should be undertaken to establish the needs of new businesses and how the Council might be able to address these. 

Members asked the final question regarding the progress of the Smartcard scheme and real time bus information at bus stops in Redditch. Councillor MacMillan confirmed that Worcestershire County Council had been working in partnership with Diamond Bus Company and Centro to progress this scheme.  All buses in the West Midlands area would be supplied with the equipment and technology to support Smartcard ticketing.  However, there had been supply issues of this equipment which had resulted in a delay in rolling out this scheme until late autumn.  With regards to real time bus information, Councillor MacMillan explained that this system had been installed in Worcester bus station and at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch.  It was also being made available at the Redditch bus station and on the 57 and 58 bus route in the town. 

The Chair thanked Councillor MacMillan for attending the meeting.

RESOLVED that

the report be noted.