Agenda item

The Chair of the District Centres Task and Finish Group introduced his Group’s draft final report and began by thanking the Members and Officers that had worked on the exercise. 

The Chair of the Group explained each recommendation in turn.  Members agreed that the first recommendation needed to be clarified by stating that Officers should carry out further work to develop the Improvement Fund. 

Members discussed the fourth recommendation regarding the installation of an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) outside or inside the Costcutter supermarket in Woodrow.

Officers informed Members that an ATM machine had been installed inside the supermarket; however, it was a machine that charged for dispensing money.  Members were keen to pursue this recommendation and requested that Officers alter the recommendation to request that a free ATM be installed outside the Costcutter supermarket. 

Members discussed the fifth recommendation regarding the Council’s use of the Probation Service to provide extra resources to undertake work at the District Centres.  Officers clarified that the Probation Service would only be able to undertake work not already part of the work schedules of the Council.  Therefore, Officers suggested rephrasing the recommendation to read “where there is scope, the Council work with the Probation Service to deliver specific enhancement works in Matchborough, Woodrow and Winyates District Centres”.

Members discussed recommendation 7 regarding inviting the community group What’s Your Point to repaint the commercial unit’s shutters at the District Centres.  Officers informed Members that What’s Your Point charged for their services and the Group had charged the Council for painting of the mural under the underpass in the town centre.  Members agreed that a rough cost for the repainting and decorating of the shutters should be inserted into the recommendation and agreed that £5,000 should be allocated for this job. 

Recommendation 9, the resurfacing of the Winyates Centre, was discussed by the Committee.  Officers informed Members that a £30,000 budget was already allocated to Phase Three which involved basic upgrading of the tarmac surface around the central precinct.  Members decided to amend this recommendation by taking out reference to Phase Three but keeping Phase One and Two, acknowledging that, if supported?, these would be subject to a capital bid for 2009 / 2010.

The Chair of the Group explained that the Group had proposed 3 different forms of action in relation to recommendation 10, the possible opening of the 57 / 58 bus routes. Officers explained that the Committee was being asked to approve either one of these options or put forward two of these options as a majority and minority recommendation, in accordance with constitutional requirements.  Officers reminded Members that ultimately decisions about the bus routes lay with the County Council.  Some Members argued that the County would be very unlikely to change its policy regarding bus lanes in Redditch; however, some Members believed that the County should be challenged about this issue.

Members debated this issue and ultimately agreed that the 57 / 58 bus lane should be maintained as a bus only route. 

Members considered recommendation 11 regarding the removal of chewing gum from the pavements in the District Centres.  Officers reported a suggestion proposed by a member of the Group given after the publication of the draft report.   This Member had suggested that the recommendation should stipulate that the Council not only review the costs of buying machinery for the removal of chewing gum but also the costs of hiring machinery, or contracting the service out, to ensure that the best option financially for the Council was selected.  Members agreed that these options should be taken into account and that the recommendation should be reworded to reflect this.

Members discussed the final recommendation regarding the proposal that Woodrow District Centre should be the next District Centre for redevelopment.  Officers suggested that all three of the remaining District Centres needed redeveloping.  Members agreed that this was the case and that the final recommendation should reflect this. 

RESOLVED that

with regard to the recommendations detailed in the Task & Finish Group’s report,

1)     recommendation 1) regarding the introduction of an Improvement Fund be clarified by stating that Officers should carry out further work to develop the Improvement Fund;

2)     recommendation 4) relating to the ATM at Woodrow be amended to request that a free ATM be installed outside the Costcutter supermarket;

3)     recommendation 5) be rephrased to read “where there is scope, the Council work with the Probation Service to deliver specific enhancement works in Matchborough, Woodrow and Winyates District Centres”;

4)     a cost of £5,000 be allocated for the repainting of the shutters and that recommendation 7) be amended in order to reflect this;

5)     recommendation 9) that relates to the resurfacing of the Winyates Centre be amended by taking out reference to Phase Three and acknowledging that, if accepted,  Phase One and Two would be subject to a capital bid for 2009 / 2010;

6)     the 57/58 bus route be maintained as a bus only route;

7)     the first sentence of recommendation 11) be altered to read “the Council investigate the relative costs of either contracting out or buying the machinery to remove chewing gum from the paved surfaces in the three District Centres”;

8)     recommendation 12) be amended to reflect the need for all of the remaining District Centres to be redeveloped; and

9)     the Executive Committee be requested to consider the recommendations of the District Centres Task and Finish Group, as amended by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and as detailed in the resolutions above.