Agenda item

To receive the annual report from the Portfolio Holder for Planning, Regeneration, Economic Development and Transport.

(Report attached oral report to follow)

Further to consideration of the Portfolio Holder for Planning, Regeneration, Economic Development and Public Transport written report at the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 14th February 2012 and Members’ agreed questions to be put to the Portfolio Holder, Councillor Jinny Pearce, provided the following responses as part of her annual report.

1)                 What is elected Members’ involvement in the governance arrangements of the North Worcestershire Economic Development Unit?

The North Worcestershire Client Management Group (CMG) whose membership includes a Cabinet Member / Portfolio Holder (or substitute) from each of the three North Worcestershire districts together with Chief Executives and Directors, is responsible for the oversight of the work of the North Worcestershire Economic Development and Regeneration Team.  The Head of Economic Development and Regeneration makes quarterly reports to this group and also attends Economic Advisory Panel meetings.  She also advised that regular status meetings had been arranged for her with the Head of Economic Development and Regeneration.  A number of meetings had been facilitated by the team between the Leader of the Council and businesses in the area.

Members were informed that they could contact North Worcestershire Economic Development and Regeneration Team at their key office base in Redditch Town Hall.

2)                 What actions have been taken and what plans are in place to grown the night-time economy in Redditch?

The Committee was informed that the work being carried out by the Town Centre Partnership, including administering the Evening Economy Grant, would improve the town centre generally and help the night-time economy to expand.

Members suggested the types of businesses, particularly restaurants, which they would like to encourage to locate in the town centre. 

3)                 How successful has the North Worcestershire Economic Development Unit been in creating new jobs in Redditch?  What arrangements are in place of measure its effectiveness?

The Committee was informed that it was difficult to measure the correlation between the team’s activities and job creation as other factors, such as the current economic climate, had to be taken into consideration.  However, a monitoring sheet had been included in the Redditch Economic Development Strategy to assist in measuring this activity.

The team had been working with the NEW College and local schools to identify the skills required by local businesses and to encourage more people in Redditch to engage in higher education.

4)                 The written report for your portfolio, which was considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 14th February, stated that “Worcestershire County Council (WCC) funding cuts to bus services managed well and impact minimised in Redditch.”

a)     In this context what is your view of the recent removal of the 57 and 58 bus services to the Alexandra Hospital?

The service 57 and 58 extension of the route to the Alexandra Hospital was not considered to be commercially viable by the two bus operators and the decision to stop the service was made on this basis.  Officers have approached WCC to establish whether the route could be subsidised but, in the current financial climate, this has not been possible.

b)     What is being done to alleviate inconvenience to local residents?

The Committee was informed that following the recent withdrawal of the 68 bus route, the Council’s Dial a Ride service had worked in partnership with WCC to pilot a new bus route, utilising a Section 22 permit under the Transport Act, to provide services to the new Abbey Stadium.  The service would be reviewed after six month’s operation and, if successful, an option to provide a similar Section 22 bus route to the Alexandra Hospital would be explored.

5)                 To what extent is the Portfolio Holder involved in assessing new commercial planning applications that could help create new jobs in Redditch?

Councillor Pearce said that she attended many pre-application discussions and reminded members that any Member who had undertaken planning training was welcome to attend pre-application discussions.  Recently the Leader of the Council had attended a pre-application discussion with a local business representative.

6)                 What plans are in place to continue and develop the Organised Work Experience Awards programme in Redditch?

Members were informed that as long as schools continued to send students on work experience placements the Awards scheme would continue.  However, there were no plans to develop the scheme and, in accordance with the recommendations of the Wolf Report, schools would no longer have to send students at Key Stage 4 out on work experience placements.

7)                 What is being done to fill empty retail units and office spaces in the Borough?

New promotional literature had been produced and an advertising campaign carried out during the summer and autumn of 2011.  The advertising campaign had included adverts being placed in the Birmingham Post, the Birmingham & Solihull Chamber Magazine and The Insider (a regional business magazine).  Commercial property searches are carried out, on request, to match people looking for properties to vacant units.

The Town Centre Partnership continues to work with the Kingfisher Shopping Centre because if the centre is busy it follows that the rest of the town benefits.

The Chair thanked Councillor Pearce for her Annual Report.