Agenda item

To receive the Portfolio Holder Annual Report from the Portfolio Holder for Planning, Regeneration, Economic Development and Transport.

(Questions attached verbal report to follow).

Further to consideration of the Portfolio Holder for Planning, Regeneration, Economic Development and Transport’s written report at the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 11th September 2012 Councillor chance provided a response to Members’ questions as detailed in Appendix 1.  Additional information was also provided in relation to the following subjects:

a)           Business expansion in Council properties

Members were advised that the potential for local businesses to expand their premises on Council owned land was altogether dependent on the merits of the individual planning application. The importance of increased employment was fully appreciated, however important environmental considerations needed to be taken into account. Members heard that the co-existence of planning and economic development within the remit of a single portfolio ensured that both matters could be considered alongside one another as part of the application process.

b)           New business start-ups in the town

The action being taken by the Council to attract high-class restaurants to the town centre was also discussed.  Officers explained that the role of the Local Plan was to make the land and infrastructure available to make Redditch an attractive proposition for all business. Ultimately, however, it was a commercial decision for any restaurant chain or business regarding whether to open new premises in Redditch.

c)      Redditch Town Centre - TikTap

The Committee was advised that Redditch residents and shoppers would soon be able to benefit from discounts and special offers from town centre shops and businesses through ‘TikTap’ which was being introduced by the Redditch Town Centre Partnership. Redditch would be one of the first locations in the UK to launch this service.  Additional information was requested by Members regarding the operation of this new service.

c)            Choose How You Move 2

There was a mixed response from Members in terms of their experience of the Choose How You Move 2 project. Whilst the project was delivered by Worcestershire County Council Members suggested that Councillors and Officers at the Council needed to develop a clearer understanding of how to utilise the project effectively to ensure that sufficient value for money was obtained.

d)           Economic Advisory Panel (ECAP)

Members noted that the Council’s Economic Advisory Panel (ECAP) had the potential to assume a key role co-ordinating the Council’s response to economic development issues, in a similar manner to the role of the Planning Advisory Panel in developing Planning policy.  However, concerns were expressed that the panel was meeting infrequently and the remit of the body was currently resticed in scope.

Following the presentation, Members suggested that more needed to be done to ensure that the Council’s Economic Advisory Panel (ECAP) meetings were better attended and were more effective in general.

On behalf of the Committee, the Chair thanked Councillor Chance for his comprehensive report.

RECOMMENDED that

1)     Redditch Borough Councillors and Officers develop a clear understanding of the most effective uses of Choose How You Move 2 monies in Redditch Borough;

2)     the Economic Advisory Panel (ECAP) should meet more frequently, the scope of the Panel should be expanded and more active participation of elected Members at meetings of the Panel should be promoted; and

RESOLVED that

the report be noted.