Urgent item: Update on Progress with the Single Delivery Vehicle.
Minutes:
The Commission considered this matter, the Chairman having decided that it was of an urgent nature due to the timescales involved.
The Commission had earlier in the year received presentations from Prospect Leicestershire and Leicestershire Promotions regarding their performance and roles they undertook for the Council.
The Chief Executive reported that it had been agreed at the Leicester and Leicestershire Leadership Board to combine the work of both companies into a “Single Delivery Vehicle”. The new vehicle would have to operate with substantially less resource than currently available in the combined budgets of the two companies, this was due to a reduction in funding from the County Council, City Council and district councils and the loss of funding from emda and the Homes and Communities Agency. The new Vehicle would be charged with increasing visitor numbers to the County, increasing inward investment and increasing recognition of ‘place’. It was likely that work on physical regeneration would be brought back in-house and dealt with by the two local authorities. Positive discussions had already taken place between the Chief Executives of both companies in regard to the way forward, though it was noted that there were some complex legal and other technical matters to be resolved before any conclusions could be reached.
It was anticipated that there would be a resolution to the situation early in the New Year. A detailed update on the situation would be submitted to the Commission at its next meeting in January.
RESOLVED:
That the update on progress with the arrangements for a Single Delivery Vehicle be noted.