Agenda item

Mr M B Wyatt CC declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in this item but, under the County Council’s Code of Conduct, was permitted to make representations as members of the public were also allowed to attend the meeting for the same purpose.  Mr Wyatt requested that consideration be given to a bypass for Bardon Road in Coalville, given the amount of building work and new businesses moving into the area.  It was confirmed that the County Council was currently working with the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) to identify priorities for investment and with the City Council transport team to model the transport requirements for growth.  Alleviating traffic in Coalville would form part of these considerations.  Mr Wyatt then left the room until the conclusion of discussion on this item.

The Commission considered a report of the Chief Executive which advised of County Council activity which was supporting the development and economic prosperity of Leicestershire towns.  A copy of the report marked ‘Agenda Item 12’ is filed with these minutes.

Arising from discussion the following points were raised:-

    (i)          It was noted that the Strategic Growth Plan was still in draft form and that therefore the growth areas identified in that Plan had yet to be confirmed.  However, there would definitely be housing growth in Leicestershire in the future and it would be important to start planning the infrastructure, including health, schools and other services, required to deliver it at an early stage and to have conversations with the Government about funding and support.  The Council’s response to the National Planning Policy Framework Consultation had raised the need for the implementation of a wide range of infrastructure to be supported at a national level.

   (ii)          The County Council’s property portfolio was managed in order to maximise revenue whilst also contributing towards the Council’s strategic outcomes.  It was recognised that the Council’s property developments should have regard to place and where feasible, the Council should work with the public and private sector  to promote tourism in an area.  The Economic Growth Team worked closely with Strategic Property to manage the tension between maximising revenue return and delivering outcomes for communities and businesses

  (iii)          The County Council had recently become a signatory to the UK100 campaign, committing to using 100 per cent clean energy by 2050.  Clean growth was one of the challenges in the National Industrial Strategy which would need to be reflected locally.

 (iv)          The free Wi-Fi through the Digital High Street project was popular; Hinckley town centre had 7000 registered users.  It had enabled the Council to collect data such as age and gender profiles on people using town centres.  This was compliant with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and helped in developing a more targeted offer.  Towns that did not have free Wi-Fi had decided that they could not collectively meet the cost of installation and ongoing maintenance.

  (v)          The Government had recently produced a retail and leisure trends report which highlighted issues such as the decline in the evening economy and closure of shops.  This would be considered by the Market Town Steering Group and consideration would be given to how the approach to town centres could be adapted, for example to improve the overall leisure experience and reduce the focus on retail.

 (vi)          The business community decided whether to establish a Business Improvement District (BID) in a town.  This would result in an additional levy on business rates, but the benefits of the BID, such as free commercial waste schemes and joint promotion and branding of the town centre, usually outweighed this.  The County Council and district council, along with local businesses, would have a vote and pay a levy if they owned premises in the BID area.

(vii)          Concern was expressed that not all local members were represented on BID boards and that those local members who were not represented were not kept informed of developments.  The Commission was advised that consideration would be given to ways of improving communication with local members.

Mr D C Bill CC asked for his concerns that not all local members were represented on BID boards to be placed on record, along with his concerns that the Hinckley zone 4 town centre improvements seemed to be focused on attracting staff to the Horiba MIRA Technology Park Enterprise Zone and that the implementation of zones 1 to 3 had not improved traffic conditions in Hinckley.

RESOLVED:

(a)  That the County Council activity which is supporting the development and economic prosperity of Leicestershire towns be noted;

(b)  That officers be requested to meet with the Scrutiny Commissioners to discuss the sharing of information with local members on developments affecting market towns.

The meeting adjourned at 1.15pm and reconvened at 2.00pm.