Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest made by Members.

There were no members of the public in attendance.

Due to an administrative error, it was agreed to defer confirmation of the minutes of the meeting held on 9^th June 2016 to the next meeting.

The Chief Officer for Enterprise presented the end of year data for the Improvement Objectives which fall under the remit of the Economy & Development Select Committee:

·         Improvement Objective 3: We want to enable our county to thrive.

·         Improvement Objective 4: Maintaining locally accessible services.

The report presented an evaluation of the progress and impact made over the three years of the Outcome Agreement 2013 -16, for themes which are under the committee’s remit:

·         Outcome agreement Theme 3: Poverty and material deprivation

We also received the latest performance against wider key national performance indicators that are under the committee’s remit.

Recommendations:

It was recommended that:

·         Members scrutinise the performance achieved and impact made, particularly in areas fall under the committee’s remit, to assess progress and performance against the improvement objectives.

·         Members scrutinise the performance achieved and impact made, over the three years (2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16) of the Outcome Agreement.

·         Members identify and explore any areas of underperformance or concerns, and to seek assurance from those responsible for future activity where they conclude that performance needs to improve.

·         Members confirm the evaluation scores based on the evidence provided.

Members Scrutiny

A Member questioned the reasons for declining performance in housing and what plans there were to improve future performance. The Officer explained that the period under consideration reflected the very end of the previous Unitary Development Plan (UDP) and that completions from the Local Development Plan (LDP) haven’t yet taken effect and that a time lag in sites coming forward is reflected in the confirmed 4.1 year housing land supply.  This matter will be reported upon at the next meeting as part of the annual monitoring report for LDP.  The Officer further explained that the low number of completions can be attributed to the external economy, housing completions and the end of the recession.

The Officer explained that lower performance against the targets for affordable housing units is a feature of the current economy and challenges related to the viability of schemes.  The Officer added that it would be beneficial to discuss the availability of sites at Planning Committee.  He referred to development approvals and more recent completions noting in larger sites of five plus units in 2015/16, 150 affordable units were approved of 465 units (32%).

A Member commented that the Planning Act 2015 puts new emphasis to create Place Plans that are sympathetic to the LDP and involve Town and Community Councils, and queried if the plans would have much effect as residents want to protect their locale.  The Officer responded that this should not cause an impact because the plan has to reflect the LDP.  The Chief Officer for Enterprise, added that policy drivers would have to take account of other factors for example, the planned M4 Relief Road and the projected increase in the aging population combined with a decline in the younger population which will have serious implications for the housing market.  The Officer reminded Members that the Council must have a five year housing land  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

·         Tourism and brown signage

·         Advertising and marketing

Following the Business Breakfast meeting held in May and discussed at the last meeting, we continued to review of the issues identified.  Fiona Wilton from Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Tourism Association was welcomed to the meeting.  The issues raised at the Business Breakfast were discussed, as follows:

·         Superfast Broadband: The strong discussion on provision of Superfast Broadband throughout the county was welcomed.  It was commented that action needs to be taken to support small tourism businesses that rely on digital marketing and have been constrained through lack of service.

·         Business Engagement: The remit, structure of and area covered by the Association was explained. Members were informed that there are currently 300-400 members.  The Association is very keen to engage with Monmouthshire.  It was explained that the Association has an effective website which covers the three counties (Monmouthshire (as far as Abergavenny), Herefordshire and Gloucestershire) and commented that co-ordination and collaboration was welcomed with other digital platforms to maximise opportunities for PR, marketing and social media.

·         Members’ Only website:  The Members’ Only website provides resources for businesses and it was confirmed that Monmouthshire’s information and events could be added to the resource.

·         Policy: The need to ensure coordination of policy and strategic organisation was highlighted.  It was commenting that the Association has a Destinations Strategy and is in consultation with the Head of Tourism in this respect. 

·         Business awareness: It was confirmed that many businesses work successfully in geographical cluster areas as this is the way visitors see the area.

·         Communication: The Association is addressing lack of communication with small business members.  It was explained that well-attended meetings have been held.

·         Tourist Information Centres (TIC): It was advocated that TICs should be kept open as far as possible. Members were informed that, although Forest of Dean District Council closed TICs, Coleford Town Council has successfully opened one staffed by volunteers. 

The Officer conveyed the willingness of MCC to engage with the work of the Association, especially actions that require no additional workload as capacity is limited.  It was agreed that online content can be shared on a reciprocal basis, as happens with the other tourism associations operating in the area.  It was recognised that some businesses may not be advertised on the website but are encouraged to submit their details for inclusion. The Officer welcomed opportunities for closer working together.  It was noted, however, that funding received from Welsh Government is for Welsh businesses only, and that projects may not always align in this respect.

Members’ Scrutiny

The Chair questioned plans to ensure engagement with the wider tourism community.  The Officer advised that funding has been secured from Welsh Government to review the Destinations Plan that ended in 2015 and to review the partnership arrangements that underpin it.  All stakeholders, including the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Tourism Association, will be consulted.

A Member challenged the Council’s approach to local tourism and identified the need to understand the impact on the local economy and it was commented that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

The Chief Officer for Enterprise provided a presentation on the Cardiff City Deal explaining that County Councillor P. Fox will report on progress with the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal Transition Board in due course.

The Chief Officer introduced the City Deal explaining that it will provide investment for economic growth for the Cardiff Capital Region in partnership with the Welsh Government and 10 local authorities.  It was explained that the City Deal comprises a £1.2 billion infrastructure investment fund for projects and programmes that are can provide an investment return within the region. 

Following the presentation, a Member questioned plans to provide teachers with improved IT skills to complement the developments.  The Chair reported that a Joint Economy and Development with Children and Young People’s Select Committee meeting was held on 11^th July 2016 focussing on IT provision and skills.

The Chief Officer for Enterprise responded that it was important that jobs created are for our young people and referred to the establishment of the Learning Skills and Innovation Partnership for South East Wales to inform the skills requirements from early years to higher education aligned to economic intelligence in the region. 

A Member asked a question about the continuation of financial support for scientific research and the implications for the Metro project post Brexit. It was also queried how to assure accountability and benefits of the City Deal for our constituents.

The Chief Officer for Enterprise was unable to comment, as the implications of Brexit are unclear at this time. Members’ attention was drawn to IQE, a company at the forefront of the development of advanced compound semi-conductors with a potential to realise significant numbers of job opportunities in the future. The Chief Officer for Enterprise advised of the importance of recognising the Unique Selling Point for Monmouthshire and the region. 

In response to a query, it was clarified that once the agreement has been signed by the ten local authorities, each will have the opportunity to access funding for projects that are most relevant for its area.  Proposed projects must have regional scale and significance, and be pertinent to the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.

The Chair stated the need to work with communities, including the hard to reach areas, to support the creation of job opportunities of varying levels.  It was queried, for example, if the apprenticeship scheme could be up scaled for the whole region to establish entry level opportunities that grow into fulltime well paid jobs.

A Member questioned opportunities for engagement outside Wales.

The Chief Officer for Enterprise agreed that a joined up approach with the West Country is to be encouraged and referred to the establishment of links with the Great Western Cities partnership and Business West.

It was suggested that small steps could include that employer organisations and employers being represented on school governing bodies.

Members discussed the importance of investment in infrastructure specifically in terms of transport and communications, and superfast broadband.  It was commented that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

The Forward Work Programme was presented.

The meeting scheduled for the 1^st September 2016 was postponed until the 27^th September 2016 at 1.00pm (pre-meeting at 12.30pm).