Issue - meetings

Verbal report/discussion item

The Business Growth Manager outlined the priorities for the two new funding streams and how Bolsover hoped to benefit.

Shared Prosperity Fund

£1.96m has been agreed for the Bolsover area over the next 3 years:

• Year 1 (22/23) - £238k
• Year 2 (23/24) - £476k
• Year 3 (24/25) - £1.248m

The Fund is structured around three themes:

A working group has been set up to improve the economic outputs of the District.  The Council is required to submit its proposed Investment Plan for the funding by end of August.  From a long list of potential projects a shorter list of deliverables is currently being agreed.

The Growth related priorities that have been put forward for selection are:

If these are all chosen, £1.2m of the £1.96m will be directed at growth and there is clear agreement to focus on a smaller number of bigger impact schemes.  Lots of information has been gathered from businesses via the grant distribution process during the pandemic which is helping to shape this future delivery.

Levelling Up Fund

Officers were currently working on proposals with a submission deadline of 6^th July.  The focus of the submission will be Bolsover Town with specific emphasis on the purchase, demolition and redevelopment of the Coop site.  Ideas in the proposal focus on:

• Diversification of the high street
• Development of an art/exhibition space, to include pop-up exhibits
• A theatre/performance space including cinema screen
• Indoor Market area
• A soft play area
• A café/food vendor’s area – this could be similar to venues in Sheffield  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8

The Assistant Director of Development and Planning presented a report on progress against the Action Plan attached to the Council’s Business Growth Strategy. He informed Members that the Economic Development team had appointed two new officers.

The Assistant Director of Development and Planning referred to requests at previous meetings for data on businesses for the whole District, and circulated a number of charts with percentages for numbers of employees, businesses, start-ups and closures.

Councillor Derek Adams was concerned that the chart information was taken from 2019 and 2020 and might be out-of-date, particularly since 2020 was when the COVID pandemic began. The Assistant Director of Development and Planning explained that some of the businesses listed would have maintained themselves, so Members could still take guidance from it. He added that Bolsover District did not have many big brands, which had also limited the impact of COVID.

Councillor Tracey Cannon enquired what kind of encouragement could be given to young people at college age.  The Assistant Director of Development and Planning explained that there was currently a lot of pressure on household incomes, and Bolsover District did not offer as much to post-16 students as Sheffield or Mansfield, meaning there were additional costs associated with accessing provision.

Councillor Tracey Cannon asked if officers had a plan to encourage businesses to take on apprentices. The Assistant Director of Development and Planning explained that a plan for bursaries to apprentices could be included as part of the Shared Prosperity Fund.

The Assistant Director of Development and Planning explained that more support would be given to start-up businesses beyond their first year. Councillor Derek Adams supported this idea, because he felt there were events in a business’ second year that they would not account for.

Councillor David Dixon referred to the Centre of Excellence mentioned in 2.5 of the Action Plan report (“we have recently been notified that we have an opportunity to draw down £500,000 of funding from D2N2 to support the creation of a skills academy in Shirebrook”) and asked if this would involve working jointly with a company. The Assistant Director of Development and Planning explained that the funding had come from the D2N2 low carbon growth fund, and the Council would be expected to produce two low carbon units as a result.

The Assistant Director of Development and Planning informed Members that GTEC specialised in electrical and renewal energy training, and the Council was working with private partners to utilise their training. He added that the Council also had a good relationship with Vision West Nottinghamshire College and Chesterfield College.

Councillor David Dixon was concerned that the lack of public transport links in the District might have a negative effect on the Shirebrook academy. The Assistant Director of Development and Planning explained that Network Rail were considering improving transport links to Shirebrook train station.

The Scrutiny & Elections Officer explained she would circulate to Members more information on the seven Kick Start placements that had been appointed at the Council.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 38

The Assistant Director of Development and Planning presented a report on the progress against activities set out in the Growth Strategy and the Action Plan.

Councillor Derek Adams referred to the mention of the former Coalite site in paragraph 2.3 of the report (how Bolsover Land Limited had sold over 80 acres at its 1.4 million sq. ft.Horizon 29 warehouse and logistics development for £39.9 million) and asked if any Section 106 money would be applied for. The Assistant Director of Development and Planning explained that there would not be the opportunity in this case. He also mentioned that plot 5 could now be developed fully as a building site due to the works that had taken place.  This had previously been earmarked as a potential Lorry Park site, although it had been determined that it was not commercially viable for the Council to run such a venture.  It was also noted that there had been interest in a site at Barlborough for a potential Lorry park and a discussion took place around the parking issues faced on Barlborough Links.

Councillor Tricia Clough asked what the impact of the Shirebrook Growth Corridor could be on surrounding villages. The Assistant Director of Development and Planning explained that following officer recommendations, the Council’s Planning Committee had resolved to concentrate on two areas of Growth (Creswell and Shirebrook) for now, and the aims of the Shirebrook Growth Corridor were to connect Shirebrook to the M1 and to ease traffic in Glapwell, Doe Lea and Bramley Vale.

Councillor Tricia Clough asked if all of Glapwell’s houses and land were in the Growth plan. The Assistant Director of Development and Planning explained they were not at the moment, but the Shirebrook Growth Corridor could be replicated elsewhere if the same aims were met. In relation to queries around the Glapwell Neighbourhood Plan being developed, it was noted that this would need to comply with existing plans but that it was possible to encourage areas for housing/employment through it, if adopted following a Referendum.

Councillor Tracey Cannon and Councillor Tricia Clough both asked questions regarding residents being able to purchase the Council’s garage sites. The Assistant Director of Development and Planning explained that they could go to auction or meet the market value, but if they were unable to afford this, the Council could sell them for less than ‘best consideration’ if there were sufficient social, economic and or environmental grounds to do so.

The Assistant Director of Development and Planning referred to paragraph 2.6 of the report (Promoting the District and increasing Tourism) and explained that someone had been recruited to the visitor economy post, but they pulled out.

Councillor Tricia Clough referred to the Council submitting Bolsover as one of the towns in the Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours Competition, and asked if this bid had cost the Council anything to put together. The Assistant Director of Development and Planning explained that the bid had not cost anything apart from officer time.

Councillor David  ...  view the full minutes text for item 31