Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Tricia Clough.

To note any urgent items of business which the Chairman has consented to being considered under the provisions of Section 100(B) 4(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

The Chair had no urgent items of business.

Members should declare the existence and nature of any Disclosable Pecuniary Interest and Non Statutory Interest as defined by the Members’ Code of Conduct in respect of:

a)  any business on the agenda

b)  any urgent additional items to be considered

c)  any matters arising out of those items and if appropriate, withdraw from the meeting at the relevant time.

Members were requested to declare the existence and nature of any disclosable pecuniary interests and/or other interests, not already on their register of interests, in any item on the agenda and withdraw from the meeting at the appropriate time.

There were no declarations of interest made.

To consider the minutes of the last Growth Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 15th March 2021.

Moved by Councillor David Dixon and seconded by Councillor Jen Wilson.

RESOLVED that the minutes of a meeting of a Growth Scrutiny Committee held on 15^th March 2021 be approved as a true and correct record.

To note the notes of the informal Growth Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 12^th May 2021.

The Chair agreed to note the notes from the informal meeting of Growth Scrutiny Committee on 12^th May 2021.

RESOLVED that the notes from the informal meeting of Growth Scrutiny Committee on 12^th May 2021 be noted.

(Members should contact the officer whose name appears on the List of

Key Decisions for any further information.  NB: If Members wish to discuss an exempt report under this item, the meeting will need to move into exempt business and exclude the public in accordance with the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 and Local Government Act 1972, Part 1, Schedule 12a for that part of the meeting only).

The Solicitor presented the list of Key Decisions to Members.

Councillor Derek Adams asked why it appeared money was being spent on a flood survey at Pleasley Vale Business Park when he could not recall the last time the site flooded. The Assistant Director of Development and Planning explained that the survey was to model the different scenarios if the site were to flood in the future, because flood risk was a key part of identifying areas acceptable for redevelopment.

The Chair requested that past flood statistics by area be produced for the Committee. The Assistant Director of Development and Planning and the Business Growth Manager agreed they would investigate this.

RESOLVED that the List of Key Decisions and Items to be considered in private document be noted.

The Assistant Director of Development and Planning presented a Quarter 1 2021/22 monitoring update on the Growth Strategy. He also gave a presentation which went into more detail on Workers’ Co-operatives, Community Wealth Building and the Social Value Strategy.

The Assistant Director of Development and Planning explained that the Committee would be consulted with in the future on the measures and work needed to achieve the outcomes listed in the presentation. The Solicitor added that some of the outcomes would form part of the proposed Scrutiny review on ‘To consider how Worker Co-ops and Employee Ownership could be a driving factor in Regional Economic Recovery’ which was later in this meeting’s agenda.

The Chair referred to Oxcroft House being included in the Strategy and asked what was being planned for it. The Business Growth Manager explained that the property had two interested parties, and one of them wanted to turn it into a secondary school.

Councillor Jim Clifton referred to a mention in the report about a marketing budget and asked how much this was. The Business Growth Manager explained that the overall marketing fee was £3,000 a year (shared with North East Derbyshire District Council) which was a reduction on what it used to be.

Councillor Jim Clifton asked if there was a risk of break ins with so many properties standing empty. The Business Growth Manager explained that empty properties were well screened and secure, and although one had recently been broken into, the property had been resecured.

Councillor Jim Clifton asked if the Council could advertise some of the commercial properties on the Council website. The Business Growth Manager explained that commercial properties had to be advertised on external websites.

The Chair asked how the site at Shirebrook Crematorium was progressing. The Business Growth Manager explained that a report would be considered at Executive next week, and a consultant had completed a design.

The Assistant Director of Development and Planning updated Members on the Coalite site by stating that road was being inserted and it would be ready in October 2021.

Councillor David Dixon referred to nothing happening at the Clowne Garden Village development since it received planning permission at Planning Committee three years ago, and asked what had delayed development. The Assistant Director of Development and Planning explained there was an ongoing discussion with waste and highways stakeholders about the roundabout in the area.

Councillor David Dixon asked if the Council had other options to continue the development on the Clowne Garden Village site if other parties prevented it from happening. The Assistant Director of Development and Planning explained that the Council could invest transportation funds, but the Council would be unable to use public money for something that might not happen.

Councillor David Dixon asked what the immediate timescale was to start the Clowne Garden Village development. The Assistant Director of Development and Planning explained that the resolution at Planning Committee three years ago to give the development planning  ...  view the full minutes text for item LOC7-21/22

N.B. The Portfolio Holder - Growth/Economic Development and the Assistant Director of Development and Planning left the meeting at this point.

The Solicitor presented the Work Programme 2021/22 to the Committee.

The Solicitor presented Members with the proposed scrutiny review topic in Appendix 2 (‘To consider how Worker Co-ops and Employee Ownership could be a driving factor in Regional Economic Recovery’) and suggested that if Members accept the proposed review, they might want to broaden its scope with some of the outcomes of the earlier Growth Strategy presentation in mind (particularly the slide on Social Value Strategy).

Councillor Jim Clifton asked what type of commercial units were planned to be used on the Coalite site. The Business Growth Manager explained that the units would be large scale warehousing units, and a Centre of Excellence for the site was also being considered.

Councillors Jim Clifton, David Dixon and Tracey Cannon expressed disappointment that the Coalite site would be used for warehousing units instead of businesses or educational buildings. Councillor David Dixon felt that the Council needed to investigate precisely why sites like this could not attract skilled jobs or technical industries.

Members agreed that the proposed review on ‘How Worker Co-ops and Employee Ownership could be a driving factor in Regional Economic Recovery’ should be discounted because they felt there was limited scope for the Council to make an impact in this area. They noted that Worker Co-ops were part of a wider community wealth building agenda that was achieved through a social value strategy.

Members agreed that they wanted to work with officers on the social value strategy using the former Coalite site as a case study. They felt adopting a social value strategy could also be a way to promote, support and encourage Worker Co-ops.

Councillor David Dixon moved and Councillor Jim Clifton seconded that the Work Programme be noted, the proposed review be discounted, and the Solicitor and the Scrutiny & Elections Officer come back to the next meeting of the Committee with a new draft review scope focussed on integration of social value at BDC to support the elements of the Business Growth Strategy Action Plan around a Social Value Index and Strategy.

The Business Growth Manager stated she would also engage with other local authorities that had already embedded the ‘social value index’ into their work, like Preston City Council.

RESOLVED that:

(i) The Work Programme 2021/22 be noted;

(ii) The proposed review (‘To consider how Worker Co-ops and Employee Ownership could be a driving factor in Regional Economic Recovery’) be discounted;

(iii) The Solicitor and the Scrutiny & Elections Officer come back to the next meeting of the Committee with a new draft review scope focussed on integration of social value at BDC.

(Solicitor/Scrutiny & Elections Officer)

The meeting concluded at 11:42 hours.