Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillors Jim Clifton and Liz Smyth.

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.

There were no urgent items of business to consider.

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.

There were no declarations of interest made.

To consider the Minutes of the last meeting held on the 4^th October 2022.

An error had been found in the version of the Minutes produced in the agenda and a revised version was circulated to Members at the meeting.  A full copy of the exempt minute was also circulated to Members for their records.

Moved by Councillor Tom Kirkham and seconded by Councillor David Dixon.

RESOLVED that the circulated revised version of the Minutes of a Local Growth Scrutiny Committee held on 4^th October 2022 be approved as a correct record.

(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.

Committee considered the List of Key Decisions and items to be considered in private document.

Moved by Councillor Tom Kirkham and seconded by Councillor David Dixon.

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

The Business Growth Manager provided a verbal update to Members on current progress against the Business Growth Strategy.

Key points of discussion included:

·         Crematorium Development – planning permission had been granted with specific conditions attached.  The detailed designs were being developed to go out to pricing.  The aim was to complete the build via Dragonfly following the changes to the company as this would give the Council more control over the development.  It was hoped to achieve BREEAM status for the building which would be crucial for long-term sustainability of the building.  If the next stages went to plan, it was hoped to be on site by June/July 2023.

A Member queried whether the use of Dragonfly as contractor was under full scrutiny and if an open book process was being used.  The Business Growth Manager explained that using this approach would give the Council far more control over costs and quality than if a wider procurement process was used.  All procurement standards would be met and the scheme would comply with the Construction Playbook.

• Garage Sites – the review of garage sites was complete and all sites identified for disposal had been sold.  Sites identified as no longer suitable for use due to condition or not viable as a site, had been demolished to make way for redevelopment as green/open space.  A small number of viable sites remained in use.  The programme had brought in approximately £2m capital to the HRA.

• Pleasley Vale – a dedicated officer was now in post on a temporary contract for three years.  Options for development work were being drawn up and there would be consultation with existing tenants in the New Year.

• Portland Drive – a flood risk assessment was due to be completed as a result of the culvert on the site.  The current proposal was to erect 14 units with parking based on the size of the site and planning permission was due to be considered before Christmas.

• Business support/engagement – a programme would hopefully be delivered as a result of UKSPF monies which had just been approved by the government.  The programme would involve business grants, tourism support, a net zero support programme and development of Oxcroft House.  The UKSPF monies had been used as match-funding to support the Levelling Up bid to redevelop Oxcroft House in to a cultural/creative hub.  The delivery plans for the UKSPF monies had finally been approved on 5^th December 2022.

• Oxcroft House – the Council had been approached with a potential letting option for the site.  While this was unexpected, work was progressing with the prospective tenant to secure a lease.  This would not impact the ability to create a cultural/creative hub through the Levelling Up monies as alternative sites had been identified.  If the lease option did not progress, then the hub would be based at Oxcroft House as planned.
• Horizon 29 – a non-disclosure agreement was currently in place for one of the proposed tenants.  One confirmed tenant was Wollesley Group,  ...  view the full minutes text for item LOC38-21/22

The Business Growth Manager provided a verbal report to Members on current progress against the funding bids submitted.

As noted by the officer in discussion of the previous item, the Council’s allocation from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund had now been formally signed off and work could progress on the action plans.

Officers were still waiting to receive confirmation in relation to the Levelling Up Fund bid submitted for Bolsover town.  If the bid was successful, it would likely require an urgent report to Executive for approval so work could progress in accordance with the funding criteria.

Moved by Councillor Derek Adams and seconded by Councillor Tracey Cannon.

RESOLVED that the verbal report be noted.

(Assistant Director of Development & Planning/ Business Growth Manager)

The Scrutiny & Elections Officer explained the various documents that had been presented to Members as part of the review, including a supplementary report covering the villages and hamlets in the Shirebrook area.

The Business Growth Manager presented a review of Shirebrook Town Centre Framework, acknowledging the Committee’s original review plan to take each town area in turn.  The Framework had originally been commissioned in autumn 2015, and had highlighted a range of public and private interventions that could be made to improve the town centre.

As agreed at the previous meeting, officers had produced a scorecard which analysed progress against the various elements of the Framework.  On reflection, the Framework document had not guided development and many elements remained undelivered as the document had been aspirational in nature requiring additional buy-in from Town and Parish Councils to engage in the development plans themselves.  Where funding had not been in place, many ideas had been difficult to deliver.

It was noted that the previous Regeneration Frameworks to some extent also sat outside a wider strategy for development and there was not a bank of costed projects ready to put forward to support the area.  While the intention of the frameworks had been to lever investment, the lack of costed projects had made them almost impossible to deliver.  As there was insufficient evidence base within the document, additional research was now being commissioned in order to evidence and cost the projects that could regenerate the town centre.

Of the seven core delivery objectives, two had been completed, largely as a result of the Building Resilience programme.  A further objective; ‘Remodel of the Market Place’, was ongoing.  This had been supported by local crowd funding for a Miner’s Memorial statue and officers were awaiting the outcome of a bid to the Cultural Development Fund.

In relation to the third objective listed in the Framework, 24 bungalows were scheduled to be erected on the Ashbourne Street/Portland Road site.  Ashbourne Court was also under redevelopment and would be extended creating further independent living provision.

In relation to objective 7; ‘Pleasley Vale Loop’, a lot of work had taken place on trails development with the Tourism Officer and the Countryside Officer from Leisure Services.

The Stepping Stone projects, highlighted to Members, were largely beyond the Council’s control and required action by the Town Council to progress them.

The Business Rates Retention Programme was helping to deliver Shop Front Improvements.  There had been low take-up to date but money was still available for local businesses.  The Programme offered up to 80% of the improvement costs to encourage greater up-take and support was also being provided with building contractors.

The work on additional greenways, within and out of the town centre, had come to a halt as all previously identified routes had proved non-deliverable.

Following the initial updates Members discussed the information presented:

Q: The route down Main Street in to the town centre had an appalling view and needed significant investment.  There needed to be far better  ...  view the full minutes text for item LOC40-21/22

The Scrutiny & Elections Officer advised Members of the outcome of Executive’s reconsideration of the Future Skills Hub report, following the Call-in by Scrutiny Members. 

Following receipt of Scrutiny’s recommendation, Executive considered the evidence and chose to keep to their original decision made on the 5^th September 2022.

Moved by Councillor David Dixon and seconded by Councillor Derek Adams.

RESOLVED that the outcome of Executive’s reconsideration be noted.

(Scrutiny & Elections Officer)

Committee considered their proposed work programme for 2022/23.  It was noted that a number of proposed items were impacted by external factors which may affect the opportunity to receive those reports as planned. 

It was agreed to add the Engagement Strategy referred to by the Business Growth Manager to the Committee’s meeting scheduled in March.

Moved by Councillor Tracey Cannon and seconded by Councillor Derek Adams.

RESOLVED that the Work Programme 2022/23 be approved and noted, with proposed agenda items rescheduled where required.

(Scrutiny & Elections Officer)