Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Rona Burt (FHDC).

There were no substitutes present at the meeting.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 21 February 2017 (copy attached).

The minutes from the meeting held on 21 February 2017 were received and confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive a further update on the likely effect of the White Paper on the West Suffolk Councils

(All Members of Forest Heath District Council and St Edmundsbury Borough Council had been invited to attend for the consideration of this item)

Following on from the meeting of the West Suffolk Joint Growth Steering Group held on 21 February 2017, the Service Manager (Planning Strategy) provided a further  presentation centred around the main issues within the White Paper.  The initial Officer thoughts as to the effect for West Suffolk, were summarised below:

·         Chapter 1: Planning for the right homes in the right places

(Better, more realistic plan making which faced up to housing need and made sure that more of the homes that people wanted to live in were planned for in the places that they wanted to live)

-      Getting Plans in Place

          The considerable time and resources required to get a Plan in place, including evidence and policy uncertainty, was noted.  A standardised approach to calculating housing need could streamline the plan-making process, reducing inefficiencies and providing certainty.  It would be important for councils to be able to retain freedom in how to plan and meet the objectively assessed housing need.  Co-operation across a wider area could identify sufficient land for housing.  Measures to support wider strategic planning were encouraging.  Statements of Common Ground were supported.

-   Making enough land available in the right places

The release of public sector land was a significant opportunity demonstrated by the One Public Estate Programme.  The New Land Release Fund would help with this policy ambition.  This should be pursued in a long term strategic plan to ensure delivery.  The requirement of 10% of sites being at 0.5ha would be difficult to implement in practice and this target should be voluntary.

-      Strengthening Neighbourhood Planning and Design

Commitment to review current energy performance standards was supported.  The commitment for further funding to neighbourhood planning groups should be taken further with a full review of the financial support provided to councils to meet their statutory duties in relation to neighbourhood planning.  The West Suffolk Councils already sought to secure higher density housing, but it was important for  councils to be able to retain local discretion to decide the right levels of density for new housing across the local area.  However, caution was needed to ensure that high density did not result in a rush to build small properties.

·         Chapter 2: Building Homes Faster

(Giving local authorities the tools which they needed to make sure plans which had been carefully developed in consultation with the community were implemented and putting in place the necessary infrastructure to support new homes)

-      Infrastructure and Skills for Housing

The West Suffolk Councils would contribute to the review on Section 106 and the Community Infrastructure Levy, which needed to be robust, clear, transparent and simple.  The Housing Infrastructure Fund would provide crucial opportunities for councils to deliver infrastructure-led housing.

-      Local Authority and Developer Accountability for Building Homes

Supported councils to make greater use of Compulsory Purchase Powers to unlock stalled sites, although this may not  ...  view the full minutes text for item 51.

To receive a briefing on the Green Paper published by the Government on 23 January 2017.  This Paper sets out the Government’s plans and strategy for supporting Britain’s industrial sectors, improving productivity, driving growth across the country and making British business more competitive.  The Strategy is made up of 10 pillars which draw together in one place, a range of new and existing policy and related funding.

(All Members of Forest Heath District Council and St Edmundsbury Borough Council had been invited to attend for the consideration of this item)

The Service Manager (Economic Development and Growth) provided a presentation which explained that on 23 January 2027, the Government had published ‘Britain’s Industrial Strategy’.  This Green Paper set out the Government’s plans and strategy for supporting Britain’s industrial sectors, improving productivity, driving growth across the country and making British business more competitive.

The Strategy was made up of 10 pillars which drew together, in one place, a range of new and existing policy and related funding:

1.       Investing in science, research and innovation.

2.       Upgrading  infrastructure (including digital, energy, transport, water and flood defences).

3.       Improving procurement.

4.       Delivering affordable energy and clean growth.

5.       Driving growth across the whole country.

6.       Developing skills.

7.       Supporting businesses to start and grow.

8.       Encouraging trade and inward investment.

9.       Cultivating world-leading sectors.

10.     Creating the right local institutions.

The Government had launched a public consultation on this Strategy to which the West Suffolk Councils were considering the submission of a response.  The Government was asking for comments on the approach and ideas set out, in order to make the Strategy effective in delivering an economy that worked for everyone.

Responses were to be submitted by no later than 17 April 2017 and a Suffolk wide response was being prepared as an evidence based submission that demonstrated Suffolk’s economic assets and ambition and to also set the framework for areas of future work with the Government and any related deals.  As with the Housing White Paper, it was also the intention to submit a separate specific West Suffolk response which would centre on its uniqueness, the relationship and influence of Cambridge and its key sectors and specialisms (eg Newmarket).

Both the draft Suffolk and the West Suffolk response would be made available to Members for comment and would be signed-off by the Portfolio Holders for Planning and Growth, prior to submission by the deadline of 17 April 2017.

Members then discussed the content of the presentation and asked questions of the Officer, in which responses were duly provided.

With there being no decision required, the Steering Group noted the presentation and proposed course of action.

To receive a review of the delivery of the Plan

The Service Manager (Economic Development and Growth) and the Principal Growth Officer provided a presentation to the Steering Group on the review which had been undertaken on the Six Point Plan for Jobs and Growth.

The Plan had been developed in 2015 as increasing the opportunities for economic growth was a top priority in West Suffolk.  This was a living document which was subject to regular modifications and contained a two year plan of action for jobs and growth under six key themes.  There was now the opportunity to re-imagine the Plan on the light of new thinking and revised internal structures, along with external factors which could also affect the Councils priorities moving forward.

As part of this review, the following achievements were identified:

1.      Meeting and Understanding West Suffolk Businesses

Achievements included:

-      Targeted approach to meeting businesses

-      Chamber of Commerce Service Level Agreement (SLA) (including six Forum events per annum)

-      West Suffolk Business Forum (held twice yearly)

-      West Suffolk Business Festival/Awards

-      Working with the new Anglia LEP and Local Authority partners (Customer Relationship Management system and company database)

-      Joint support with DiT (UKTI) to overseas owned companies

-      Two events with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council

-      Targeted growing and declining companies

-      Working with both Growth Hubs (Greater Cambridge/Greater Peterborough LEP and the New Anglia LEP)

-      Shopfront grant (11 businesses in Forest Heath and 11 businesses in St Edmundsbury had benefitted from the grant)

-      Start-up grants (20 grants in Forest Heath; 27 grants in St Edmundsbury since 2014)

-      Brecks and Wool Town Leader work to promote rural businesses

2.      Promoting the West Suffolk Economic Region

          Achievements included:

-      West Suffolk Business Fact Pack

-      West Suffolk Business Festival

-      Business Awards (including the Newmarket and the Haverhill Chambers of Commerce)

-      Inward investment (working with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council on Mandarin Fact Packs; countywide Inward Investment Group; MIPIM 2016 (London))

-      Enterprise Zones at Haverhill Research Park and Suffolk Business Park

3.      Supporting our Market Towns

Achievements included:

-      Haverhill Town Centre Masterplan (Supplementary Planning Document adopted by SEBC Council in September 2015)

-      Implementation of projects within the Haverhill Town Centre Masterplan now underway

-      Currently preparing the Bury St Edmunds Town Centre Masterplan (due for completed by end of 2017)

-      Support to OurBuryStEdmunds and Newmarket BIDs

-      Newmarket Vision

-      Mildenhall Hub

-      Regular events on the five West Suffolk Markets

-      Building links with local schools and colleges

-      New farmers market in Bury St Edmunds and community market in Newmarket

-      Working with Parish/Town Councils and retailers to investigate bringing new markets and special events to West Suffolk market towns

-      Bury St Edmunds Christmas Fayre (improved and reviewed)

-      Haverhill Christmas Market

-      Encouragement of start-up businesses by offering incentives, stalls and offers on all our markets.

4.      Ensuring the Right Conditions for Growth

Achievements included:

-      Suffolk Business Park

-      Eastern Relief Road commenced and first ‘deal  ...  view the full minutes text for item 53.

To receive an update following on from the presentation made by Judith Mobbs, Assistant Director Inclusion and Skills, Suffolk County Council, at the meeting of the Steering Group on 21 February 2017

The Growth Officer provided an update to the Steering Group which followed on from the presentation made by Judith Mobbs, Assistant Director Inclusion and Skills, Suffolk County Council at the meeting of the Steering Group on 21 February 2017.

The presentation set out the issues which specifically related to West Suffolk with regards to skills and employment.  It was important to understand the specific needs of West Suffolk as there were differences in the demographics to Ipswich and East Suffolk.  To assist with this a West Suffolk Skills Survey was being undertaken with businesses and young people to understand their needs and aspirations until 31 March 2017.

The presentation also set out the future actions for West Suffolk which would explore the specific needs of young people and businesses, along with the further understanding of other ‘off the radar’ demographic (eg mothers returning to work; work at home/sole traders; re-training opportunities).

Members then discussed the content of the presentation and asked questions of the Officer, in which responses were duly provided.

With there being no decision required, the Steering Group noted the presentation, along with the future actions.

To receive an update on the progress with these reviews

The Service Manager (Economic Development and Growth) provided an update on the progress with the review of the New Anglia LEP and the Greater Cambridge/Greater Peterborough Strategic Economic Plans (SEPs).

In 2013, the Government had asked LEPs to negotiate a ‘Growth Deal’ to drive forward economic growth in their areas, having set aside £2 billion a year, for six years from 2015/2016 to 2020/2021, in a Local Growth Fund.  To guide these negotiations, the Government asked each LEP to express its offer through a Strategic Economic Plan (SEP).  Since 2014, the New Anglia LEP had been awarded £290m in Growth Deal Funding and the Greater Cambridge/Greater Peterborugh LEP had been awarded £148m.

In terms of reviewing their SEPs, the following had been undertaken by each LEP:

·         New Anglia LEP

-      Started work on its ‘Economic Strategy for the East’.  This was not a replacement of the SEP but:

-      It aimed to build on the SEP

-      Would take into account recent changes

-      Would address some of the elements of the SEP that were behind target

-      A tender had been issued for some of the data and intelligence work.

-      A business consultation meeting had been held on 21 March 2017 and further consultation was planned.

-      The review would be completed in Autumn 2017.

-      Action Plans would follow the SEP.

·         Greater Cambridge/Greater Peterborough LEP

-      Had commissioned LDA Associates and Cambridge University.

-      One-to-one meetings had been arranged with the District Councils during February/March 2017.

-      Draft issues would be presented to the Greater Cambridge/Greater Peterborough LEP Board in March 2017.

-      The final SEP would be presented in July 2017.

-      This work would then be used to establish sector/place based strategies in November 2017.

Members then discussed the content of the presentation and asked questions of the Officer, in which responses were duly provided.

With there being no decision required, the Steering Group noted the progress with the SEP reviews.

Report No: JGG/JT/17/001

(Report No: JGG/JT/17/001)

The Steering Group received this report which set out their current Work Programme for 2017/2018 (as set out in Appendix 1).  The Steering Group were able to make suggestions on items for consideration and if accepted, would be timetabled to report to a future meeting.

During the discussion of the Work Programme, the following item was suggested for future consideration:

·         Developer relationships: Viability of sites and ‘The Open Book Appraisal’

Members noted the current status of the Work Programme for 2017/2018, along with the inclusion of the above item.

During the discussion of this item, the Chairman also asked as to how the Group would wish to report onto Cabinet.  Formal recommendations for a decision to be made would be reported from the Group to Cabinet in the normal manner, via a referrals report. However, the Group whether they would also wish to provide a brief summary to Cabinet of the outcomes from the Group (which had not resulted in formal recommendations).

Members agreed that a brief summary of the outcomes from the Group to also be reported to the next available Cabinet meeting, following each meeting of the Steering Group.

To note the dates of future meetings as follows (all to be held at 10.00 am):

Tuesday 6 June 2017               District Offices, Mildenhall

Tuesday 31 October 2017                  West Suffolk House, Bury St Edmunds

Tuesday 20 February 2017       District Offices, Mildenhall

Additional meetings of the Steering Group can also be arranged as and when deemed required.

The dates of future meetings of the Steering Group were noted as follows (all to be held on Tuesdays at 10.00 am):

          Tuesday 6 June 2017               District Offices, Mildenhall

          Tuesday 31 October 2017                  West Suffolk House,

                                                          Bury St Edmunds

          Tuesday 20 February 2018       District Offices, Mildenhall

Additional meetings of the Steering Group could also be arranged, as and when deemed required.

(At the conclusion of the meeting, the Chairman also wished to express his thanks to those who had made presentations to the Steering Group during the meeting)