Minutes for Local Economy Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Developing a Dynamic Local Economy) meeting, Jan 27 2010, 10.00AM official page

Apologies received prior to the meeting were accepted on behalf of Councillors Benson, Mrs Hardwick, K Rhodes and Sharp, together with Mr D Mitchell.

Resolved – That the Minutes of the meeting of the Local Economy Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 18 December 2009 be approved as a correct record.

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting including a representative of the Wakefield Express Group of newspapers.

Members are reminded of the requirement to make an appropriate verbal declaration at the meeting on any item(s) on this agenda in which they have an interest.  Having done so, Members are asked to complete a form detailing the declaration, which will be available from the Committee Services Officer at the meeting.

Declarations of interest were received from the following:

Name

Type of Interest

Agenda No

Reason

Councillor Harrison

Personal

6

Son works at Cedars Business Centre

D Gillibrand

Personal

6

Vice-Chair Wakefield first

J Rawlins

Personal

6

Board Member Wakefield first

J Haigh

Personal

6

Chair of Wakefield District Branch of the Federation of Small Businesses

Mick McKigney, Head of Policy and Research, first – Wakefield Development Agency, and Phil Murray, Team Leader, Enterprise and Incubation, will be in attendance for this item.

Consideration was given to a report of the Overview and Scrutiny Officer which aimed to provide Members with information regarding the Council’s efforts to address the relatively low levels of new business creation in the District.  Members were requested to consider the information provided and to determine whether there was any further action they wished to take.

The Chair welcomed Mr Philip Murray, Team Leader, Enterprise and Incubation, to the meeting.

Members were informed that there were a total of nine business centres within the Managed Workspace Network (one of which provided specialist incubation accommodation) which supported 85 small business and over 200 employees, these were specifically located in areas of deprivation such as Hemsworth, South Elmsall, Castleford, Normanton, Ferrybridge, Horbury, Whitwood and Airedale.  Mr Murray explained that the role of his team was to provide support, information and guidance to small and medium sized enterprises (SME’s) across the District and that this work was carried out in partnership with a number of key providers such as  Business Link, Wakefield first and Yorkshire Forward.  In addition, there was a dedicated support officer whose role was to assist in both the creation and support for a number of social enterprises eg Cream Catering, Multitaska and Harvest.

The Committee was pleased to note the support being offered, but asked for reassurance that those enterprises being supported were economically viable.  Mr Murray assured the Committee that every effort was made to give the most appropriate advice and support, and that as part of that support fledgling businesses were required to develop demonstrate their viability through such things as business plans and cash flow forecasts. Unfortunately in the current economic climate no business was completely secure.  Members were also pleased to note that the supported businesses had a higher chance of survival than the national average.

It was reported that the business support strategy was being reviewed and that three of the business centres could be closed.  It was stressed that this was being undertaken in such a manner as to ensure that none of the businesses located within those centres would be disadvantaged and it was being investigated whether the management of the centres could pass to organisations which already occupied them, such as York University at Three Lane Ends, Castleford.  The centres highlighted were:

• Castleford Three Lane Ends
• Normanton Woodhouse
• Airedale

Members expressed concern that the areas highlighted were those particularly in need of support and suffered from both social and economic deprivation.  It was reported that plans were being developed to provide further developments, which included:

• a new Social Enterprise Centre of Excellence to be based on South Kirkby Business Park; and
• a Waterfront Media and Cultural Incubator at Wakefield Waterfront.

However, the Yorkshire Forward Geographic Programme funding had been reduced and no other funding was available which could be used to pull down European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) funding.

Mr Murray was thanked for his presentation and Mr Mick McKigney, Head of Policy and Research, first – Wakefield Development Agency, was welcomed to the meeting.

Mr McKigney reported that Wakefield District had a long history of weakness in the number of businesses and also in business birth-rates compared to regional and national figures, and that this was a reflection of the previous dominance of the coalmining industry on the District.  A report had been undertaken in 2008 by the Work Foundation which had identified coalfield and other ex-industrial areas as being priority enterprise areas.

Members were informed that first was responsible for delivering the Key Account Management Contract on behalf of Yorkshire Forward to support relations and provide assistance for large firms across the District (those with over 250 employees) and for the delivery of Wakefield’s inward investment and market and promotions function. 

It was stated that Business Link Yorkshire was responsible for providing support to the region’s small and medium sized enterprises but that there were no set targets for any local authority area.

Members asked for further information regarding the availability of apprenticeships.  It was also asked if support was available to enable businesses to expand.  The Committee was informed that work was being undertaken with local high schools but that there were always fewer apprenticeships available than were wanted.

Work was being undertaken with developers to increase the stock of premises available to both SME’s and larger enterprises, and a database was maintained which could be used to inform any potential business enquirers of suitable locations across the District.

Members were pleased to be informed that 2000 jobs would be created following the development at Trinity Walk and that it had been announced that Wakefield was at the forefront of the move forward at the end of the recession.

It was announced that a survey of Members of the Federation of Small Businesses had been conducted at the request of Business Link and that the first draft of the report could possibly be made available.

The Chair thanked Mr Murray and Mr McKigney for their attendance at the meeting.

Resolved – 1) That the report be noted.

2) That a representative of Business Link be invited to a future meeting.

Keith Bloomfield, Transport Strategy Development Manager, Transportation and Highways Services, will be in attendance for this item.

Consideration was given to a report of the Overview and Scrutiny Officer which informed Members of the Council's strategy for parking charges in the District's shopping areas.

Members were asked to consider the information presented in the report and to determine whether there was any further action they wished to take.  The Chair welcomed Keith Bloomfield, Transport Strategy Development Manager, to the meeting.

Members were informed that there were a total of 5,000 charged car parking spaces throughout the District which were available both off-street and in car-parks.  An action plan was being developed to address the issue of car-parking availability up to 2018.  It was announced that following the completion of the Trinity Walk development there was expected to be 950 short term spaces available with a further 1450 spaces included as part of the Merchant Gate development, of these approximately 350 had been allocated for public use with 1100 for use by patrons of Westgate station.

Concern was raised regarding legislation covering privately owned car parks.  Members were informed that currently there was no means of governing privately owned car parks and that although there was a code of conduct, this was purely voluntary.  Anyone using a Council owned car park had a right to appeal regarding any issue over charging but this was not the case in regard to privately owned car parks.

A discussion followed regarding the importance of providing support to city centre business and the need for affordable car parking within easy reach.  Members were concerned that a number of businesses had stated that the problems they had encountered had been exacerbated by the parking situation within Wakefield city centre.  Members were informed that there were a number of initiatives being developed to address this issue.

Resolved - 1) That the report be noted.

2) That a further update be provided.

Keith Bloomfield, Transport Strategy Development Manager, Transportation and Highways Services, will be in attendance for this item.

Consideration was given to a report of the Overview and Scrutiny Officer which informed Members of the progress to assess and undertake required work on Rishworth Street Car Park.

Members were informed that Rishworth Street car park was the largest of its kind in the District with a total of 400 long stay parking places contained on 13 levels.  The building had been erected in the early 1970’s and that to date 2 structural surveys and additional surveys to the curtain walls and barrier had been carried out which had highlighted a number of maintenance issues.  Repairs had been undertaken to ensure compliance with health and safety legislation but a further study was needed in relation to the status of the concrete.  NPS would to be asked to recommend repairs and provide costs and a maintenance plan.  Following concerns raised by Members, it was reported that repairs and cleaning were to be undertaken on the lift.  It was further reported that issues had been highlighted in relation to the egress of water into the electrical systems.

Members were informed that a report would be put to Cabinet in June 2010.

Resolved – 1) That the report be noted.

2) That an update be provided.

Consideration was given to a report of the Overview and Scrutiny Officer which outlined key decisions identified as relevant to the Local Economy Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

It was reported that there were 11 items identified in the Forward Plan dated 1 February 2010 – 31 May 2010:

1.        Adoption of Local Development Framework Document: Developer Contributions Supplementary Planning Document

2.        Rural Strategy Report: To be developed as part of the Economic Regeneration Strategy 2007 – 2015

3.        Rishworth Street multi-storey car park

4.        Updated Corporate Asset Management Plan – adoption

5.        North Wakefield Gateway Transportation Scheme

6.        Modernising market provision

7.        Highways design guide

8.        Major Regeneration Proposals – Pontefract

9.        Pontefract Regeneration – Improvement of Colonel’s Walk underpass, Tanshelf, Pontefract

10.    Options for the re-opening of the Wakefield Market Food Hall Wakefield East Land Option

Resolved – That the report be noted.

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 3 March 2010 at 2.00 pm in Committee Room A, County Hall, Wakefield.

Resolved – That the next meeting of the Local Economy Overview and Scrutiny Committee be held at 2.00 pm on Wednesday 3 March 2010 in Committee Room A, County Hall, Wakefield.