Agenda and minutes

To receive details of any Members appointed to attend the meeting instead of a Member of the Sub-Committee.

Councillor Bill Amos for Councillor Geraghty;  Councillor Cawthorne for Councillor Berry;  Councillor G. Squires for Councillor J. Squires.

To receive any declarations of interest.

None.

Up to a total of fifteen minutes can be allowed, each speaker being allocated a maximum of five minutes, for members of the public to present a petition, ask a question or comment on any matter on the Agenda or within the remit of the Sub-Committee.

None.

Of the meeting held on 28^th January 2019 to be approved and signed.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 28^th January 2019 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

That the Place and Economic Development Sub-Committee consider the proposed content of the Place and Economic Development Performance Scorecard for 2019/20.

The Sub-Committee considered a report on the proposed content of the Place and Economic Development Performance Scorecard for 2019/20.

The proposed performance scorecard was attached as appendix 1 to the report.

Officers responded to questions from Members on Worcester 6 Technology Park and visitors to the City Museums figures 2018/19 and 2019/20.

RESOLVED: That the Sub-Committee note the proposed content of the Place and Economic Development Performance Scorecard for 2019/20.

That the Place and Economic Development Sub-Committee allocate £30,000 from the Support Business Development Fund for the Worcester City Council Business Start up and Growth Grants Programme 2019/20.

The Sub-Committee considered a report on the Worcester City Council Business Grant Programme 2019/20.

In July 2016 Worcester City Council Cabinet approved £60,000 of New Home Bonus to offer business start up and growth grants to those businesses which are ineligible under the ERDF Enterprising Worcestershire Scheme.  In January 2018 the Place and Economic Sub-Committee allocated an additional £20,000 from the City Plan Fund.  In October 2018 the Sub-Committee allocated a further £12,000 from the Support Business Development fund.

The current Worcester City Council grant programme was due to finish in March 2019.  The amount of grant offered was up to £1,000 for business start ups and between £1,000 and £3,000 for business growth.  Applicants were required to meet certain criteria as set out in paragraph 2.2 of the report.

The Economic Development Officer in presenting the report provided an evaluation of the existing scheme together with details of the match funding as set out in the report.  Publicity of the programme was highlighted at paragraph 2.5, appendix 1 attached to the report identified the publications where the programme had been publicised.

The Sub-Committee’s attention was drawn to the preferred option at paragraph 3.1 of the report requesting that the City Council allocates £30,000 from the Support Business Development Fund for Worcester City Council Business Start Up and Growth Grants Programme 2019/20.  This was a separate funding request to the proposal to allocate some of the Support Business Development Fund for match funding towards an extension of the ERDF Programme.

The Sub-Committee agreed that a lot of businesses had benefited from this programme.

RESOLVED: That the Sub-Committee agree the allocation of £30,000 from the Support Business Development Fund for the Worcester City Council Business Start up and Growth Programme 2019/20.

1.      That the Place and Economic Development Sub-committee agree to allocate £25,000 from the £100,000 Support Business Development Budget as match funding towards the Worcestershire ERDF Start up programme extension; and

2.      That the Place and Economic Development Sub-committee agree to allocate £9,750 from the £100,000 Support Business Development Budget for business support and engagement activities 2019 - 2021.

The Sub-Committee considered a report on a proposal for the Support Business Development Budget; Worcestershire ERDF Business Start Up extension and Business Support and Engagement.

The Place and Economic Development Sub-Committee at its meeting on 22^nd October 2018 agreed to allocate £12,000, to enable the Worcester City Council Business Grant programme to continue until March 2019, and £23,250 as match funding towards the Worcestershire ERDF programme extension.  This left a budget of £64,750 for allocation.

The Economic Development Officer in presenting the report drew the Sub-Committee’s attention to paragraph 2.3 of the report which referred to the previous item on the agenda requesting the allocation of £30,000 to continue the Worcester City Council Business Grant Programme for a further year.  This had been approved by the Sub-Committee and would leave £34,750 for allocation.

Details of the Worcestershire ERDF Programme extension and Business Support and Engagement Activities were highlighted in the report.  The preferred options were highlighted at paragraphs 3.1 and 3.2 of the report.

The Sub-Committee supported the recommendations and highlighted the success of direct grant support and that advice given to new businesses was important.  The Sub-Committee also supported work with existing organisations, particularly business schools.

RESOLVED: That the Sub-Committee:

1.      agree the allocation of £25,000 from the £100,000 Support Business Development Budget as match funding towards the Worcestershire ERDF Start up programme extension; and

2.      agree the allocation of £9,750 from the £100,000 Support Business Development Budget for business support and engagement activities 2019/2021.

1.       That the skills budget for 2019/20 and 2020/21 is approved; and

2.       That the Skills Officer contract is extended to July 2020.

The Sub-Committee considered a report on the review of the Worcester City Council Skills Service and approval of the budget until July 2020.

The Deputy Director – Economic Development and Planning presented the report and drew the Sub-Committee’s attention to paragraph 2 which outlined the total approved skills budget of £333,132 which comprised various funding streams, as set out in the table in the report.

The total spend up to the end of March 2019 is £146,052 (2017/18 actual and 2018/19 projected) leaving a balance of £187,080 to deliver up to July 2020.

At its October 2018 meeting the Place and Economic Development Sub-Committee agreed a revised 2018/19 delivery budget of £155,089 to be spent on priorities as set out in paragraph 2.2 of the report.

The Deputy Director – Economic Development and Planning also drew the Sub-Committee’s attention to the proposed 2019/20 budget spend, at paragraph 2.4 and the proposed 2020/21 budget spend, at paragraph 2.8

The preferred option is for the City Council to approve the proposed budget spend up until July 2020 and to extend the contract of the Skills Officer up until July 2020.

RESOLVED: That the Sub-Committee agree the skills budget for 2019/20 and 2020/2021 and agree the extension of the Skills Officer contract to July 2020.

Which in the opinion of the Chairman is of sufficient urgency as to warrant consideration.

None.