Agenda and minutes

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

Councillor Altaf for Councillor Allah Ditta.

To receive any declarations of interest.

The following declarations of interest were made:

Councillor Mrs L. Hodgson – Review of Major Events (Minute No. 40) - As a Member of Worcester BID and Worcester Theatres

Councillor Gregson – Review of Major Events (Minute No. 40) - As Chair of Elgar Festival

Councillor Bayliss – Regeneration of Shrub Hill (Minute 41) – As County Council Cabinet Member for the project

Councillors Geraghty and Stanley – Regeneration of Shrub Hill (Minute 41) – As County Councillors

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 Committee.

None.

Of the meeting held on 31^st October 2022 to be approved and signed.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 31^st October 2022 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

That the Committee:

1.      Notes the proposed Budgets for the various services identified for 2023/24;

2.      Considers the priorities within each service and recommends any change for the services’ Budgets;

3.      Considers the services’ Capital programme and future projects and recommends any changes or additions; and

4.      Reviews any new budget proposals from members and makes recommendations to Policy and Resources Committee as appropriate.

The Committee considered the proposed budgets for Place and Economic Development Committee for 2023/24, outlined in Appendix 1. The Committee reviewed the priorities within each service and also considered the draft Capital Programme to 2027/28, outlined in Appendix 2.

The Corporate Director – Finance and Resources in presenting the report drew the Committee’s attention to new Appendix 3 showing the Medium-Term Financial Plan including the latest annual Settlement which was notified in December 2022.  The figures represented a budget gap of £1.887m and any proposed budget amendments at this stage are likely to result in a reduction or reallocation of resources rather than an increase in the net budget available.

Committee Members were informed that should they have any new City Plan themes or projects that require funding in the 2023-2028 MTFP they will be forwarded to the Policy and Resources Committee meeting on 7^th February 2023 for consideration along with those proposals submitted by the Council’s other policy committees. 

In response to a question on where the Museums budget was located, as it could not be seen in the papers, the Corporate Director – Planning and Governance confirmed that the Constitution was amended so that the Museums budget is overseen by this Committee.  The Corporate Director – Finance and Resources agreed to amend the appendix before it went to Policy and Resources.

The Committee did not recommend any change for the services’ Budgets and did not recommend any changes or additions to the Capital Programme.  It was also agreed that there were no new budget proposals to be recommended to Policy and Resources Committee.

RESOLVED: That the Committee agree to

1.       note the proposed Budgets for the various services identified for 2023/24;

2.       note the priorities within each service;

3.       note the services’ Capital programme and future projects.

That the Place and Economic Development Committee notes the Council’s quarter 3 performance for 2022/23.

The Committee considered a report on the Council’s Quarter 3 performance for Place and Economic Development for 2022/23. The Corporate Director – Finance and Resources presented the report and highlighted the main points. Officers responded to questions and comments from Committee Members.

RESOLVED: That the Committee note the Council’s quarter 3 performance for 2022/23.

That the Committee note the 2022 version of the Infrastructure Funding Statement has been published on the Council’s website.

The Committee considered a report on the Infrastructure Funding Statement for the monitoring period 1^st April 2021-31^st March 2022.  The document was attached as appendix 1 to the report.

The Head of Planning, in presenting the report, highlighted the key points of the document which has been published on the Council’s website in accordance with legal requirements.

Officers responded to questions and comments from Committee Members.

RESOLVED: That the Committee note the 2022 version of the Infrastructure Funding Statement published on the Council’s website.

1.      That the Committee approve the draft Local Planning Enforcement Plan for public consultation for a period of six weeks; and

2.      Following the public consultation, the Corporate Director - Planning and Governance be authorised to make any necessary amendments to the Local Planning Enforcement Plan in consultation with the Chair and Vice Chair of Place and Economic Development Committee and to adopt the Plan thereafter.

The Committee considered a report on the Local Planning Enforcement Plan. 

The City Council adopted a Planning Enforcement Policy in 2015 but since then there have been significant changes in local and national policy.  The 2023 draft Local Planning Enforcement Plan is intended to set out high-level general principles and provided members of the public and other stakeholders with a clear usable guide as to what can be expected from the Planning Enforcement Service.

The Committee were being asked to approve the draft Local Planning Enforcement Plan for public consultation for a period of six weeks.  Following consultation and once any minor changes have been agreed with the Chair and Vice Chair, the Plan will be desk-top published and made available on the Council’s website.

The draft Plan, attached as Appendix 1 to the report, is a text only document, the adopted version of the Plan will be numbered and also formatted to ensure that it meets relevant accessibility standards.

Officers responded to questions and comments from officers on detailed aspects of the document.

Committee Members welcomed the Plan which was considered to be a useful guide for residents and Members alike.

RESOLVED: That the Committee agree to

1.  approve the draft Local Planning Enforcement Plan for public consultation for a period of six weeks; and

2.  following the public consultation, the Corporate Director - Planning and Governance be authorised to make any necessary amendments to the Local Planning Enforcement Plan in consultation with the Chair and Vice Chair of Place and Economic Development Committee and to adopt the Plan thereafter.

That the committee notes the content of the report.

The Committee considered a report on the review of major events in the city.

The Deputy Director – Economic Development, in presenting the report, drew the Committee’s attention to the detailed list of the events in paragraphs 3.1-3.9 of the report.

All of the projects will be planning ongoing activity for the future and will be looking for contributions towards costs from the City Council.  Sponsorship opportunities are currently being developed, particularly in relation to the Christmas lights.

The £2.9m UKSPF funding also has a limited budge for the next two years to support events and activities.  A breakdown of funding for the events were highlighted in paragraph 4.2 of the report.

Committee Members were informed that officers are continuing to work proactively to secure new funding streams, including public sector grant income, private sector sponsorship and commercial revenue income and will bring recommendations to Members during 2023/24.

Officers responded to questions and comments from Committee Members.

RESOLVED: That the Committee note the contents of the report.

That the Committee:

1.      Ratifies the initial objectives for the Shrub Hill regeneration programme as set out in this report at paragraph 2.14;

2.      Notes the progress in various workstreams to date and the next steps to be taken;

3.      Delegates authority to the Corporate Director - Finance and Resources and Corporate Director - Planning and Governance, in consultation with the Chair and Vice Chair of the Committee, to enter into a Collaboration Agreement with the County Council and agree the governance arrangements for oversight of the regeneration programme as set out in this report;

4.      Subject to the confirmation of appropriate funding and resource, authorises officers to engage landowners, occupiers and stakeholders in the development of a regeneration framework for Shrub Hill through the preparation of a Supplementary Planning Document; and

5.      Recommends to Policy and Resources Committee consideration of the making of Compulsory Purchase Order, all pursuant to section 226(1) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and section 13 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 and all other enabling powers to secure the necessary interests and rights in land that are not already owned by the Council and that are required to implement a new pedestrian link from the Canal to Pheasant Street, Worcester.

The Committee considered a report on the regeneration of Shrub Hill.

The Head of Property and Asset Management, in presenting the report, provided Committee Members with the background to Shrub Hill and outlined the progress made in the various workstreams to date.

Six long-term ‘foundations’ have been identified in the work undertaken to date by the County Council and City Council to shape the purpose of development and help to establish ‘the place’ over the coming decades.  These are to be viewed as the initial objectives of the work programme at this stage.  Paragraph 2.14 of the report outlined the objectives for the Shrub Hill regeneration programme.

The preferred option was outlined in section 3 of the report.    

The Head of Property and Asset Management responded to questions and points of clarification from Committee Members.

RESOLVED: That the Committee agree to

1.       ratify the initial objectives for the Shrub Hill regeneration programme as set out in this report at paragraph 2.14;

2.       note the progress in various workstreams to date and the next steps to be taken;

3.       delegate authority to the Corporate Director - Finance and Resources and Corporate Director - Planning and Governance, in consultation with the Chair and Vice Chair of the Committee, to enter into a Collaboration Agreement with the County Council and agree the governance arrangements for oversight of the regeneration programme as set out in this report;

4.       subject to the confirmation of appropriate funding and resource, authorise officers to engage landowners, occupiers and stakeholders in the development of a regeneration framework for Shrub Hill through the preparation of a Supplementary Planning Document; and

5.       recommend to Policy and Resources Committee consideration of the making of Compulsory Purchase Order, all pursuant to section 226(1) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and section 13 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 and all other enabling powers to secure the necessary interests and rights in land that are not already owned by the Council and that are required to implement a new pedestrian link from the Canal to Pheasant Street, Worcester.

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

None.