Issue - meetings

(a)       That the Committee agree in principle to undertake a scrutiny review of Town Centres and High Streets, as identified in the report; and

(b)       That the Project plan be further developed for consideration at the next meeting.

The Member Engagement Manager introduced the report to consider how the Committee can undertake a review of Town Centre and High Street regeneration. 

Following a request from the Committee in July 2013 to give further consideration to exploring new ways to enhance town centres and high streets, a meeting had taken place where it had been agreed that a considerable amount of good work was already taking place across Flintshire.  The report identified the work that had been undertaken since May 2013 and the updates that the Committee had received as part of the Quarterly Performance Report for Regeneration.  The group that met on 12 December 2013 felt that a joined up approach was needed across the Council including planning, housing, social enterprise and working with the many stakeholders which were listed in the outline project plan which was attached as an appendix to the report. 

Councillor Alex Aldridge expressed his support for the proposals and said that it was important that all areas were given the same opportunity to put suggestions forward.  He asked if information including anecdotal evidence would be provided for all areas so that the Committee could have an overall view of the town centres and high streets across the County. 

The Cabinet Member for Economic Development indicated that he had attended the meeting in December 2013 and said that the Chairman and Vice-Chairman had suggested that the Committee needed to be made aware of what was taking place in town centres and then prepare a mini strategy to take forward as good practice for all areas.  Councillor Aldridge believed that a ‘bottom up’ approach was required.  The Head of Regeneration said that it was important to work with local communities and that each town would have different priorities and would require a different solution.  The project plan approach adopted by the County Council was about developing a strategy that was appropriate for the local communities. 

Councillor Chris Dolphin agreed with more involvement of Overview & Scrutiny in Town Centres but said that ideas that he had tried to put forward for Holywell Town Centre regeneration had not been welcomed.  The Chairman felt that there was a need to look at the County as a whole and not at individual wards. 

Councillor Nancy Matthews referred to two issues that affected small businesses which were rent and business rates.  Councillor Peter Curtis said that the Clerk of the Town and Community Council could be contacted if there were certain projects that other Town and Community Councils wanted to submit an opinion about.  He also referred to the Holywell Partnership Board.  The Head of Regeneration said that the partnerships referred to were not formally constituted bodies, they were open meetings and decisions on attendance were a matter for the bodies themselves.  On the issue of business rates and rents, he said that these were collected by the Council but were set by Welsh Government and he spoke of a review in Wales about rate relief for small traders.  He  ...  view the full minutes text for item 57