Issue - meetings

As detailed in the recommendations.

Councillor Healey introduced the report and explained that smaller town centres across the United Kingdom had been facing challenging economic circumstances for many years due to changing customer behaviours.  The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated those trends and although it remained too early to understand the long term impacts it was important that future proofing towns was addressed by creating more sustainable use of properties within town centres.

The report provided an update on the strategic context for town centre regeneration and the programmes of work currently underway.  Furthermore, it provided details about the development of Place Plans and the enforcement action required to tackle empty properties within town centres.

The Chief Officer (Planning, Environment and Economy) added that as a result of Cabinet approving extra staff resource in 2021, three appointments had been made.  Two posts were currently being secured which would see the team increase to seven staff from December 2022.  The additional resource brought a broader range of skills, knowledge and experience to the regeneration team particularly in property-related regeneration work and the delivery of loan investments. 

A series of public meetings and digital consultations would need to be carried out as part of the development process for each of the seven Place Plans.  Local residents, businesses, internal and external colleagues would have the opportunity to participate over the next two years.  Information gathered from the consultations would directly inform the content of Flintshire’s Place Plans and actions contained within future delivery plans of both the Council and its partners.

The report had been submitted to the recent Environment and Economy Overview and Scrutiny Committee where it was supported.

In response to a question from Councillor Bithell, the Chief Officer explained that the details of the Welsh Government (WG) funding had not yet been made available but when it was, it would be applied to each of the seven towns.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the requirements to develop Place Plans for the seven towns (Buckley, Connah’s Quay, Flint, Holywell, Mold, Queensferry and Shotton) in Flintshire be noted and the sequence in which the proposed work is delivered within the constraints of resource available be noted; and

(b)       That the requirements to address vacant town centre properties through an enforcement action plan be noted, and that the criteria and approach to be used be approved and that delegated authority be given to the Chief Officer (Planning, Environment and Economy) and the Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Economy to implement the action plan.