Agenda item
Cabinet Member Update
The Cabinet Member(s) will update the Panel on any relevant issues. Panel members may ask questions on the update(s) provided.
Minutes:
Councillor Paul Myers, Cabinet Member for Economic and Community Regeneration addressed the Panel, a summary of his update is set out below.
Business & Skills
The Business & Skills team has been supporting the WECA in the production of the evidence for the local Industrial Strategy and is now undertaking a range of presentation sessions with local groups, to help them further understand the strategy and encourage them to provide comment to the draft evidence base.
Bath Quays North
Delegated decision to approve granted by Planning Committee August 2018
- Development partner appointment approved by Full Cabinet, February 2019.
- Development partner, Legal & General and Bell Hammer, announced at marketing launch on the 7 March 2019.
Bath Quays South
o BAM remobilised and demolition of Buildings 6 & 8 complete on site. The office piling works are to commence in late spring.
o Legal discussions with TCN at Newark Works are well advanced and an exchange of contracts is anticipated shortly. The marketing launch for 45,000 sq ft ‘No. 1 Bath Quays’ was well received at the press and business launches on the 7 March
Bath Quays Bridge
o The superstructure bridge fabrication works have been contracted with Victor Buyck (a Belgian company). Fabrication of the bridge commences later in 2019 with the bridge opening programmed for December 2020.
Housing
o Rough Sleeper Initiative Funding
o All funded projects are now underway, and are either on course to meet their targets or already exceeding them. Our Safesleep provision which was due to close at the end of February has been extended through March in order to accommodate people during severe weather. According to regular rough sleeper counts, the number of people sleeping rough has gone down from 30 people in September, to 18 people in February.
Heritage Services
o Fashion Museum: an exhibition of one of the world’s best glove collections has just opened. Glove Stories showcases the breadth and depth of The Glove Collection of the Worshipful Company of Glovers of London, cared for and housed at the Museum.
o The Roman Baths enjoyed success at the Visit England South West Tourism Awards, winning Gold for International Visitor Experience of the Year, Gold for Large Attraction of the Year and Silver for the Business Tourism and Venue Award
o Business performance: 2018/19 year-end forecast is an over-achievement of profit by £515k
Councillor Rob Appleyard asked if the awards won would be displayed on Council premises.
Councillor Myers replied that he would take that matter forward to see if the cabinets within the Guildhall reception area could be used.
Regeneration
o Somer Valley Enterprise Zone: Outline Business Cases for commercial/legal advice, land, planning, infrastructure and highways to be submitted to WECA 18 March, to fund delivery of a Local Development Order, new highway access and land agreements.
o Keynsham High Street: Cabinet approved the concept scheme 6th February enabling Full Business Case submission for £1.5m to WECA on 18 March. December 18/January 19 public consultation still suggests high level of support for the scheme.
Environment & Design Projects
o WECA Love High Streets Pilot: £280k WECA funding has been confirmed for B&NES for 2019-20 to support feasibility work and pilot delivery for three High Street projects (Bath City Centre, Midsomer Norton High Street & Twerton High Street). This will allow FBC applications for £3m and various pilots and quick wins to be delivered during 2019-20.
Public Realm / StreetSpace Projects
o Work is underway to prepare ‘Expressions of Interest’ to the Future High Streets national funding pot – deadline March 2019. An application to the Heritage High Streets funding pot will be made once the application process opens.
Councillor Appleyard asked how the locations were identified for the WECA Love High Streets project.
Councillor Myers replied that the original proposal from WECA was for it to be one area per authority and that he didn’t think that would be fair so decided upon three areas to address; a city area, market town and a local high street.
Councillor Appleyard asked if there would be any further rounds of funding.
The Director for Economy & Growth replied that £10m had been allocated for the whole programme so he was hopeful that there would be further funding opportunities.
Councillor Colin Blackburn asked about the levels of interest in Bath Quays North & South following the launch event that had recently taken place.
The Director for Economy & Growth replied that a good level of interest had been reported and that conversations were ongoing with a number of different companies.
Councillor Lisa O’Brien commented that it was important to have a set of measured outcomes for the High Street projects.
The Director for Economy & Growth replied that the project team were currently working on the scope and the deliverables that could be achieved.
The Chairman asked if any update could be given on the Destination Management Plan.
Councillor Myers replied that he was aware of a number of changes that had taken place within Visit Bath and that the matter is on the agenda of the team to progress when possible. He added that he wished to thank the Panel for their contributions over the past four years.
Councillor Bob Goodman, Cabinet Member for Development and Neighbourhoods addressed the Panel, a summary of his update is set out below.
He began by agreeing with Councillor Myers regarding the work of the Panel and thanked the officers that he has directly worked within his role.
Article 4 Direction
He informed the Panel that he was expecting to make a decision in the coming weeks to withdraw Permitted Development Rights for the change of use from office (Class B1) to residential uses (Class C3) to identified parts of central Bath.
Joint Spatial Plan
He said that a decision on the dates for the examination in public were due soon. He added that discussions relating to Affordable Housing had taken place between the four Unitary Authorities.
Councillor Rob Appleyard asked whether lessons had been learned following a recent HMO application that was refused on the grounds of ‘sandwiching’, but subsequently upheld on appeal.
Councillor Goodman replied that the decision in question will be taken into account in the future. He added that it was likely that the SPD would be reviewed in October. He said that he expected the recent Government decision on Stamp Duty to also have an effect.
He stated that through the work of the Local Plan that he expected the universities to build on their own land for student accommodation and that possibly more purpose built units will be developed independently. He said that he felt that in time more properties will return to residential use.
The Chairman thanked both Cabinet Members for their updates on behalf of the Panel.