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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
AGREED:- i) That the following update reports were added to the work programme:- · Support Provision for Businesses in Wrexham to be scheduled for February 2024. · Employment Support Services to be scheduled for April 2024 · Destination Management Plan to be scheduled for June 2024 ii) That the City of Culture 2029 report be considered at the November 2023 meeting. iii) That the Business Improvement District report be considered at the December 2023 meeting. iv) That the Anti-Poverty Strategy report be considered at the December 2023 meeting. v) That in order to allow the committee to further consider its work programme into 2024 arrangements be made for an All Member Workshop, outlining current and future work in respect of Economic Development be held in October 2023.
AGREED:- i) That details of events displayed on the information Board outside Wrexham Library be circulated to Members. ii) That the dashboard showing sensor data display Welsh language first. iii) That the Committee welcomes the pilot work undertaken and support other opportunities being sought to acquire additional funding to expand work in this area. iv) That means of feeding in sensor data in to decision making reports be explored. v) That officers explore the provision of future fibre infrastructure and work with private providers to expand fast fibre provision throughout the County Borough. vi) That Members of the committee be provided with details of the previous CCTV/Wi-Fi programme and related funding. vii) That an update on this area of work be considered in September 2024.
Apologies were received from Councillor John McCusker.
The Minutes of the meeting held on 5 July 2023 be signed as a correct record. Matters Arising A Member enquired about the feedback from Natural Resource Wales (NRW) regarding the development on Brook Street.
Members were reminded of their responsibility under Paragraph 11 of the Members’ Code of Conduct, to declare any interests in relation to any of the business to be transacted at this meeting. The following declarations were made: Item Agenda 5 – SMART Towns Initiative Councillor Andy Gallanders – Personal and not Prejudicial – the Councillor ran a business in the Wrexham City Centre. Councillor Marc Jones – Personal and not Prejudicial – The Councillor was a Voluntary Board Member for Saith Seren which was a City Centre Business. The Councillors remained in the meeting taking part in the discussion and voting thereon.
Decision as recorded
AGREED:- i) That the following update reports were added to the work programme:- · Support Provision for Businesses in Wrexham to be scheduled for February 2024. · Employment Support Services to be scheduled for April 2024 · Destination Management Plan to be scheduled for June 2024 ii) That the City of Culture 2029 report be considered at the November 2023 meeting. iii) That the Business Improvement District report be considered at the December 2023 meeting. iv) That the Anti-Poverty Strategy report be considered at the December 2023 meeting. v) That in order to allow the committee to further consider its work programme into 2024 arrangements be made for an All Member Workshop, outlining current and future work in respect of Economic Development be held in October 2023.
The Chief Officer for Governance and Customer submitted a report (GOCG/ 94/23s) asking Members to consider the revised work programme of the Employment, Business and investment Scrutiny Committee. The Scrutiny Facilitator presented the report and highlighted the main points within it. Members were also advised that the recommendations made by the committee in respect of Placemaking Plan were accepted by the Executive Board and the Chair was thanked for presenting these. AGREED:- i) That the following update reports were added to the work programme:- · Support Provision for Businesses in Wrexham to be scheduled for February 2024. · Employment Support Services to be scheduled for April 2024 · Destination Management Plan to be scheduled for June 2024 ii) That the City of Culture 2029 report be considered at the November 2023 meeting. iii) That the Business Improvement District report be considered at the December 2023 meeting. iv) That the Anti-Poverty Strategy report be considered at the December 2023 meeting. v) That in order to allow the committee to further consider its work programme into 2024 arrangements be made for an All Member Workshop, outlining current and future work in respect of Economic Development be held in October 2023.
Decision as recorded
AGREED:- i) That details of events displayed on the information Board outside Wrexham Library be circulated to Members. ii) That the dashboard showing sensor data display Welsh language first. iii) That the Committee welcomes the pilot work undertaken and support other opportunities being sought to acquire additional funding to expand work in this area. iv) That means of feeding in sensor data in to decision making reports be explored. v) That officers explore the provision of future fibre infrastructure and work with private providers to expand fast fibre provision throughout the County Borough. vi) That Members of the committee be provided with details of the previous CCTV/Wi-Fi programme and related funding. vii) That an update on this area of work be considered in September 2024.
(Members declarations of interest in relation to this item are set out in Minute 14) above. The Chief Officer Economy and planning submitted a repot (COEP/54/23) asking members to consider the progress made in progressing the SMART towns initiative. The Lead Member for Place-Economy & Regeneration introduced the report and highlighted the main points within it. The Smart City Development Officer and Gary Howell from Morton Walsh consultants were introduced to Members. The Smart City Development Officer informed Members that there had been a significant amount of background research undertaken around the technology to support the SMART Towns initiative. It was highlighted that the key to the SMART towns approach was how the data was captured, how it was presented and then made available to stakeholders, for decision making. A presentation of the TAGO Dashboard outlined examples of how each of the sensors and their data were currently presented, including:- · External Air Quality, Internal Air Quality, Footfall Detail, Daily Totals; · Well-being hub – Sensor · Parking Hub, Parking Available, Parking Activity, Market Street Car Park; · Soil Monitoring and Soil Conditions; · All vehicle types; and Traffic high street and traffic monitoring speed. During consideration of the report the following matters were discussed:- · A Member advised that the indoor air quality graph should also display the acceptable CO2 level. · The potential development of a real time car parking app that would cater for the City Centre, but such a development will not be implemented in the very near future. Data was currently being captured to enable officers to determine an approach for development. · Issues regarding the privately owned car parks in the City Centre. · The aim for using sensor data in car parks was to ensure that spaces delivered quantifiable economic benefits. · Utilising sensors to monitor soil and how the related application helped manage planters in the City Centre. · Assurance that the sensors around did not collect personal data and that no information could be sold on to another party because as it was raw data and not actionable. · Investment in SMART technologies aimed to improve services, the visitor experience and make efficiencies. · It was emphasised that technology was required to reduce costs in order to be efficient and that there were a lot of sensors that could assist visitors and the council. · Discrepancies identified relating to sensor data will be investigated and rectified accordingly. · The link to the Wi-Fi connectivity initiative was contained in the Place Making Plan. · There had been an externally funded programme that focused on enabling rural areas to receive super-fast broad band and Officers continued working on this matter. · If 5g mobile networks and fibre broad band were expanded then controls around data protection by network providers would be required. · Status of the previous initiative which considered using CCTV infrastructure to boost WI Fi in City Centre. · The overlap regarding digital provision with this report and the forthcoming one from the North Wales Economic Ambition Board linked to the North Wales Growth deal. · SMART initiatives were not just City Centre focused and should include areas across the County Borough. · A neutral host will enable mobile signals across the City Centre and that they would rent out their service to mobile operators. Wrexham could be the first in Wales to introduce this type of public Wi-Fi connectivity infrastructure. · Small cells were categorised as permissive planning and these can release the capacity off the large masts, therefore boosting the mobile network. · As part of the Smart initiative research Wrexham Council undertook a public survey through “your voice” platform. Approximately, five hundred and fifty responses were received and they were shared with the relevant network operators, who as a result of this, updated their networks. · The dashboard showing sensor data would need to show the Welsh language first. AGREED:- i) That details of events displayed on the information Board outside Wrexham Library be circulated to Members. ii) That the dashboard showing sensor data display Welsh language first. iii) That the Committee welcomes the pilot work undertaken and support other opportunities being sought to acquire additional funding to expand work in this area. iv) That means of feeding in sensor data in to decision making reports be explored. v) That officers explore the provision of future fibre infrastructure and work with private providers to expand fast fibre provision throughout the County Borough. vi) That Members of the committee be provided with details of the previous CCTV/Wi-Fi programme and related funding. vii) That an update on this area of work be considered in September 2024.
Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.
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