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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 Destination Management Plan be considered at the December meeting. ii) That the Employment Support Services be considered at the December meeting. iii) That the Town Centre Task and Finish Group to be deleted from the items to be scheduled. iv) That the Walking Tour of Key Aspects around the City Centre to be deleted from the items to be scheduled. v) That Information items in respect of Covid Recovery Loans/Grants, Community Grants and Civic Leadership Group for Wrexham be deleted. vi) That, if possible, the report regarding SMART Towns be brought forward in the work programme. vii) That the committee be advised, in relevant reports, if there are grants being stopped or at risk and the possible implications of this.
AGREED: - That the functional areas of the strategy be brought forward to the Committee for consideration on a timetable to be agreed between the Chair, Vice-Chair and Lead Member.
AGREED:- i) That the representatives of the Ambition Board be thanked for their attendance and presentation at the Committee. ii) That future scrutiny of the performance of the Ambition Board be scheduled. iii) That quarterly performance updates of the Ambition Board be shared with the Committee. iv) That details of any pro-active funding opportunities for the CJC be fed into future reports.
Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillors Gary Brown, Mike Davies, Andy Gallanders, Corin Jarvis and Marc Jones.
AGREED: That the minutes held on 4 September 2024 be signed as a correct record.
Decision as recorded
AGREED:- i) That the Destination Management Plan be considered at the December meeting. ii) That the Employment Support Services be considered at the December meeting. iii) That the Town Centre Task and Finish Group to be deleted from the items to be scheduled. iv) That the Walking Tour of Key Aspects around the City Centre to be deleted from the items to be scheduled. v) That Information items in respect of Covid Recovery Loans/Grants, Community Grants and Civic Leadership Group for Wrexham be deleted. vi) That, if possible, the report regarding SMART Towns be brought forward in the work programme. vii) That the committee be advised, in relevant reports, if there are grants being stopped or at risk and the possible implications of this.
The Chief Officer for Governance and Customer submitted a report (COGC/91/24) asking Members to consider the revised work programme of the Employment and investment Scrutiny Committee. The Scrutiny Facilitator introduced the report and highlighted the main points below:- • That the earliest opportunity to review the budget would be in April. • Proposed Changes to Work Programme (4.4): a) Destination Management Plan and Employment Support Services Report to be considered at the December meeting. b) Town Centre Task and Finish Group to be deleted from the work programme as no items have been issued since it was put on hold two years ago. c) Walking Tour of City Centre to be deleted from the schedule. Instead, site visits will be organised for all members to view relevant areas. d) Smart Towns Report to be scheduled for the May 2025 meeting. e) The following items are to be deleted from the information items section: COVID recovery, Community Grants, Civic Leadership Group · Place issues regarding the Change Programme (4.5 and 4.6) will be discussed at the December and January meetings to allow members to provide input and feed in any issues they have. The following was discussed:- · There was concern that the budget discussion might not allow for pre-decision scrutiny, especially regarding the impact on economic development funding. · The possibility of adding the discussion on grants at risk to the work programme was suggested and may be included in future reports, potentially alongside the strategy item already scheduled, depending on the reporting period. · The Chair confirmed that they would have a discussion with the Lead Member rescheduling the Smart Towns report. AGREED:- i) That the Destination Management Plan be considered at the December meeting. ii) That the Employment Support Services be considered at the December meeting. iii) That the Town Centre Task and Finish Group to be deleted from the items to be scheduled. iv) That the Walking Tour of Key Aspects around the City Centre to be deleted from the items to be scheduled. v) That Information items in respect of Covid Recovery Loans/Grants, Community Grants and Civic Leadership Group for Wrexham be deleted. vi) That, if possible, the report regarding SMART Towns be brought forward in the work programme. vii) That the committee be advised, in relevant reports, if there are grants being stopped or at risk and the possible implications of this.
Decision as recorded
AGREED: - That the functional areas of the strategy be brought forward to the Committee for consideration on a timetable to be agreed between the Chair, Vice-Chair and Lead Member.
The Chief Officer for Economy and Planning submitted a report COEP/92/24 that set out an initial approach for the drafting the new Council’s Economic Prosperity Strategy, which would cover the period 2025-2028. The Lead Member for Economy, Business and Tourism introduced the report and highlighted the main points within it. The Regeneration & Business Investment Lead explained the following: · The purpose of the strategy was developing a strategy that outlined how the council and its partners would create the right economic conditions for growth and prosperity. It was not about scrutinising individual areas of work but about crafting a clear, overarching strategy that complemented the current Council Plan. · The strategy will address economic growth in a broad, contextual form, rather than going into the details of specific projects. · The purpose of today’s discussion was to gather input on how detailed or explicit the strategy should be in terms of specific projects. The Regeneration & Business Investment Lead gave a presentation on the Economic Prosperity Strategy 2025. The main points covered were:- · The Council Plan, Priority Outcomes, Economy and Planning, Economic Prosperity 2012 -2016 and Table Structure Members asked a number of questions which were responded to accordingly, and the following points were highlighted during the detailed debate:- · Clarification was sought about whether the discussion on Wrexham pertained only to the City or the entire County, expressing concern that Bangor-on-Dee, has been overlooked. The significance of Bangor-on-Dee's racecourse was highlighted. · It was not feasible to mention every project in every location, but any notable omissions will be addressed. It was recognised that cities depend on surrounding rural communities and urban villages, and vice versa. · Certain funding opportunities were limited to specific areas, which meant it was not possible to address need. As a result, strategic decisions must be made about where to focus efforts for the greatest impact, together with working with partners to mitigate challenges. · Efforts have been made to increase coverage in rural and urban village areas, such as through the Smart Towns project and tourism visitor app. There was also ongoing collaboration with community councils outside the city centre. · It was explained that the business support team provided assistance to businesses across the entire County Borough, regardless of their sector, and was actively involved in rural farming projects. · Support had been given to landowners and farmers, particularly in diversifying their operations through tourism initiatives. · If members felt a stronger focus was needed on certain sectors, recommendations could be made. · The current approach to developing Wrexham's new economic strategy, requires a fresh starting point. Following the pandemic, services shifted from emergency responses to development projects such as city status and place-making. The new strategy was intended for a five-year period, aligning with council and government plan cycles. · There was a need for robust data development to inform decision-making, particularly in light of demographic shifts and evolving community needs. This data-driven approach was fundamental, and will need to be addressed in future. · The importance of flexibility due to the fast-changing nature of funding and priorities was emphasised. By identifying current services and potential gaps, the strategy can adapt to shifting needs. It was confirmed that the strategy will be connected to other relevant strategies, with more detailed mapping at a later stage. · On financial support, it was clarified that the £3.9 million from the Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) was ring-fenced for specific "Multiply" activities and cannot be diverted. · It was confirmed that efforts were being made to ensure no money was left unspent. · It was suggested to break down the strategy into four functional areas, with future reports providing more specific insights into each, identifying gaps, challenges, and opportunities. This will help refine the strategy and develop a clear direction for 2025-26. The process, included potential workshops or further discussions, as deemed necessary by the committee. · It was acknowledged that the broad scope of Wrexham as a county, which includes the agricultural dimension, had been noted and will be addressed. AGREED: - That the functional areas of the strategy be brought forward to the Committee for consideration on a timetable to be agreed between the Chair, Vice-Chair and Lead Member.
Decision as recorded
AGREED:- i) That the representatives of the Ambition Board be thanked for their attendance and presentation at the Committee. ii) That future scrutiny of the performance of the Ambition Board be scheduled. iii) That quarterly performance updates of the Ambition Board be shared with the Committee. iv) That details of any pro-active funding opportunities for the CJC be fed into future reports.
The Chief Officer for Governance and Customer presented a report (COGC/89/24s) to Members, seeking their consideration of information provided by the North Wales Economic Ambition Board (NWEAB). The meeting focused on economic development in North Wales, with two NWEAB board members, Vaughn Evans and David Matthews, giving a presentation on the 2023-24 Annual Report and Q1 performance information 2024/25, covering key aspects such as: • Investment, spending objectives, and milestones for 2023-24. Progress after two years of delivery. • The first construction project was underway and the launch of an enterprise engineering and optics centre. • Local broadband funding and updates for Quarter 1 of 2024-25. • Plans for the future and the role of NWEAB’s partners. The Vice Chairman of NWEAB, who was also the Lead Member for Finance and Performance, thanked the presenters for their work, highlighting the collaborative efforts between local leaders. He noted that decisions on funding allocations were made collectively, with extensive scrutiny, and praised the officers' efforts in delivering the £240 million investment from both the UK and Welsh Governments. This funding aimed to support job creation and develop key sites across the region. The following was discussed: · Funding for projects was provisional, based on the £240 million available. Each project must submit a business case for approval by the board. If additional funds for them were required, then they are requested from project sponsors or derived from funds freed up by underfunded or cancelled projects. · A project that transitioned to the private sector had its allocated funds returned to the board, who are now deciding how to reallocate this money. • The main challenge faced in 2023-24 was cost inflation, as the £240 million was allocated based on 2020 prices, causing difficulties for some projects due to rising costs. Some projects may need to be re-scoped or seek additional funding to compensate for this. • The Board operates under Gwynedd County Council but will transition to a Corporate Joint Committee (CJC) early next year. • The CJC initiative, introduced by the Welsh Government, aims to streamline governance across economic, planning, and transport functions for North Wales. • The Economic Ambition Board oversees the entire Growth Deal, while individual projects were delivered by lead organisations or sponsors. The Programme Management Office (PMO) supports projects and ensures value for money. • Despite these challenges, funding will remain stable and continue to support investment in North Wales, noting that the initiative's original goal, set when George Osborne was Chancellor, was to invest in local communities and regions. • Regarding the Wrexham Gateway project, careful consideration was needed due to ongoing discussions around land ownership. • Initially, some projects were discontinued in 2022 due to feasibility concerns. Subsequently, a new selection process was carried out, leading to the identification of five key projects for funding. • Clarification was sought on the scrutiny process for calling in decisions made by the Economic Ambition Board whereby any of the partner local authority organisations, including Wrexham, have the right to call in decisions made by the Board. AGREED:- i) That the representatives of the Ambition Board be thanked for their attendance and presentation at the Committee. ii) That future scrutiny of the performance of the Ambition Board be scheduled. iii) That quarterly performance updates of the Ambition Board be shared with the Committee. iv) That details of any pro-active funding opportunities for the CJC be fed into future reports.
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