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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 committee noted that the scheduled March meeting will be replaced by a workshop that focusses on the development of the Investment Prospectus. (ii) That any issues raised at the Workshop be fed into the work programme, as possible recommendations, for consideration at the April meeting. (iii) That a Workshop be held on the development of the Destination Management Plan, prior to the submission of the pre-decision scrutiny report to the committee.
AGREED:- (i) That the next update report on this issue contains: a) An update on the 2026 projects, as outlined in page 48 of the agenda. b) The regional and local work of the team, team members and their roles. (ii) That on the completion of the SPF a report reviewing the programme and outlining any issues that could support the provision of any future similar scheme. (iii) That an information report be submitted on the Investment Zone staff and their responsibilities, once they have been appointed. (iv) That an information report on the Enhanced Business Support Provision Key Fund Evaluation for 2026 be provided, once it is available. (v) That Members of the Committee forward specific questions on the 2025 Wavehill evaluation for a more detailed response. Responses received to be shared with the Committee
AGREED: That the minutes held on 7 January 2026 were correct.
Decision as recorded
AGREED:- (i) That the committee noted that the scheduled March meeting will be replaced by a workshop that focusses on the development of the Investment Prospectus. (ii) That any issues raised at the Workshop be fed into the work programme, as possible recommendations, for consideration at the April meeting. (iii) That a Workshop be held on the development of the Destination Management Plan, prior to the submission of the pre-decision scrutiny report to the committee.
The Chief Officer for Governance and Customer submitted a report (COGC/12/26) asking members to consider the revised work programme of the Employment, Business and Investment Scrutiny Committee attached at Appendix 1. The committee discussed the following points: · Officers noted that an all‑member workshop on the Investment Zone was being considered to ensure councillors were fully briefed on developments. They also confirmed that further updates could be provided when needed, and workshops remained a practical way to explore complex or emerging issues. · Members agreed that the 2026 project update could return in 12 months, whilst noting that areas such as the economic prospectus, social value work and staffing developments were likely to be reported earlier. · Officers advised that workshop terminology and governance could be referred to the Scrutiny Coordinating Group, although it would not meet before the committee’s next meeting. · Workshops were highlighted as a useful way to explore early thinking on the economic prospectus before the work was fully developed and formal recommendations were made. · Members noted the need for clear boundaries between workshops and formal scrutiny meetings, particularly in light of the Peer Performance Assessment’s emphasis on strengthening pre‑decision scrutiny. · Members requested that a workshop could be held ahead of the Destination Management Plan, as early input would help shape the plan before it was reported to the committee for pre-decision scrutiny. · Members queried the timing of the Scarborough Tourism Economic Activity Monitor (STEAM) data, and officers explained that the figures rely on third‑party collection and are unlikely to be available before September, making that the most suitable reporting point. · Officers agreed to review the work programme with the scrutiny facilitator, to identify the timeline to Executive Board, and schedule any workshop accordingly. AGREED:- (i) That the committee noted that the scheduled March meeting will be replaced by a workshop that focusses on the development of the Investment Prospectus. (ii) That any issues raised at the Workshop be fed into the work programme, as possible recommendations, for consideration at the April meeting. (iii) That a Workshop be held on the development of the Destination Management Plan, prior to the submission of the pre-decision scrutiny report to the committee.
Decision as recorded
AGREED:- (i) That the next update report on this issue contains: a) An update on the 2026 projects, as outlined in page 48 of the agenda. b) The regional and local work of the team, team members and their roles. (ii) That on the completion of the SPF a report reviewing the programme and outlining any issues that could support the provision of any future similar scheme. (iii) That an information report be submitted on the Investment Zone staff and their responsibilities, once they have been appointed. (iv) That an information report on the Enhanced Business Support Provision Key Fund Evaluation for 2026 be provided, once it is available. (v) That Members of the Committee forward specific questions on the 2025 Wavehill evaluation for a more detailed response. Responses received to be shared with the Committee
The Chief Officer for Economy and Planning submitted a report to review and consider how the Council provides support to pre-start and existing businesses (including Social Enterprises), as well as businesses looking to relocate to the County Borough. The Lead Member for Economy, Business and Tourism introduced the annual report on the Business and Investment Team, outlining a challenging but productive year supporting pre‑start businesses, existing firms and companies considering relocation to Wrexham. Key activity included major business events, the launch of the 2025 Wrexham Business Grants, preparation for the Investment Zone programme and extensive engagement with local businesses. The Business and Investment Team Manager provided an overview of the year’s work, supported by the Investment Zone Programme Manager. This included business support activity, 2025 service performance, business grant workshops, the Wrexham Business Grant, the Elevate Your Business in Wrexham conference, promotional work, start‑up clinics, the Start Up Enabling Grant, a Social Value Impact Tool pilot and planned projects for 2026. The following points were discussed: · Officers confirmed that the team supports businesses across the whole County Borough area. · Staffing shortages had temporarily reduced capacity, but recent recruitment had strengthened the team’s presence in communities. · Officers clarified that the grant approvals referenced in the report related to Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) · Members discussed business forum coverage, the status of the Business Improvement District, and the temporary pause of the Social Enterprise Network due to staffing changes. · Officers outlined the impact of emergency COVID‑19 funding and SPF delivery on workloads, noting that work was now shifting back to more direct business support. · Job roles had been updated to ensure the team remained focused on supporting businesses of all sizes. · Officers explained that the £55 million “known investment” figure reflected publicly reported business plans or intentions to invest in Wrexham, rather than confirmed expenditure. This figure was thought to be an understatement of the true figure. · Officers also referred the estimated £1 billion of potential private investment linked to the Investment Zone, based on formal assessments of expected returns on public funding. · Concerns were raised about national reporting changes that only counted VAT‑registered businesses, excluding many smaller organisations. Officers acknowledged this and suggested exploring additional local data. Although this date had been presented using the government date available. It was not thought that the number of businesses between this threshold had decreased. · Officers confirmed that the evaluation report covered only the first round of SPF delivery, with the second round due to finish by 31 March. · The evaluation of SPF was carried out independently by Wavehill, as required by the UK Government. A further evaluation would be required for the 2024–25 extension year · Attendance at the Rebel Business School programme was estimated at 20–30 people, with exact figures to be confirmed. 22 people attended. · Officers reiterated that confirmed investment figures were only available for council‑managed grant programmes where businesses must report spending. · Officers confirmed that recruitment for Investment Zone roles was underway, with job descriptions being finalised. · The Investment Zone Programme Manager reported that two posts were being advertised externally after an internal round did not identify suitable candidates, highlighting the need for staff with the right skills and noting strong support from the Business Team and close working with Flintshire. · The Investment Zone was expected to require between six and eight full‑time equivalent posts in its first full year. · Officers confirmed that management fees within the Key Fund were retained locally to cover delivery costs, with accountable bodies also able to claim an oversight fee. · The first Elevate Conference in 2024 at the Ramada had capacity for 100 attendees, and demand exceeded available space. The 2025 conference at the Bangor on Dee Racecourse accommodated 200 attendees, with demand again exceeding capacity. Officers reported that the events attracted a wide range of businesses and received strong positive feedback. · Officers confirmed that the event reached a broad mix of sectors, was open to all industries, and was promoted widely on a first‑come, first‑served basis. · Venue capacity remained a challenge, as the existing space became limited once staging and exhibition areas were installed. · The 2025 event attracted almost 100 new attendees due to the larger venue, with each conference themed differently to broaden appeal. · Officers acknowledged that some smaller businesses struggled to release staff for daytime events and were exploring ways to widen access, including sharing video content and materials afterwards. · Charities and third‑sector organisations also attended to build links with the business community. · Targets for the next SPF evaluation period would change due to reduced funding, although value‑for‑money measures would remain consistent. · Members were encouraged to share information about future events with businesses in their wards. · Officers confirmed that the conference remained free to attend to remove financial barriers. · Officers emphasised the need for both an internal strategy and an outward‑facing prospectus to promote Wrexham effectively, while avoiding overly rigid structures that could slow delivery. · Members stressed the importance of consistent terminology across economic development documents, and officers outlined that the forthcoming workshop would help align strategic and promotional work. · The committee expressed confidence that progress on staffing, social value measurement and strategic development would become clearer over the coming year. · Members thanked officers for their work on behalf of the committee. · It was acknowledged that the original social value software had been replaced because it was unsuitable, and the new tool was expected to provide information that was more pertinent to the service. AGREED:- (i) That the next update report on this issue contains: a) An update on the 2026 projects, as outlined in page 48 of the agenda. b) The regional and local work of the team, team members and their roles. (ii) That on the completion of the SPF a report reviewing the programme and outlining any issues that could support the provision of any future similar scheme. (iii) That an information report be submitted on the Investment Zone staff and their responsibilities, once they have been appointed. (iv) That an information report on the Enhanced Business Support Provision Key Fund Evaluation for 2026 be provided, once it is available. (v) That Members of the Committee forward specific questions on the 2025 Wavehill evaluation for a more detailed response. Responses received to be shared with the Committee
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