Venue: Remote Meeting via Zoom
Contact: Mr Adam Green, Democratic Services Officer (Scrutiny), Tel No. 01223 752549/e-mail Adam.Green@huntingdonshire.gov.uk
No. | Item |
---|---|
MEMBERS' INTERESTS To receive from Members declarations as to disclosable pecuniary and other interests in relation to any Agenda item. Minutes: No declarations of interest were received. |
|
COVID-19 RECOVERY PROGRAMME The Covid-19 Recovery Programme will be presented to the Panel. Contact: D Edwards 07768 238708 Minutes: By means of a report by the Interim Corporate Director (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) and with the aid of a presentation the Council’s Covid-19 Recovery Programme was presented to the Panel.
Following a question by Councillor Criswell it was confirmed that the recovery programme would involve collaboration between the different public bodies and that an important aspect of the programme was to ensure that Officers were aware of the key priorities. Members were also reassured that Parish and Town Councils would be involved in the recovery programme.
Councillor Wilson commented that residents had understood that some services could not operate as normal during the pandemic but there was an expectation that, as soon as practicable, services should return to full operating capacity.
Councillor Smith commented that a number of Parishes were very organised in distributing food packages to vulnerable residents, however the challenge was to secure sufficient donations to meet demand. She stated that more donations were required, possibly from a central source, for the food poverty project to be successful.
A question was asked by Councillor Tysoe on how the Council could gauge whether objectives had been achieved or projects had been successful. The Interim Corporate Director responded by stating that key measures had been established that would be monitored and that, where necessary, there would be reference back to higher-level measures in the Community Impact Assessment. It was acknowledged that there would be a data lag in some areas and that some objectives and projects would be easier to measure and track than others.
The issue of funding was raised by Councillor Butler. In response, the Panel was informed that all projects were subject to a bidding process and that multiple sources of funding available. In addition, the Council could collaborate with partners who had access to alternative sources of funding.
Discussions ensued regarding the Council’s objective of expanding its core information on local businesses. Following suggestions from Members, the Panel was informed that Officers had already held discussions with the local Chambers of Commerce and the local branch of the Federation of Small Businesses. The Interim Corporate Director also stated that the Council was aiming to build on the information it had to get a better understanding of business needs.
In discussing the work of voluntary organisations, Councillor Alban stated that there was a lot of positive work that could be harnessed for the good of the community. He also stressed the importance of working with communities rather than imposing solutions on them.
Councillor Tysoe commented that, when working with ‘at risk’ residents, it was important to recognise that not all of them identified themselves as being ‘at risk’.
Councillor Roberts enquired as to the purpose of providing support and advice to businesses on digitisation. The Panel was informed that it was to help businesses establish an online platform where one did not currently did not exist. This would give them the opportunity to increase their customer base and to sell ... view the full minutes text for item 54. |