Agenda item

The Overview and Scrutiny Panel is invited to comment on officer recommendations contained within the attached Cabinet report.

Executive Councillor: Sam Wakeford

By means of a report by the Economic Development Manager (a copy of which was appended in the Minute Book), The Economic Growth Strategy Report was presented to the Panel.

Councillor Gardener expressed his appreciation for the report and asked for clarification pertaining to page 54, noting the year read 2014 instead of 2024. The Council were asked how they are going to help the businesses in the district that struggle to hire additional staff due to the increase in National Insurance and Business rates as the report did not include this information. The Panel heard that this was a draft document and still had edits, ensuring errors will be corrected. They were advised this document is laying out the strategy of the Economic Growth Plan and not everything the team are currently working on. They cannot work by individual cost line and are focusing on ensuring Huntingdonshire is an attractive option to work and live in.

Councillor Pickering questioned whether the Council should be promoting areas within the district, rather than referencing Huntingdonshire itself due to the Local Government Reorganisation. He suggested maybe the Council should be looking towards their new identity rather than the existing one which isn’t well known to people. The Panel heard that this strategy is designed for the present and that whilst there will be a restructure, the Huntingdonshire area will still exist. The strategy is designed to be entirely compatible and can work in a localised manner. It was reiterated to the Panel that the website for this will go live in July and the idea is to be the leading force in promoting the area and to be the example other Councils follow.

Councillor Martin expressed his disagreement with Councillor Pickering’s point in relation to Huntingdonshire not having a known identity. He drew on the history of the district and advised the Council should be proud of this. He commended the team in their work on the strategy and encouraged the Panel to recognise this. He requested clarification on the use of Huntingdonshire economy being adaptable as he was unsure he agreed with this. The Panel heard that Huntingdonshire has a variety of key sectors, referencing advanced manufacturing, life science and the defence sector. The term adaptable was used as the Council are trying to be adaptable in supporting the right sectors that the data says they should be focusing on. The Economic Development team remain flexible in their dealings with the local businesses for their needs in that moment in time. The Panel were reminded that Huntingdonshire’s work force is not made up of a single business, it spans across different sectors as shown in page 6 of the report. Councillor Martin was appreciative of the confirmation and agreed with the use of adaptability.

Councillor Catmur referenced the Key Risks and that KPI’s will be monitored closely, asking for confirmation of what they are and if these are the ones that should be closely monitored. The Panel heard that examples of the KPI’s monitored are the Footfall figures from the market towns, business support provided by the team and the number of new people following the Linked-In page. It was reiterated that the report includes other metrics set out in the table which shows consultants the team have worked with and items the team has identified as things that must be worked on as they are indicators as to what is going on and the decisions that need to be taken internally. Councillor Catmur went on to ask if the risk of flooding in Huntingdonshire had been taken into account. The Panel heard that this has been considered and is covered in the Local Plan and that there will need to be a period of adaptability in relation to flooding and the effect climate change will have on businesses. It was heard that those strategies are more long term but the strategy being presented has the potential to last beyond 3 to 5 years and is something that can be taken forward to help with resilience.

Councillor McAdam expressed his agreement with Councillor Martin’s comments regarding the history of the district, feeling this could be utilised to bring more tourists into the area. He referred to aims and statements in the report commented there was not a lot regarding how this would be achieved. It was suggested that case studies would be helpful and would like to know how we are helping a business prosper in spite of the current economical climate. The Panel were directed to view the delivery priorities set out in the report, which set the core objectives and the actions going forward. It was reiterated that this is a strategy document and not a step-by-step guide. They are not relying on just ambition but are working hard on the strategy and the hard work of the Officers involved.

Councillor Tevlin thanked the Officers for the report and advised she would also be interested in seeing case studies, specifically from the UK’s SPF funding and the Huntingdonshire Futures funding, something that will appeal to people to make an application and why they apply. She referenced the comprehensiveness of the report and suggested that the web page contain information that is clearly laid out and easy to read, possibly a Q & A section that will assist with signposting.

After a question from Councillor Jennings, the Panel heard that the compliments of transport in the area and the location of Huntingdonshire is considered a unique advantage due to its accessibility to other areas of the country within a day’s ride on the train. The adaptability mentioned earlier in the meeting regarding Huntingdonshire’s workforce and the natural assets are further unique advantages.

Councillor Taylor referenced the report highlighting the ambitions in the market towns such as vibrancy and that they make a place desirable to spend time in. She expressed her disagreement regarding the comments surrounding market towns having stable retail and hospitality businesses with the decline driven coming from professional and office space sector. She expressed that the retail sector, particularly in St Neots had declined which has created unemployment but agreed with the report advising the market towns will be affected by a changing economy. She asked if Parking charges had been considered and the effect they could have in relation to people coming to the market towns. Councillor Taylor made a motion to add a recommendation to the Cabinet reflecting this. The Panel heard that parking is beyond the remit of the strategy but acknowledged there are significant decisions which must be taken regarding parking charges and the impact they may or may not have. The Officers acknowledged they are not the sole authority and the report comments around the market towns are backed up by data that is evidenced based and that there are different trends to how the economy is perceived. They recognised the economy has been challenged in the last few years, with market towns feeling the brunt.

The Panel’s attention was drawn to page 15 which discussed the fastest growing areas for jobs in the district and that it is a matter of data Vs perception. The Panel heard that market towns were seen to be evolving rather than dying, such as moving away from just retail and onto more leisure-based businesses. It was reiterated that if this strategy were adopted, it could affect the way other policies are made, such as Parking but the Panel were reminded that not all the parking in the district falls under their remit as there are private car parks as well which they have no control over. Councillor Taylor pushed for the recommendation previously mentioned.

The Chair advised that additional clarification was needed in response to the questions that had been raised by the Panel.

Councillor Martin referenced page 13 of the Strategy regarding the net migration based on age. He expressed his concern over the net migration of 15 - 19-year-olds. He asked why this was and the impact this will have on the strategy. He also drew attention to Ambition 1, What success looks like. He asked if the Council would be turning down businesses if they would not help the Council reach a Net Zero target. The Panel heard that there is a lack of higher education, drawing on St Neots as an example. It was heard that they have been working with the Combined Authority to manage this such as reviewing transportation and access to training possibilities. The Panel were advised that the Climate and Economic strategies recognise that you can have a positive impact on climate, even if you have emissions.

Councillor Blackwell asked if the report will be a living document as the measures are being set on an annual basis and expressed concern about dealing with out-of-date data. The Panel acknowledged that the Action Plan should be updated more regularly and will appear on the Invest in Huntingdonshire website. They also heard that gathering the data is not without cost and isn’t something they can do on a regular basis but they do work with the Combined Authority in ensuring key information is available.

The Chair acknowledged that many of the Panel had questions and the issues raised would be taken on board by the Officers. It was advised that Councillor Taylor take her questions regarding Parking offline and discuss this directly with the Officers.

Following the discussion, it was

RESOLVED

that the comments of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel be passed to Cabinet for their consideration when making a decision upon the recommendations within the report.