Agenda and minutes

At the Annual General Meeting of Council held on Tuesday, 17^th May 2022, Councillor D Pinwell and Councillor M Parker were proposed as Chairman and Vice-Chairman respectively for the 2022/23 municipal year, subject to confirmation at this meeting.

MINUTES

1.  CONFIRMATION OF ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN AND APPOINTMENT OF  VICE CHAIRMAN FOR THE 2022/23 MUNICIPAL YEAR

For the position of Chairman, Councillor M Parker nominated Councillor D Pinwell, seconded by Councillor Mrs Holl-Allen MBE.

RESOLVED:

There being no other nominations received, Councillor Pinwell was unanimously appointed to the position of Chairman for the 2022/23 municipal year.

For the position of Vice Chairman, Councillor Mrs Holl-Allen MBE nominated Councillor M Parker, seconded by Councillor A Feeney.

RESOLVED:

There being no other nominations received, Councillor Parker was unanimously appointed to the position of Vice Chairman for the 2022/23 municipal year.

No apologies for absence were received.

No declarations of interest were received.

No questions or deputations were received.

To consider for approval the draft Minutes arising from the Economic Development and Managed Growth Scrutiny Board meeting held on 8^th March 2022.

The Economic Development and Managed Growth Scrutiny Board:

  RESOLVED:

(i)  To agree the Economic Development and Managed Growth Scrutiny Board Draft Minutes arising from the Scrutiny Board meeting held on 8^th March 2022 as a true record.

Cabinet Portfolio Holders (Economy / Environment and Infrastructure / Climate Change, Planning and Housing) will be invited to attend the Scrutiny Board meeting to detail their respective portfolio priorities for the 2022/23 municipal year. REPORT TO FOLLOW

The report before the Scrutiny Board outlined priorities for the 2022/23 Municipal Year of the Leader of the Council (and Cabinet Portfolio Holder for the Economy), Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Environment and Infrastructure and Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Climate Change, Planning and Housing.

Councillor Courts (Cabinet Portfolio Holder for the Economy and Leader of the Council) provided the following highlights from his portfolio for the 2022/23 municipal year:

• The Borough Wide Economic Strategy:  Councillor Courts noted that the Borough Wide Economic Strategy had to be linked and integral to a range of Council policies to be effective.

• HS2: In relation to HS2, City College in conjunction with Balfour Beatty were providing construction skills and training opportunities.

• Town Centres Framework: Seeking to re-purpose town centres in the borough (e.g. retail) to enable the Council to repurpose the High Street, an example being Mell Square.

• Shirley Economic Plan

• Kingshurst Village Redevelopment: Initial site clearance has commenced.

• Chelmsley Wood Town Centre: Represents a longer term project, with improvements and re-purposing of the town centre.

• Arden Cross and HS2:  Multi Storey car park application in place.

• Transport Infrastructure: Seeking to implement better cross-borough transport infrastructure.

• West Midland Combined Authority (WMCA): Seeking to shape the devolution deal and Levelling Up agenda.

• Simon Digby Housing Development Site: Project is being brought forward after 9 years, which is zoned for housing development.  It was important to utilise the brownfield element of the site for housing development.

• Arts and Cultural Sector: Recognised that there are opportunities for residents to access employment and training via this sector (and linked to transport connectivity strategies).

Councillor Mackiewicz (Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Climate Change, Planning and Housing) provided the following highlights from his portfolio for the 2022/23 municipal year:

• Net Zero Action Plan (NZAP): Is in place for 2022.

• New Local Plan: To be implemented 2022/23; to encourage better development and bio-diversity across the borough.

• Retro-Fitting of Houses:  Net Zero homes from 2025, targeting ECP’s down to a B/C rating for residents in Solihull.  Elmdon / Chelmsley Wood Council housing stock; seeking to secure funding to pursue retro-fitting.

• Borough Tree Planting Strategy: To continue to plant indigenous trees only in sympathy with the local environment.

• Wildlife Ways Network: To embed further to maintain bio-diversity and support of the net zero commitment.

• Natural Capital Strategy: Continues to be developed.

Councillor Hawkins (Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Environment and Infrastructure) provided the following highlights from his portfolio for the 2022/23 municipal year:

• SPRINTScheme: Phase 2 – Has links to the Borough Wide Economic Strategy as a barrier to continued economic growth is congestion, which must be addressed.

• Transport: In the West Midlands is a key objective in partnership with the WMCA.

• Modal Shift: And behaviour change towards utilising public transport is recognised as vital.

• Walking and Cycling Strategy: Continue to promote.

• Autonomous Vehicle Trials: SMBC is a leading local authority in this field in the U.K.

Having received the respective Cabinet Portfolio Holder’s presentations and having  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To review progress and implementation of the Borough Economic Strategy.REPORT TO FOLLOW

The report before the Scrutiny Board advised on the commissioning and subsequent progress towards the production of a new Economic Strategy for Solihull and to provide the Board with the opportunity to scrutinise the approach taken and outputs to date.

Ms. Christine Doel (Project Director, SQW) provided Members of the Scrutiny Board with a presentation, through which the following salient points were made:

• There was a requirement through the Borough Wide Economic Strategy to review productivity and growth for the borough, with an awareness of inclusivity.

• The Council was seeking to produce a strategic vision and guiding narrative for:

1)  Regeneration and redevelopment

2)  To reflect the Council’s wider vision (with an emphasis on ‘for all’)

3)  Actions needed to deliver the strategy

·  Development of the strategy is viewed as iterative and divided into three main phases, which are Scoping, Strategic Phases and Actions.

·  Consultants were seeking to provide support to the Council for strategic delivery. To date, scoping and consultation was taking place with a range of stakeholders.

·  The economic evidence for the borough was generally positive.  Rapid economic growth had been evidenced since the inception of the M42 Masterplan regarding (Gross Value Added); however, productivity is less convincing and is not improving substantially.

·  The borough has a good skills profile, particularly for younger people.

·  Unemployment is relatively low.

·  Earnings are better than the national average.

·  Residents enjoy living in the borough.

Identified and known challenges include:

·  The main challenge is the unequal position of deprivation versus affluence across the borough, which the strategy is geared towards addressing.

·  An ageing population, particularly over the next decade.

·  CO²  emissions are worse than the national average, which the Net Zero Action Plan (NZAP) is addressing going forward. The NZAP and the Council Economic Strategy have to fit together in this regard.

·  New business start-up rates are rather low.

The scoping and consultation exercises undertaken to date have demonstrated that:

• Skills training, productivity, inclusive growth and net zero have all been referenced by consultees, which has led to questioning how to advance these themes simultaneously and positively across the three main phases of Scoping, Strategic Phases and Actions.

• Employment opportunities created in the borough must be made available to those who need them via skills training, access opportunities and employment information.

• Planned inward investment has to be directed towards achieving broader outcomes.

• North Solihull has been an economic priority for the Council for a substantial period of time, for which new solutions are required.  There is a recognised link to the public health agenda.

Next steps include identifying risks and uncertainties external to Solihull in order to anticipate and respond to substantial themes, particularly:

• Pace of economic growth nationally and how to drive forward the Council’s 10-year strategy in the national context.

• Net Zero is being embedded locally and regionally, but there is an issue of longer term commitment over the next 10 years in terms of how far forward the continuing commitment will be resourced.

The above  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

Members of the Scrutiny Board to review the Economic Development and Managed Growth Scrutiny Board Work Programme for the 2022/23 municipal year.

The purpose of the report was to provide Members of the Economic Development and Managed Growth Scrutiny Board with reference to the Work Programme for the 2022/23 municipal year. Members were invited to propose additional topics for scrutiny, remove topics and re-prioritise subjects detailed in the Work Programme for the 2022/23 municipal year.

Members were informed that the following requests had been received from SCH and the Economy and Infrastructure Directorate for additional reports outside of the Work Programme 2022/23 to be considered. The requests for additional reports to be scrutinised by the Economic Development and Managed Growth Scrutiny Board were:

• Housing Allocation Scheme Report: Request received from SCH to report to the Economic Development and Managed Growth Scrutiny Board meeting scheduled for 13^th September 2022.

• Council Housing Asset Management Strategy Report: Request received from SCH to report to the Economic Development and Managed Growth Scrutiny Board meeting scheduled for 17^th November 2022.

• Housing Strategy Report: Request received from the Economy and Infrastructure Directorate to report to the Economic Development and Managed Growth Scrutiny Board meeting scheduled for 17^th January 2023.

Having reviewed and discussed the Work Programme 2022/23, the Economic Development and Managed Growth Scrutiny Board:

RESOLVED:

1.  To move ⁴CIL Levy / Section 106 Arrangements Report originally

scheduled for 13^th September 2022 to 17^th January 2023;

2. To consider the Housing Allocation Scheme Report (SCH) on 13^th

September 2022;

3. To consider the Borough Wide Economic Strategy Final Draft

 Report on 13^th September 2022;

4. To receive a briefing via e-mail on ⁵ Town Centres Framework Update

Report, originally scheduled for 13th September 2022 (with Members taking a view prior to the Board meeting as to whether they do take a formal report at the Board meeting on 13^th September 2022);

1.   To receive a report on ⁷ Net Zero Action Plan on 17^th November 2022, with an e-mail update briefing on the Low Carbon Energy Network;

2.  To receive a Council Housing Asset Management Strategy

Report (SCH) on 17^th November 2022; and,

3.  To receive a Housing Strategy Report from the Economy and Infrastructure Directorate on 17^th January 2023.

The Economic Development and Managed Growth Scrutiny Board

meeting closed at 8:13 p.m.