Agenda item

Town Centre Task and Finish and Economic Response following COVID-19

To consider the report of the Team Manager Regeneration Opportunities.

Minutes:

Consideration was given to the report of the Team Manager Regeneration Opportunities.

 

At the invitation of the Chair, the Team Manager Regeneration Opportunities presented the report which provided Members with an update on the work of the Task and Finish Group and sought agreement to re-establish the Task and Finish group to continue their work on a Town Centre Strategy.

 

The Officer said in December 2019 the Regeneration Scrutiny approved a report to establish a Town Centre Task and Finish Group with the membership as follows:

 

Councillor Joanna Wilkins

Councillor Keri Rowson

Councillor Wayne Hodgins

Councillor Phil Edwards

Councillor John Morgan

Councillor Lee Parsons

Councillor John Hill

 

The membership ensured that all town centres had representation at a local level, and two meetings of the group were held prior to the Covid lockdown period.

 

In terms of membership of the Group moving forward, the Officer reported that at the Council’s AGM Councillor Joanna Wilkins was appointed Executive Member for Environment and as a result would no longer sit on the Regeneration Scrutiny Committee. 

However, despite this there still remained sufficient representation for the towns across the remaining Members of the Task and Finish Group.

 

The Officer reported that during March the Council was invited by the Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government to submit an application to receive revenue funding support, and each LA across Wales was able to access up to £25,000 through the Welsh Government Transforming Towns programme.  The money was earmarked for spend on possible options which included developing masterplans; digital projects and provisions; community/stakeholder engagement; empty property/enforcement work; green infrastructure audit; place branding.

 

It was therefore proposed to take forward an overall place branding approach for Blaenau Gwent which will be supported by each of the towns and the areas they most want to ‘shout’ about. This would also be supported through the investigation of how a digital approach could support the traditional ‘bricks and mortar’ trading.  Additional to the place branding work, an agreed programme of marketing and communications to support the town centres would be developed and put into action, with support from the Town Centre Forums.

 

The Officer also reported that a Town Centre Business Development Officer had recently been appointed to commence on the 1st November, 2020.  This post would be key in taking forward the work of the Task and Finish Group, and delivery of the Town Centre Strategy; and supporting town centre businesses.

 

The Officer then went through the Options highlighted in the report and confirmed that in advance of the first Task and Finish Group meeting, Members would be provided with a briefing note of previous discussions, along with a short presentation at the start of the meeting to refresh previous discussions and confirm the next steps.  This meeting would also include discussion and agreement on timescales for the Task and Finish Group and reporting of outcomes.

A Member said he welcomed the report, and the appointment of a Town Centre Business Development Officer.  In terms of membership of the Group he said he was happy to represent Abertillery moving forward, with the agreement of Members.

 

The Committee AGREED to recommend that the report be accepted and re-establish the Task and Finish Group (with the existing membership); and recommence their consideration of the Town Centre Strategy. The Group would revisit previous areas considered to ensure that they aligned with any COVID-19 adaptions that may be required, but the focus would be upon the remaining areas not yet discussed with a view towards concluding the work of the Task and Finish Group as soon as possible. (Option 1)

 

Supporting documents: