STOWMARKET TOWN COUNCIL

Transcription

1 STOWMARKET TOWN COUNCIL Minutes of the Meeting of the BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT SUB-COMMITTEE held in the Council Chamber, Milton House, Milton Road South, Stowmarket on Tuesday, 15th July, 2014 at 6.00pm. Present: Councillor Mrs L M Mayes (Chair) Councillors: In attendance: N G K Gowrley N J Rozier Mrs A E Whybrow D S Whybrow Mr D Blackburn (Town Clerk) Ms M L Marshall (Deputy Town Clerk) Mr G Markwell (Public Services Manager) Mr J Pattle (Trustee, Red Gables) (Minute 8 refers) 1 APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRMAN RESOLVED: That Councillor L M Mayes be appointed Chair of the Sub- Committee for 2014/15. 2 APPOINTMENT OF VICE_CHAIRMAN RESOLVED: That Councillor B J Salmon be appointed Vice-Chair of the Sub-Committee for 2014/15. 3 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND SUBSTITUTES Councillor B J Salmon had submitted an apology for absence. 4. DECLARATIONS OF PECUNIARY AND NON-PECUNIARY INTERESTS Councillor N G K Gowrley declared a non-pecuniary interest in Minute No. 19/1314, Accommodation for Mid-Suffolk, of the Minutes of the Previous Meeting by reason of being a Trustee of Mid-Suffolk CAB. 5. DISPENSATIONS FOR DISCLOSABLE PECUNIARY INTERESTS There were none. 6. MINUTES RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 14 th January 2014, be approved and signed as a correct record.

2 7. EXCLUSION OF THE PRESS AND PUBLIC RESOLVED: That by virtue of the provision of section 1 (2) of the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 the public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting on the grounds that publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest by virtue of the confidential nature. 8. RED GABLES The Sub-Committee received a report from the Town Clerk, (BISC/01/1415, copy of report on file), and Mr J Pattle provided an update on behalf of the Trustees regarding the operation of Red Gables and efforts being made to increase the occupancy levels within the building. Members of the Sub-Committee indicated that the Town Council would be prepared to discuss with the Trustees, participation in the future day to day operation of the Old Library should this be helpful in the future. RESOLVED: That the Town Clerk continues to liaise with the Trustees of Red Gables over the future use of the buildings and site. 9. IMPROVEMENTS TO THE MARKET PLACE The Sub-Committee received a report from the Public Services Manager, (BISC/02/1415, copy of report on file), on the feasibility of introducing a dedicated Wi-Fi zone within the Market Place and surrounding public space. The potential benefits for local businesses and customers were considered by the Sub-Committee along with the cost implications of the initiative both in terms of the initial installation and the ongoing revenue costs. Members of the Sub-Committee endorsed the initiative as being a positive step forward for the town centre, regardless of any further benefits that the initiative might provide in supporting local marketing initiatives and providing management information to enable shopping patterns to be profiled. RESOLVED: a. That the installation and provision of free Wi-Fi in the town centre be supported in principle; and b. That the technical aspects of the proposal and opportunities for mitigating the ongoing costs of providing Wi-Fi be explored in more detail, and a formal proposal be submitted to the Operations and Services Committee in due course. 10. OUTSIDE SEATING IN THE MARKET PLACE The Sub-Committee received the report of the Public Services Manager (BISC/03/1415, a copy of report on file) and considered an outline proposal to permit the provision of outside seating by a local café in the Market Place. It was noted that the use of the Market Place would support the development of a café culture in the town centre which could prove to be attractive to local shoppers and visitors to the town. It was indicated that the initiative would require significant investment by the proprietor of the café and should

3 permission be granted by the Town Council, the length of that agreement would need to be over a sufficient period that would enable the proprietor to generate extra business to recover their costs. Members suggested that although the permission for the first year could be at a reduced rate in comparison with other hire charges for the Market Place, it should be at a level that was above a basic peppercorn rent. On balance, a starting date of Easter 2015 was considered appropriate, as it would provide the opportunity for the proposals to be developed in more detail by the business proprietor and Town Council. RESOLVED: That the siting of an outside seating area in the Market Place be approved in principle and a detailed proposal be submitted to the Operations and Services Committee, as soon as practicable. 11. PROJECT GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK The Town Clerk reported on the preparation of a Project Governance Framework and invited Members of the Sub-Committee to comment upon its contents (BISC/04/1415, copy of report on file). The proposed document applied some of the learning that had arisen from recent Town Council projects. The governance arrangements had been developed to reflect the scale and complexity of projects and to clarify the roles and responsibilities of Members and staff. The over-arching framework was endorsed by the Sub-Committee in providing greater clarity with regard to the Town Council s project governance arrangements. It was suggested that a business case should be prepared and a post-implementation review conducted of all projects and that these amendments should be made to the draft document. The Town Clerk reported that the preparation of the framework had been raised at a recent meeting of the Risk Management Committee and it had been noted that the item would be presented to the Business Improvement Sub-Committee for consideration. RECOMMENDED TO OPERATIONS AND SERVICES COMMITTEE: That the Project Governance Framework be approved and adopted, subject to the amendments identified by the Sub-Committee (as stated above in the preamble to the minute). 12. CORPORATE PLAN STAKEHOLDER AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT The Town Clerk referred to the development of the draft version of the Town Council s Corporate Plan (BISC/05/1415, a copy of report on file). It was noted that a Corporate Planning Event had been held involving Members, managers and representatives of the Suffolk Association of Local Councils. This had enabled some significant strategic issues to be considered relating to the development of the town, provision of amenities and the Town Council s offer of services to people of all ages. Members considered the proposed methods of consultation outlined within the report and suggested that consultation might be widened to include the

4 Councillors in the Market Place, the Member of Parliament and the Stowmarket High School. It was noted that the Draft Corporate Plan would be submitted to Council prior to the commencement of consultation with stakeholders and the public. Following consultation, it was hoped that the Corporate Plan could be finalised prior to the end of RESOLVED: That the report be noted and the proposals for community consultation raised at the meeting, be used as the basis for stakeholder and public engagement regarding the contents of the Draft Corporate Plan. 13. STOWMARKET TOWN COUNCIL PROMOTION The Town Clerk explained a proposal to produce a short film about Stowmarket Town Council (BISC/06/1415, a copy of report on file). A common area of confusion amongst the public was its understanding of the roles of the County, District and Town Councils. A film which clarified the contribution that the Town Council made to the town and its areas of responsibility could create greater public awareness. The film could be hosted on the Town Council s website, used on social media and attached to s. It was possible to produce it in such a way, that it would remain relevant for the life of the next Town Council from 2015 to 2019 with minor editing. The proposal could offer better value for money than press advertising which was instantly disposable. The Sub-Committee gave consideration to the idea and it was suggested that a film promoting the town and local economy to potential employers would be a very positive step for Stowmarket. A second film could be produced that promoted the Town Council and explained the provision of local government services. The consensus was that both films should be high quality, professional productions so that they conveyed positive messages to their audiences. However, a further film could be made by young people in the town to promote StowFiesta which might have a more edgy feel. Such a film had the potential to use social media effectively to expand the appeal of the event. RECOMMENDED TO OPERATIONS AND SERVICES COMMITTEE: That the proposal be endorsed in principle subject to further enquiries into the costs of producing the proposed films. 14. STOWMARKET TOWN AWARDS The Town Clerk provided an update on the Stowmarket Town Awards (BISC/07/1415, a copy of report on file). A main sponsor and category sponsors had been obtained generating income of over 5,000 towards the costs of the event. Positive coverage had been obtained within the local media through the Town Council s partnership with the East Anglian Daily Times and the Stowmarket Mercury. A Judging Panel comprising the Town Mayor, the main sponsor which was PPG, a representative of the Lions (or Rotary Club) and a representative from the Stowmarket Mercury would determine the category winners and also the recipients of Gold and Silver Awards. The Town Clerk indicated that

5 the financial projections for income and expenditure for the inaugural awards event were close to those that had been forecast. However, given the profile of the event, the Town Clerk indicated that it was possible that a minor overspend might be incurred to ensure that the event reflected positively on the town and the Town Council. RESOLVED: That the progress report on the Stowmarket Town Awards be received and noted. The meeting ended at 8.25pm. CHAIRMAN