Agenda and minutes

NOTED       that no Member or Officer declared any interest pursuant to any statutory requirement in any matter discussed or voted upon at the meeting.

The Chairman advised that the proceedings were being recorded by the Council and that the meeting was being livestreamed and broadcast from the Civic Suite, Castle House.

AGREED      that the minutes of the meeting held on 24 March 2021 be agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

NOTED       that the Chairman would provide a verbal report at the next meeting of the Committee.

The Committee considered the Forward Plan for the Economic Development Committee for 1 June 2021 to 31 May 2022.

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

(a)     the Forward Plan be noted; and

(b)     an update report on the Newark Beacon be included for consideration at the September 2021 meeting of the Economic Development Committee.  Such report to include information on marketing of the facility.

The Committee considered the report presented by the Director – Planning & Growth in relation to the outcomes of the consultation on the Final Draft Residential Cycle and Car Parking Standards and Design Guide SPD and to adopt a finalised SPD as part of the Local Development Framework.

The report set out that the initial consultation period had been undertaken between September and November 2020.  Following the responses received and the amendments made to the document a further consultation on the final draft SPD was undertaken between January and March 2021.  A copy of the responses received together with the Council’s proposed response were attached as an appendix to the report.  It was reported that since the consultation on the final draft SPD had been undertaken, the County Council had adopted a new Highway Design Guide for both residential and non-residential development, noting that Newark & Sherwood District Council’s final SPD was broadly consistent with Section 4.1 (Residential Parking) of the Highway Design Guide (2021).

In considering the report Members agreed that the document was a robust SPD and was to be welcomed as a way of ensuring appropriate standards throughout the district.  A Member noted that following its adoption a letter would be written to the Planning Inspector who was dealing with the hearing in relation to Eakring Road, Bilsthorpe as the implications of the SPD needed to form part of their considerations. 

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

(a)       the consultation responses within Appendix A be noted;

(b)      the proposed consultation responses within Appendix A be approved; and

(c)       the Residential Cycle and Car Parking Standards and Design Guide SPD as set out in Appendix B be adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document as part of the Newark & Sherwood Local Development Framework.

The Committee considered the report presented by the Director – Planning & Growth in relation to new revenue and capital funding opportunities.

It was reported that since the March 2021 meeting of the Committee, Officers had worked with relevant Members, partners and colleague authorities to progress each opportunity, namely: the Community Renewal Fund (CRF); the Levelling Up Fund (LUF); and the One Public Estate (OPE) Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF) with details of the work undertaken and the latest position for each opportunity provided.

In considering the report a Member queried whether there would be a continuation of the LUF or whether it was only for a set period of time, noting that whilst she supported the bids for the Newark Southern Link Road and the Sherwood area, there were other worthy causes.  In response, the Director advised that at present there were only 2 funding rounds for the LUF.  However, it was understood that future funding opportunities may be available from the UK Prosperity Fund which would be launched in 2022.  He added that it was his belief that unless the Council had an idea of a definite project(s) and they had progressed to a sufficient degree of maturity that it would be unlikely that any submission for funding would be successful.

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

(a)       Members formally support the submission of the Community Renewal Fund bid by Nottinghamshire County Council on or before 18 June 2021;

(b)      Members support the submission of the final Newark Levelling Up Fund Bid for the Southern Link Road (SLR);

(c)       Members support the proposals to progress work to develop a Sherwood Levelling Up Fund bid, including recommending to the Policy & Finance Committee the forward-funding £50,000 of the £125,000 in anticipated receipt of capacity funding in association with round two of the Levelling Up Fund; and

(d)      Members note and welcome the submission of the Brownfield Land Release Fund bid for 32 Stodman Street.

The Committee considered the report presented by the Director – Planning & Growth in relation to the list of exempt business the Committee had considered for the period 27 March 2019 to date.

The report set out a list of the exempt business considered together with the opinion of the report author as to whether the report could now be released into the public domain.

AGREED      (unanimously) that the report be noted with those items which were no longer considered as exempt being released into the public domain.

The Committee considered the report presented by the Business Manager – Financial Services which provided Members with the 2020/21 financial outturn position on the Economic Development Committee’s revenue and capital budgets including: the General Fund (GF) Revenue; and the Capital Programme.

It was reported that the financial outturn position to 31 March 2021 for the Committee’s revenue services was unfavourable with a variance of £0.204m, the reasons for which being detail in Appendix A to the report.  It was also reported that the financial outturn position to 31 March 2021 for the Committee’s capital programme was a favourable variance of £0.326m, of which £0.325m required re-profiling to 2021/2022.  Details of the financial implications would be reported to the Policy & Finance Committee on 24 June 2021.

In considering the report a Member noted the encouraging position of the Newark Lorry Park but queried as to the reason for the negative variant at the Newark Beacon, adding that other workshop were showing a positive variant.  In response, the Chairman stated that the type of business who used the Newark Beacon were often able to work from home and that they had chosen to do so throughout the pandemic.  A further Member referred to the comments of the Business Manager – Asset Facilities & Car Parks at the last meeting of the Committee, adding that it may be beneficial to consider how the Council could vary who utilised the facility. 

The Director – Planning & Growth advised that he would amend the Forward Plan to include a report to the next meeting of the Committee on the Newark Beacon, taking into account the Members comments.

AGREED      (unanimously) that the report be noted.

The Committee considered the report presented by the Director – Planning & Growth in relation to the Newark Towns Fund and associated Town Investment Plan. 

The report set out that following the last meeting of the Committee the Heads of Terms for the Newark Town Deal were formally signed on 20 April 2021.  Details of the Project Confirmation and Business Case Development were detailed in the report together with a table which provided information as to which projects were being progressed through to outline and full business case stage.  Further updates on each project were reported in paragraphs 2.11 to 2.17.

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

(a)       Members noted and welcomed confirmation that Heads of Terms for the Newark Towns Deal had now been signed with Government to allow access to up to £25m of capital funding for the range of Town Investment Plan (TIP) projects detailed at paragraph 2.6 of the report;

(b)      Members endorse the proposed Newark Towns Fund Assurance Framework (June 2021) and recommend to the Policy & Finance Committee that this be adopted by the Council in its role as accountable body for the Newark Towns Fund;

(c)       Members advise of their full support for the YMCA Community & Activity Village to the Policy & Finance Committee, requesting the release of Towns Fund Grant for this project, subject to the satisfaction of the Policy & Finance Committee and s151 Officer that the Full Business Case submitted is in accordance with the Newark Towns Fund Assurance Framework (June 2021); and

(d)      Members welcomed the update on the IAST® Newark as the first of its kind in the UK and recommend to the Policy & Finance Committee that the development of the IASTI® Newark as a Phase 1 of the Newark Gateway redevelopment be supported, subject to necessary due diligence on securing an appropriate long lease of the land and permission for the Lincoln College Group to submit a planning application on the identified phase 1 Gateway site.

The Committee considered the report presented by the Director – Planning & Growth relating to the progress made towards the delivery of the Plan Review in relation to the Allocations and Development Management Policies and also which sought approval to consult in the summer on an Allocations & Development Management Options Report.  The report also sought approval to update the Plan Review Timetable to reflect the aforementioned approach. 

It was reported that the delay to the preparation of the Allocations & Development Management element of the Plan Review had largely been caused by the imposition of the lockdown in response to the pandemic and ongoing difficulties in relation to the identification of potential sites to accommodate additional gypsy and traveller pitches.  It was further reported that the evidence base supporting the Plan Review had been substantially completed and that the new public stage of the process – the Allocations & Development Management Options Report consultation – should take place in the summer 2021.  A table setting out the timetable for the proposed LDF Plan Review was provided at paragraph 4.1.

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

(a)          the progress set out in the report towards producing the Allocations & Development Management Options Report be noted;

(b)          the proposed amended timetable as set out at paragraph 4.1 be adopted and comes into force on 17 June 2021; and

(c)          the Director – Planning & Growth be given delegated authority to finalise and publish for consultation the Allocations & Development Management Options Report following consultation with relevant Ward Members as set out in paragraph 3.3, together with the Chairman, Vice Chairman and Opposition Spokesperson of this Committee and the Members of the Local Development Framework Task Group.

The Committee considered the report presented by the Director – Planning & Growth which provided Members with an update on the Newark High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ).

The report set out the background to the awarding of the fund to the Council which totalled £550,000 with a summary of the projects being reported at paragraph 2.2.  A list of the works commenced was provided together with detailed information in relation to Footfall Sensors; Heritage at Risk and Shop Front Priorities; The Newark HSHAZ Cultural Programme – Newark Creates; Integration with Wider Cultural Activities; and Communications and Promotion of the HSHAZ.  It was reported that the promotion of the HSHAZ would be a key objective in the coming months and that this would include contacting shop owners of heritage at risk buildings and owners of potential shopfront replacements to commence grant scheme discussions.  Community engagement activities would also commence over the summer. 

It was noted that a number of other projects were yet to be developed e.g. feasibility work in the public realm and toolkits for incentivising and encouraging reuse and repurposing of buildings within the HSHAZ area and that an update report would be brought back to Committee later in the year. 

The Director advised that there would be a presentation by the organisation undertaking the footfall monitoring in Newark town centre at the September meeting of the Committee.  He also advised that a site visit had taken place at the Corn Exchange building with the findings thereof being reviewed. 

AGREED      (unanimously) that the Committee noted the information contained within the report.

AGREED      (unanimously) that the Urgency Item in relation to the Newark Levelling-Up Fund – Newark Southern Link Road (SLR) be noted.

AGREED      (unanimously) that the Urgency Item in relation to the Brownfield Land Release Fund – 32 Stodman Street be noted.

AGREED      (unanimously) that the Urgency Item in relation to the Embankment Repair Work Required at Vicar Water Country Park, Clipstone be noted.

To consider resolving that, under section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

That, under section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 3 of part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

The Committee considered the exempt report presented by the Director – Planning & Resources in relation to an update on the Buttermarket.

(Summary provided in according with 100C(2) of the Local Government Act 1972).