Interview with;

Zena Cooke, Director of Regeneration and Communities;

Sarah Robson, Community Partnerships Manager; and

John Taylor, Chairman of Economic Development and Regeneration Delivery Group.

The Chairman welcomed Zena Cooke, Director of Regeneration and Communities, Sarah Robson, Community Partnerships Manager and John Taylor, Chairman of Economic Development and Regeneration LSP Delivery Group to the meeting, and invited them to present the delivery group update to the Committee.

Ms Cooke summarised that Overview and Scrutiny played an important role in holding the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) to account, the update informed the Committee of the progress made by the group and its planned future activity.

Ms Cooke explained that the LSP Board had five delivery groups, and that the past twelve months had seen radical changes in the way they approached issues. Over the past year the sub groups and their memberships had been established as well as the priorities and outcomes they were seeking to achieve. The priorities, outcomes and actions will be considered by the LSP Board in March 2011. In answer to a question Ms Cooke stated that this structure was different to the previous LSP, which had been considered too large to operate effectively.

The Chairman asked how the membership was formed, and whether there were any funding issues. Ms Cooke informed the Committee that in each delivery group there are representatives from throughout the Borough that hold influential roles in different sectors and gave examples, indicating that this was considered to be the LSP’s strength. She explained that each group had a support officer from within the Council, along with a Cabinet Member to ensure continuity. The Chairman of each delivery group was not from the Council in order to promote better partnership working and ownership and by default that Chairman is then a Member of the LSP Board. Ms Cooke stated that the LSP does not hold a budget. However, at the end of last financial year they had received approximately £250,000 as an LSP in Performance Reward Grant. The Board decided to use this to fund community based projects. Ms Cooke highlighted that there were few bids relative to economic development and regeneration, however the ‘Time Banking’ project in Parkwood had made a successful bid and received funding. In answer to a question Ms Cooke informed the Committee that ‘resource mapping’ had been undertaken to collate information and identify public sector spending across the Borough. A final draft of this had recently been received and a workshop will be held to validate the information and then used to support the Board in discussions to decide where to direct spending over the next twelve months and beyond.

In answer to a question, Mr Taylor informed the Committee that many businesses including Invicta Chamber of Commerce, Network Rail, KCC, MBC, are required to work together to create a strong influence over rail services in Maidstone. The Chairman asked for Mr Taylor’s opinion on whether Maidstone was well placed to get out of the recession. Mr Taylor informed the Committee that in comparison to the rest of Kent a recent report from the Federation of Small Businesses indicated that Maidstone was doing well. A further document related to this from the Chamber of Commerce showing statistics from surveys was scheduled for the meeting of the Chamber Board on Thursday 24 February 2011, after which time the Council will receive it. The Committee welcomed this and suggested the Leader of the Council should be made aware of this information.

The Committee agreed to receive quarterly updates from the LSP on the progress and outcomes from the Economic Development Regeneration Delivery Group, and for the Committee to consider liaising with the LSP for ideas for the 2011/12 future work programme.

Resolved:  That the officers and Mr Taylor be thanked for the information and it be recommended that: 

a)  The LSP Economic Development and Regeneration Delivery Group provide quarterly updates to the Committee; and

b)  The document from the Invicta Chamber of Commerce be circulated to the Committee following the meeting of the Chamber Board on Thursday 24 February 2011.