Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED: That all items on the agenda be webcast.

Apologies were noted from Councillors Harper, Hinder and Fissenden. Councillor Hogg sent apologies for lateness.

Councillor Round was present as a substitute for Councillor Hinder.

Councillor Ross was present as a substitute for Councillor Hogg, until Councillor Hogg arrived at 18:34.

There were no visiting members.

There were no disclosures by Members or Officers.

RESOLVED: That items on Part II of the agenda be taken in private as proposed.

RESOLVED: That the minutes (part I) of the meeting held on 25 November 2014 be approved as a correct record and signed.

The Chairman introduced the draft Twilight Economy Review Report. Following the introduction Sam Bailey, Research and Performance Officer, explained that this was the first draft of the Twilight Economy Review Report and it was being presented to the committee for suggested changes to the wording of the text and recommendations.

The following changes were requested by the committee:

·  A new recommendation inserted after Recommendation 4, expanding upon the theme of a ‘champion’ for the Twilight Economy;

·  The section on achieving Business Improvement District status should be more robust, with a greater emphasis on how impressed the committee were with the Canterbury Connected BID;

·  It was mentioned that the Planning Transport and Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee had been impressed with the Croydon BID they had visited and this should be mentioned in the report;

·  The section on achieving BID status should emphasise that achieving BID status would provide a boost not just to the Twilight Economy, but all Maidstone Town Centre businesses;

·  Recommendation 5 should read ‘investigate costs and possibility’; and

·  There should be a separate recommendation after recommendation 7 to refer the issue of the interaction between Park and Ride sites and local bus services in the evening to the Planning, Transport and Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee for consideration in the Integrated Transport Strategy.

Mr Bailey explained that the only Park and Ride service with a local bus route that operated after the Park and Ride site closed was London Road. The last local bus service that served this site was at about 2310. Mr Bailey suggested he could update Recommendation 7 so that it specifically mentioned the Park and Ride site on London Road.

RESOLVED: That the changes outlined above be incorporated in the Twilight Economy Review report, and the final draft be presented to the committee at the meeting on 27 January for approval.

Mr Bailey introduced the Future Work Programme.

Mr Bailey reminded members that there was a scoping meeting for a possible review of Skills and Employability on 5 January 2015. This meeting would take place at 18:30 at the Town Hall. Karen Franek, Abi Lewis and Dawn Hudd had all confirmed that they would be available to attend.

Mr Bailey explained that a representative from Town Centre Management’s Night Time Economy Forum had forwarded a particular concern to the Chairman. The concern was that enforcement action had been taken against a bar for using speakers outside. Whilst this current enforcement issue could not be discussed, and the forum recognised this individual issue was a matter between the proprietor of the bar and the council’s Enforcement and Licensing teams, the forum were concerned that similar action may be taken against other venues in the Town Centre. This could be detrimental to the night time economy.

The committee discussed this and agreed that this item be considered at the meeting in January, so that any recommendations made could be incorporated into the town centre visioning work. For this item, representatives from the Economic Development Team, the Environmental Enforcement Team and Town Centre Management or the Night Time Economy Forum should be invited.

Mr Bailey confirmed that the final Twilight Economy Review Report, incorporating the changes suggested by the committee, would be presented to the committee at the meeting in January.

RESOLVED: That the work programme be agreed subject to the inclusion of an item on the compatibility of the night time economy with having a greater number of residents living in the Town Centre in January 2015.

RESOLVED: That the minutes (part II) of the meeting held on 25 November 2014 be approved as a correct record and signed, subject to the following change: that the word ‘asset’- located on the final bullet point on the Enterprise Hub item on page 2 of the minutes- be changed to ‘facility’.

18:32 to 19:16