Appendix 3

 

Recovery and Renewal Progress Update

 

A Vibrant Economy

Action

Agreed funding

Target Start

Target End

Expected Success

Progress at January 2022

MidKent College Skills Hub

£60,000 Recovery Fund

Sep-21

TBC

Provision of a town centre venue to provide accessible training, careers advice, and employability support for all residents. Courses delivered to a range of participants including book-keeping and computerised accounting, skills development online courses, essential digital skills, certified work skills programmes, food hygiene and employability workshops and support. Courses delivered to a range of participants including bookkeeping and computerised accounting, skills development online courses, essential digital skills, certified work skills programmes, food hygiene and employability workshop and support. With space for ten participants to be physically present in the hub it is envisaged that 208 people would be able to take advantage of the hub for courses and support over 26 weeks.

An SLA is in place between MBC and Mid Kent College. A unit has been identified in the Mall. A budget and programme agreed and partners approached. The Unit will need fitting out and a plan is currently in development.  Estimated opening date April 2022.  With space for ten participants to be physically present in the hub it is envisaged that 416 people would be able to take advantage of the hub for courses and support over 52 weeks.

Invest in industrial and warehouse premises to help de risk new employment sites coming forward

Capital Programme funding

Sep-21

N/A

Projects are identified to invest in and Maidstone is seen and delivers its promise of being open for business, businesses can expand and locate to the Borough.

None identified to date

Vibrant Visitor Economy

£32,000 Business Rates Pool

Jul-21

Jul-23

Maidstone has an enhanced arts and culture offer with increased visitors to key attractions and an increase in footfall in the town centre.

 The job is currently being advertised.

Capacity to develop projects and bids to take advantage of new funding opportunities

£45,000 Recovery Fund

Sep-21

Sep-25

Successful bids and projects completed that meet our priorities.

Levelling Up and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund have yet to be announced by the Government. This is expected in Spring 2022.

Transform the Town Centre through the development and delivery of a town centre strategy.

£175,680 Recovery Fund

Sep-21

TBC

Town Centre Strategy in place by 1 March 2023, projects may begin prior to this. Maidstone town centre becomes a centre of excellence for urban sustainability with a strong focus around arts, culture, leisure and visitor economy creating a place where people want to live, feel safe and which prides itself upon being a town centre which is relevant to all of the Borough’s residents and to which all of the borough’s residents can relate.

Report taken to Service Committees for input to the strategy and scope of work during November 2021 cycle. Work underway the establishment of early projects and resource requirements. Further report to Policy & Resources Committee in March 2022 to seek final agreement to the scope of the Town Centre Strategy, priority/under-pinning workstreams/projects and key associated elements such as governance and engagement’.

 

Responding to Increased Demands arising from COVID-19

Action

Agreed funding

Target Start

Target End

Success

Progress at January 2022

Business Grant Distribution

£30,000 New Burdens Funding

ongoing

 

Maidstone continues to be the business capital of Kent

Two additional staff have been recruited to support the Maidstone Business Boost programme, with 67 discretionary awards made to date totalling just over £1 million