Issue - meetings

To consider further information on Towns Fund, the short-term actions that would need to be taken to put in place the governance, and the tasks required to prepare a Town Investment Proposal which would seek to secure further investment into Stevenage; and to seek approval of the draft Terms of Reference for a new Town Deal Board and the process to recruit an independent Chair for the Board.

The Strategic Director (TP) advised that the Chair of the Town Deal Board would not be entitled to any remuneration, other than expenses.

In order to reinforce the Council’s decision for culture to be at the heart of the Town Centre Regeneration development, Members supported an additional recommendation that the Executive noted the importance of culture within the Town Deal Fund and the work to develop a Cultural Strategy for Stevenage, and requested officers to consider bringing forward culture-led projects within the emerging Town Deal Investment Plan to enable Stevenage to develop its cultural offer.

It was RESOLVED:

1.         That the release of the Towns Fund prospectus and the steps that would be needed to put in place a Town Deal Board by end of January 2020 and Town Investment Plan by mid-2020 be noted.

2.         That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director (TP), having consulted with the Leader and Portfolio Holder for Environment and Regeneration, to complete a readiness assessment for submission to government by 19 December 2019.

3.         That the draft Terms of Reference for a new Town Deal Board, set out at Appendix B to the report, delegating finalisation of the draft Terms of Reference to the Strategic Director (TP), having consulted with the Leader and Portfolio Holder for Environment and Regeneration, be approved.

4.         That the commencement of an open advertising, recruitment and selection process for an Independent Chair of the Town Deal Board, having consulted other key local stakeholders be approved, finalisation of the recruitment and selection process to be delegated to the Strategic Director (TP), having consulted with the Leader and Portfolio Holder for Environment and Regeneration.

5.         That the importance of local consultation to inform the development of the vision for the Town Deal be noted, and Officers be requested to develop a comprehensive consultation and engagement plan, using existing consultation data and using a co-operative approach to engage with residents, partners, businesses and other stakeholders to help inform the options to be considered through a Town Investment Prospectus.

6.         That the importance of culture within the Town Deal Fund and the work to develop a Cultural Strategy for Stevenage be noted, and that officers be requested to consider bringing forward culture-led projects within the emerging Town Deal Investment Plan to enable Stevenage to develop its cultural offer.

Reason for Decision:  As contained in report; and 6. To ensure that cultural projects are included in the emerging Town Deal Investment Plan.

Other Options considered:  As contained in report.