Agenda for Economic Development & Culture Committee on Thursday, 19th June, 2014, 4.00pm

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Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Hove Town Hall

Contact: Penny Jennings  Democratic Services Officer

Items
No. Item

1.

Procedural Business

    (a)   Declaration of Substitutes: Where Councillors are unable to attend a meeting, a substitute Member from the same Political Group may attend, speak and vote in their place for that meeting.

     

    (b)  Declarations of Interest:

     

    (a)         Disclosable pecuniary interests not registered on the register of interests;

    (b)         Any other interests required to be registered under the local code;

    (c)         Any other general interest as a result of which a decision on the matter might reasonably be regarded as affecting you or a partner more than a majority of other people or businesses in the ward/s affected by the decision.

     

    In each case, you need to declare

    (i)           the item on the agenda the interest relates to;

    (ii)         the nature of the interest; and

    (iii)       whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest or some other interest.

     

    If unsure, Members should seek advice from the committee lawyer or administrator preferably before the meeting.

     

    (c)   Exclusion of Press and Public: To consider whether, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, or the nature of the proceedings, the press and public should be excluded from the meeting when any of the following items are under consideration.

     

    NOTE:  Any item appearing in Part Two of the Agenda states in its heading the category under which the information disclosed in the report is exempt from disclosure and therefore not available to the public.

     

    A list and description of the exempt categories is available for public inspection at Brighton and Hove Town Halls.

    Decision:

     

    1a        Declaration of Substitutes

     

    1.1         .Councillor Jones was in attendance in substitution for Councillor Deane, Councillor Mears was in attendance in substitution for Councillor Smith and Councillor K Norman was in attendance in substitution for Councillor C Theobald.

     

    1b       Declarations of Interest

     

    1.2       There were none.

     

    1c        Exclusion of the Press and Public

     

    1.3       In accordance with Section 100A of the Local Government Act (“The Act”), the Economic Development and Culture Committee considered whether the public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any item of business on the grounds that it is likely in view of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public were present during it, there would be disclosure to them of confidential information as defined in Section 100A(3) of the Act.

     

    1.4       RESOLVED – That the press and public not be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any item on the agenda.

    Minutes:

     

    1a        Declaration of Substitutes

     

    1.1       Councillor Jones was in attendance in substitution for Councillor Deane. Councillor Mears was in attendance in substitution for Councillor Smith and Councillor K Norman was in attendance in substitution for Councillor C Theobald.

     

    1b       Declarations of Interest

     

    1.2       There were none.

     

    1c        Exclusion of the Press and Public

     

    1.3       In accordance with Section 100A of the Local Government Act (“The Act”), the Economic Development and Culture Committee considered whether the public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any item of business on the grounds that it is likely in view of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public were present during it, there would be disclosure to them of confidential information as defined in Section 100A(3) of the Act.

     

    1.4       RESOLVED – That the press and public not be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any item on the agenda.

2.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 162 KB

    To consider the minutes of the meeting held on 23 January 2014 (copy attached).

    Minutes:

    2.1       RESOLVED - That theChair be authorised to sign the minutes of the meeting held on 23 January 2014 as a correct record.

3.

Chair's Communications

    Minutes:

    3.1       The Chair explained that although he would be referring to a few highlights as part of his communications a full text in respect of recent and upcoming events would be recorded in the substantive minutes of the meeting

     

    Peter Pan’s Site

     

    3.2       The Chair reported that the proposed Brighton Bathing Pavilion development on the Peter Pan’s site has been withdrawn by Karma Resorts. There had been great disappointment at Karma’s inability to agree standard commercial terms which were readily accepted by developers accustomed to the UK marketplace. Brighton & Hove City Council had appointed Karma in 2012 based on its apparent commitment to complete a comprehensive development of the site, comprising five pavilions - an indoor and outdoor children’s club, a year-round spa and health centre, a beach club and restaurant, an outdoor swim and bathing area and a member’s club. The Council selected Karma based on its exciting concepts and had been patiently working with them ever since.

     

    3.3       In practice however, all Karma had been prepared to commit to building was the restaurant, which quite simply fell well short of the comprehensive leisure scheme which was the basis for Karma’s appointment. The council would be embarking on a new marketing exercise for the site in July with a view to appointing a preferred developer as soon as possible.

     

    Volk’s Railway

     

    3.4       Brighton & Hove City Council had achieved a successful first round bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to restore the historic Volk’s Railway and provide new and upgraded facilities. Following this initial success, the council would now be drawing up detailed plans to submit to the HLF for round two next year. As long as plans had progressed satisfactorily and according to the original proposal, an award for the project was confirmed. The total amount of funding would be around £1.5 million and the project was expected to be finished in 2017.

     

    New Library for Woodingdean

     

    3.5       The new library in Woodingdean had opened on 2 June in a combined development with a new medical centre.  At the launch event the well known author and local resident Lynne Truss had talked about the importance of reading and libraries for local communities.  The library was open more hours a week than the previous one – as well as being bigger and offering better facilities. The library had a good range of books, DVDs, toys and computers, with a special focus on health information and well-being activities. The Library and Medical Centre had already worked together to provide a sensory garden for the new building. The library also had a computer suite and meeting rooms for activities, with an out of hours’ entrance to maximise community use

     

    Tourism Advisory Board

     

    3.6       A meeting had been held in May and the working group were working through the agreed work streams. The Chair & Vice Chair were looking to create an independent identity for this body which was slightly removed from the LA.

     

    Convention Sales

     

    3.7       The Chair confirmed that currently 31 City Conferences had been confirmed by conference sales for 2014/15.In last financial year Apr 13 – Mar 14 148 enquiries had been dealt with (20% in increase from Apr 12 – Mar 13) with a potential economic benefit of £72m and had converted 54 enquiries (36% conversion) which will bring £36m of economic benefit on their arrival into the City. Bookings had been made for 14,300 room nights for delegates worth £1.18 million.

     

    City Marketing

     

    The Mini Rough Guideto Brighton & Hove

     

    3.8       105,000 copies had been printed in March and these had proved to be extremely popular.

     

    Press Trips and Coverage

     

    3.9       So far this year the council had already hosted 45 journalists from the UK and Overseas. So far this year £1.5 million worth of coverage had been logged on Brighton & Hove.

     

    Campaigns

     

    3.10    The Council had continued to work closely with VisitBritain and Visit England on a number of national campaigns including City Breaks, Coastal Escapes, Accessibility and LGBT. This had gained us coverage in the Metro, Time Out, The Telegraph and the Express. In addition the Council had worked closely with Pan Macmillan to support the release of the 10th Roy Grace detective novel by Peter James. This work had included hotel book promotion and the provision of special offers on the dedicated Peter James microsite.

     

    3.11    Close collaboration had taken place with our colleagues in the Royal Pavilion and Museums team to support the activity surrounding the WW1 commemorations. We had hosted press trips from two of India’s main newspapers to highlight the links between Brighton & India specifically the use of the Royal Pavilion as an Indian Military Hospital.

     

    Online Marketing

     

    3.12    To date there had over 630,000 unique visits to the website, this was marginally (5%) down compared to the same period last year. However work on building our consumer database was ongoing and currently approximately 40,000 people had subscribed to our monthly newsletters with an average open rate of 25%. The social media fan base continued to grow, and we now had over 12,000 likes on Facebook and over 16,500 followers on Twitter. Downloads of our app had exceeded 25,000.The LGBT section of the website had been updated and extended - http://www.visitbrighton.com/gay-brighton - the section is now one of the main tabs on the menu bar and includes accommodation and nightlife details as well as advice for couples looking to get married in the city.

     

    Visitor Services

     

    Visitor Information Points

     

    3.13    There were now 14 Visitor Information Points (VIPs) around the city, four new ones had gone live at Easter, at Brighton Station Travel Centre; Grosvenor Casino; Amsterdam Hotel; and Oh So Swedish (craft gallery on the beach just east of pier).  VIP at BC Box Office fully functional and able to make same day accommodation bookings, plus sell discounted attraction tickets, and rail/coach tickets throughout the UK.

     

    City Champions

     

     3.14   This initiative had been at Easter weekend, eight volunteers had been engaged who were committed to the scheme and have been able to offer a presence at either the station or around the Pavilion/Gardens at weekends. Feedback received from them so far had been very positive with visitors very appreciative of the on-street presence and extra help available.

     

    RTPI award

     

    3.14    The Chair explained that the ground breaking work that the City Council had been undertaking with other local authorities along the Sussex Coast in developing a framework for planning and investment had been recognised in that the work had been shortlisted for a national planning award. The “Local Strategic Statement for Coastal West Sussex and Greater Brighton” had been short-listed for a Royal Town Planning Institute Award for Planning Excellence in the category “Innovative Planning Practice in Plan-making”. The award ceremony would take place in London, on Monday, 23 June.

     

    Pride GVP

     

    3.15    The Chair Stated that the St James Street Village Party had begun life as a small grassroots event supported by both the LGBT and business community, it was the perfect post-Pride celebration. Traditionally It had not been organised by Pride or the council, but a grouping of local business under the name GVP (gay Village Party). In 2013 approximately 35,000 people had attended the area during the party period; swamping the area and its public houses. This volume of attendees was extremely unsafe and acceptable thresholds around community safety and community relations were breached. The amount of glass and debris significantly impeded and delayed site clearance. Petty theft, assault and homophobic abuse were also reported and had been difficult to manage in an excessively crowded environment. Disruption and inconvenience to local residents had also been a recurring problem and this needed to be better addressed and their welfare given proper consideration. Significant concerns had also been raised by local businesses, the police, the fire service, Brighton and Hove City Council and local residents. It is widely recognised that the event cannot continue in its current format.

     

    3.16    In response to this at the Committees’ meeting on 14 November 2013  it had agreed that the council would work with Pride CIC to ensure the future of the Street Party; with the explicit intention of creating a safe and welcoming event, focussed on Pride and community fundraising. Following extensive consultation with the council, the police and local businesses, Pride CIC had produced a proposal titled, ‘Reclaiming the Street Party for the LGBT community’ which aims to create an event that will achieve better outcomes for attendees, businesses and local residents. This proposal, supported by an officers’ report, was discussed and agreed at the spokes meeting – delegating authority to the Assistant Chief Executive to sign off final details which will be subject to ongoing development and change as consultation with businesses, communities and the safety advisory group progresses. Reflecting the scale and complexity of the event this would be a trial year and whist the lead organisers of the event would be Brighton Pride CIC this would be a joint project delivered in partnership with the City Council. Should the event prove both successful and sustainable it could be fully lead and managed by Pride CIC in future years. The proposal was for St. James Street and part of Marine Parade (in essence the area from ‘Legends’ public house to ‘Charles Street’ public house) to be enclosed to create a specific event space for the PVP on Saturday evening (between 18.00hrs and 01.00 hrs) and Sunday afternoon (between 14.00 to 20.00hrs).On Saturday this would require the A259 to be closed (with traffic diverted along Edward Street) and one lane of the A23 at the end of St James’ Street also to be closed. Road closures for Sunday would include the A259 as above but not the A23 (to be confirmed and agreed by the Safety Advisory Group).The key aspects of this new version of the PVP were:

     

    ·         A ticketed event (£5 for two days - £1 to Rainbow Fund)

    ·         An enclosed event

    ·         A ‘glass free’ event (only plastic drinking vessels allowed)

    ·         Participants will be required to purchase and wear wristbands to enable access and the purchase of alcohol

    ·         Residents and businesses to be provided with free wristbands for identification and to enable access and egress.

     

    3.17    Ticketing aimed to reduce the excessive number of attendees and enable better stewardship and improve safety. It will also require active decisions by those wishing to participate rather than being an attraction to any passer by; in turn this will deter those from attending whose attitude is less than supportive of the LGBT community and/or those attended solely to commit crime. Additional work is underway with the Police to address any possible displacement disorder the ticketed event might generate. The Chair, stated:

     

    “Over the years the Pride Street Party has become more and more problematic – especially for residents. Uncontrolled access and irresponsible attitudes to alcohol have turned what should be a celebration into something of a headache and, for some, a nightmare. The old format was unsustainable and has to change if the Street Party is be transformed into a safe environment for partygoers, residents and local businesses.

     

    “Everyone needs to get behind the new approach and fully support Pride CIC’s efforts to manage the Street Party effectively to return it to an enjoyable and unique event. I hope that this one-year trial proves to be a success. If there isn’t a hundred percent support, particularly from the business community, the whole of the Pride Festival weekend could be put in jeopardy. Without sounding too dramatic, the reputation of the city as a safe place to visit is at stake.”

     

    The Great Escape

     

    3.18    The Great Escape is now in it’s 9th year in the city – and it was the most successful yet.  It sold out all its tickets and delegate passes before the festival began despite adding more venues and therefore tickets.

     

    §  400 bands played in 35 venues across the city in the main festival plus 50 fringe events organised by smaller local promoters and a series of free ‘street gigs’ all over the city.

    §  The conference was attended by 2000 music industry professionals with talks at the Duke at Komedia and the Old Courthouse.

    §  Made in Brighton (the council’s music industry support initiative) hosted the welcome party featuring unsigned local bands at the new festival audience hub, the Spiegeltent.

    §  Through the Made in Brighton partnership Soundcity (the music education hub) took part in the main festival programme with some of our young musicians playing to an industry audience.

    §  Soundcity also took part in a seminar as part of the main conference programme alongside a representative from Universal Records and Arts Council England to discuss what could be gained from closer working between music education and the music industry.

     

    Brighton Fringe

     

    3.19    The Brighton Fringe had run for 4 weeks until the 1 June and had featured 740 events in 185 different venues across the city and close to 4,000 performances. Early indications were that audiences had remained steady and possibly grown slightly for 2014.For the first time this year there had been an arts industry showcase, "WINDOW" (funded by Arts Council England), where 20 shows were selected and highlighted to national and international promoters – doubling the number of arts industry professionals attending the festival. The Fringe had also organised a series of professional development programme events aimed at artists and arts companies.The Warren had continued to grow its programme with 3 pop up performance spaces in the Wagner Hall near Churchill Square and the Spiegeltent had returned – now under new local management with a much more diverse programme with a wider appeal – from tea dances to international cabaret and special big events from local arts companies. The last week of the festival had featured the B:FEST – the youth arts festival for the city organised by Brighton Youth Centre and partners across the city. The quality of these events continued to grow, as did the touring opportunities for performers with some 250 shows transferring to the Edinburgh Fringe and elsewhere after the end of May. The head of the Fringe had been invited onto the jury of the National Arts Festival of South Africa in July and the Amsterdam Fringe in September.

     

    Brighton Festival

     

    3.20    This year’s Brighton Festival featured 448 performances and 147 events in 34 venues across the city. In total there were 37 premieres, exclusives and co-commissions and 26 free events. The festival was at 80% capacity across the city and had been guest directed by Hofesh Shechter. The 80th birthday of legendary composer Sir Harrison Birtwistle had been celebrated with a series of events, headlined by a revival of his 1969 Brighton Festival commission Down by the Greenwood Side. 5,000 children from 83 schools and Community groups across the region took part in the annual Children’s parade in the opening weekend. One of Festival’s biggest hits had been William Forsythe’s interactive chorographic installation Nowhere and Everywhere at the Same time, no.2 in Circus Street Market with more than 12 500 visitors dancing in the piece during the three week period - a video documenting its installation attracted 60 000 views.543 people had shared their happy memories of Brighton as part of the interactive project Bring The Happy by Invisible Flock. 60 local young people had joined the cast of the dazzling free outdoor production at Black Rock, One Million. YinkaShonibare MBE’s dramatic site-specific 10, 000 book installation The British Library had been created with the help of over 60 volunteers drawn from the local community and had been so successful it had been extended by another week. This had been a co-commission with House – the curated visual arts festival that ran as part of Brighton Festival. The international performance showcase Caravan had also took place within the Brighton Festival.

     

    The Brighton Music Walk of Fame’

     

    30.21  This had been launched on Tuesday 17th June. It was a unique interactive street exhibition celebrating Brighton’s music history paying tribute to the many artists, DJ’s & subculture’s closely associated with the city over the past five decades. 40 names featured in the exhibition would be displayed as a trail of pavement graphics represented in the form of vinyl albums along the south side promenade of Madeira Drive. The Music Walk of Fame has been created by David Courtney, a local musician.

     

    Seafront Scrutiny

     

    30.22  The cross party Scrutiny Panel of Cllrs Mitchell, Brown and Davey had primarily been investigating the requirement for substantial investment into the Seafront infrastructure. The panel had concluded their evidence gathering from a wide range of witnesses including council officers with a responsibility for aspects of the Seafront, Seafront traders and most recently the Tourism Advisory Board. The Panel was now considering its findings and was intending to publish its report and recommendations later in the year.

     

    Brighton & Hove Healthwalks

     

    3.23    Brighton & Hove Healthwalks had won one of this year’s Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS). The Award had been given in recognition of the huge role that volunteers played in leading Healthwalks which provide regular opportunities for local residents to take part in physical activity.

     

    Heritage Lottery Fund

     

    3.24    As Members were aware the application to HLF for the Royal Pavilion Estate had not been successful for a round one development grant at this stage. Only six out of the seventeen applications made had been granted stage one funds. The HLF officers have explained that their Board of Trustees had to take decisions on more projects than the available budget would allow and our application was rejected due to insufficient funds. However the feedback received had been very positive and in particular HLF considered that the project did qualify for support but demand for their funds meant that they could not support every good application that achieved the outcomes of the major grants programme. The Board noted the high heritage importance of the estate and agreed that need had been clearly demonstrated. HLF clearly understand the Masterplan vision and they endorse and support it and welcomed the prospect of an integrated offer for visitors within a more unified Royal Pavilion Estate. Officer from RPM and BD&BF are now entering discussions with HLF to see what the best options are for taking the project forward in terms of reapplying to HLF for the funding streams available. The options are to break the project into different elements and either apply for regional level funding or national level funding. In order to fulfil the vision for the Estate there are other funding applications to other bodies already in the pipeline. I will be keeping this committee informed of the discussions which will take place on the best way to proceed with the project and securing funding to fulfil our vision for the Royal Pavilion Estate.

     

    2.35    RESOLVED - That the content of the Chair’s Communications be received and noted.

4.

Call Over

    (a)               Items (x – x) will be read out at the meeting and Members invited to reserve the items for consideration.

     

    (b)               Those items not reserved will be taken as having been received and the reports’ recommendations agreed.

    Decision:

    Items---and--were agreed without discussion.

    Minutes:

    4.1       All items on the agenda were called for discussion.

5.

Public Involvement pdf icon PDF 51 KB

    To consider the following matters raised by members of the public:

     

    (a)      Petitions: to receive any petitions presented to the full council or at the meeting itself – report of the Head of Law (copy attached)

    (b)      Written Questions: to receive any questions submitted by the due date of 12 noon on 10 June 2014;

    (c)      Deputations: to receive any deputations submitted by the due date of 12 noon on 10 June 2014 – report of the Head of Law (copy attached).

    Additional documents:

    Decision:

    5a        Petitions

     

    5.1       Two petitions had been received as set out below:

     

    (i)         Hove Park Ward Neighbourhood Forum

     

                      Referred from the meeting of Council held on 27 March 2014.

     

              “We the undersigned want a Neighbourhood Forum set up just for Hove Park ward, including our current and potential development sites, Hove Park, Hove Rec, The Copse, allotments and Nevill playing fields. We object to Hove Stations Foum’s area plans.

     

    Hove Park Forum will protect and enhance our area and work to ensure a neighbourhood plan represents the views of the residents who live here.”(797signatures)

     

    The Chair, Councillor Bowden permitted Councillor Bennett who had presented the petition at Council to speak for 3 minutes in support of the petition it was noted that it was intended that a report in respect of this matter would be brought to the next meeting of the Committee scheduled to take place on 18 September 2014.

     

    The Chair, Councillor Bowden responded in the following terms:

     

    RESOLVED – That the contents of the petition be received and noted.

     

    (ii)        Stanmer Park - Heritage Lottery Funding Application

     

    Referred from the meeting of Council held on 8 May 2014

     

    5.5      Stanmer Village residents and businesses ask that no bid be submitted by B&HCC to the Heritage Lottery Fund Parks for People until a satisfactory agreement is reached with us in writing on future parking in  the village for our visitors and ourselves. Further that a commitment be written into the bid that adequate community space will be offered in the Home Farm complex to the Stanmer Village Residents’ Association to replace the council-owned Victoria Rooms lost in 2007 after 54 years of use.”

     

    It was noted that this petition had been withdrawn as it had been agreed with the petitioner and the Chair of that Committee that it would be more appropriate for the matter to be considered at the meeting of the Environment and Transport Committee to be held on 1 July 2014.

     

    RESOLVED - That the position be  noted.

    Minutes:

    5a        Petitions

     

    5.1       Two petitions had been received as set out below:

     

    (i)         Hove Park Ward Neighbourhood Forum

     

                      Referred from the meeting of Council held on 27 March 2014.

     

              “We the undersigned want a Neighbourhood Forum set up just for Hove Park ward, including our current and potential development sites, Hove Park, Hove Rec, The Copse, allotments and Nevill playing fields. We object to Hove Stations Forum’s area plans.

     

    Hove Park Forum will protect and enhance our area and work to ensure a neighbourhood plan represents the views of the residents who live here.”(797signatures)

     

    The Chair, Councillor Bowden permitted Councillor Bennett who had presented the petition at Council to speak for 3 minutes in support of the petition it was noted that it was intended that a report in respect of this matter would be brought to the next meeting of the Committee scheduled to take place on 18 September 2014.

     

    The Chair, Councillor Bowden responded in the following terms:

     

    RESOLVED – That the contents of the petition be received and noted.

     

    (ii)        Stanmer Park - Heritage Lottery Funding Application

     

    Referred from the meeting of Council held on 8 May 2014

     

    5.2      Stanmer Village residents and businesses ask that no bid be submitted by B&HCC to the Heritage Lottery Fund Parks for People until a satisfactory agreement is reached with us in writing on future parking in  the village for our visitors and ourselves. Further that a commitment be written into the bid that adequate community space will be offered in the Home Farm complex to the Stanmer Village Residents’ Association to replace the council-owned Victoria Rooms lost in 2007 after 54 years of use.”

     

    It was noted that this petition had been withdrawn as it had been agreed with the petitioner and the Chair of that Committee that it would be more appropriate for the matter to be considered at the meeting of the Environment and Transport Committee to be held on 1 July 2014.

     

    RESOLVED - That the position be noted.

     

    5b       Written Questions

     

    5.3       There were none.

     

    5c        Deputations

     

    5.4       It was noted that one Deputation had been received at the meeting of Council held on 27 March 2014. It was noted that as Mr Hancox had had the opportunity to speak at Council its contents and the response given by the Leader of the Council at that meeting would be received and noted.

     

                The Deputation was set out in the following terms:

     

                Hove Park Neighbourhood Forum

     

    Mr Hancox – Chair of the proposed Hove Park Ward Neighbourhood Forum:

     

    “I am informed that the committee intends to consider applications for the establishment of both the Hove Station and Hove Park Ward Neighbourhood Forums and Areas at the Economic and Culture Committee in June.

     

    We will be asking the committee to reject the application of the proposed Hove station Area as it includes part of the Proposed Hove Park Ward Neighbourhood Forum and Area for the following reasons:

     

    i) The Hove Station and Hove Park Ward areas are wholly different in that the Station Area comprises a densely developed Victorian and Edwardian city-centre neighbourhood whereas the Hove Park Ward Area is a mainly low density inter-war and post-war suburban neighbourhood. They also have differing demographies in terms of age and geographical mobility.

     

    ii) The two neighbourhoods are geographically separated by the railway: presumably the reason why the Boundary Commission fixed the boundary on this alignment.

     

    iii) At the Hove Station Forum public meeting of 17 January 2014, a substantial number of Hove Park Ward residents attending emphasised that they did not wish to be included in the Hove Station Forum Area and were establishing a forum for their area.

     

    iv) The Hove Station Forum has a membership from approximately 62 properties, whereas the Hove Park Ward Neighbourhood Forum already has over 300 members from all areas of the Hove Park Ward. For the Hove Station Neighbourhood Forum to include a substantial part of the Hove Park Ward within their  proposed area is contrary to the spirit of the Localism Act 2011 which seeks to promote direct neighbourhood representation on the local forum.

     

    Consideration has been given to the Station Forum’s “Next Steps” document produced after they became aware of our application. There are several significant matters raised with which we are unable to agree. From the outset, the Hove Station forum’s principal concern has been the Development Area 6, partly situated in both proposed forum areas, and they consider this justifies including part of the Hove Park Ward within their area in view of DA6 having a “major impact” on the area north of the Shoreham Road. This assertion is refuted.

     

    The Station Forum’s documents also refer to the development potential of other areas within the Hove Park Ward, such as the strategic Greyhound Stadium site, as a further reason for extending their area north of the railway. This view is also rejected. Hove Park Ward Forum residents will have views as to the planning future of areas of concern to them elsewhere in the city, such as George Street or Churchill Square, but acknowledge that this would not justify extending the Forum Area to include them for planning purposes.

     

    The Hove Park Forum’s view is that a forum should represent a community with a distinct identity and that it should review planning issues through a Neighbourhood perspective and it should not be based on a historical grouping of residents from several neighbourhoods addressing a particular planning proposal.

     

    Furthermore, it is considered that the proposed Station Forum area would be too large in population terms to comprise an identifiably distinct neighbourhood. It would be remarkable if residents of the different neighbourhoods south of the railway would consistently view planning issues with the same priorities and perspective as those of residents of the Hove Park Ward to the north.

     

    The Hove Park Ward Forum is prepared to liaise and discuss planning issues with all neighbouring forums.

     

    Yours sincerely

               

    Colin Hancox,

    Chair of the proposed Hove Park Ward Neighbourhood Forum

     

    Deputation Supporters:

    Colin Hancox

    Alex Salva

    Cathy Smith

    Maggie Sladen

    David Nissen

    Sarah Rankin

     

    5.5    The Deputation had been responded to at Council by Councillor Jason Kitcat.

     

    RESPONSE GIVEN BY COUNCILLOR JASON KITCAT

     

    “We fully support the formation of neighbourhood forums and absolutely encourage interested parties to make use of the provisions and localism act which help them to enhance and protect and take care of their neighbourhood areas. But it is sad to see Hove-arians fighting over boundaries, I must say. You’ve all got an interest in your local area and clearly you’re united by your passion for it and I hope we don’t see people falling out over what is a line on the map. Of course wars were fought over that in past centuries but we are beyond that now.

     

    I think the fact is the emerging and abutting Hove forums, those issues are well known to the ward members, I see nods ward members and I know officers are well aware of this and we would all like to encourage, as you have suggested, conversations and discussions to continue. This can be the only way through which this can be productively resolved. There are ambitions for a number of neighbourhood forums and I hope we can find a way of delineating them in a supportive way which recognises true neighbourhoods and communities. Defining a neighbourhood would be an interesting thing for PHD thesis one day. The decision as you have rightly note falls to the committee sometime in the Summer and I hope that the concerns you have highlighted in your deputation can be ironed out by that point but the view is that even if some words remain, the boundaries don’t necessarily need to be completely black and white, there could be some flexibility and I hope that if it wasn’t all resolved by then, discussions could still continue. As a Council, I think our role is to be mindful of those different aims and priorities of adjoining communities and to try and mitigate against disagreements and I fully attend this to be our role as a council from a member and an officer point of view and I’m hopeful the benefits will outweigh whatever difficulties there are in the road to getting there and I wish you every success.

     

    5.6       The Chair, Councillor Bowden explained that a report updating on this issue and requesting a decision of Members would be coming forward to the next scheduled meeting of the Economic Development and Culture Committee on 18 September 2014. He requested that Members reserve discussion of the item until that meeting.

     

    5.7       RESOLVED – That the contents of the Deputation be received and noted.

6.

Member Involvement

    To consider the following matters raised by councillors:

     

    (a)         Petitions: to receive any petitions submitted to the full Council or at the meeting itself;

    (b)         Written Questions: to consider any written questions;

    (c)         Letters: to consider any letters;

    (d)         Notices of Motion: to consider any Notices of Motion referred from Council or submitted directly to the Committee.

    Minutes:

    6a        Petitions

     

    6.1       There were none.

     

    6b       Written Questions

     

    6.2       There were none.

     

    6c        Letters

     

    6.3       There were none.

     

    6d       Notices of Motion

     

    6.4       There were none.

7.

Library Plan 2014-15 pdf icon PDF 99 KB

    Report of the Assistant Chief Executive (copy attached)

    Additional documents:

    Decision:

    RESOLVED – (1) That the committee endorses the Libraries Plan for 2014-15 ; and

    (2)That the committee refer the plan onto full Council for approval.

    Minutes:

    7.1       The Committee considered a report of the Assistant Chief Executive seeking approval to the Libraries Plan 2014-15, which set out the Council’s vision for the service, building on recent successes and outlining the priorities and objectives for the next 18 months, in the context of the overall plans and ambitions for the city as a whole. The Plan demonstrated how Libraries support the Corporate Plan priorities and related to the sustainable Community Strategy - the Connected City. It was noted that under council governance arrangements, the Libraries Plan was one of the key strategic documents that required full council approval.

     

    7.2       The Head of Libraries and Information Services gave a presentation picking out the key points from the Plan and detailing the objectives that had been identified for the future. It was explained that when benchmarked against its Comparator Local Authority Group for 2012-13, Brighton & Hove’s Library Service had provided the best value at £2.68 per visit as opposed to £3.33 for others, was the most popular in terms if visits per head of the population 6.2 as against an average of 4.6, was the second highest for total items of stock and cost 32p per person per week.

     

    7.3       The Head of Libraries and Information Services then went on to explain that the main aims for Libraries for 2014-15 as outlined and out in depth in the Executive Summary and in Library Plan itself were:

    ·         To develop the role of libraries as community hubs and to work more closely with service providers;

    ·         To expand partnership arrangements with other agencies and council departments to ensure that people are able to achieve many different things through their local library;

    ·         To support  health and well being ,reaching out to those who are housebound;

    ·         To improve digital inclusion, supporting people using the internet, particularly those lacking confidence and skills;

    ·         To deliver the four Public Library Universal Offers around reading, information, health and digital services;

    ·         To deliver the role of libraries in encouraging reading as a valuable cultural activity that underpins people’s ability to learn;

    ·         To improve customer satisfaction through improving library stock and information services, making best use of new technologies and digital resources; and

    ·         To modernise and deliver value for money through updating library technology reviewing and improving the use of resources and streamlining processes.

     

    7.4       Councillor Hawtree, the Deputy Chair commended the report and the high level of service provided across the city, he noted the high regard in which the service was held by local residents and the on-going initiatives to encourage broader participation residents. The cost of 32p per person per week was excellent. At a time libraries elsewhere in the country were closing and or being de-skilled and run solely by volunteers in some instances, he was very pleased that Brighton and Hove had bucked that trend.

     

    7.5       Councillor Bowden, the Chair also commended the report highlighting the health benefits accruing from regular use of libraries and the social interchange they provided enquiring whether the potential for greater partnership working was being explored with health partners.

     

    7.6       The Head of Libraries and Information Services confirmed that this was one of the avenues which were being actively explored and that this included networking with partners in relation to public health issues amongst others. She had given a presentation at a meeting of the Public Health Commissioners the previous week and it was intended to consult further over the summer with representative groups and service users. The Committee would be updated regarding this additional feedback at its next scheduled meeting. This would then be incorporated into the final version of the Library Plan when it was placed before Full Council for approval at its scheduled meeting in October.

     

    7.7       Councillor Brown referred to the work of the Equal Access Service and asked for information regarding the success and effectiveness of this service and the number of homes it reached. The Head of Libraries and Information Services agreed that this information would be collated following that day’s meeting and would be circulated to Members separately. Councillor Brown also referred to the increasing use of Libraries as community hubs and enquired regarding whether additional income was generated as a result of spaces being hired out to community groups. The Head of Libraries and Information Services confirmed that whilst fees were charged for use of spaces this applied mainly to the Jubilee Library, a number of local libraries e.g., Westdene, were used by local schools on those days when they were not open to the public.

     

    7.8       Councillor Jones stated that he was particularly interested in the “Bookstart” initiative and would like to receive more detailed information about it. The Head of Libraries and Information Services agreed to send further information to Councillor Jones following the meeting.

     

    7.9       Councillor Wealls stated that he had a copy of a CIPFA document setting out comparisons for delivery of this service countrywide, he was unsure however whether the information it contained was up to date. He noted that employee costs seemed to be very high in the City, (the second highest in this authority’s comparator group) and considered it would be helpful for members to receive a break down detailing how this figure was made up. By comparison with other authorities the number of volunteers also seemed low. The Head of the Libraries and Information and Services explained that the latest complete comparison profile for public libraries had been taken from the 2012-13 actual data and 2013-14 estimates. Copies could be made available to any members who wanted them. Whilst Brighton & Hove employee costs were the second highest, this was a comparison of actual costs, without taking account of size of population served, which was often a measure used to make such comparisons more meaningful.

     

    7.10    Councillor Mears enquired regarding the level of support provided for looked after children and regarding the provision of homework clubs The Head of Libraries and Information Services explained that discussions were just beginning with Children’s Services about how Libraries could best support looked after children. From the Autumn term homework advice would be available but would not take the form of designated homework clubs. Councillor Mears also enquired regarding provision at Saltdean Library during any refurbishment of the Lido building in which it was located. It was explained that if necessary suitable alternative arrangements would be put into place.

     

    7.11    Councillor K Norman referred to the home delivery service for those who were elderly/disabled, he considered this was a valuable service. He enquired whether there was a waiting list and whether there were criteria for eligibility. The Head of Libraries and Information Services explained that anyone who is housebound or their carer can receive Home Delivery. Availability of volunteers to deliver the service varied depending on location.

     

    7.12    Councillor Robins commended the initiatives in relation to link with health and wellbeing and encouraging people to remain active and hoped that this would be dovetailed to work being carried out by health partners and others work the city’s older population. The Head of the Libraries and Information Service confirmed that Libraries were already a partner in the various projects around older people in the city.

     

    7.13    Councillor Randall stated that he hoped that there would be additional action around BME young people given that this had been identified by the needs assessment that had taken place.

     

    7.14    RESOLVED – (1) That the Committee endorses the Libraries Plan for 2014-15 ; and

     

    (2)That the Committee refer the plan onto full Council for approval.

     

    Note: As the Library Plan was to be the subject of further consultation over the summer it was subsequently agreed that the outcome of that consultation would reported to the next scheduled meeting of the Committee in September 2014 prior to referral to the October 2014 meeting of Full Council in order for the Plan to receive approval.

8.

Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership. Draft Strategic Economic Plan

    Presentation by Ian Parkes of the Local Enterprise Partnership.

    Minutes:

    8.1       A presentation was given by Ian Parkes of the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

     

    8.2       Mr Parkes explained that the Coast to Capital LEP had set out to determine what was distinct different and unique about the area, where most jobs would be created, how it could support businesses, how it could support its people and entrepreneurs and what enabling structure was needed and have done so, potential funding streams which were available to carry forward and support this work.

     

    8.3       Mr Parkes went on to detail the six year ambition of the Partnership not all of which could be picked up Central Government included:

     

    ·         £145m public & HE investment;

    ·         £1.3bn private sector investment;

    ·         £211m Local Growth Funding;

    ·         £1.6bn programme over six years;

    ·         Plus a share of £400m on generic business, workforce and digital investment.

     

    It was anticipated that this would result in 20,000 jobs, 11,000 homes and 495,000 sqm of employment space.

     

    8.4       The process and timetable for delivery were set out as were the challenges that lay ahead in seeking to deliver these outcomes, the structures which would ensure that partners connected and the next steps proposed in order to develop a plan to implement these goals and ultimately to establish a stronger funding pipeline.

     

    8.5       RESOLVED – That the contents of the presentation be received and noted.

9.

Update on Economic Development Work Plan

    Presentation by the Economic Development Manager.

    Minutes:

    9.1       The Economic Development Manager, Ms Finella gave a presentation detailing and updating on the Economic Development Work Plan.

     

    9.2       It was explained that a definition of Economic Development was that it was the sustained concerted actions of policy makers and communities that promoted the standard of living and economic health of a specific area.

     

    9.3       The targets that had been set in terms of creating jobs and maintaining employment and the benefits that accrued both for the individuals concerned and for the City were outlined. To date 6,120 jobs had been created against a target of 6,000 and an employment rate of 71.9% had been achieved set against a target of 71.6%. How this was achieved and the ongoing work which had been undertaken in concert with partners was highlighted as were the key pointers in the Economic Development Workplan itself. These included:

     

                A business survey;

                CESP 2015-2020;

                CESP Outcomes 2011-2014;

                Wave 2 RGF Business Grants;

                A new business support programme;

                Employment and training agreements on key sites;

    Inward investment;

    Local benefits through the SEP;

    Joint working across the Greater Brighton City Region;

    Pipeline projects for EU funding;

    Economic benefits linked to the Biosphere;

    Promoting apprenticeships;

    Tracking the performance of the Economic Strategy;

    The Green Growth Forum; and

    Measuring Impact

     

    9.4       The Economic Development Manager went on to detail the structures and initiatives in place in order to stay on target to deliver these objectives including continued partnership working with a number of diverse external partners.

     

    9.5       RESOLVED - That the content of the presentation be noted.

10.

Film City

    Presentation by Arts and Cultural Projects Manager.

    Minutes:

    10.1    The Head of Arts, Royal Pavilion Arts and Museum and Frank Grey from the University of Brighton and Brighton and South East Film and Video Archive gave a two handed presentation detailing why the city was an attractive location for film makers and the work which had been undertaken sought to identify how this potential could be maximised going forward. It was noted that the city already had a powerful cluster of film-related organisations, practices and activities which gave it a very distinctive creative character, these had yet however to be brought together into an effective and dynamic whole. Work had been undertaken to address this.

     

    10.2    The city’s historical film culture and its profile as a centre for distinctive, diverse and creative film making was detailed including the setting up of the Film Hub, South East, Brighton and Hove formed an integral part of this and was seeking to establish itself as a regional and national lead. In the coming months a Film City website and steering group would seek to continue to promote Brighton and Hove as a film friendly city.

     

    10.3    Councillor Randall referred to the exciting opportunities that could result from these initiatives stating that he hoped they would provide the opportunity in concert with the Universities and other partners to create jobs and the opportunity for apprenticeships. He was aware that meetings had already taken place with Partners and the Brighton Film School was anxious to expand and increase its existing offer. A lot of progress had been made to date and he hoped that this would continue.

     

    10.4    RESOLVED - That the contents of the presentation be received and noted.

11.

Filming - Fees & Charges pdf icon PDF 78 KB

    Report of the Assistant Chief Executive (copy attached)

    Additional documents:

    Decision:

    RESOLVED – That the Committee approve the fees and charges for filming within the city for 2014/15 as per Table 1 to the report.

    Minutes:

    11.1    The Committee considered a report of the Assistant Chief Executive detailing proposed changes to the existing fees and charges structure for filming in the city.

     

    11.2    It was noted that the fees and charges payable for filming in the city had not changed for several years, as filming had played a secondary role to the outdoor events programme. The recent award of “Film Friendly” status to the city by Creative England had emphasised the potential for filming to take place and had provided the opportunity to review the level of fees and charges levied.

     

    11.3    The Head of Sport and Leisure explained that it was proposed that a new structure for fees and charges be put into place (following requests from film producers) which would include the ability to introduce an “Hourly Rate”, an approach supported by Creative England. Research had been undertaken and the changes proposed were intended to compare realistically with the charges made by London Boroughs where there was also a strong demand for filming.

     

    11.4    Councillor Randall stated that he was pleased to note that the total income generated by the proposed changes would be monitored over the course of the year, that they appeared to be acceptable to the industry, offered greater flexibility and compared very favourably with those London Boroughs which were popular filming locations.

     

    11.5    RESOLVED – That the Committee approve the fees and charges for filming within the city for 2014/15 as per Table 1 to the report.

12.

St Aubyns former school site, Rottingdean - Planning Brief pdf icon PDF 82 KB

    Report of the Executive Director, Environment, Development and Housing (copy attached)

    Additional documents:

    Decision:

    RESOLVED - That the Economic Development and Culture Committee approve the St Aubyns draft planning brief attached as Appendix 1 to the report for consultation with members of the public and other stakeholders.

     

    Minutes:

    12.1    The Committee considered a report of Executive Director of Environment, Development and Housing seeking approval to consult on a draft planning brief (attached as appendix 1 to the report) that had been prepared in respect of the former St Aubyn’s school site in Rottingdean. The main school building, including its chapel, was a Grade II listed building and lay within the Rottingdean Conservation Area. The main objective of the planning brief was to provide a planning framework for the future development of this  strategically important site within a heritage sensitive context.

     

    12.2    It was explained that the draft planning brief was intended to establish development principles that would meet the both needs of the local community and the landowner, whilst respecting the character of the existing heritage assets (conservation area and listed buildings) within the site and the surrounding areas both within the site and in surrounding area. These principles had been balanced against the need to provide for a financially viable development to attract the necessary development finance streams to secure the site’s deliverability.

     

    12.3    The Chair welcomed Councillors John and Bryant (Treasurer of Rottingdean Parish Council) and thanked them for the valuable input that the Parish Council had given into the Draft Planning Brief which had been prepared in partnership with the parish council.

     

    12.4    The Senior Planning Officer. Planning Projects, Mrs Flowers gave a presentation in relation to the brief and explained that the vision for the site sought to deliver a high quality and sustainable redevelopment which respected the character of the existing heritage assets and the recreational opportunities arising from the existing open space.

     

    12.4    Councillor Mears stated that whilst generally supportive of the Brief she was concerned that the open space should be protected and was concerned regarding the level of affordable housing which could be provided on-site, which could if it was of too great a density have a negative impact on neighbouring amenity and compromise the existing open space.

     

    12.5    Councillor Hawtree stated that the playing field was an important part of the setting of the conservation area and the way that the draft plan moved forward was key to the positive future development of the site. The Chair requested that Councillor Mears’ concerns be minuted in order that these issues could be pursued as part of the further consultation process.

     

    12.6    Councillor Mears sought clarification regarding whether there would be any flexibility in providing an element of any affordable housing off site. The Head of Planning stated that although this was not generally the case this could be considered if it was deemed to be appropriate. Councillor Mears requested that she receive confirmation of this in writing as she considered that it was a very important issue in relation to the potential future development of the site, this was agreed.

     

    12.7    RESOLVED - That the Economic Development and Culture Committee approve the St Aubyns draft planning brief attached as Appendix 1 to the report for consultation with members of the public and other stakeholders.

13.

East Sussex,South Downs and Brighton and Hove Waste and Minerals Sites Plan

    Decision:

    2.1         RESOLVED - That the Committee:

     

    ·                     notes the progress on the content of the Waste and Minerals Sites Plan;

    ·                     approves the Consultation Draft document for a nine week period of public consultation commencing on 4th July 2014; and

    ·                     authorise the Head of Planning and Public Protection to make, if necessary, minor changes to the document arising from any views of the County Council and National Park Authority which do not result in a change of policy direction.

     

    Minutes:

    13.1    The Committee considered a report of The Executive Director of Environment detailing the first Consultation Draft of the East Sussex, South Downs and Brighton & Hove Waste and Minerals Site Plan. The Plan was being prepared jointly by the City Council, East Sussex County Council and the South Downs National Park Authority. It continued the excellent joint working arrangements which had resulted in the joint Waste and Minerals Plan being adopted by the three authorities in early 2013.

     

    13.2    It was noted that the adopted Plan set out the strategic policy framework for waste and minerals development in the Plan Area, but did not include site specific allocations. The Sites Plan would provide this detail, and together the two documents would form the complete ‘Local Plan’ for waste and minerals until 2026/27, covering the administrative areas of East Sussex and Brighton & Hove, including part of the South Downs National Park.

     

    13.3    Councillor Mears referred to inclusion of the former Gasworks site in Roedean Road, Brighton querying why it had been included when it was understood that use of that site would be problematic. The Head of Planning explained that the site had been included by virtue of the fact it was a brown field site it was fully recognised however, that any alternative use to which the site could be put would be limited because of its configuration and its close proximity to neighbouring residential property.

     

    13.4    Councillor Robins stated that a suitable site in Portslade was also needed as a matter of urgency.

     

    13.5    RESOLVED – That the Committee:

     

    ·                     notes the progress on the content of the Waste and Minerals Sites Plan;

    ·                     approves the Consultation Draft document for a nine week period of public consultation commencing on 4th July 2014; and

    ·                     authorise the Head of Planning and Public Protection to make, if necessary, minor changes to the document arising from any views of the County Council and National Park Authority which do not result in a change of policy direction.

     

14.

Revised Local Development Scheme, 2014 – 2017 pdf icon PDF 76 KB

    Report of the Executive Director, Environment, Development and Housing (copy attached)

    Additional documents:

    Decision:

    RESOLVED – (1) That the Committee approves the revised Local Development Scheme 2014-2017; and

     

    (2) That the Committee resolves that the scheme is to have effect from 19 June 2014.

     

    Minutes:

    14.1    The Committee considered a report of The Executive Director of Environment seeking approval of the revised Local Development Scheme (LDS), a three year work programme which set out the timetable for preparation of the set of documents which made up the development plan for Brighton & Hove to cover the period from 2014 to  2017.

     

    14.2    Councillor Brown supported the work that had been carried out but referred to the supporting studies which were referred to in the report, whilst some of them had been updated there were several e.g., the Infrastructure Capacity Assessment which did not appear to have been updated since 2006 querying whether there was a need for these documents to be updated. The Head of Planning Strategy stated that further updating of the existing documents was not required at present, as these documents had been revisited and any necessary changes made, he would however ensure that measures were in place to ensure that documents were updated and amended over time as appropriate.

     

    14.3    RESOLVED – (1) That the Committee approves the revised Local Development Scheme 2014-2017; and

     

    (2) That the Committee resolves that the scheme is to have effect from 19 June 2014.

15.

Major Projects Update pdf icon PDF 238 KB

    This is a standing item and provides an opportunity for officers to update the Committee on relevant issues (copy of schedule attached).

    Minutes:

    15.1    The Committee considered the circulated schedule which provided an update on the current progress of major projects across the city.

     

    15.2    The Executive Director, Environment, Development and Housing explained in answer to questions that a Project Board had been convened to review the objectives for the Black Rock site.

     

    15.3    Councillor Brown asked whether a permanent home had been found for the Bridge and the Executive Director, Environment, Development and Housing that several options were being explored.

     

    15.4    Councillor Randall referred to the current situation in respect of the Preston Barracks site and it was explained that negotiations were progressing with the University of Brighton and it was hoped that the necessary agreements would be in place by the end of July 2014.

     

    15.5    Councillor K Norman enquired regarding the mechanism by which funding could be released in order to provide a permanent traveller site which would provide 12 permanent pitches for traveller families with  local links. The Legal Adviser to the Committee explained that funding for this was held by central government and could be called down when needed. The position was complex however, and he agreed to send Councillor Norman a detailed response to his question.

     

    15.6    RESOLVED – That the contents of the schedule be noted and received.

16.

Items Referred For Council

    To consider items to be submitted to the 17 July 2014 Council meeting for information.

     

    In accordance with Procedure Rule 24.3a, the Committee may determine that any item is to be included in its report to Council. In addition, any Group may specify one further item to be included by notifying the Chief Executive no later than 10am on the eighth working day before the Council meeting at which the report is to be made, or if the Committee meeting take place after this deadline, immediately at the conclusion of the Committee meeting

     

    Minutes:

    16.1    There were none. It was noted however, that the Library Plan 2014-15 would need to go forward to Full Council for final approval following the outcome of the further consultation process which was to take place over the course of the summer months.

 


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