Issue - meetings

To receive a briefing from Place Portfolio Holders – Executive Members of Economic Prosperity, Planning Policy & Delivery, Neighbourhood Services and to consider any issues that arise.

The Committee received presentations and briefings from the three Portfolio Holders responsible for the following areas of the Council’s services: Economic Prosperity, Planning Policy and Place Delivery, and Neighbourhood Services.

Portfolio Holder for Economic Prosperity, Councillor Humphreys, gave the first presentation and overview of work over the past year.

Highlights included:

·         £800k in Business Growth Grants had been allocated in 2021/22.

·         The Job Hub, funded by the Department for Work and Pensions, had been extended for a further year.

·         Awards would take place the following week (w/c 28/03/2022) to celebrate business and would be financed by sponsors.

·         The High Street for Heroes Award had been sponsored by the Council and had received 1,300 votes.

Committee Members asked questions in the following areas:

Retail Spaces in Merstham and Hooley – Members asked what actions were being taken to entice businesses to the retail spaces in Merstham and Hooley. It was noted that high streets were struggling, but that the Council would endeavour to match businesses seeking retail premises with current spaces. The Director of Place would take up this matter outside the meeting.

Portfolio Holder for Planning Policy and Place Delivery, Councillor Biggs gave his presentation.

Highlights for Planning included:

·         Implementation of a local cycling and walking plan.

·         Stage 1 of the infrastructure plan is complete; applications for grants and funding could now be made to improve residents’ health and wellbeing.

·         New Supplementary Planning Documents had been implemented to define character areas of the borough and how to implement sustainability policies.

·         Southern Building Control Partnership was now delivering a positive financial return.

Challenges to come included:

·         Developing the new Local Plan.

·         Gatwick Development Consent Order submission and examination of its Northern Runway Project.

·         Bio diversity in response to the Environment Act.

·         The Strategic Infrastructure Programme review to be completed to establish the need for CIL funding over the next 5 years.

Highlights for Place Delivery included:

·         Marketfield Way, now known as The Rise, would include a cinema complex with bowling, as well as a branch of Tesco. All except one unit had offers on them. Building would be completed by summer 2022 with fitting out of the cinema completed by Easter 2023. Councillors were invited to visit the site.

·         Pitwood Park and Cromwell Road development projects had been completed; a third development project at Lee Street was near completion.

Challenges to come included:

·         The increasing cost of building.

·         Planning permission for Merstham recreation ground.

Committee Members asked questions in the following areas:

Sustainable Construction – Members asked whether the guidance which is enforceable in Redhill and Horley could be enforced in other areas. It was explained that the Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) were guidance, however design codes could be decided through SPDs or through examination and in this case it would become part of the plan and would therefore become enforceable.

Members stated that a press release had specified that the guidance must be adhered to and asked how this could be imposed. Officers explained that the design code could be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 78