Meeting documents

Considered report previously circulated, which set out the findings of the Task and Finish Group charged to review Taunton Deane Borough Council’s (TDBC) 2009 Affordable Employment Land Strategy, agreed by the TDBC Executive.

There was no doubt that TDBC needed to create an appropriate balance between the number of homes and the number of jobs provided.  Taunton Deane was falling behind neighbouring conurbations in providing well-paid employment.  The Council must work in meaningful partnership to facilitate inward investment and encourage economic growth.

During the discussion of this item, Members made comments and statements and asked questions which included:-

·         Members were pleased with the report and welcomed the cross party approach.

·         Members queried where the recommendations would be taken moving forward.

The recommendations would be taken to TDBC Executive and then through the Shadow democratic process.

·         Concern was raised on the community engagement via the Town and Parish Councils and that the Un-Parished area of Taunton had not been involved.

They were aware that community engagement needed to include a wider area with a broader aspect and agreed that this warranted further debate.

·         Members queried whether the group had looked at what methods could be used to help incubate businesses using different types of business models in particular co-operatives.

Yes, they would need to look at co-operative work and investment in further detail.

·         Concern was raised on rural areas and their economies.  Members highlighted that more and more businesses were relocating to rural areas.

Work was carried out on rural areas and they had looked into start-up businesses for those areas to move away from being Taunton-centric.  Due to the level of report, they were not able to go into too much detail on rural areas.  Resource was a concern which needed to be addressed prior to the New Council being formed so that new business opportunities were not missed.

·         Members queried what superfluity of land really meant for TDBC.

When applications for larger developments had been brought forward, the applicants had stated that there would be mixed use properties but this had not always happened.  Quite often properties ended up being predominantly used for housing and employment land was often then placed on the outskirts of town. 

·         Officers advised that the challenge they faced was that the employment land that was retained by TDBC was deliverable.

·         Members queried how they could constructively enable work to be carried out and contribute to the project.

The report had provided a good basis for work to be carried forward by Members and the sites held in the portfolio had good prospects.

·         Members queried whether there was a danger of the aspirations being repeated and were there any other areas that had carried out similar work.

The Head of Strategy discussed the challenge that was involved in the work to ensure that the research and development centre did not compete with similar sites within the area and sites managed by other authorities.   The research sector needed to be explored through the Council’s strategy and they needed to understand the scope of the work involved and go through the process to see how the requirements and locations would be addressed.

·         Members highlighted that People, Place and Prosperity were the three key drivers to the project along with the Garden Town status.

·         The Committee thanked the Members and Officers for all their hard work on the project.

·         Members wanted the project to be driven forward through the democratic process and would address the report to the new Chief Executive.

Resolved that the Scrutiny Committee noted the following:-

1)    Affordable Employment Land:

a)    TDBC and the subsequent Council must investigate an urgent reappraisal of all employment sites;

b)    TDBC and the subsequent Council must identify the means by which the supply of affordable, starter type employment units could be delivered.  There were two suggested means by which this could be undertaken:

                         i)        Planning-based approaches boosted through allocation, a streamlined Local Development Order that identified suitable sites or, a more criteria-based Local Development Order that sets the broader locations and parameters subject to which starter units could be delivered; and

                        ii)        Expedient Council enabling though a standalone approach or development partner involvement.

2)    Investigate the feasibility of an office for the creation of a Research and Innovation Centre:

a)    TDBC and the subsequent Council should undertake a prompt detailed feasibility study into the viability of such a centre.  This needed to be enabled by appropriate TDBC resources, including officers, elected members and a dedicated office if appropriate.  Effective use of appropriate partnership working was crucial to the success.