Meeting documents

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies from absence were received from Councillors Hilary Cox, Andy Canning, Mervyn Jeffery, Mike Lovell and William Trite.

Councillors are required to comply with the requirements of the Localism Act 2011 regarding disclosable pecuniary interests.

§     Check if there is an item of business on this agenda in which the member or other relevant person has a disclosable pecuniary interest.

§     Check that the interest has been notified to the Monitoring Officer (in writing) and entered in the Register (if not this must be done on the form available from the clerk within 28 days).

§     Disclose the interest at the meeting (in accordance with the County Council’s Code of Conduct) and in the absence of a dispensation to speak and/or vote, withdraw from any consideration of the item.

The Register of Interests is available on Dorsetforyou.com and the list of disclosable

pecuniary interests is set out on the reverse of the form.

There were no declarations by members of disclosable pecuniary interest under the Code of Conduct.

To confirm and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 25 January 2017 (attached).

The minutes of the meeting held on 25 January 2017 were confirmed and signed.

Public Speaking

To receive any public questions and/or public statements and request to speak in accordance with Standing Order 21 (2).

There were no public questions, statements or requests to speak received.

To receive any updates and announcements from the Chairman relating to the Committee’s Terms of Reference, including:-

·         Outcomes Based Reporting – Best Practice, arising from Joint Scrutiny at Dorset Council’s Partnership.

·         Parking Policy to serve Dorset Council’s – progress being made.

The Chairman took the opportunity to confirm that under ‘Matters Arising’ from the minutes of the meeting on 25 January 2017:-

·         Minute 5 - a letter had been sent by the Chairman of the County Farms Liaison Panel to Defra requesting consideration of better broadband provision for rural communities.

·         Minute 6 –  a letter had been sent by the Leader to Lord Ahmed of Wimbledon , Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport endorsing the basis of the motion asking that Clause 21 be removed from the Bus Bill. Whilst the House of Lords had recommended removal of this clause, on being considered again by Government, it was intended that this clause should be retained. This was confirmed in a response by Andrew Jones MP, Secretary of State for Transport. Given this, the Committee agreed that the County Council’s position should be reaffirmed.

The Chairman took the opportunity to welcome Councillor Paul Kimber to the Committee and to thank Mike Byatt for the contribution he had made to the work of the Committee during his time as a member and a member Champion for Economic Growth.

The Chairman took the opportunity to draw the Committee’s attention to the outcomes based reporting process which was used at the Dorset Council’s Partnership and commended it for use as best practice at the County Council.

Progress being made with a parking policy to serve Dorset’s Councils on street and off street needs was drawn to the attention of the Committee. It was intended that, post county elections, membership for a Policy Development Panel to help progress this further would be canvassed in order to assess how any new parking policy might be managed and applied.

To consider a report by the Service Director- Economy (attached).

The Committee considered a report by the Service Director – Economy which provided information on what was being done by the County Council in respect of the Government’s "Building our Industrial Strategy" initiative in order to develop both a collective response - between the County Council and its public sector partners, and also a response in the Council’s own right - to the Government’s Green Paper on the Industrial Strategy. How the consultation process was being undertaken was explained and what opportunity there was to demonstrate the part the County Council was playing in this. Officers considered that there was a genuine opportunity to influence and inform government on how this might be applied nationally, as well as in Dorset, and that this chance should be taken. 

Officers explained that the Strategy was designed to address the long-term challenges to the United Kingdom’s economy and its objective was to improve living standards through economic growth by increasing productivity and driving growth to increase prosperity across the UK. The part productivity; the workforce; skills and education; housing; infrastructure and the environment played in all this, and the relationship between each, was explained.

Accordingly it was being proposed that both a collective Dorset response to the Green Paper, representing the nine Councils and the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), should be prepared and submitted to meet the consultation deadline of 17 April 2017.  In addition the County Council should makes representations in its own right to endorse this collective view and highlight elements of particular significance to achieving its own particular corporate objectives. The Committee were reminded of the part the Dorset LEP played in influencing economic growth following their previous meeting which focussed on the LEP, particularly the bidding process for schemes, how funding was allocated and the relationship between local authorities and the Dorset LEP. The success in achieving the Dorset Innovation Park - for enterprise - at Winfrith Newburgh and what benefits this brought was welcomed.

Officers explained what the Industrial Strategy entailed and the County Council’s approach to it, including the opportunities and challenges it posed and what means there was for Dorset to benefit from it. The Committee was informed that the Industrial Strategy was based upon three challenges, to:-

·         build on our strengths and extend excellence into the future;

·         close the gap between the UK’s most productive companies, industries, places and people and the rest, and

·         make the UK one of the most competitive places in the world to start or grow a business.

Within the Industrial Strategy, 10 pillars had been identified in driving growth, with these being identified in Appendix 1 to the Service Director’s report, and being aligned with the objectives and priority actions from the County Council’s own Enabling Economic Growth Strategy. The principle of the Economic Growth Strategy and the benefit this would bring was explained and members recognised the importance of this and that its principles should align with the Industrial Strategy.

How this relationship might realise the optimum benefits  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.

To receive the minutes of the meeting of the Policy Development Panel on HGV Management, to note the outcomes and to consider endorsing any recommendations, including the implementation of the Freight Action Plan (attached).

The Committee was asked to receive the minutes of the Policy Development Panel on HGV Management held on 27 January 2017, to note the outcomes and endorse the recommendations for how it was proposed to manage HGV movements  in Dorset, with a special focus on Ferndown .

Associated with this was a Freight Action Plan which had been developed to assist in  how any strategy could be applied in practice and the Committee were being asked to endorse this too, for implementation.

The practicalities of implementing this were discussed  and how it would be funded. Officers explained that there was provison in the Local Transport Plan for this to be taken into consideration and progressed. The role of rail freight in the transportation of goods would also be taken into account as necessary. It was felt that when the Combined Authority was established, this would help in progressing matters and a coordinated approach was in the interests of all local authorities across Dorset.

The Committee considered that the work done by the Panel to be very valuable in helping to shape the way in which HGV traffic could be managed across Dorset in the future, and in particularly helping the situation around Ferndown, and accepted the recommendations made by the Panel.

Resolved

1.    That the Freight Action Plan - attached to the report - as agreed by the Freight Quality Partnership and the Policy Development Panel be endorsed – so that it might be applied and implemented, as necessary.

2.    That the bullet points set out in minutes 19 of the meeting of the Policy Development Panel on HGV Management held on 27 January 2017, be taken into consideration and progressed, as necessary and where practicable.

3.    To review the Local Transport Plan and update the Committee on the Freight Strategy progress by adding this to the Work Programme.

Reason for Recommendation

To do what is practicable to improve how HGV’s are managed across Dorset,

with particular attention being paid to improving the situation for Ferndown and

its environs.

To consider the Committee’s Work Programme for 2017 (attached), including the addition to the Programme for June 2017 in giving consideration to how the Skills and Training agenda can be applied to best effect and what needs to be done to improve the prospects of this.

To Committee considered  its Work Programme for 2017  including the

addition to the Programme for June 2017 in giving consideration to how the Skills

and Training agenda could be applied to best effect and what needed to be done to

improve the prospects of this.

In addition to this, members asked that Cooperatives, Renewable Energy and Carbon Emissions and the Parking Policy - together with a review of the Local Transport Plan, incorporating the Freight Strategy - all be added to the Work Programme for future consideration.

Resolved

That the Work Programme be updated accordingly.

Reason for Decision

To ensure the work of the Committee remained valid, relevant and purposeful.

To consider any questions received in writing by the Chief Executive by not later than Wednesday 22 March 2017.

No questions were asked by members under Standing Order 20(2).