Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Managing Director, Dorset Innovation Park Ltd.

Please note that Appendix 1 – Reserved Matters, is an exempt document (paragraph 3).

The shareholder committee received a report of the Managing Director, Dorset Innovation Park, which provided an overview of the position in relation to work by the company to establish itself as an operational entity and on delivering the ambitions of the shareholder committee. The report also included an update on key parts of the Business Plan which had been approved at the last meeting.

In presenting the report, the Managing Director made particular reference to park improvements to be put in place, with finalised costings to be provided to a future meeting, discussions taking place with Bournemouth University in terms of establishing a satellite presence for the Secure Operation Centre of the Future at the park and a Defence roundtable event that had been held with a number of local companies, where there had been agreement on the need to focus on skills development.

Discussion was held in respect of the items covered by the report and points were raised in the following areas:

·       A discussion took place regarding the ambition to include a hotel development as part of the site. There had been positive conversations with planning officers and it was recognised that this needed to be included in the Local Plan and to extend the local development order already in place for the rest of the Innovation Park

·       Transport issues needed to be considered in terms of how people accessed the innovation park, which would include public transport options. The Executive Director, Place noted that Cabinet had commissioned work around public transport generally and that a further report would be considered at Cabinet later in the year

·       In response to a question, discussions had been held with Dorset Police, who had a presence near to the Innovation Park, regarding the potential hotel development. Although the police were not part of plans currently, an open dialogue would be maintained on this matter

·       Dorset Police would be involved in other areas including the undertaking of a security review to establish required security policies and procedures

·       A discussion was held on the finances of the Innovation Park, both on a historic position and moving forward and it was agreed that a quarterly finance report would be brought to the shareholder committee with effect from the financial year beginning 1 April 2026. A request was made that elements of the aged-debt information provided in the exempt report, be included in the quarterly finance report moving forward

Discussion on the reserved matters would be held during the exempt business part of the meeting.

The report was NOTED.