To receive a report from the Head of Communities and Governance providing Members with an update on the work and projects of the Economic Development and Regeneration team.
Minutes:
The Group had before it, and NOTED, a report * from the Head of Communities and Governance providing it with an update on the work and projects of the Economic Development and Regeneration team.
Discussion took place regarding the following projects:
Supporting Key Business and Inward Investment Opportunities
· At the last meeting a potential investment with Hitchcocks, a horticultural business, had been mentioned, this was now advancing to the final stages.
· It was requested that the business projects in this section be listed in the report in future.
Exeter and the Heart of Devon (EHOD)
It was confirmed that the workshop referred to at the last meeting had now taken place with all the planning leads to discuss how economic development teams would feed into the planning process. An update would be provided at the next meeting.
Better Business for All
TESCO were undertaking an engagement exercise with the supplier network seeking honest opinion as to what the issues were. The Council was working to partner with them in order to get feedback on the regulatory services in the south west and how the Council could help to improve the relationship with the supplier network.
Growth Hub
It was reported that the bid for the diagnostic and bespoke support element of the Growth Hub had been successful. Devon County Council would be the contract holder and sitting under that would be a partnership of 5 delivery organisations which would deliver detailed diagnostics to businesses across Devon and Somerset.
It was further reported that there would be workshops and all sorts of activities to support the business community to ensure collaborative working. The project had ambitious targets and as soon as the contract was signed the Group would be informed as to what those targets were. Through the district’s involvement it had ensured a strong presence in the governance of the project.
Incubator Space / Work-hub project
A feasibility study would be undertaken to explore possible expansion in the Hayridge Centre.
Tourism
A verbal update would be reported at the next meeting regarding the Tourism Strategy consultation.
The ‘face to face’ survey sent out to 200 businesses and which had been very detailed had been an adjunct to a number of other means of gathering feedback from the local community on the strengths and weaknesses of current provision to tourists.
Tiverton Coach Park
The Chairman stated that it was disappointing there had only been 5 bookings since April. The Head of Communities and Governance stated that the relevant officer would be actively marketing Tiverton to coach companies in the near future.
High Street Innovation Fund
· The Cullompton Farmers Market were in the process of revising their business plan and the website was a part of that. Members would be updated following the meeting as to what the sum of £9,500 allocated to them had been used for.
· The question was asked as to why footfall figures were down for Tiverton despite money being allocated to the Tivvy Bumper Trail and the Access Tiverton project? It was explained that the Museum had reported higher visitor number as a result of these two projects. The Tivvy Bumper Trail had been launched during the summer holidays and it maybe that family’s had been away for much of the summer having an effect on footfall within the town.
· The Tiverton Dementia Action Alliance project was still in the early stages, part of the next stage would be to roll out training so that shop staff, for example, knew how to deal with somebody having difficulties.
Note: * Report previously circulated; copy attached to the signed minutes.
Supporting documents: