Agenda and minutes

To sign and confirm the minutes of the last meeting.

The minutes of the last meeting were agreed by the Committee and signed by the Chairman.

To receive apologies for absence and notification of substitutes (if any).

Apologies of absence were received by Councillors Frank Pickett and Yvonne Stevens.

To receive declarations of interests in respect of any item on the agenda.

None

To answer any written questions received from members of the public no later than 5 p.m. two clear working days prior to the meeting – for this meeting the deadline is 5 p.m. on Monday 11^th July 2022.

None

(A report by Michelle Sacks, Deputy Chief Executive – Growth)

The Deputy Chief Executive (Growth) presented a report which outlined the UK Shared Prosperity Fund draft submission and provided background on the consultation process.

The Deputy Chief Executive (Growth) confirmed that the £2.2 Million will not decrease as that is the allocated amount for Boston and that as a result the 4% provision of funding will remain the same.

Following Portfolio Holder comments Members discussed the capacity of the Economic Development department and agreed to look further into the potential of funding the department more.

Members were in full support of the Investment Plan and welcomed the prospect of ‘Levelling Up’ the Borough.

RESOLVED:

That the Committee;

1. Note the report and draft submission and comments will be made to the Cabinet

Support the submission of the Investment Plan to Department of Levelling Up, Communities and Housing.

(A report by Andy Fisher, Assistant Director – General Fund Assets)

In November 2011 the Social Impact of Population Change in Boston Task and Finish Group was set up under the Council’s Corporate and Community Scrutiny Committee. The all party Group wanted to let everyone in Boston who felt the ‘social impact of population change’ share their views. The process adopted was simple – it was about listening to people, taking evidence from the community and from partners and then defining what the Council could do, what and who it could influence and what it could ask and expect from others on behalf of its residents.

A vast amount of evidence was taken from a very wide range of partners and stakeholders in order to produce a report that was adopted by Full Council on 19 November 2012. The report contained 28 recommendations for action at local, regional, national and European levels; the report received wide and significant acknowledgement and won the Centre for Public Scrutiny Scrutineers’s Choice Award and won the judge’s Overall Impact Award at the Centre’s awards ceremony on 11 June 2013. The original report was review in May 2013, February 2014 and May 2014.

The Assistant Director – General Fund Assets, provided the Committee with a presentation which contained a brief update on the 28 recommendation almost a decade later.

As there are currently two other Task & Finish groups taking place Members considered both Member and Officer time in setting up another. 

Members felt strongly that the item be placed on the first meeting of the Corporate & Community in the new Municipal Year to urge newly Elected Members to set up a Task & Finish group as soon as possible.

RESOLVED:

1. That the Committee add this report to the first meeting of Corporate and Community in the new Municipal year with the view of setting up a Task and Finish Group at that point  

The Border Agency is invited to an all member briefing in March 2022.

(For Members to note/discuss the Committee’s current work programme)

Members agreed to bring the Economic Development Team discussion to the meeting on the 1^st December.