Agenda and minutes

Venue: Virtual (MS Teams)

Contact: Sarah MacDonald  Email: democratic.services@iow.gov.uk

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 140 KB

To confirm as a true record the Minutes of the meeting held on 2 July 2020.

Minutes:

RESOLVED:

 

THAT the Minutes of the meeting held on 2 July 2020 be confirmed.

 

2.

Declarations of Interest

To invite Members to declare any interest they might have in the matters on the agenda.

Minutes:

The Chairman declared a non-pecuniary interest in item 4A as his wife was a Director of Visit Isle of Wight.

3.

Public Question Time - 15 Minutes Maximum

Questions may be asked of the Chairman and must be delivered by electronic mail to Democratic Services (democratic.services@iow.gov.uk) no later than 5.00pm on Tuesday 29 September 2020. Each question must give the name and address of the questioner.

Minutes:

There were no public questions received.

4.

COVID19 Response and Recovery

4a

Visit Isle of Wight

The Managing Director of Visit Isle of Wight to outline the impact of Covid-19 on the 2020 season and plans for 2021.

Minutes:

Will Myles from Visit Isle of Wight gave the Committee an overview of how the COVID pandemic had affected tourism and visitors to the island this year. Businesses had just opened after the winter period and then had to close for the lockdown. A marketing campaign which had been ready to start in March 2020 had to be withdrawn but would now be released later in the year. Some of the team had been furloughed and left only four staff to run Visit IW. All promotional messages had been withdrawn except ‘the Island is Waiting’ on social media. Some video presentations promoting the island were shown under the banner ’We’re Good to Go’, including one showing businesses being COVID safe. The slogan had been adopted nationally. There was also to be a TV advertisement on Sky in relation to visiting the Isle of Wight.

£79,000 Cabinet Office funding had been obtained. The Isle of Wight had been awarded ‘Best Holiday Destination and Best UK Beach Destination’ by BBC Countryfile magazine.

 

In response to questions from members, Mr Myles explained that it was expected that seaside and coastal businesses over the next 6 months would reduce by 25 – 30%. National research indicated that some businesses may not survive the winter. Income was expected to be down by 35% compared with previous years.

 

Visit England had produced a ‘sentiment trracker’ showing that most people believed the worst was still to come, and there was a decrease in the number who though the country would be back to normal by the end of the year. The document would be circulated to the Committee following the meeting.

 

The COVID restrictions were expected to affect half term visitors, particularly self-catering properties which would not be able to have groups of more than 6 people, although ferry bookings were looking busier in September and October than the same period in 2019.

 

The impact upon the tourism sector was noted together with the mitigating actions being taken to reduce these and support businesses wherever possible.

 

RESOLVED:

 

The impact on the tourism sector was noted together with the mitigating actions being taken to reduce this and support businesses wherever possible.

4b

IW Chamber of Commerce

The Chief Executive of the IW Chamber of Commerce to outline the work being done by the Chamber to assist businesses on the Island.

Minutes:

Steven Holbrook of the Chamber of Commerce gave an overview of what the chamber had been doing during the COVID pandemic. The chamber had been heavily involved with the British Chamber and other Chief Executives undertaking a national role to adapt to changing government policies, using case studies from the Island to influence those policies and had been involved in the introduction of the furlough scheme.

 

The chamber had worked with the council to ensure that grants coming from government had reached IW businesses, offering help to those who needed it, identifying gaps to inform the council where discretionary monies were needed.

 

There was an Assistance Hub providing help and advice for businesses.

 

The 50 plus scheme which had been operated with help from Age UK and the lottery ended in March and the council had stepped in to help.

 

From 1 October a mentoring scheme would be in place funded from the Regeneration budget, to grow businesses and create more jobs as business started to pick up.

 

RESOLVED:

 

i)                 The Chamber be requested to circulate its assessment of the impact of Covid-29 on Island businesses.

 

ii)               The Chamber be congratulated on its work in providing support to Island businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

4c

Isle of Wight Covid-19 Recovery Plan - Medium Term Plan to March 2022 pdf icon PDF 686 KB

To discuss the Council’s actions being taken in response to the Covid-19 pandemic for the service areas coming within the remit of this committee. The Cabinet considered a report on this matter at its meeting on 10 September 2020 and the recovery plan is attached to aid discussion.

Minutes:

The Director of Regeneration summarised the recovery plan. He had been given the opportunity to brief Prince Edward during his recent visit to the island earlier in the week on the collaborative effort of all partners involved. The plan was based around the three pillars of recovery, these being;

Community recovery, economic recovery and place recovery, and would need to remain flexible to adapt to changing circumstances, and be delivered by partnership working.

The Health and Wellbeing Board would become the overseeing body for progress against the plan as it had several partners, including a representative from the Island Economic Board. Members questioned whether it was realistic to build 50 new homes at Branstone Farm in the medium term, and an explanation was given that is was driven by available funding, with key milestones for delivery of the project. Homes England funding would be provided for the Housing Association partner.

 

RESOLVED:

 

The recovery plan and its implications in respect of regeneration was noted and the actions contained within it would be regularly monitored at future meetings of the Committee.

 

5.

Public Spaces Protection Orders - consultation pdf icon PDF 380 KB

To consider a report on the responses received in respect of the public consultation on the Public Spaces Protection Orders prior to Cabinet making a decision on this matter.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Assistant Director of Neighbourhoods summarised the results of the Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) consultation which had run from February 2020 and been extended to the end of June 2020 as a result of the COVID pandemic. The orders were for the control of dogs and alcohol in public places. Most were to replace the existing Designated Public Place Orders (DPPOs) with the inclusion of some additional areas. There had been 1200 responses, and it was clear that a large percentage of respondents were in favour of the proposals. With regard to enforcement, it was clarified that Environmental Health and Neighbourhood Officer would enforce the orders in relation to dog control, whilst the order in relation to alcohol would be the responsibility of the police.

 

RESOLVED:

 

The Committee formally supported the proposed Public Spaces Protection Orders.

 

6.

Pavement Parking pdf icon PDF 693 KB

To consider the options contained within the Department for Transport consultation paper regarding pavement parking in order that the Cabinet Member can make an appropriate response on behalf of the Council.

Minutes:

Members considered the government consultation paper entitled ‘Pavement Parking – Options for Change’ which could give local authorities powers to regulate pavement parking in their areas. It was agreed that in some narrow roads the inability to park on the pavement would cause obstruction and it would be a very difficult and contentious subject to address.

 

It was agreed that Traffic Revision Orders were currently very cumbersome and expensive to bring into force and that the proposals could simplify and speed up the procedure. The council would also have powers to declare non-pavement parking areas.

 

RESOLVED:

 

The Committee formally requested that the Cabinet Member for Transport and Infrastructure in his response to the Department for Transport’s consultation on pavement parking should give support for a combination of option 1 – improvements to the existing traffic regulation order system, and option 2 – to allow local authorities with civil parking enforcement powers to enforce against “unnecessary obstruction of the pavement”.

 

7.

Housing and Homelessness pdf icon PDF 380 KB

To consider an update on progress with the delivery of the homelessness and rough sleeping action plan.

Minutes:

Cabinet had agreed the Homelessness Strategy at the end of 2019. Funding of £1 million had been received from MHCLG since January 2020, and £527,000 to address homelessness as a result of the COVID pandemic. The council was committed to ending rough sleeping and was continuing to build on recovery in the medium and long term, working to complete all outstanding actions in the action plan, and was hoping to achieve accreditation under the Self-Assessment Homelessness Reduction Act (SAHRA), which was a tool to measure effectiveness of prevention services.

 

The temporary ban on landlord evictions had ended but all new eviction notices must be for a six-month period. There was no information which suggested that eviction numbers would increase as a result of the pandemic, however this was being closely monitored.

 

RESOLVED:

 

The progress with the delivery of actions under the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping action plan was noted.

 

8.

Regeneration Strategy Update pdf icon PDF 485 KB

To be advised of the current situation regarding the delivery of the strategy and the key projects within this.

Minutes:

The Director of Regeneration updated the Committee on the current situation in relation to regeneration projects.

 

Some key construction had paused for a limited period due to the COVID pandemic but was now back on track. There had been clear interest shown by companies in the island as a place to invest, particularly with the proposed broadband infrastructure.

 

The Heritage High Street Action Zones  had received funding of £1 million for Newport and Ryde, to improve shopfronts, provide housing and diversify uses of the high street over the next 4 years.

 

There had been an increasing interest in the concept of Place Plans. Cowes and Northwood had reactivated their consultation following lockdown, and East Cowes were also progressing with a Town Plan.

 

The planning committee had approved the Nicholson Road, Ryde, business park, including detailed permission for a community hub, subject to conditions related to road infrastructure. A Ryde East junctions study was due to take place and report in October 2020 which would help inform the timescale, cost and financing of road improvements. Funding bids would be submitted to support funding for improved infrastructure, along with a full business case for the phased development of the employment units.

 

The Branstone Farm project had been brought forward made possible by funding received. The council and its partners would lead by example on what was possible on the island.

 

The Newport Harbour Master plan was to be considered by Cabinet in November 2020.

 

RESOLVED:

 

a)    The benefits from towns and parishes having place plans was noted and it was hoped that this could be encouraged in all areas without these.

b)    The Committee requested that further details regarding actions and timeframes for the Nicholson Road project be included in the report to the next meeting.

c)     It was noted that all relevant stakeholders would be provided with a copy of the strategic Ryde East junctions study.

 

9.

Committee's Work Plan pdf icon PDF 237 KB

To review the workplan.

Minutes:

The Committee reviewed its workplan. There were a number of items on the Forward Plan which were considered to be of relevance to the Committee. It was agreed that engagement by all Committee members was important in helping to shape council policies.

 

RESOLVED:

         

a)    The Chairman indicated that the Scrutiny Officer would be sending out details of the proposed review on speed limits and requested that members respond with their views on this.

 

b)    The Committee, at its next meeting, would wish to look at the following two items shown in the forward plan for Cabinet :-

 

                                                    i.     Beach Management Strategy

                                                   ii.     Parking Delivery Plan

 

10.

Members' Question Time

A question must be submitted by electronic mail to Democratic Services no later than 5.00pm on Wednesday 30 September 2020.

Minutes:

There were no Members’ questions.