Agenda and draft minutes

The following substitutions were made:-

Councillor Flunder for Councillor Herdman

Councillor Spooner for Councillor Haines.

The Chair summarised the activities that had taken place which related to the required measures detailed at the last meeting. Officers will confirm if item 24, 3, has been actioned.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes from the previous meeting held on 12 March be approved.

·         Disclosable Pecuniary Interests

·          Other Interests

RESOLVED:

That the work programme be approved.

Members received a presentation which covered the following topics;

·         Financial Overview

·         Programme Overview

·         Overview by Priority Area – Community and Place, Business Support, People and Skills.

·         Summary of Achievements to date – Spotlight on Towns.

Members discussed the difference between capital and revenue, visitor economy data following specific events, local discretion to decide what an area needed, STEAM data, the areas and key activities that SMDC applied for funding, deadlines for grants and applications and the involvement of Town and Parish Councils. They further discussed an analysis of geographical locations of successful bids and the parameters that Officers work to. Officers advised that a monitoring return form was completed every 6 months for central government and at the end there would be an evaluation of the programme.

RESOLVED:

1.    That the presentation be received.

2.    That a geographical map showing successful grant applications be provided to the committee.

Members received a presentation which covered the following topics;

·         Profile of SMDC businesses

·         Top 50 Businesses – Turnover

·         Top 50 Businesses – Employee Numbers

·         Insights

·         Inward Investment

·         What we are currently doing

·         Actions moving forward.

Members were further advised that the data was taken from Companies House and only included businesses registered in the District.

Members discussed the need for granular data, transport and education sectors on the list, staff turnover of the businesses listed, large sites not meaning high employment levels, what jobs were needed for the District, what the District was doing to attract external companies to the area, the need for fluidity and the suggestion of a tourism road map.

RESOLVED:

·         That the presentation be received.

·         That Councillor Flunder approach Staffordshire County Council for the granular data.

·         That a Business Economist be consulted with the granular data and invited to report back to the Committee.

The Chair moved:

“That pursuant to Section 100A (2) and (4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or nature of the proceedings whereby it is likely that exempt information as defined in Section 100A (3) of the Act would be disclosed to the public in breach of the obligation of confidence or exempt information as defined in Section 100I (1) of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act would be disclosed to the public by virtue of the paragraphs indicated.”

RESOLVED:

That the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 12 March 2024 be approved.