Agenda item

The purpose of this report is to secure approval for a new Project Delivery Group that will replace the existing Exmouth Regeneration Board and Exmouth Regeneration Executive Group.  A brief update is included on the work that has taken place over the last year in advance of a more detailed cabinet report that will come forward in October. 

This is a late report as a September Cabinet decision allows the creation of the new Delivery Group and an opportunity to meet soon in September, to discuss external expert advice and the future programme of actions on delivery of Queen’s Drive Phase 3, prior to a detailed report coming to October Cabinet.

The Deputy Chief Executive explained the purpose of the report was to secure approval for a new Project Delivery Group that would replace the existing Exmouth Regeneration Board and Exmouth Regeneration Executive Group.  A brief update was included on the work that had taken place over the last year in advance of a more detailed Cabinet report that would come forward in October.  The next report would provide information on the outcome of the work undertaken by the project’s external professional advisors with recommendations for the next steps that would involve a new public engagement process before the end of this year. There was a discussion concerning the structure of the new Group and whether it should be a formal committee with Part B for when there were confidential items to discuss. The Strategic Lead Governance and Licensing explained that if the Group was to sit under a formal structure of the council it would lose the freedom panels and forums presently have under the constitution. He reminded Members that the Group would always have to feed back to Cabinet.

Further discussions included the following:

·       The Exmouth Masterplan was agreed and consulted on in 2011, don’t stop the work set out in the Plan and the considerable work that still needed to be done.

·       Exmouth shopping centre needed regeneration to include the London Inn car park and Magnolia Centre.

·       Local people would be disappointed if this work was not continued.

·       There needed to be continuity on the membership of the new Group to share knowledge and previous issues.

·       Queen’s Drive was the main concern with its issues going on now for 8 years. A fresh approach was needed for Phase 3 of the project.

·       There must be areas within Queen’s Drive for young working families to enjoy.

·       Get the views of community groups, stakeholders and interest and sports groups.

·       Queen’s Drive car parking needed to be more effective and modern.

·       The signage in the town needed to be clear.

·       Meetings must be held in Exmouth and open to the public.

·       The number of officers in the Group was necessary for their professional input and advice. They would not all attend meetings at the same time but when their attendance was required. They were not voting members of the Group.

The Chairman reminded Members the previous Board’s work would still continue and if the new Group was successful it could go on to work on other projects.

RESOLVED:

1.     that the Exmouth Regeneration Board and Exmouth Regeneration Project Executive be dissolved and that an Exmouth Queen’s Drive Delivery Group be established in its place up to 1 January 2020 initially when it will be reviewed on the basis of the terms of reference detailed at Appendix 1, and

2.     that the appointment of the Councillors to the Ward Member positions as detailed in paragraph 2.3 of the report and delegated authority to the Leader to appoint replacement members to these positions should the need arise, both be approved.

REASON:

To enable appropriate engagement between local Exmouth Ward members, the Town Council, Lead councillors and officers of this council within a group where the project can be discussed in detail and confidentially. This will enable the group’s members to have informed discussions relating to this complex project and its delivery. Notes of meetings will be published regularly as part of Cabinet papers.