Issue - meetings

Report of the Cabinet Member for Economic Growth

The Chairman welcomed Professor Martin Jones, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Staffordshire University and Matthew Lowe, Policy Manager at Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, who had been invited to attend the meeting to assist members in their consideration of this item.

The Select Committee were offered the opportunity to shape the work around the draft Strategic Infrastructure Plan (SIP) as an important component in developing a clearly defined strategy for Staffordshire County Council engagement in housing policy and strategy delivery to support the implementation of housing schemes, both directly and indirectly.  The Committee would also be able to select any specific infrastructure themes for consideration and comment in more detail at future meetings.  It was also an opportunity to shape and influence the extent to which the SIP would form part of the Housing Strategy that would be brought to the Committee in late winter 2019/20.  A copy of the SIP had been circulated to members in advance of the meeting in order to give sufficient time for it to be read in detail.

The Cabinet Member for Economic Growth informed members that this was an important document for Staffordshire and its private and public partners. It was noted that it was a living document and would sit with a suite of other strategies.  It provided an indication of infrastructure needs going forward and would be useful in evidencing a funding gap.  He informed the Committee that he was proud of the work which had been done on the document by officers and partners.  Members were informed that it was essentially an assessment of the infrastructure requirements, looking at the cumulative need across the County and around its edges and was an inward and outward looking document and was primarily intended as a lobbying piece.  The Chairman questioned whether there was an opportunity to use this as an asset to encourage investment into the County.  The Cabinet Member responded that this was definitely the case, and District and Borough Councils would be asked to look at the SIP when putting together their local plans and consider how these interact, together with other partners.

It was queried what the life expectancy was of the document.  The Cabinet Member responded that although it stated 2038 he would expect it to be refreshed on a regular basis.  Although the stated intention was to review it every four years, dependant on the traction which the document gained this period would be reduced.

Professor Jones asked for clarification of the legal basis of the document, in terms of planning legislation this was not a structure plan, was this a way of combining all the local plans to have that single conversational device with government over growth and other deals and also to highlight the funding gap.  It was not a legal document but rather a way of having a consolidated conversation.  Professor Jones was aware of five other instances of such plans and said that the County Council should be congratulated as this was an enormous piece of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 69