Verbal update.
Minutes:
The Head of Regeneration and Economy introduced the item. They gave a brief summary of the history of Regeneration for the council and showed a presentation which explained the projected route that the Regeneration scheme would take for the borough. The Head of Regeneration and Economy also explained that whilst a review was planned for 2021, a recent refresh had taken place to look at priority and focus of efforts in order to understand the immediate effects that the Lockdown created, prior to the full review the following year.
The Regeneration Programme Manager advised the Board that there were 3.5 FTE staff working in Regeneration.
In response to questions by Members of the Board, the Head of Regeneration and Economy answered that:
1) the public Cabinet Report laid out the plans for Brockhampton West, and the Extraordinary Cabinet to discuss this item was to be held on 18 November 2020;
2) the areas of the borough earmarked for Regeneration were prioritised by Cabinet and the team took the direction of Cabinet as where best to place resources, and it was the wish of the council to regenerate all the areas which needed it in time;
3) regeneration of the borough was community focused and so whilst it was important to have commercial input, the work undertaken would be done with the best interests of the community in mind;
4) Flick Drummond MP was presently looking at the Waterlooville Master Plan and how best to help regenerate that area of the borough;
5) an update on the feasibility study on the Hayling Billy Trail could come with the final delivery programme;
6) whilst the purchase of the Meridian Centre had taken place at the end of 2019, the events of 2020 had slowed the regeneration of the borough somewhat, but detailed work was due to come forward in order to establish the best use of the space and how it could be used;
7) the council was anticipating significant Government funding to be made available by for Regeneration, to be delivered in 2021 to help support Havant’s Regeneration schemes, but there was no certainty about this until it was formally announced; and
8) there were no detailed plans for where to spend the Leigh Park designated funding at present, but it would need to be a whole council approach as it would affect different departments, such as Housing and Communities.
The meeting was adjourned at 18:04 and recommenced at 18:06.
In response to further questions by the Board, the Head of Regeneration and Economy explained that:
a) the changing coastal processes of Hayling Island posed a challenge with regards to Regeneration, but the sentiment was that residents of the island were paramount, and so consultation and engagement would be key in all areas of the borough to determine how each section would be regenerated; and
b) Regeneration was not solely about commercial gain, and so all manner of options such as housing could be looked at for different areas. This could take additional time, but it was worth doing in order to get the best outcome for the borough.
The meeting was adjourned at 18:14 and recommenced at 18:22.
Councillor Howard was elected by the Board to Chair the remainder of the meeting.
When posed a question regarding sustainability and improved ecology in the borough, the Head of Regeneration and Economy explained that Regeneration would be looking at cultivating green space alongside commercial development in order to give a balanced outcome for the borough.
It was RECOMMENDED by the Board that the Head of Regeneration and Economy return to the Board for a quarterly update around February 2021, in which they could show and explain the development plan for the borough and key performance indicators for upcoming major projects in further detail.