Agenda item

Further to Minute No. 35 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member and Advisers for Business Growth and Regeneration held on 12th January, 2015, consideration was given to a report and presentation from the Economic Development Manager, concerning the draft Rotherham Growth Plan, for which there is currently a consultation process including relevant stakeholders and interested parties. The consultation period ends on Friday 30th January, 2015. The report described the ambitions of the Rotherham Growth Plan, which are:-

 

: stimulating the local economy and helping people into work;

 

: protecting the Borough’s most vulnerable people and families, enabling them to maximise their independence;

 

: ensuring all areas of Rotherham are safe, clean and well maintained;  and

 

: helping people to improve their health and well-being and reducing inequalities within the Borough.

 

In addition, Members noted the principal themes of the Rotherham Growth Plan, which are similar to those of the Sheffield City Region Strategic Economic Plan:-

 

- Growing existing and developing new businesses.

- Skills for employment.

- Social inclusion and combating poverty.

- Employment Land and Housing.

- the Rotherham town centre.

- Transport.

 

The presentation included the following salient details:-

 

: the restructuring of the local economy so that it will be more resilient and building a strong private sector;

 

: the creation of more jobs which are accessible to Rotherham residents;

 

: development of high-level skills; raising productivity and wages; attracting new businesses to the Borough area, which have growth potential;

 

: the Advanced Manufacturing Park (Waverley) and the Dearne Eco Vision are important areas and unique developments within the Borough; all parts of the Borough area should benefit from economic growth; Rotherham should be a place where people want to live, work and visit;

 

: various statistics were displayed, comparing Rotherham with the Sheffield City Region local authorities and also with national data (eg: the percentage of school pupils achieving 5 GCSE A*-C passes has shown considerable year-on-year improvement for more than a decade; yet, Rotherham does not fare as well in terms of the higher Level 4 qualifications);

 

: the period of the Growth Plan is from April 2015 to 2025 and will link to the Sheffield City Region Strategic Economic Plan;

 

: bids for funding are made to the Local Growth Fund and the new European programmes;

 

: delivery of the priorities of the Local Strategic Partnership and of the Borough Council;

 

: Increased Gross Value Added  (more money in local economy) for the Borough area;

 

: Growth Zones - areas where the majority of new jobs will be located and more housing constructed (eg: Dinnington and the A57 corridor; the Dearne Valley; more businesses attracted to the Rotherham town centre; the new Bassingthorpe Farm development; Templeborough and the Lower Don Valley as part of the Rotherham-Sheffield Economic Corridor);

 

: Transformation Projects (the Advanced Manufacturing Park Innovation District; the proposed HS2 railway station at Meadowhall; Rotherham town centre developments (markets; cinema; Forge Island; Rotherham College of Arts and Technology university campus and delivery of degree courses; Pithouse West leisure scheme (Rother Valley); the ‘Man of Steel’ iconic sculpture and the public campaign for ‘Heart of Steel’ donations of money;

 

: issues from the scrutiny review of the local economy : key objectives are income generation and employment creation; SMART targets; the emphasis on opportunities and qualifications for young people;

 

: the Rotherham Growth Plan is jointly owned by partner organisations and has strong links to Local Plan; it is necessary to communicate the details of the Growth Plan effectively to the Council’s partners and stakeholders;

 

: Funding – the European Programme 2014 to 2020 (£160 m over six years); the Government’s Growth Deal of £320 millions; the Sheffield City Region Investment Fund (SCRIF) and the Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIF) are to fund capital projects; the Rotherham Growth Fund itself and the Rotherham Economic Regeneration Fund (RERF);

 

: Both the Local Strategic Plan and the Borough Council will be asked to approve the Rotherham growth Plan; the Plan becomes effective on 1st April, 2015, with the development of projects and interventions;

 

: sources of funding will have to be identified and secured; the Growth Plan will be monitored and progress reports submitted to Elected Members at intervals of six months.

 

During discussion, Members of the Select Commission raised the following issues:-

 

(a) reference to the Government’s creation of Enterprise Zones.  The Rotherham Growth Plan does include areas such as Enterprise Zones.

 

(b) Members appreciate the intentions in respect of job creation and apprentice training; are there safeguards in respect of wage levels, payment of the living wage and the avoidance of ‘zero hours’ contracts.  The intention is to attract high quality companies which will offer jobs for local people at acceptable remuneration levels and avoiding ‘zero hours’ contracts.

 

(c) the importance of the ‘visitor economy’ and ensuring that the Rotherham Borough area is marketed and promoted effectively for possible tourists/visitors.  The Local Economic Partnership has a Sport and Leisure element and the establishment of a Tourism Advisory Group is under consideration. The Council’s membership of the ‘Welcome to Yorkshire’ organisation may not continue. The Chamber of Commerce intends to establish a Tourism Partnership, based on the example at Barnsley. The Department for Local Government Yorkshire and Humber has also produced a visitor strategy for use by local authorities. Major attractions are important (eg: the ‘Man of Steel’ sculpture and the leisure development at the Pithouse West site.

(d) reference to the Rotherham College of Arts and Technology university campus and whether the Dearne Valley College is a viable alternative (the former nursing school premises are currently vacant).

 

(e) a number of textual corrections were mentioned.

 

(f) a question about the Dearne Eco Vision and planning controls in relation to new buildings (officers will reply after the meeting).

 

(g) the length of time during which job creation will occur, with delays to lead-in time for employers settling in Rotherham and the uneven creation of jobs. The creation of some 10,000 new jobs is anticipated, which will depend heavily on the timescales of substantial new developments (eg: the proposals in the A57/Todwick area under negotiation).

 

(h) the types of jobs  which may be created (eg: in construction). Appendix 5 to the submitted report provides details of the different sectors in which the jobs may be created.

 

(i) Ensuring that the skills are available amongst the local workforce, so that employees are not brought in from elsewhere; the proposed university campus will help to develop people to achieve Level 4 and Level 5 qualifications. There must be work with local schools, so that pupils are made aware of training prospects locally.  The Select Commission noted that the proposed university itself will provide an extra impetus for training, as has been the case with Barnsley and its partnership with the Huddersfield University. The existence of a student population and the consequent need for accommodation will benefit the Borough area.  There will eventually be the organic growth of jobs.

 

(j) The training and study should be supplemented by learning in the workplace.  The Rotherham Growth Plan is ambitious and the training centre at the Advanced Manufacturing Park, as well as the proposed university campus, must provide high skills training.

 

(k) To ensure the effectiveness of the Advanced Manufacturing Park and its impact on local employment, there must be emphasis upon the science-based curriculum in schools, because these are often perceived as being difficult subjects to study.  Local authorities (including Rotherham) do ensure that appropriate staff visit schools and encourage the take-up amongst pupils of the stem science subjects.

 

(l) A suggestion that craft subjects, such as woodwork and metalwork, should also be taught in schools. The importance of the Advanced Manufacturing Park was again emphasised, in addition to the proposed development on the A57/Todwick site. It is vital that jobs requiring a diverse range of skills, in different employment sectors, should be available for local people.

 

Resolved:- (1) That the report and the presentation be received and their contents noted.

 

(2) That the following issues now discussed by the Improving Places Select Commission shall be included in the consultation on the Rotherham Growth Plan:-

 

(a) The importance developing existing businesses and also attracting new businesses to the Rotherham Borough area;

 

(b) Skills for employment and progression - to ensure that local people have the correct skills for the jobs which are available;

 

(c) To ensure that there is local control over skills development;

 

(d) The importance of social inclusion and employment prospects;

 

(e) Obtaining the agreement in principle from employers to commit to payment of ‘living wages’;

 

(f) The Dearne Eco Vision and clarification of planning controls in relation to new buildings;

 

(g) Rotherham town centre – to include reference to the independent retail offer and to possible increase in the ‘leisure offer’  in the town centre, which will be part of the imminent review of the town centre masterplan;

 

(h) To emphasise the importance of Transport links, including the HS2 high speed railway and the tram-train development between Meadowhall, Rotherham and Parkgate;  

 

(i) To include reference to the Enterprise Zones in the Rotherham Growth Plan.