Agenda item

(Report by Mr Dance, Cabinet Member for Regeneration & Economic Development, Mr Cockburn, Corporate Director Business Strategy & Support and Mr A Wood, Corporate Director for Business Strategy and Support)

(Ms J Hansen, Finance Business Partner, Business Strategy and Support and Mr S Charman, Head of Consultation and Engagement, were present for this item)

1.          The Chairman invited the Finance Business Partner, Ms Hansen, to introduce the report.  Ms Hansen gave a summary of the consultation process which included; 2 workshops with 80 residents and 416 responses to the questionnaire.  The Economic Development Budget Informal Member Group (IMG) met on 11 September and 17 October when they focussed on the largest areas of the budget and were given the opportunity to meet with Mr Wookey, Chief Executive, Locate in Kent, at the second meeting.  Members of the IMG concluded at those meetings that they would recommend to the Cabinet Committee that the budget should remain at the same level as 2012/13 for 2013/14.  Mr Charman added that an analysis of the consultation responses would be ready for submission to Cabinet on 16 November.

2.          Members were give the opportunity to make comments and ask questions which included the following:

a)         It was considered that there was a link between this consultation and Grow for it: East Kent regarding economic prosperity.

b)         A request was made for a report to be submitted to the January meeting of this Cabinet Committee on the consultation results. Mr Charman agreed to forward the result of the consultation outside the meeting when they were available for publication.

c)          A Member suggested that the Cabinet Committee used the evidence gathered by the Budget IMG such as jobs/wealth creation and data on cost per job to strengthen the case for the budget remaining the same.

d)         A Member considered the response to the consultation extraordinarily low and asked whether there was a view why that was. Mr Charman advised that the figure of 416 responses was higher than in the previous year. He explained that the Budget Consultation for 2013/14 was launched in September 2012.  There had been a county wide media campaign.  Public Meetings were held through the locality Boards and county based Forums and Ipsos Mori, Market Research Company, also held Focus Groups with a random selection of participates.

e)         In response to a question, the Director of Economic Development agreed to forward information outside the meeting about attendance at Le Marché International des Professionnels de l’immobilier (MIPIM), by Locate in Kent and how it offered Value for Money.

f)           A suggestion was made that the County needed to be shown in its best light eg business parks being used as lorry parks should be stopped as this could put off potential investors in the areas Mr Wookey would be promoting.

g)         Members agreed to the suggestion from Mr Wookey that KCC invests in attracting foreign investment from USA and Europe, following the demise of SEEDA, and that this recommendation be included in the submission to the Cabinet Committee.

3.        RESOLVED that:-

a)              the responses to comments and questions by  Members be noted;

b)              the budget consultation process and that full analysis of responses will be presented to Cabinet in December be noted; and

c)               that the EDCC Budget IMG recommendation that the Economic Development budget remains at its current level for 2013/14 financial year and Mr Wookey’s request that KCC looks to invest in attracting foreign investment from USA and Europe be endorsed by the Economic Development Cabinet Committee for its submission to Cabinet  at its meeting on 3 December.