Agenda item

To receive a report giving an overview of the recently launched Growth and Infrastructure Framework and associated plan

(1)       Barbara Cooper (Corporate Director - Growth, Environment and Transport) and Katie Stewart (Director - Environment, Planning and Enforcement) introduced the report which provided an overview of the Kent and Medway Growth and Infrastructure Framework (GIF) and action plan and sought the HWB’s input to the development of the GIF to strengthen the health and social care infrastructure evidence base and a commitment to using it to shape health infrastructure provision to support housing growth.

(2)       Mrs Cooper said that the development of approximately 160,000 new homes and a population increase of 300,000 were planned for Kent and Medway to 2031 and the GIF and its associated action plan had been developed to become a framework and platform for creating an effective approach to planning and delivering the infrastructure necessary to support growth.

(3)       Mrs Stewart said the data for existing health provision had been taken from NHS Choices and future requirements and associated costs were derived from modelling the anticipated population growth to the existing provision.  She also said that once developer costs had been taken into account, the NHS currently met the remaining costs of health infrastructure however it was expected that in future the NHS would not be able to meet the full costs. She said input from partners would be very welcome to build the evidence relating to health and social care so the GIF could be used to proactively manage the impact of London’s growth on Kent and Medway and attract investment as well as giving partners a tool to test the impact of new delivery models.

(4)       During the discussion the need to plan for future health and social care needs was recognised.  It was suggested that the growth already taking place in North Kent could be an opportunity to test models of future health and social care provision and of addressing health inequalities however there were also concerns that funding for services might continue to follow population growth.

(5)       The need for different models of care and extra-care facilities was mentioned, as well as the need for detailed work at local level to feed into the development of a single infrastructure delivery plan for Kent.

(6)       Mrs Stewart said that KCC wished to work collaboratively with health and other partners to ensure maximum benefit from the public estate.

(7)       In response to a question Mrs Cooper said that the Kent and Medway Economic Partnership had established a skills commission to identify and plan for future skills needs and she offered to share the notes of the commission relating to the health and social care sectors.

(8)       The work that had been done since May was acknowledged and it was suggested that conversations with the accountable officers for each of the CCGs be initiated to ensure all relevant local health data was included in the GIF and kept updated.

(9)       Resolved that:

(a)          The contents and conclusions of the first GIF and its associated action plan be noted;

(b)          It be agreed to help shape the future of the GIF by contributing robust and timely data and analysis to the next refresh;

(c)        The GIF be used to help shape discussions about the future shape of health and social care service delivery.