Agenda and minutes

No apologies had been received.

Mr Baldock, Mr Hood, and Mr Manion were present virtually.

There were no declarations of interest.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 5 March 2024 were a correct record, subject to the recording of Mr Baldock as present virtually.

Mr James Pearson (Head of Libraries, Registrations and Archives) was in attendance for this item.

1.          Mrs Bell, Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services, paid tribute to Mr James Williams, Director of Public Health at Medway Council, and offered her condolences to Mr Williams’ family and his colleagues in Medway.

2.          Mrs Bell provided an update on the following:

(a)  The temporary library service provision for Folkestone Library remained in place and a public consultation would be progressed on the future long-term location. Timescales for the public consultation were to be confirmed.

(b)  The Home Library Service delivered books and other library items direct to people’s homes and a satisfaction survey was recently completed which achieved 99% customer satisfaction from 279 responses. A new Key Performance Indicator (KPI) relating to the Home Library Service had been created.

(c)  Following the annual review for fees and charges the LRA service had started to introduce changes for 2024/25 which included necessary increases in response to the rise of inflation. Registration and archives fees and charges came into effect in early May 2024 with library fees and charges being introduced in June following a library system upgrade.

(d)  The LRA service was preparing for the annual summer Reading Challenge called ‘Marvelous Makers’ which would engage young people in fun activity and reading over the summer holiday period.

(e)  A multi-agency Kent Community Safety Partnership event on anti-social behaviour took place in March 2024 which Mrs Bell attended. The event included a number of excellent speakers and covered a range of anti-social behaviour topics.

(f)    The coroner service delivered a record seven jury inquests during March 2024 and the investment in the new facilities at Oakwood House was having a positive impact on service delivery.

(g)  Mrs Bell referred to the sad passing of Ms Debbie Large, Head of the Coroner Service. Mrs Bell said Ms Large’s commitment to the service over many years had been instrumental in its development. She was nationally recognised for her expertise and would be sorely missed by the Council.

(h)  The Resilience and Emergency Planning Service was preparing for the impact of the Entry/Exit System border checks as well as leading preparations internally for KCC. The Team continued to assess the implementation of the new Business Continuity Management System which would allow an improved governance regime.

3.     The Chair expressed, on behalf of the committee, his condolences to the families of Mr James Williams and Ms Debbie Large.

4.     Mr Murphy, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, provided an update on the following:

(a)  Mr Murphy congratulated Mr Jake Body, part of the No Use Empty (NUE) team, on his Level 3 Chartered Institute of Housing qualification, and welcomed Mr Tom Henderson to Economic Development who would be investigating energy issues facing the county.

(b)  The Council would welcome a delegation from West Flanders (Belgium) on 11 June including the Governor of the Province of West Flanders and the Cabinet member for West Flanders Water, Rural, Fisheries, and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 202.

Ms Belinda Hooker (Acting Head of Coroner Service) and Mr Mark Rolfe (Interim Head of Community Protection) were in attendance for this item.

1.         Mrs Bell introduced the item and explained the importance of the contract in providing the provision of mortuary and post-mortem services in Kent.

2.         Ms Hooker introduced the report and clarified that the contracts covered the entirety of the county including Medway, with four trusts encompassing five mortuaries and four coroner areas.

RESOLVED that the committee endorses the proposed decision to:

1)      Issue new contracts, via direct awards, for the provision of Post-Mortem Facilities in Mid-Kent and Medway, Northwest Kent, and East Kent, Central and South East Kent coroner areas to commence from 1 April 2024 for a period of 3 years (36 months) with the option of extending for up to a further 2 years (24 months).

2)      Delegate authority to the Director for Growth and Communities, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services to take relevant actions, including but not limited to, awarding, finalising the terms of and entering into the relevant contracts or other legal agreements, as necessary, to implement the decision.

3)      Delegate authority to the Director for Growth and Communities, in consultation with the Cabinet member for Community and Regulatory Services to award extensions of contracts for commissioned services in accordance with the extension clauses within the contract (3 years + 2-year extension) as shown at Appendix B.

Ms Belinda Hooker (Acting Head of Coroner Service) and Mr Mark Rolfe (Interim Head of Community Protection) were in attendance for this item.

1.         Mrs Bell introduced the item and explained the statutory duty of the Council in relation to the contract.

RESOLVED that the committee endorses the proposed decision to:

(a)    Tender for the award of Contracts for the Coroners Removal and Transfer Service for the Kent and Medway coroners areas for an initial 3-year period, with an option to extend for up to 2 years;

(b)    Delegate authority to the Director of Growth & Communities in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services to take relevant actions, including but not limited to, awarding, finalising the terms of and entering into the relevant contracts or other legal agreements, as necessary, to implement the decision;

(c)     Delegate authority to the Director of Growth & Communities in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services to Award Renewals of the current contracts in accordance with the current clauses within the contract for the period 00:00 on 22nd May 2024 to 23:59 on 31st December 2024 to accommodate the required procurement process as shown at Appendix A.

Mr Graham Rusling (Head of Service Public Rights of Way and Access) was in attendance for this item.  

1.         Mrs Bell introduced the item explaining the purpose of the proposed decision, and Mr Graham Rusling provided a summary of the report. 

2.         Members welcomed the splitting of the work into 10 lots and a Member commented on whether this would result in an onerous process and discourage prospective contractors. Mr Rusling explained there was a correct process around procurement, and contractors were supported through the process.

RESOLVED that the committee endorses the proposed decision to:

(i)      AGREE the re-procurement and the award of new contracts for PRoW vegetation clearance, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services, for a further period of five years and an allowable extension of two years subject to performance; and,

(ii)     to DELEGATE authority to the Director of Growth and Communities to take other relevant actions, including, but not limited to finalising the terms of and entering into required contracts or other legal agreements, as necessary to implement the decision as shown at Appendix A.

Mr Matthew Wagner (Chief Analyst) was in attendance for this item.

1.         Mr Matthew Wagner, Chief Analyst, introduced the report which set out the performance of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and activity indicators for Quarter 3 of 2023/24 along with the KPIs and targets proposed for reporting 2024/25 performance.

2.         A Member referred to KPI ED05 and asked whether the No Use Empty scheme applied only to houses and Mr Grimshaw explained it applied to empty residential properties being brought back into use and not commercial properties.

3.         Mrs Bell highlighted, in relation to Appendix 2, that some of the targets had been increased substantially and commended officers particularly in light of the Council’s financial pressures on resources.

RESOLVED to note the performance report for Quarter 3 of 2023/24 and the KPIs and targets proposed for 2024/25.

Mr David Smith, Economic Advisor, and Mr Mike Rayner, The Education People, were in attendance for this item.

1.         Mr Murphy introduced the item and Mr Smith introduced the report and explained that a similar presentation would be considered by CYPE Cabinet Committee. In addition, a paper would be submitted to the Employment Taskforce which brings together the organisations across Kent responsible for apprenticeships, community learning and skills, including Kent County Council and Medway Council.

3.         Mr Mike Rayner from The Education People provided a presentation, a copy of which was appended to the report.

4.         Members commented that most employers in Kent were small businesses, asked how a small business could apply for an apprenticeship and questioned the opportunities that were available to young people who were not academic. Mr Smith said gaining skills through apprenticeships was a route for those without academic qualifications and the paper looked at practical ways that small businesses could take on apprenticeships, for example improving the way the apprenticeship levy was shared and methods of advertising apprenticeships. He said a practical programme would be developed over the next few months.

5.         Members discussed the level of education and skills within the UK compared to elsewhere in Europe, the attitude towards obtaining academic qualifications, and the adequacy of the career advice service in schools. The importance of building relationships with companies to ensure a county wide plan and to provide opportunities to join national companies was stressed. Mr Smith said there was a challenge in relation to the lifestyle and career ambitions of young people and schools were an important element of this. A programme would begin with schools to address the challenges.

6.         Members discussed the need for collaborative working between schools, students, and businesses to inspire young people to work in particular areas and take on vocational training.  

7.         A Member asked what systems were in place for identifying 16-18 year olds who were NEET (not in education, employment or training) and Mr Rayner said this was the responsibility of The Education People and a NEET support service was in place.

8.         A Member commented that Local Skills Improvements Plans (LSIPs) were crucial in terms of local leadership and ensuring the issue was addressed in a geographical way.

9.         A Member stressed the importance of encouraging employers to base their businesses in Kent and bring up the level of education and skills in the workforce. Mr Smith said this was a competitive market and referred to the Kent and Medway Business Fund and the Inward Investment Agencies who dealt with companies who wanted to move to or expand their business in Kent. Connections with colleges meant specific courses could be created to enhance specific skills.

10.       A Member suggested obtaining the views of school leavers as to what they feel they could have benefitted from at school and what was missing.

11.       Members welcomed the presentation and supported the action points within the report.  

RESOLVED to comment on the suggested actions being  ...  view the full minutes text for item 207.

Mr Colin Finch (Strategic Programme Manager) was in attendance for this item.

1.         Mr Colin Finch introduced the report and said future visits had been planned for Gravesham, Dartford, and Swale.

2.         The Chair emphasised to Members the importance of supporting the District Visits Programme.

RESOLVED to note the report.

Mr Steve Grimshaw (Strategic Programme Manager) was in attendance for this item.

1.         Mr Steve Grimshaw introduced the report which provided an update on the No Use Empty scheme and updated Members on developments since the report was written.

2.         Members asked how many houses were currently empty in Kent and what the causes were. Mr Grimshaw said there were approximately 7,200 long term empty properties (properties that had been empty for more than six months) and there were a variety of causes which included second homes and probate issues. He said a number of properties were removed from the empty list due to councils reviewing Council Tax which affected the accuracy of the data. Mr Grimshaw highlighted that the Council worked in partnership with district councils who had the ability to charge a premium on properties that had been empty for a long period of time but not all the district councils had a full complement of staff engaged in empty property work. To provide loans to bring all empty homes back into use there would need to be a significant increase of funding.

RESOLVED to note the report.

Ms Gabrielle Lindemann (Film Office Manager) and Mr Tony Witton (Culture and Creative Economy Manager) were in attendance for this item.

1.         Mrs Bell introduced the item and highlighted the wider economic and tourism benefits the Kent Film Office brought to the county.

2.         Ms Gabrielle Lindemann, Film Office Manager, set out the role of the Kent Film Office and used a recent commercial filmed in Broadstairs and Margate as an example of its work. The Kent Film Office was involved in providing support to the production company for example with parking, accommodation, locations, local crew, and marshals. Over £250,000 was spent on accommodation, £85,000 on locations, £20,000 on local security, and Thanet District Council received approximately £10,000 for parking. Ms Lindemann explained that the Kent Film Office took a 10% agency fee from the District Councils they worked with.

3.         Mrs Binks declared an interest that her daughter worked in the filming industry and had filmed in Kent.

4.         Mr Lewis declared an interest that he was a retired Film Extra who had filmed in Kent.

5.         Members commented that the Kent Film Office was an asset to the Council and extremely useful in facilitating arrangements for productions filmed across Kent and contributing to the county’s economy. The importance of promoting the use of historic buildings within Kent for filming was noted.

RESOLVED to note the report.

Ms Liz Harrison (Strategic Programme Manager) was in attendance for this item.

1.         Mr Murphy introduced the item and highlighted the broadband programme was not a specific KCC responsibility and the Council’s role was to support and encourage the provider. 

2.         Ms Harrison provided an overview of the report which updated Members on the implementation of the Government’s Project Gigabit programme in Kent and highlighted a few points.

3.         A Member asked about homes in hard-to-reach areas and how many and where they were in Kent. Ms Harrison said this question had been put to the Department for Science and Technology regularly and she understood some modelling had taken place, but this had not yet been shared. 

RESOLVED to note the current position and provide the Cabinet Member any comments on the proposed approach.

RESOLVED to note the Work Programme. 

To note that future meetings of the Growth, Economic Development and Communities Cabinet Committee will take place on the following dates:

3 July 2024 at 10am

11 September 2024 at 2pm

6 November 2024 at 2pm

22 January 2025 at 2pm

6 March 2025 at 10am

1 July 2025 at 10am

The Future meeting dates of the Growth, Economic Development and Communities Cabinet Committee were noted.