To receive verbal updates from the Cabinet Members and the Corporate Director for the Growth, Economic Development and Communities portfolio including the following:
Cabinet Member for Economic Development
· Dreamland,
· Manston
· Kent life Sciences
Deputy Cabinet Member for Community Services
· Libraries Customer Service Excellence Award
· Sainsbury’s School Games
Minutes:
1. Mr Dance, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, advised that Sands Heritage Limited had been secured by Thanet District Council as the operator of Dreamland amusement park. The fairground opened in June 2015. Mr Dance suggested that a mechanism of measuring the potential success of the reopening of Dreamland as well as the other attractions such as the Turner Art Gallery in Margate and the impact locally and for the rest of Kent needed to be found.
2. Mr Dance explained that Locate in Kent commissioned Alison Watson to look at Kent’s Life BioScience and agrotech offer. This would create benefits for similar smaller businesses in the BioGateway in procurement. This was dedicated to developing Kent’s offer of a life science network with the ability to attract businesses in Europe.
3. Mr Dance referred to the recent Operation Stack advising that a delegation of Kent MPs were meeting with the Minister for Transport to discuss alternatives to Operation Stack. He advised that he had been notified that another issue was likely to happen. Mrs Cooper advised that there was a possibility that Operation Stack would be on and off in the coming days. Notifications would be given regarding travel routes to avoid.
4. The Cabinet Committee were advised that Thanet District Council were due to make a decision in the near future on whether to pursue a Compulsory Purchase Order or other options for Manston Airport.
5. Mr Dance and the Corporate Director for Economic Development responded to questions by Members as follows:
· The Corporate Director agreed that this was a national issue which Kent had to bear. Following the last Operation Stack in January 2015 a Group was set up tasked with identifying more effective solutions to the current Operation Stack arrangement. The Group included Dover Harbour Board, Eurotunnel, representatives of lorry parking and logistics sectors, Shepway District Council, Ashford Borough Council, Dover District Council, Kent County Council, Highways England, the Road Haulage Association and the Freight Transport Association to discuss whether there was a better way to manage Operation Stack. The Group was producing a report on proposed solutions. Mrs Cooper explained that the reason more lorries joined the queue following 2 days of Operation Stack was; lorry drivers took the view that they would rather be 3000th in a queue than 4501 because they had to stay somewhere and were not paid for overnight parking. This was not a good use of the Police or KCC’s resources.
· Mrs Cooper advised that the Group’s report would be forwarded to the Secretary of State, who had been made aware and was waiting to receive it.
· Mrs Cooper advised that any issues regarding road signage should be forwarded to her.
6. Mr Hill, Deputy Cabinet Member for Community Services advised that Kent had received the Libraries, Registration and Archives Customer Service Excellence Award 2015 after improving on last year. He explained that of the 57 criteria Kent had 14 compliance plus and 43 compliance, up by 2 on last year on compliance pluses. Mr Hill applaud the service’s efforts achieved
Mr Hill then spoke on the Sainsbury’s School Games. He attended the games held at Folkestone’s new sport centre. Tracey Crouch new Minister for sport was in attendance at Medway. There were overall, 30,000 participants from 600 schools and a total of 6000 pupils took part.
7. RESOLVED that the responses to questions by Members and the the information received in the verbal update be noted.