Welcome to tonight’s meeting, on the day that the new Prime Minister has been announced. Let’s all hope we get some stability nationally and an effective response to the national cost of living crisis.
I have the following key items to report.
Cost of living support event
I am pleased to report this Council, with the support of local partners, will be convening a cost of living event on Saturday, 1 October. It will be hosted at the Meeting Centre, Hinckley, between 10am and 1pm. Residents of the borough will have the opportunity to meet officers of the Council and representatives from a range of organisations to access advice and support on household budgeting, managing debt, managing energy and fuel bills, housing costs, and benefits. The event will also help residents understand how to look after their mental health and wellbeing, as well as ideas for cooking on a budget with taster sessions. This important initiative will be a free drop in event.
Ukraine family event
I was delighted to attend a recent social evening with many of the Ukrainian guests and their hosts who we have welcomed into the borough. I was joined by my Executive lead for Housing and Community Safety and senior officers of the Council. The event was held at Hinckley Rugby Club and was attended by over 100 guests and host family members who were able to come together informally for mutual support during the current Ukrainian crisis.
I would like to pass on my sincere thanks to the officers who made this happen and to welcome our new Ukrainian Response Co-ordinator who is assisting families and their hosts.
Local plan
The Council will be issuing a press statement confirming our commitment to press on with our local plan, following the consultation of the submission draft of the plan published in February. It will highlight that we have been forced to review the timetable based on a number of factors. These include new national requirements and housing targets, uncertainties around government statements on proposed changes to the national planning system and the need for further work by local agencies such as the County Council to assess and advise on local impacts and infrastructure requirements, such as highways and education. In summary, the main issues are:
· The revised methodology published late March by the government’s Office of National Statistics, which has increased the number of new homes the Council must plan for to meet revised affordability requirements
· The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill published by government, which sets out changes in respect of the ‘duty to cooperate’ with adjacent councils and is expected to be replaced by a new ‘alignment test’. However, no details of this new test have been announced, leaving uncertainty about how councils should treat the housing and employment needs of other areas
· A promised new national ‘prospectus’ for changes to the National Planning Policy Framework which has yet to be published – this could have significant implications for how local plans are progressed
· The recent statements by the two candidates for Prime Minister have indicated a removal of the requirement for housing targets, the ‘duty to cooperate’ and the requirements to maintain a five-year housing supply
· The quantum of unmet housing and employment need from Leicester City has also since been published, placing significant additional housing numbers that the Council has to consider accommodating within the borough.
Officers will be setting out a revised programme for submitting the local plan which will provide the time for the additional technical work that is needed to be undertaken to address a number of new government requirements.
Statement of Common Ground
In view of my statements on the level of uncertainties linked to the national planning system, I will be informing Leicestershire local authorities that this Council will not be in a position to sign up to the draft Statement of Common Ground. This statement seeks to apportion additional housing and employment requirements to Leicestershire districts, including ours, to meet Leicester City’s projected unmet need.
Devolution deals
Members may have heard that last week the government confirmed that a £1.14bn devolution deal has been offered for the East Midlands covering Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Derby and Nottingham, including the 15 district and borough councils. The deal with provide the combined geography of these council areas a guaranteed income stream of £38m per year over a 30-year period covering a population of 2.2 million people.
The deal is a level 3 deal which offers the most new local powers and funding on offer via the government’s Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. The deal is one of the first of a new type of combined authority, requiring new legislation from government. It also means a new elected mayor, similar to those in the West Midlands and Greater Manchester and the creation of the new Mayoral Combined County Authority (MCCA).
Significantly, the deal being offered places high importance on the MCCA working collaboratively with the 15 districts and borough councils across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire ensuring they have a voice in the MCCA. Personally, I think there could and should be greater recognition of districts in the governance of the MCCA.
It is with great regret that, despite the efforts of the districts in Leicestershire to be part of this deal which has been communicated to successive secretary of states in government and to local MPs over the least year or so, we have been unable to secure the support of the County Council or City to the deal. If these sorts of deals are the ‘main show in town’ from the present government, I am concerned that it will be the residents of Leicestershire that lose out by not being included with the financial packages on offer for the East Midlands.
Pop up shops – support package
I am pleased to report that I intend to confirm a new discretionary business rate relief at the next Executive, following consultation with our other preceptor partners. This relief will be targeted at our high streets, which have experienced significant impacts during the COVID pandemic. Whilst our towns have fared pretty well in comparison with many areas across the East Midlands and nationally – as profiled recently on BBC East Midlands News, this new relief will help bring further benefits.
This new policy will assist in targeting our vacant units and provide a helping hand to new businesses that wish to use a pop up shop in trying out their business ideas and hopefully leading to more permanent occupation of retail units in our towns and villages.
A further commitment I will make is to provide a rent-free period for up to three months in any pop up shop owned by the Council in the Crescent.
Cineworld
Many of you will be aware of the national media reports over the financial difficulties faced globally by Cineworld. I understand from recent reports that Cineworld has confirmed it is considering filing for bankruptcy in the United States, as it continues to struggle with up to $4.8bn worth of debt.
The company has publicly said it “remains open for business” and that there would be “no significant impact” on jobs. Cineworld have said publicly it is looking at various options for how to restructure its debt and its balance sheet and that its business operations were expected to “remain unaffected” by its plans.
Cineworld has 751 sites and 9,189 screens in ten countries, with 102 in the UK. It also runs the Picturehouse brand in the UK. Members will be aware that Cineworld occupy a prime place in the Crescent, Hinckley. This was the number one priority our residents told us they wanted included in the Crescent scheme when we consulted on the bus station redevelopment.
I have written a joint letter with the council’s Chief Executive to Mooky Greidinger, the Chief Executive of Cineworld, seeking further clarity on the future of the company and its operation in Hinckley. We have also offered to meet him and discuss what support we may provide to the staff employed at the Cineworld, Hinckley. I am currently awaiting a response to our invitation to meet with him.
In addition, I have asked officers to engage with agents to explore the potential for new operators in the unfortunate worst-case scenario that Cineworld cease operating. The status of our current commercial arrangements with Cineworld have been addressed in the response to question asked earlier in the meeting.
This administration was proud to deliver a cinema for the borough and will continue to fight to keep this much-loved facility in Hinckley.
Events
I am delighted to report we have had a fantastic array of community events over the summer period which has attracted thousands of residents and visitors. These have included the very popular Snap Dragon summer family festivals that have taken place on Argents Mead and in some of our villages, and the annual summer Feast Hinckley event held over a weekend in August which attracted bumper crowds. Our Music in the Mead events have also been a great success and continue into September.
We have a full autumn and winter programme of events that I will update on in my next statement.
National rail freight infrastructure project – response support
I am pleased to announce that the Council has secured £90,000 from the government’s Innovation and Capacity fund for local authorities to assist with the work we need to do in response to the national infrastructure project, which raises significant challenges and concerns for this area. We will be encouraged to share our learning and experience nationally as part of the funding conditions.
I understand this is a highly sought after fund and we are one of only a few councils to have secured this fund nationally. I would therefore like to express my thanks to our planning officers who have helped put a strong bid together to secure this resource. This will go to ensuring our response to the proposals are as robust as they can be.
Minutes:
In his position statement, the Leader referred to:
· The cost of living support event
· The Ukraine family event
· The local plan
· The Statement of Common Ground
· Devolution deals
· The forthcoming pop-up shops support package
· Cineworld
· Successful events held over the summer
· The national rail freight infrastructure project.
The Leader and other members echoed the Mayor’s sentiments in paying tribute to John Cornell.