Last week we held our first Executive meetings away from The Hub when we met in Bagworth Community Centre. The meeting was followed by 90 minutes of questions and discussions with local residents who had joined us for the meeting. As a result Members and Officers are now progressing with a number of new strands of work with the Parish Council and local community.
Members will know that Planning Committee recently approved a major industrial development south of the M69. This development will bring nearly 3,000 new jobs and boost economic growth in ours and neighbouring boroughs. With some of the site reserved for hi-tech and industrial uses we should see a good mix of job types and our employment levels should rise even further.
Along with this new development, Mira Technology Institute is due to open later this year, and with indications from other businesses of significant growth plans, and new businesses wanting to relocate to locations across the borough, Hinckley and Bosworth is rapidly becoming one of the most popular places for business. We still need to make available more facilities for business start-ups, and this is something that we are working to achieve.
Our main business on tonight’s agenda should receive members’ broad support as I will be presenting Council’s Digital and Prevention Strategies.
The Digital Strategy is probably long overdue but sets out how we, and our partner councils, will work to use technology so that our services become more accessible and even more efficient.
Our Prevention Strategy shows how we will deliver our most important, and rapidly growing services, of providing improved health and wellbeing for our Borough. There is no question that investing in prevention relieves pressure on front line services, most notably in the NHS, Police and Social Services. With the adoption of our prevention strategy this Council will be accepting its duty to play a leading role in helping residents to make better life choices so that we can all live healthier, safer, and hopefully happier and longer lives.
We also have on our agenda a motion from Councillor Bill. These are important matters which we have discussed at many meetings over the past two years, including briefings to the Planning Policy forum, Scrutiny meetings, and full Council towards the end of 2016 when we agreed to the Strategic Growth Statement and in 2017 when we agreed to the draft Growth Strategy being issued for public consultation.
Whilst I understand the reasons for Councillor Bill bringing his concerns to Council, I do not feel that he has rightly captured what this council should be doing, and I am therefore proposing an amendment to the motion. This amendment will give members the opportunity to discuss the issues raised by Councillor Bill, and proposes positive responses to be included in this Council’s full reply to the Strategic Growth Plan Consultation.
Finally, just a reminder for members that there is still time for people to nominate individuals and groups in their communities for our Making a Difference Awards. This year we shall be holding the event at Cineworld, and I’m looking forward to announcing some new winners this year.
Minutes:
In his position statement, the Leader made reference to the recent meeting of the Executive held at Bagworth Community Centre, industrial and economic development, the business of the meeting and the Making a Difference Awards, encouraging nominations for the latter.