Agenda item

(i)          Report of the Corporate Director of Regeneration, Economy and Growth.

(ii)        Presentation by the Head of Development and Housing Services, Regeneration, Economy and Growth.

The Committee considered a report of the Corporate Director of Regeneration, Economy and Growth which set out both the process for establishing planned interventions through Masterplans and Targeted Delivery Plans and, demonstrated the development and alignment of funding programmes such as the Towns and Villages programme to facilitate change and improvement (for copy see file of Minutes).

The Head of Development and Housing provided a detailed presentation which highlighted the purposes of a Masterplan, detail of the Main Town Masterplans process in relation to the 12 main towns in the county which had already been prepared. In addition to the 12 main town masterplans, levelling up Masterplans for Chester-le-Street, Durham City, Newton Aycliffe, Peterlee, Stanley and Three Towns were to be considered by Cabinet on 17 November 2021, with a view to them being adopted following consultation in Spring 2022.

The presentation further picked up upon Town and Villages initiatives, including background to the programme, detail of the five key themes, budget allocations and then detail of various projects undertaken throughout the county in relation to the key themes of: Strategic Investments, Housing and Community, Environment and Health, the Built Environment and Transport and Connectivity.

Councillor Hood left the meeting at this point.

Councillor Martin raised a concern regarding the deliverability of these plans, noting that there had been a number of iterations of some of the plans already together with consultations. He commented that it wasn’t just about securing money, but also about each plan being delivered and what was needed to ensure that it was done so in a timely manner.

In response the Head of Development and Housing noted that it was crucial to ensure the foundations of the plan were right to ensure the best possible chance of success. He commented that funding streams came and went but it was important to articulate those ambitions well, which in turn would help secure the required funding. He went on to explain that it was also important that expectations were managed in relation to projects identified within the masterplan, as not 100% of the plan would be deliverable. He continued on by explaining that by understanding what people want, it provided a focus for delivery of the plan.  He added that people want to see movement quickly however that is not always possible, however good projects do ahead and are delivered.

Councillor Cairns added that it was fantastic to see a plan in place, however she felt that her local area had been ignored for the last 10 years. The area which was once a village was now a satellite town just off the A169, with over development of housing and no infrastructure in place to cope with the levels of increased housing. She asked that local communities were involved in any future discussions concerning development in their area.

The Head of Development and Housing responded that such development would sit within the County Durham Plan and that any applications should be in accordance with the approved plan.  The Spatial Policy Manager confirmed that consultation had taken place on the general principles of the County Durham Plan however a lot of the development in that local community was agreed prior to the adoption of the County Durham Plan.

Councillor Surtees added that Councillor Cairns comments related to housing, which the Chair had indicated at the beginning of this agenda item would be discussed at a separate meeting of the committee.

Councillor Surtees left the meeting at this point.

The Chair advised that he had allowed the point to be made by Councillor Cairns as in his opinion it related more to consultation.

Further discussion ensued regarding consultation on the general principles of the County Durham Plan and Councillor Abley commented on development which had occurred at Shildon before the plan had been adopted.

Councillor Miller further noted that there was significant emphasis on Towns, however the County’s villages were equally as important and it would be good to see the same level of commitment made to villages in the future.

Councillor Earley raised a query regarding investment caps and added that he felt it was really important to keep the enthusiasm and momentum in the community going until the project was seen through to fruition.  He continued by asking whether there was a need to look at Town Centre Management.

Further discussion ensued regarding the changing retail environment and how this had impacted on existing masterplans. The Economic Development Manager acknowledged that different approaches to retail were now required in comparison to 10-15 years ago, noting there was now a greater focus on independent retailers in town centres.  Councillor Earley suggested that as there has been a change in town centres and a move to more independent retailers was there not a need for more town centre management.

Councillor Roberts commented that she totally agreed with the comments made, she noted the importance of consultation and commented that she was hopeful that the plans and investment which were to be made in the area are forthcoming and successful.

Resolved: that the content of the report be noted.