Agenda item

To consider report OSC/303 of the Chair of the Council-owned Neighbourhood Parades Scrutiny Panel.

The Commission considered report OSC/303 of the Chair of the Council-owned Neighbourhood Parades Scrutiny Panel, Councillor Lanzer.  

The OSC was reminded that the main aims of the Scrutiny Panel were to examine the various roles of Crawley Borough Council’s neighbourhood shopping parades, explore how effectively these were being discharged, and to consider any improvements that could be made.  Commission members were informed that the Scrutiny Panel’s large number recommendations were consciously framed with a whole Council approach, noting that contributions can be made by various departments beyond that responsible for the Property Strategy, and by partner organisations.

As a result of the final report and the discussion Councillor Lanzer (Chair of the Panel), the Head of Corporate Finance, Asset Manager and Democratic Services Officer (JT), the following points were expressed:

·       There was general support for the report and the Panel’s work.  Panel members and officers were thanked for a thorough review and comprehensive report.

·       The Commission considered the Panel’s recommendations to be practical and offered support for actively encouraging the use of the borough’s parades.  It was commented that they provided a community hub for the neighbourhood and there was a need to focus on engagement and awareness going forward.

·       It was felt disheartening that there had been a low response to the parade tenant section of the Panel’s survey but acknowledged that tenants’ attendance at the Panel’s meetings and witness sessions had been positive and engaging.

·       There was support for various points documented within the report including the cleanliness of the parades, safety aspects, local community engagement and the cost of living (ie affordability). It would be beneficial to look at the cost of living in parallel with the cost of services.  It was acknowledged that signposting businesses was important to ensure they receive the support and assistance as and when required, particularly to providing information regarding the rent review process.

·       Clarification sought and obtained on the maintenance responsibilities as outlined within each lease agreement; most of the responsibilities for building upkeep fell to the tenant.

·       It was felt that there was a need to diversify the range of units on the parades as usage had changed over time. It was subjective as to what constituted a ‘good range of parade shops’. Demand for parade units was high and some may appear vacant but were already let. Traditional uses were popular with shoppers and the parades should reflect this however there was a need for balance of necessity and achieving rent rate. Additionally some use classes were more profitable than others and it was acknowledged that use classes under Planning legislation had become streamlined. 

·       It was recognised that legislation implemented during the pandemic had restricted the measures that the Council as landlord could take to recover owed funds. This legislation was due to fall away in September 2022 and whilst the majority of tenants worked well with the Council to manage their finances, it was noted a large portion of the substantial arrears was owed by a small number of tenants and this was unacceptable.

·       Concern was raised regarding some of the Panel’s recommendations given the financial pressures on the Council’s General Fund and ultimately any proposals would need to be cost-effective. It was however noted that items for the Capital Programme were driven by the need for the upkeep of council assets and environmental obligations and schemes will also be considered that are spend to save or spend to earn, but that such prioritisation should not preclude the initial consideration of capital projects that could deliver “social value”.

RESOLVED

That the Commission noted the report and requested that the views expressed during the debate, were fed back to the Cabinet through the Commission’s Comment sheet.