Agenda item

Planning and Economic Development Portfolio

To consider report PES/385 of the Head of Economy and Planning, which was referred to the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Commission held on 8 March 2021.

RESOLVED

That the Cabinet approves, to go out to public consultation for a period of six weeks, the draft Crawley Economic Recovery Plan (Appendix A to report PES/385) subject to the following amendments shown in bold below, being included in the Recovery Plan in order to emphasise findings from the Local Plan Review:

•          Add to slide 3 – Crawley’s “One Town” Vision for 2050 the following bullet point: ‘new sites to provide for all Crawley’s employment growth sectors and help boost jobs for residents”

•          Add to slide 6 – Plan to Restore Economic Success Post COVID-19, under “Structural Challenges”: ‘Limited overall available employment land supply”

Reasons for the Recommendations

Cabinet approval is sought to go out to public consultation in order to seek feedback and input to help develop the draft Plan and to secure broad support for the proposals.

Crawley’s Local Plan Review process has included a thorough Economic Growth Assessment and an Employment Land Availability Assessment to ensure the Borough’s projected economic growth can be accommodated and this reveals that Crawley has a forecast employment land deficit over the period to 2037 and that as a result additional employment land allocations will be required.

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Development presented report PES/385of the Head of Economy and Planning. The report sought approval on the Council’s draft Economic Development Recovery Plan (Plan) and for agreement to go out for public consultation. Councillor P Smith emphasis the purpose of the Plan was to show the clear direction of the Council in supporting the Town’s recovery from the significant impact of Covid on the economy. By going out to consult on the draft Plan, it shows our partners, key stakeholders and business, what our thought were on the recovery to ensure ours align with theirs. As it was a draft, following feedback from the consultation, the Plan can then be adapted to ensure it was working for the best interest of all in the recovery of the Borough and its future. A further benefit of having a clear deliverable approach, endorsed by our partners, should allow the Council to access various pots of funding, such as the Town’s Fund which was later the agenda, to ensure our aspirations were achieved.

Councillor P Smith then highlighted to the Cabinet that there had a been a proposed amendment to the draft Plan, to add in two futher bullet points and a slight revision to the recommendation. The rationale behind the changes were to strengthen the Plan by aligning in closer to the Council’s Local Plan.

Councillor T Belben presented the O­verview and Scrutiny Commission’s comments on the report OSC/294 to the Cabinet following consideration of the matter at its meeting on 8 March 2021, which were in support of the draft Plan but requested that the final version of the Plan return to the Commission before its ratification.

Councillor Crow was invited to speak on the item

Councillors Irvine and Jhans also spoke as part of the discussion on the report. 

Councillor Lamb moved the report included the proposed changes which was seconded by Councillor P Smith.

A recorded vote was taken on the amended recommendation in accordance with the Council’s Virtual Committee Procedure Rules.  The names of the Councillors voting for and against the recommendations, along with any abstentions, are recorded as set out below:

For the recommendations:

Councillors Irvine, Jhans, Lamb, Mullins, B Smith and P Smith (6)

Against the recommendations:

None. (0)

Abstentions:

None. (0)

RESOLVED

That the Cabinet approves, to go out to public consultation for a period of six weeks, the draft Crawley Economic Recovery Plan (Appendix A to report PES/385) subject to the following amendments shown in bold below, being included to Recovery Plan in order to emphasise findings from the Local Plan review:

•         Add to slide 3 – Crawley’s “One Town” Vision for 2050 the following bullet point: ‘new sites to provide for all Crawley’s employment growth sectors and help boost jobs for residents”

•         Add to slide 6 – Plan to Restore Economic Success Post COVID-19, under “Structural Challenges”: ‘Limited overall available employment land supply”

Reasons for the Recommendations

Cabinet approval is sought to go out to public consultation in order to seek feedback and input to help develop the draft Plan and to secure broad support for the proposals.

Crawley’s Local Plan Review process has included a thorough Economic Growth Assessment and an Employment Land Availability Assessment to ensure the Borough’s projected economic growth can be accommodated and this reveals that Crawley has a forecast employment land deficit over the period to 2037 and that as a result additional employment land allocations will be required”.