To receive any relevant updates and information from Panel members and officers, including the following updates on the actions from previous meetings of the Panel:
· The extent of CCTV coverage at the neighbourhood parades
· The publicity/guidance given to shop tenants about how to report crime
· The status of plans for a neighbourhood parade in Forge Wood
· Advice/signposting given by the Council’s Business and Economic Development team
· Further information on Knowsley Council’s Management of Council Owned Neighbourhood Shopping Parades Policy.
Minutes:
The following updates were given regarding the actions from the previous meeting of the panel on 2 February 2021.
The extent of CCTV coverage at the neighbourhood parades
Panel members noted that this information had been provided by the Head of Community Services and circulated via email.
The publicity/guidance given to shop tenants about how to report crime
It was heard that parade shop tenants were not actively supplied with tailored guidance on how to report crime and anti-social behaviour.
The Chair outlined the reporting process, of which there were several channels:
· Dial 999 if a crime is in the process of taking place.
· Call the police on 101 for all other incidents.
· Contact a local Police Community Support Officer online at https://www.sussex.police.uk/contact/af/contact-us/.
· Contact the Council’s Community Wardens team 7 days a week between 0800 – 2130hrs on 07884 492324 or at community.wardens@crawley.gov.uk.
The status of plans for a neighbourhood parade in Forge Wood
Following the receipt of information from the Planning Case Officer and Deputy Chief Executive, the Panel heard that the masterplan for Forge Wood included a ‘local centre’ area comprising of shops with flats above. The area also proposed a multi-use community building, a school, and a health facilities building. The detailed application for the shops and community building was approved under planning application CR/2014/0061/ARM. In terms of the status of the plans, the panel heard that it was believed that the trigger for the commercial units was approaching and that discussions between the developer and the Local Planning Authority may be underway in the near future.
A Panel member requested that the Cabinet member for Planning and Economic Development establish whether the shopping parade will be privately run or Council-owned.
The following information was given in light of the topics explored at the previous meeting of the Panel on 2 February 2021.
Advice/signposting by the Council’s Business and Economic Development team
Following previous discussion regarding the extent of business advice offered to parade shop tenants by the Council, the Panel heard that the Economic Development team supports local businesses in a variety of ways including:
· Access to expert information and advice about business rates
· Support with planning and licensing enquiries (for example if a business owner wishes to apply for a change of use to their premises)
· Commercial property search – able to create bespoke reports that show the latest available commercial properties to buy/rent in Crawley
· Grant information – access to the Small Business Grant Scheme
· Covid-19 Business Support Grants – access to various government support grants in response to the Coronavirus pandemic
· Signposting/partner organisations – support and information from a variety of local business organisations including Coast to Capital Growth Hub, Chamber of Commerce, etc
· Inward Investment Programme – supporting businesses looking to invest in or relocate to Crawley.
The Economic Regeneration Manager had confirmed that, recently, the most common enquiries received by the Business and Economic Development team were about business support grants and access to funding, but that only a handful of these enquiries were from parade businesses. It was heard that the team considered there to be very little direct contact with parade tenants, but any queries were generally referred to the Asset team.
It was noted that information about the Business and Economic Development team’s offering was not provided to new tenants when taking up a shop lease. The Economic Regeneration Manager had confirmed that the team would be open to contributing to the provision of this information in the future, if so requested by the Panel. The Chair noted that this could be further considered at a future meeting of the Panel.
Further information on Knowsley Council’s Management of Council Owned Neighbourhood Shopping Parades Policy
In light of the Panel’s previous discussion, Knowsley Council’s Senior Estate Surveyor had been contacted to provide further details on the 2011 scrutiny review. The following information was relayed to the panel:
· The occupancy rate of parade shop units in Knowsley was very high.
· The review was undertaken due to concerns around crime and community safety, as well as public health issues such as high levels of gambling addiction, obesity, and usage of tanning beds. As a result the Council did not grant new leases or changes of use to bookmakers or premises with tanning beds. As a whole this policy was deemed to have generated positive results.
· When assessing offers made on vacant units, a scoring process was used to determine potential strengths and weaknesses of the businesses. It was heard that the Council may accept a lower offer from a business deemed to have high community value, in favour of a higher offer from a business deemed to have low community value.
· Knowsley Council’s lease calculations are based on market rent.
Panel members discussed the information received and sought clarification from the Asset Manager regarding the property letting process. The Asset Manager confirmed that Crawley Borough Council had a similar approach to Knowsley Council regarding the need to seek a balance between community value and rate of offer when letting a unit. The Panel also noted that public health issues in Knowsley were not as prevalent in Crawley.
Actions:
· That the Cabinet member for Planning and Economic Development be asked to investigate whether the proposed neighbourhood shopping parade at Forge Wood will be privately run or Council-owned.