Agenda and minutes

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Venue: CH1:01 - County Hall, Preston. View directions

Contact: Dave Gorman  Tel: 01772 534261 Email:  Dave.Gorman@lancashire.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Welcome and Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

The Chairman, David Taylor, welcomed all to the meeting.

 

Apologies for absence were received from County Councillor Geoff Driver, Councillor Simon Blackburn and Councillor Ivan Taylor, who had been due to substitute for Councillor Blackburn.

 

It was noted that County Councillor Michael Green was present as a substitute for County Councillor Driver. Councillor Ivan Taylor had been due to attend as a substitute for Councillor Blackburn but was not present.

2.

Declaration of Interests

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

3.

Minutes of the Meeting held on 18 September 2019 pdf icon PDF 107 KB

Minutes:

Resolved: - That, with the addition of Phil Green, Director of Growth, Environment and Planning, Lancashire County Council, to the record of those present, the minutes of the committee meeting held on Wednesday 18 September 2019, be approved as an accurate record of the meeting and be signed by the Chairman.

4.

Matters Arising

Minutes:

There were no matters arising.

5.

Reporting to Lancashire Enterprise Partnership Board

Minutes:

There were no items to report to the LEP Board.

6.

Any Other Business

Minutes:

None.

7.

Date of Next Meeting

The next meeting is scheduled to be held at 2.00pm on Tuesday 25 February 2020 in Exchange Room 5, The Exchange, County Hall, Preston.

Minutes:

The committee noted that the next meeting was scheduled to be held at 2.00pm on Tuesday 25 February 2020 in Exchange Room 5, The Exchange, County Hall, Preston.

8.

Exclusion of the Press and Public

The Committee is asked to consider whether, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, it considers that the public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that there would be a likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the appropriate paragraph of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 as indicated against the heading to the item.

Minutes:

Resolved: - That the meeting move into Part II, Private and Confidential, to consider the remaining reports as they contained information defined as confidential or exempt in accordance with the relevant paragraph of Part I to schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 as set out in the report. It was considered that in all the circumstances of the case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.

9.

Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone: Progress Report

Minutes:

Rob Green, Head of Enterprise Zones, Blackpool Council attended and presented a private and confidential report which provided the committee with an update on the Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone.

 

The report included updates on progress on the Enterprise Zone's Masterplan; fiscal incentives; current phase one activity; highways and the Eastern Gateway Access Road; the M55 link road; initial speculative development; planning applications; Squires Gate Industrial Estate; communications infrastructure; marketing; Blackpool Airport; output delivery; the project team; and the risk register.

 

The committee provided feedback on each area of activity and direction, where appropriate, on future developments.

 

It was noted that the current masterplan was still being worked to with the intention that the revised master plan and a delivery plan would be ready for consideration by the committee in March 2020.

 

It was agreed that an extension to existing EZ fiscal incentives should be sought and the committee suggested that a collective approach across local enterprise partnerships and enterprise zones would be more effective, to include the NP11 Group, and the LEP Chairs network.

 

It was noted that 31 January 2020 was now the deadline by which Kensington Developments and Homes England needed to reach agreement in terms of the proposed M55 Link Road.

 

Resolved: - That:

 

(i)  The progress report, and updates presented, be noted.

(ii)  The approach to be adopted to seek extensions of the EZ fiscal incentives, be endorsed.

10.

Hillhouse Technology Enterprise Zone: Progress Report

Minutes:

Rob Green, Head of Enterprise Zones, Blackpool Council, presented a private and confidential report which provided the committee with an update on the Hillhouse Technology Enterprise Zone.

 

The report included updates on progress on activity since the last meeting including the implementation plan; marketing; site activity; job creation; a joint agent for LAMEC cluster; fiscal benefits; and forthcoming activity.

 

It was noted that work continues to progress with NPL to develop a masterplan for the site.

 

Reference was made to the recent Government announcement of a £500m fund for feasibility studies to look at opportunities to restore railway lines which were closed as a result of the Beeching report such as the Fleetwood to Poulton line.

 

The committee suggested that, in terms of the generation and storage of hydrogen, links could be made with the Tees Valley Combined Authority and LEP which had been awarded government funding for hydrogen re-fuelling stations.

 

Resolved: - That the progress report, and updates presented, be noted.

11.

Samlesbury Aerospace and Warton Enterprise Zone: Progress Report

Minutes:

Chris Dyson, Strategic Development Programme Manager, Lancashire County Council attended and presented a private and confidential report which provided the committee with an update on the Samlesbury Aerospace and Warton Aviation Enterprise Zone.

 

The report included updates on progress on achievements to date; the North West Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre; governance; whole site delivery strategy; Growth Deal funding; the Asset Management Facility; Warton Aviation Enterprise Zone; and marketing and promotional activities.

 

The committee discussed both the national and international significance of the developments at Samlesbury and the importance of a robust marketing and communications plan. It was noted that the positive messages were useful to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in terms of Ministerial briefings.

 

The committee suggested that the LEP Board should receive an update on the progress of the various programmes and developments to ensure all Board Members were fully briefed.

 

In respect of the Whole Site Delivery Strategy, the committee discussed the utility infrastructure requirements and, in particular, the electricity supply. The committee also noted the opportunities being discussed with BAE around the Asset Management Facility.

 

It was noted that discussions were continuing with BAE regarding the Warton site.

 

The committee discussed the role of commercial agency support for the enterprise zones.

 

Resolved: That the progress report, and updates presented, be noted.