Agenda and minutes

Apologies for the meeting were received from Councillors M French, M Graveston, S Hirst, S Hore, and A Wilkins-Odudu.

The minutes of the meeting held on 4 April 2024 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any disclosable pecuniary, other registrable or non-registrable interest in respect of matters contained in the agenda.

There were no declarations of disclosable pecuniary, other registrable or non-registrable interests.

There was no public participation.

Report of the Chief Executive enclosed

The Chief Executive submitted a report asking committee to consider the reappointment of the Climate Change Working Group under the remit of this committee and decide upon the membership.

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

1. Approve the continuation of the Climate Change Working Group for 2024/25 municipal year with the allocations consisting of 3 Conservatives, 1 Labour, 1 Lib Dem, 1 Green & Progressive Liberal, and 1 Independent Group.

2.    The names of the Councillors on the working group will be forwarded to the Committee Clerk.

The Director of Resources and Temp P/T Chief Executive submitted a report reviewing the final outturn of the 2023/24 capital programme and seeking member approval for the slippage of capital scheme budget on one scheme from the 2023/24 financial year to the 2024/25 financial year.

There had been no spend on the capital programme in 2023/24 for this Committee.

Slippage totalling £54,750 from the 2023/24 financial year in to the 2024/25 financial year was requested.

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

Approve the slippage of £54,750 as detailed in the report.

Report of the Director of Economic Development and Planning enclosed.

The Director of Economic Development and Planning submitted a report for Committee to approve the draft Ribble Valley Tourism Destination Management Plan (DMP).

The report noted that Destination Management was the process of leading, influencing, and coordinating the management of all the aspects of a destination that contribute to a visitor’s experience, taking account of the needs of visitors, local residents, businesses, and the environment. The DMP was not a tourism strategy and was not a statutory requirement for the authority to have. The previous plan had been produced in 2017 and an additional ‘Response and Recover Plan’ was produced to address the specific challenges presented by the pandemic.

The draft DMP had been the subject of consultation with business partners and the Ribble Valley Tourism Association (RVTA). Once approved, the plan would be a live document evolving over time and would be subject to regular performance reports back to the Committee. A summarised promotional version of the plan would be produced and shared with partner organisations and businesses.

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

1.    Approve the draft Destination Management Plan.

2.    Delegate authority to the Director of Economic Development and Planning to make editorial changes to the Plan which improve the clarity and readability of the document.

3.    Note that follow-up reports providing an update on progress on the implementation of the new plan will be brought to later Committees.

Report of the Director of Economic Development and Planning enclosed.

The Director of Economic Development and Planning submitted a report to provide Committee with an update on Ribble Valley Taste Fest and Clitheroe Food Festival.

The application portal for businesses to apply for stalls had opened on 2 February 2024. To date 117 applications had been received in total, which had already surpassed the 114 applications received in 2023. The application portal would remain open until 28 June 2024. The report included a list of the 75 applications that had been accepted so far. Entertainment would be on stage only, with music acts and a magician booked to perform on both King Street and Castle Street. The three headline sponsors had been secured and additional sponsorship opportunities were still available and being promoted. Marketing and promotion of the event had also commenced. The location of the park and ride car park was yet to be confirmed.

Minutes of the Climate Change Working Group Meeting 14 March 2024 enclosed.

The minutes of the Climate Change Working Group meeting held on 14 March 2024 were submitted for Committee’s information.

None.

There were no reports from representatives on outside bodies.

RESOLVED: That by virtue of the next item of business being exempt information under Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be now excluded from the meeting.

Report of the Director of Economic Development and Planning enclosed.

The Director of Economic Development and Planning submitted an information report to update Members on the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) applications received to date.

Thirteen full applications had been received out of twenty-four expressions of interest. Committee were provided details of the schemes totalling £300,825 which were approved by Policy and Finance Committee on 9 April 2024. A further £50,000 was ringfenced for electric vehicle charging points on the Council’s car parks bringing the remaining amount to £82,855.

The UKSPF working group met on 13 May 2024 to discuss potential options for broadening the parameters of the grant criteria to increase demand for the funding. A report would be taken to the next Policy and Finance Committee meeting on 18 June 2024 with feedback from the working group and a recommendation to allow two applications per Parish.

An additional three expressions of interest had also been received since the last Committee meeting, of which two had been invited to complete a full application.

Report of the Director of Economic Development and Planning enclosed.

The Director of Economic Development and Planning submitted a report updating Committee on the Business Support for Net Zero Transition and Decarbonisation Project, which was being funded from the Council’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The report provided updates on the project actions and events for quarter four and 1 January 2024 to 31 March 2024.