To note the appointment of Councillor Ian Darcy as Chair, and Councillor Charlotte Holloway as Vice Chair, for the Natural Infrastructure and Growth Scrutiny Panel for 2024/25.

The Panel agreed to note the appointment of Councillor Ian Darcy as Chair, and Councillor Charlotte Holloway as Vice Chair, of the Natural Infrastructure and Growth Scrutiny Panel for the municipal year 2024/25.

Councillors will be asked to make any declarations of interest in respect of items on the agenda.

To note the responsiblities of the Natural Infrastructure and Growth Scrutiny Panel.

The Panel agreed to note its responsibilities.

To confirm the minutes of the previous meeting held on 14 February 2024, and to confirm the minutes of the Water Quality Select Committee held on 22 February 2024.

Councillor Raynsford asked if the following items’ responses, mentioned in the minutes of the meeting held on 14 February 2024, could be recirculated to panel members:

a)    The response to the letter sent to national Government regarding increasing utility costs for organisations in the cultural sector;

b)    A half page report with more detail on why there had been a continual decline in productivity from 2017 onwards.

The Panel agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 14 February 2024, and those of the Water Quality Select Committee Review held on 22 February 2024, as accurate records.

To receive reports on business which in the opinion of the Chair, should be brought forward for urgent consideration.

There were no items of Chair’s urgent business.

David Draffan (Service Director for Economic Development) and Toby Hall (Project Manager) introduced the item and highlighted:

a)    This standing item had been introduced by the Chair for 2023/24, and it would remain a standing item, but reducing to every other meeting due to a lag in data;

b)    8,000 jobs had been created in Plymouth from 2018-2022, most of which were full-time;

c)    Wages had increased in both high-paying and lower-paying jobs in Plymouth, since the COVID19 pandemic;

d)    The gaps between the highest and lowest paid jobs in Plymouth, compared to the UK averages, had been closing significantly since 2021;

e)    Wages for full time jobs had increased more than those for part-time work;

f)     In 2022, Plymouth had 25% more business start-ups than in 2017 (higher than the national trend), with more of them surviving longer than 5 years than before (higher than the South West average);

g)    The creative industry had had a 10% increase in jobs from 2019-2022 and this trend was expected to continue;

h)    A creative industries plan had been commissioned to better understand the opportunities and strengths Plymouth had in creative industries;

In response to questions, with support from Amanda Ratsey (Head of Economy and Investment), it was further explained:

i)     Business start-ups that networked and took advantage of informational advice and guidance at the outset were more likely to survive long-term;

j)     Data was not available to show which sectors these new businesses were in;

k)    Self-employment and part-time work would be looked at through a future update.

The Panel agreed to note the update report.

Councillor Evans OBE (Leader of the Council) introduced the item and highlighted the following points:

a)    Plymouth was one of the few cities in the country to renew their bids and vision;

b)    Plymouth had been the second city in the UK to adopt a business improvement district when they had first been introduced in 2001;

c)    Importance of diversification of the city centre;

d)    The city had had a remarkable recovery from the COVID19 pandemic;

e)    The success of The Barcode and Theatre Royal Plymouth in driving footfall in the city centre;

f)     The health hub at Colin Campbell Court was expected to bring in 990,000 people annually, some of whom would shop in the city centre;

g)    Plymouth University drove forward diversity, food business and ancillary and support services in the heart of the city, and had invested significantly in the Brunel Plaza development;

h)    Investment in the Civic Centre was investment in blue and green skills, but would also increase footfall in the city centre;

i)     Investment in the Guildhall as a new music and entertainment venue in the city centre;

j)     Investment in the public realm, including the Civic Square;

k)    Investment in Plymouth Market and it’s diverse cooked food offering;

l)     Several department store buildings which had been left empty were now, retail, residential and hotels;

m)  5,500 homes were to be provided in and around the city centre in partnership with Homes England;

n)    A 30% increase in visitor spend, and a 20% increase in number of visitors, was ambitious but achievable.

Nigel Godefroy (Chair, City Centre Company) and Steve Hughes (Chief Executive, City Centre Company) added:

o)    The partnership between the Plymouth City Centre Company and Plymouth City Council had been formed 20 years ago;

p)    The City Centre Company represented over 500 companies, and worked to provide a secure, safe and clean city centre and to ensure the ongoing viability of individual businesses and the City Centre as a whole;

q)    Diversification of Plymouth City Centre;

r)    A successful city centre was a sign of the confidence and success of a city;

s)     Congratulated and thanked Plymouth City Council for its ongoing commitment to the city centre;

t)     Lots of new businesses were opening up in the city centre;

u)    Ambition to deliver a different kind of city centre that was vibrant and alive, during the day and night, and all year round;

v)    Partnership working was successful and key to the future of the city centre;

w)   Important to change perceptions, increase visitor and local spend, and create an experience for visitors to the area;

x)    The plan was in a consultation phase and any feedback from the panel was welcome;

y)    Main aim was to position Plymouth city centre as the major retail, visitor and leisure destination on the South West Peninsula and as a great place to live, work and study;

z)    The new plan would be bold and ambitious and reflect the ambitions of the Council;

aa)  Flavour  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

Jemima Laing (Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children’ Social Care, Culture and Communications) introduced the item and highlighted:

a)    Importance of demonstrating the positive impact and return on investment of the cultural sector;

b)    In 2023, The Box welcomed 272,000 visitors, which was a 10% increase on the previous year, and three times the number that had visited the former Plymouth Museum and Art Gallery;

c)    The Box was developing a national and international reputation by working with some of the very best artists and institutions in the UK and beyond;

d)    Exhibitions such as planet ocean attracted school visits and there was a family programme with over 50 free family events for 2024, and The Box Café was a firmly established community hub;

e)    The Box had been successful in generating over £2m in earned and grant income in 2023/24;

f)     78% of Plymouth schools had formally visited The Box, with 27,000 family visits and 87,000 community participants;

g)    Positive Google and Trip Advisor reviews.

Kate Farmery (Head of Business at The Box) and Victoria Pomery (CEO of the Box) added:

h)    The Box had opened in September 2020 amidst the COVID19 pandemic, and expected to welcome it’s 1 millionth visitor in 2025;

i)     The Box had had a positive £13 million tourism impact on Plymouth and a more comprehensive social and economic impact was being embarked upon;

j)     In 2023/24 56% of The Box’s budget was generated from sources other than the Council;

k)    In reviews people had spoken of real joy at having real life issues contextualised at The Box and it being world class as a result;

l)     The Box contributed to the city’s national and international profiles and reputation and had been featured in iNews, ITV News and Artists and Illustrators Magazine;

m)  The Box had a dynamic and connected programme, the likes of which would be hard to find in any other British venue;

n)    The number of visits was increasing year on year, and a third of visits were first-time visits, and 8% of visits were from people who had never been to any kind of cultural venue before;

o)    Unusually high number of under 25s for a cultural venue;

p)    Visitors mostly gave their reasons for visiting as wanting to spend time with family and friends, and being keen to learn;

q)    78% of Plymouth schools had visited The Box and the team were always striving to engage with those who had not yet visited;

r)    42% of school visits were from schools outside of the city boundary;

s)     27,000 family visits in 2023/24;

t)     87,000 community participants;

u)    Important to interpret the city’s amazing collections in new ways that were appropriate and current, and introducing visitors to a world view;

v)    The monthly Saturday market on Tavistock Place was very popular and worked with diverse businesses to celebrate some of Plymouth’s fantastic artists, musicians and food producers;

w)   The Box had received a TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice Award for 2024;

x)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Hannah Chandler-Whiting (Democratic Advisor) explained:

a)    The actions from the Water Quality Select Committee Review were being tracked via this Panel’s tracking decisions, as it fitted within its remit;

                      i.        Several of the Water Quality Select Committee Review actions had involved writing letters to Government Ministers, but a general election had been called in July causing a delay, and so the letters would be written in the coming weeks to be sent to the new relevant Government Ministers.

During discussion the following was raised:

b)    The Plymouth City Council’s Public Health team would be asked if they could pick up winter pilots in Plymouth’s three bathing areas as the Environment Agency did not have the directive or remit to do so;

c)    There had been a delay in the actions from the Water Quality Select Committee Review that needed to be actioned by Environmental Protection, because they had not been identified initially as the correct department;

d)    More information was requested on the improvements that had been made ahead of the 2024 bathing season;

e)    A full report regarding for the aborted start to the Old Town Street and New George Street project would be able to be provided once the projects had completed, this was expected to be October 2024.

Hannah Chandler-Whiting (Democratic Advisor) explained:

a)    Working with the Chair, the items that had not been looked at the year before, as well as the items already identified for consideration for 2024/25 and had populated the work programme.

Following a short discussion:

b)    Sustainable transport was added to the work programme;

c)    The possibility of an additional meeting in March/April 2025 was discussed as there wouldn’t be a pre-election period.