Agenda item

TOWN AND AREA PLANS

Meeting of Cabinet, Tuesday, 13 January 2015 10.00 am (Item 7.)

To consider a joint report by Councillors Hugh Evans, Leader and Lead Member for Economic Development and Huw Jones, Lead Member for Leisure, Youth, Tourism and Rural Development presenting the actions taken since the Review of Town and Area Plans and outlining the way forward.

Decision:

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a) approve the Town and Area Plans Policy Statement;

(b) endorse the Town and Area Plans Champions Group’s assessment of projects formally approved by Cabinet but not yet started;

(c) de-commit the funding allocation to those projects assessed as not meeting the criteria;

(d) endorse the preparation of revised list of Town and Area Plan priority projects and the proposed process for allocating funding to these projects as detailed within the report, and

(e) that the projects assessment criteria set out in Appendix 3 to the report, should for future projects, ensure that only projects which are revenue neutral should proceed.

Minutes:

Councillor Hugh Evans presented a joint report with Councillor Huw Jones detailing actions taken since the review of Town and Area Plans (TAPs) and the way forward. He was pleased the review had supported the principle of TAPs and accepted the review findings, highlighting the need for an operational framework and alignment of TAPs with other strategies and plans. Details of the work of the TAPs Champion Working Group had been included within the report and Councillor Evans elaborated upon the current funding position and the proposed approach for future funding allocations. Councillor Huw Jones reported upon his role as a TAP Champion and the approach he had taken in the Dee Valley Area and he offered to help other TAP Champions replicate that approach to support the TAPs process.

Cabinet noted the conclusions of the review and subsequent actions in response, including the reassessment of projects which had resulted in a recommendation to de-commit funding. Members took the opportunity to comment on the development and delivery of TAPs in their particular areas and also considered the proposed approach for future funding allocations, including the project assessment criteria.

During debate the following issues were raised –

· reservations were expressed regarding the lack of weighting between the different categories of assessment criteria, particularly with regard to future revenue implications – it was mostly agreed that the criteria be revised to ensure that only revenue neutral projects should proceed

· whilst support was expressed for the new process the need to ensure delivery of those projects already approved was highlighted and officers confirmed that to help expedite that process projects would be embedded into the relevant service business plans

· assurances were sought regarding the monitoring process of match funding elements of particular projects and their likelihood of success and it was suggested that this element could be reflected in the assessment criteria – officers reported upon measures to maximise external funding but acknowledged some subjectivity in scoring that project element, however assurances were provided that projects remained under constant review; it was also agreed that the TAP Champions Group would undertake a six monthly review of projects and if there was no confidence that the project would be delivered the funding would be de-committed and made available for other TAPs projects

· the need for greater interaction between TAP Champions, Member Area Groups (MAGs) and Town/Community Councils and fostering a holistic approach to delivering the TAPs was highlighted – the Leader referred to the best practice approach taken by Councillor Huw Jones as a TAP Champion which could be replicated across other areas and his expectation that TAPs was a standing agenda item at meetings of MAGs and Town/Community Councils with TAPs Champions providing an update at each meeting

· Councillor Meirick Davies reported upon his concerns over the de-committing of funding for two projects in his ward area and the need for improved communication in that regard, he also felt that a specific form should be provided for project funding applications – officers confirmed a form was being prepared for this purpose which would be circulated as soon as possible.