Agenda item

To consider a report which introduces the Long-Term Plan for Towns programme.

Members considered the report introducing the Long-Term Plan for Towns (LTPT) and discussed the following:

The requirements of the Board to oversee the development of the ‘Long-Term Plan’, a long-term strategic document, and submit to the Department for Housing, Levelling Up and Communities (DHLUC) by 29^th July 2024.  The plan must include:

·         A 250 word vision statement – setting out where the Board and residents would like to see the town at the end of the 10-year programme.

·         Strategic case for change, supported by evidence, planned direction of travel.

·         Community involvement – from Board membership to engagement (to date & future).

·         High-level delivery milestones over the life of the 10-year plan.

·         An initial 3-year investment plan.

Plan Boundaries:

·         The Burnley LTPT plan area as set out by government is based on the definition of a ‘Built Up Area’ (BUA) and only includes the Burnley BUA.  Whilst there is scope to make representations to alter the boundaries within  the spirit of the programme this should not introduce additional, separate towns.

·         Paragraph 12 of the report set out suggested amendments to the boundary which would not introduce additional population, but were key green spaces, active travel routes and heritage assets.

·         Members queried whether Queen Street Mill was included as the site appeared to be transected by the plan boundary. 

·         Whilst the additional areas were welcomed, it was agreed that the Brun Valley Forest Park would also meet the criteria, hosting a variety of active travel routes, open space and not introducing additional population.  This also means that the Burnley Youth Theatre is included in the plan area.

·         Whilst additional population areas such as Hapton, Padiham, Cliviger & Worsthorne could not be directly included in the plan, some of the interventions would benefit residents of these areas too. 

·          The Board should clearly acknowledge and communicate that the reason these areas weren’t included was because of the scheme guidance specifically around not being permitted to introduce new population areas.

Expenditure:

·         Further guidance awaited, although an indicative spending profile had been received totalling £19,510,000 as £490,000 will be top-sliced to fund the government’s central programme support, the High Streets and Towns Taskforce.

·         An initial three-year plan for investment would need to be submitted alongside the long-term plan detailing broad areas of expenditure (related to the three themes of  Safety & Security, Transport & Connectivity and High Streets, Heritage & Regeneration), demonstrating need, how the interventions link with others, and potential match funding sources.

·         The initial £250,000 capacity funding was being supplemented by both the Council and Burnley College in terms of staff time being provided ‘in-kind’.  This allows the balance remaining to be used to support project delivery.

·         Lancashire County Council offered development support for example employment/skills, transport etc.  LCC also had pending funding applications which if successful might provide appropriate match-funding for some interventions.

·         Was there a way to add a weighting score to procurement in order to prioritise local firms?  The Council had stringent procedures to follow, and whilst social value could be considered during evaluation, the location of bidders could not.

Sub-groups:

In order to progress work quickly and bring in additional specialist expertise where required, it was proposed to establish a sub-group for each of the three themes.  Each themed area would be chaired by a Board Member (but not by an elected member in line with the Terms of Reference) and operate on a Task & Finish basis during the plan submission period.

The Chairs would be responsible for ensuring connectivity between the groups.

Derry Crorken volunteered to Chair the Safety & Security sub-group.  Volunteers would be sought from within board membership for Chairs for the other two sub-groups as a priority.  Suggestions for membership of the sub-groups could be made via Karen Buchanan.

It was RESOLVED that the Board:

i.              Noted the content of the report, particularly the very tight timescales for submitting the Long Term (10-year) Plan for the town and accompanying investment plan;

ii.            Agreed the work programme, consultants brief and use of funding as set out in paragraphs 20-21 and 27 of the report;

iii.           Subject to the additional inclusion of the Brun Valley Forest Park, and clarification of the Queen Street Mill position approved the boundary changes set out in paragraph 12 of the report and in the map at Appendix 4.

iv.           Agreed to establish a sub-group for each of the LTPT themes and appoint a Town Board Member to chair the groups and delegate authority to the relevant Chair of the Town Board to appoint members to those sub-groups (including co-opted members) and set out the terms of reference for the same if considered appropriate.