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Contact information

E-mail

customer.service@shropshire.gov.uk

Telephone

0345 678 9000

Postal Address

Shropshire Council
Shirehall
Abbey Foregate
Shrewsbury
Shropshire
SY2 6ND

Agenda and minutes

Venue: The Guildhall, Frankwell Quay, Shrewsbury, SY3 8HQ. View directions

Contact: Julie Fildes  Committee Officer

Items
No. Item

37.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Jonny Keeley and Paul Milner.  Councillor Hannah Fraser attended for Jonny Keeley and Councillor Matt Lee attended for Paul Milner.

38.

Disclosable Pecuniary Interests

Members are reminded that they must not participate in the discussion or voting on any matter in which they have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest and should leave the room prior to the commencement of the debate.

Minutes:

None were disclosed.

39.

Minutes of the meetings held on 1st February 2018 and 12th February 2018 pdf icon PDF 109 KB

To consider the Minutes of the Place Overview Committee meetings held on 1st February 2018 and 12th February 2018.  [To follow]

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The minutes of the meetings held on 1st February 2018 and 12th February 2018 were agreed as a correct record.

40.

Public Question Time

To receive any questions or statements from the public of which notice has been given.  The deadline for notification for this meeting is 10.00am, Wednesday 21st March 2018.

Minutes:

There were no questions from members of the public.

41.

Member Question Time

To receive any question of which members of the Council have given notice. The deadline for notification for this meeting is 10.00am on Wednesday 21st March 2018.

Minutes:

There were no questions from members of the Council.

42.

Shrewsbury Big Town Plan

To consider an overview of the work carried out to date by the Big Town Plan Partnership of Shrewsbury BID, Shrewsbury Town Council and Shropshire Council, including the commissioning of master planners LDA Design.

Minutes:

The Economic Growth Key Account and Investment Senior Officer gave a presentation on the Shrewsbury Big Town Plan [copy attached to the signed minutes]. Members noted that a dedicated website for the project had been established and workshops and public consultations undertaken.  In response to a Member’s question regarding the demographic variety of the respondents to the consultation, the Officer advised that a wide variety of people had been encouraged to participate, including students from the University Centre.

 

Members discussed the importance of aligning Council Plans and Policies to ensure that there was a common direction and overarching strategy.  The Key Account and Investment Senior Officer advised that the document formed part of the overarching strategy from which led to the development of policies and procedures.  Members observed that it was important that this document was regularly reviewed and updated as required.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 10.30am and reconvened at 10.35am to enable Members to take refreshments. 

 

The Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth described the tour of Shrewsbury held before the formal start of the meeting as enlightening and enjoyable and thanked the Officers for arranging it.  He continued that it was evident that Shrewsbury was not a broken town and did not need fixing but consideration needed to be given to its future development and maintaining its independent nature which made it attractive to businesses, residents and visitors.

 

Bernie Folkes of LDA Design, the masterplanning consultants commissioned by the Council, Shrewsbury Town Council and Shrewsbury BID in partnership, agreed that Shrewsbury was already an attractive town.  He continued that during his time in the town he had formed the impression that there was an appetite for change which gave a strong starting point.  He continued that he had observed that all interested parties already had a positive working relationship and the Council took a ‘hands on’ approach. 

 

Members heard that the Big Master Planning week had been very intensive.  Bernie Folkes advised that in his opinion the town had expanded to its natural boundaries and Shrewsbury risked losing its sense of identity with further expansion.  There were also practical decisions to make on a number of significant issues such as the future use of the shopping centres and how to further develop economic growth without damaging the aspects of the town which were valued. 

 

Members noted that the Big Town Plan was considering the key aspects of:

·      Improving Movement and Place:  to make it easier to get around the town.

·      Creating a Place for Enterprise: recognising the changing nature of the workplace and shaping the working environment to enable people to work in new ways.

·      Supporting Vitality, Life and Mix: identifying the specific areas that created the lifeblood of the town and developing the land use to promote this.

·      Nurturing Natural Shrewsbury:  recognising the quality of the environment in and around the town, including the river corridor and landscape setting and connections between leisure and landscape quality.

 

Mr Folkes explained that the Master Planning  ...  view the full minutes text for item 42.

43.

Future Work Programme pdf icon PDF 66 KB

To consider the future work programme of the Committee.

Minutes:

Members discussed the future work programme. 

 

RESOLVED:

that the following items be included in the work programme:

·         specific areas of place shaping to be identified

·         review of household waste recycling centres

·         local transport plan and integrated transport

·         North West Relief Road update

·         Brexit review

·         Business rates

·         Market towns

 

The Chairman, on behalf of the Members of the Committee, recognised that this was the last meeting to be attended by George Candler, Director for Enterprise and Place.  He extended the Committee’s gratitude and thanks to the Director for all his hard work on behalf of the Committee and wished him well for his new role as Chief Executive of Northampton Borough Council. 

 

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