It was reported that, in accordance with the wishes of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat groups, the membership of the Board had been amended to include Councillors Addis and Doggett in place of Councillors Barnby and Pountney respectively.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meetings of the Board held on 18 July and 6 August 2012.

The minutes of the meetings of the Board held on 18 July and 6 August 2012 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To consider the Mayor’s position in relation to economic regeneration in Torbay.

The Mayor has been asked to address the following key lines of enquiry:

What is your economic strategy?  What are its aims and objectives?

How is the economic strategy being implemented?  What are the outcomes from your recently established Regeneration Task Force?

How is the Council encouraging new businesses and job creation?

How are we ensuring the long term sustainability of those businesses and jobs?

How does the economic strategy link to the housing strategy?

How do we balance the needs of locals against the needs of tourists?

How do we ensure that the economic strategy protects the vulnerable in our communities?

When seeking views from councillors and officers about the content of its Work Programme, the category with the most suggestions was Economic Regeneration.  As a result, the Overview and Scrutiny Board determined that the Mayor be asked to provide a briefing note which addressed issues around his Economic Strategy (including specific questions about encouraging new businesses, job creation, sustainability and balancing the needs of the community against the needs of the tourist industry).

The briefing note was provided prior to the meeting and the Mayor attended to answer the Board’s questions.  The Chairman and Chief Executive of the Torbay Development Agency together with the Agency’s Director of Economic Strategy and Performance also attended the meeting.

The Mayor presented his briefing note highlighting that the award of funding for the South Devon Link Road presented an opportunity of improved access, productivity and attracting new investment to the area.  It was reported that the Link Road was forecast to create around 3000 new jobs.  Closer working arrangements between the Council and Teignbridge Council allowed for a focus on identifying sites that would be suitable for business development.

The Board had requested information on the use of local labour in the Council’s capital contracts and a briefing note was considered by the Board on the use of local labour and apprenticeships in the contract for the South Devon Link Road.  It was noted that a specific clause had not been included within the contract with Galliford Try.  However, it had been agreed between the Council and Devon County Council that they would encourage the contractor to use local labour or supplies where possible although the cost effective delivery of the project was the key priority.

Whilst the contract was still in its infancy, it was noted that:

·         Galliford Try had partnered with South Devon College to provide support to the contractor and its supply chain in education and training

·         A number of adverts had been place in the local newspaper for job opportunities on the project

·         Galliford Try had appointed a local graduate to commence his training on the project

·         The project was currently being run from offices in Newton Abbot with many of the key site staff already appointed living locally.

The Mayor went on to explain that he had instigated regular meetings with local banks to understand the local lending market, trends and business confidence.  This had lead to an initiative between Torbay Development Agency and a number of local lenders and finance sources on access to finance in Torbay which was part of the approach to encourage job growth and sustain local businesses.

Other issues which were discussed were:

·         The establishment of the Torbay Manufacturing Group and the Hi-Tech Forum

·         The continued successful management of the three Innovation Centres at Lymington Road, Vantage Point and Cockington

·         The ongoing capital projects which were underway including the development of the former Palm Court site and the White Rock Business Park

·         The need for young people and existing employees to improve their skills  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24.

To confirm that the review of political governance arrangements will no longer be carried out by the Overview and Scrutiny Board as it duplicates work being undertaken by the Leaders Task Group.

It was noted that the review of political governance arrangements would no longer be undertaken by the Overview and Scrutiny Board as it would duplicate work being undertaken by the Leaders Task Group.