Agenda item

To consider the attached report (AMED-001-2014/15).

The Economic Development Officer (EDO) presented a report to the Cabinet Committee and updated them on a number of projects, themes and issues being explored by the Economic Development Team.

The Officer advised that a draft Economic Development Strategy document which had been compiled to act as a high-level framework within which the work of the Economic Development section would be guided. It was intended to be a light-touch document which highlighted the broad economic development priorities adopted by the Cabinet.

The Officer stated that the Economic Development team were liaising with colleagues in Forward Planning and were aware of the report currently being undertaken by Hardisty Jones Consultants, looking at the Economic and Employment Evidence to Support the Epping Forest Local Plan and Economic Development Strategy.

The Officer pointed out that Town Centres and their needs had been identified as a key first stage project and the current status and needs of Waltham Abbey Town Centre had been further identified as a key priority and lead project. In terms of the Waltham Abbey Town Centre a number of initiatives were already underway. Colliers Surveyors were being commissioned to review and identify the physical capacity and level of demand for improved retail development in the high street, both on land owned by the council and on land in the town centre. An  economic consultant would also be commissioned to review the available unemployment data for Waltham Abbey and advise on the present status, patterns emerging, and need for intervention, with regard to unemployment in the town.

The Economic Development Team were supporting the Waltham Abbey Town Centre Partnership (TCP) with the Waltham Abbey High Street Summit on the 15 July 2014, which would seek to gather the views and thoughts of the town’s businesses and residents on what the High Street needed to both survive and thrive. The TCP were organising this event with a number of officers from both Epping Forest District Council and Essex County Council who were intending to give very short talks or presentations to generate debate and discussion around the future of the High Street.

Once the Waltham Abbey Town Centre Economic Development Plan had been formalised in terms of layout and content, each town centre in the District would receive the same level of attention following the established format but making each one bespoke to the particular location where appropriate.

The Officer advised that from June 2014 it had been possible to give regular attention to the facebook pages of One Shops Local and Visit Epping Forest. This had resulted in a noticeable increase in the level of traffic to the pages and also the level to which the Council was able to engage with online communities.

Resolved:

(1)        That the progress and work programme of the Council’s Economic Development Section be noted.

Reasons for Decision:

To update the Cabinet Committee on the progress made with regard to Economic Development issues.

Other Options Considered and Rejected:

None, as this was a monitoring report for noting only.