Agenda and minutes

Southport Town Deal Board - Friday 11th October, 2024 2.15 pm

Venue: Remote Meeting

Contact: Heather Jago 

Items
No. Item

9.

Apologies

Minutes:

Apologies were received from:

David Head (DH)

Stephen Tant (ST)

Sean Joughin (SJ)

 

10.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

Chair – declared interest of being landlord to office for local MP.

 

11.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 120 KB

Minutes of the meeting held on 11th June 2024

Minutes:

No comments or amendments received. The minutes were approved as an accurate record of the meeting held on 11th June 2024.

 

12.

Governance and Membership Matters

a. Membership Changes

b. Monitoring & Evaluation Update

c. Assurance & Governance Review August 2024.

 

Minutes:

Governance

 

Membership Matters

 

Chair welcomed Patrick Hurley onto the Board.

Chair expressed thanks to Damien Moore for his time and contribution to Southport Town Deal Board.

 

Action: HJ to update the Town Deal Board membership information on the website. (Induction information re-sent to Patrick Hurley following the meeting.)

 

 

 

Monitoring & Evaluation

 

  • No Monitoring and Evaluation Reports since the last meeting. Next one due in November for the April – Sept 2024 Period  

 

Assurance Review

  • Assurance & Governance Review undertaken in August 2024. Report circulated with Agenda on this for information. The Towns Fund Prospectus requires Town Deal Boards to ensure that various project information is available publicly. MHCLG reviewed publicly available information and identified 93% of the sample tested were not compliant with the one or more of the requirements as laid out in the main documents. All Town Deal Board therefore are being asked to undertake the following action in order to fully meet the terms of the funding, in relation to publicly available information:

 

  • For all Town Deal Boards to review the requirements outlined in The Towns Fund Prospectus 2019; Towns Fund guidance June 2020 (Annex D Town Deal Board governance guidance); Towns Fund guidance Stage 2 December 2020; and Towns Fund: supplementary guidance for Town Deal Boards October 2022 (Annex A).
  • The role and responsibilities of the Town Deal Board, Chair and Lead Council including the decision-making process is clearly visible.
  • Ensure that your Town Deal Board website has links to relevant documentation as outlined in the Prospectus and guidance e.g. latest Terms of Reference, Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest Policy etc.
  • The latest agenda, draft minutes, and the certified minutes for Town Deal Board meetings are published within the timeframe stipulated.
  • Membership of the Town Deal Board is as defined in the Prospectus with profiles of members detailing their roles and responsibilities are displayed on the website.
  • As part of the assurance cycle in the future Statement of Grant Usage Local Authorities and Town Deal Boards will be asked to confirm compliance with the requirements and may be asked to provide evidence that these are being met.

 

Recommended actions circulated with report for Board review. Ongoing action for Programme Management to keep actions under review.

 

 

13.

Southport Together – Update

Minutes:

 

Board discussed event in 29th /30th July and an update was given on recovery work ongoing. This included recovery cell structure and Economy Cell work in particular which focuses on economic impact and recovery. Consultation and engagement work ongoing with businesses directly impacted and wider impacts of event on tourism sector and footfall. Place Marketing needed to support recovery work but timing sensitive.

 

Further information to be given by SW on further engagement work to take place with the Board. The Board will receive further updates on progress with economic resilience and recovery work at later meetings.

 

14.

MLEC - Update

Minutes:

MC provide an update on progress and pictures of work:

Asbestos removal now complete. Floral Hall and most of theatre gone now but retaining external walls for protection.  Projectors removed by crane.

Demolition anticipated to complete early 2025.

 

Main contractor procured and legals being finalised. Board to be advised once PCSA agreed.

DSM demolition contractor providing social value for project including skills development and schools engagement, Christmas boxes and a competition for Hoarding decoration with schools.  Timelapse photography being done for site demolition.

 

Work progressing on appointing main contractor. Cost increase as a result of unknown elements costing more. Team reviewing at present and focus on main contractor appointment will help give further cost clarity.

 

15.

Enterprise Arcade - Update

Minutes:

Work progressing on site and operational business case progressing to cabinet Nov/Dec 2025.Visibility with potential tenants progressing and interest from the market. One tenant potentially taking whole floor . Right ecosystem needed and getting mix right will be crucial.  IR expressed interest in site visit. (HJ)

Branding to be considered for building and creation of space.  Space which will lend itself to co-working and agile working being explored.

 

Pictures of progress shared with Board. Anticipate completion Spring 2025.

16.

Les Transformations de Southport - Update

Minutes:

Balfour Beatty starting on phase 1 early 2025 with statutory undertaker works.

Stakeholder engagement with market Street undertaken and wish for outdoor market being discussed. Letter drop to all businesses undertaken and a Public Liaison officer will be present throughout works.

Completion anticipated late 2025.

 

Phase 2 - CRSTS funding being sought for next phase from CA/DfT. Commence late

 

PH raised Chapel Street as a priority – AD confirmed this would be tidied up .

 

Comms Plan to manage this and reinforce message of benefits to pedestrians, business and Board decision to support.  It was confirmed that local businesses will receive updates once details are confirmed. AD and MC to action.

17.

Customer Experience Training - Update

Minutes:

MB gave an update on Southport College delivery of this programme. Building a Better Customer Experience project is progressing well and on target to deliver the project outputs. Sefton@Work are engaged with Southport College and Adult and Community Learning for the delivery and roll out of the customer facing training. The breadth and volume of engagement has been positive.

 

MB confirmed 172 enrolments in training achieved to date and 18 employers engaged, some with bespoke training. Future bookings proposed with Britannia and Bates Dairy. Broad range of employers engaged and recognizing benefits and wanting more staff to take part.

 

Future provision discussed to build longer-term provision. This could be funded from employers perhaps through apprenticeship for customer services. Apprenticeship Levy could be explored along with other funding options.

Learning concerns – difficulty engaging with small business in training - more challenging to find time for training perhaps.

 

Comms to be developed for this programme as good news story. 

 

18.

Any Other Business

To consider any other items of business raised at the meeting

Minutes:

Southport Pier

 

Pier is not within the remit of the Town Deal Board, SW provided an update on works and readiness, and reaffirmed Sefton’s commitment to finding a funding solution to undertake the works required. Survey work has been completed and shared with updates available on the website.

 

 

Marketing Southport – Chair asked if he can share information with them. SW confirmed minutes are a public record.

 

19.

Date of Next Meeting

The next meeting of the Southport Town Deal Board will be held on 26th November 2024.

Minutes:

Dates for 2025 to be agreed and circulated.