Agenda item

Report of the Executive Director of Place

The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director (Place) on the Social Value Outcomes from the Growth and Strategic Investment Programme (the Programme) that comprised a range of projects across all parts of Sefton, of a wide range of types, sizes, funding sources and delivery models. The report indicated that the objectives of the Programme, and the projects therein, were consistently intended to balance economic, financial, social and environmental outcomes; that each project was developed with wider aims to support with delivery against strategies and policies in other areas of the Council beyond regeneration; that the aim of the report was to provide visibility of the work that had been undertaken, was being undertaken, and was planned, on projects across the Council’s Programme that demonstrated “social value”, which for the purposes of this report, was defined as the wider value created by capital projects beyond the economic and financial.

The report also provided information on the Caring Business Charter,  launched in 2022 and operated through Sefton@work, which recognised that many young people who had experience of being looked after may have additional barriers to address when they were looking to starting their lives as adults and enter the world of work; the establishment of the Child Friendly Sefton methodology to ensure that all programmes and projects had children and young people at the heart of their development and implementation; and future opportunities and action areas for 2024 and beyond to ensure continued incorporation of social value into the Growth and Strategic Investment programme, and the inclusion of particular emphasis on children and young people, ensuring they were at the heart of everything the Council did.

The following appendices were attached to the report:

The report concluded by seeking feedback on key issues and opportunities arising from the Programme, and on areas of potential interest for further review and focus in future years.

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following issues:

·       The active consideration of employment related opportunities for local care leavers and the emphasis placed on this by the Council’s Employment and Learning Team

·       The appearance of Tom Jones at the Salt and Tar Music Weekender in August 2024 was referred to and suggestions were shared about how best to showcase how Sefton was successful in securing such an international artist to appear at the festival; and how this would help not only with one of the Council’s leading priorities for the regeneration of Bootle, but to the wider Sefton area

·       The importance of the Strand acquisition for regeneration purposes and the current repurposing of the shopping centre as another investment project with a strong emphasis on social value and the positive impact this would have on the local community

·       The importance of the establishment of the Child Friendly Sefton methodology to support ensuring that all programmes and projects had children and young people at the heart of their development and implementation

·       A statement was made that employers engaged wholly or mainly in construction industry activities (in other words, when construction activities took up more than half of the total employees’ time (including subcontractors)) should be encouraged to join the Construction Industry Training Board levy programme; and that CITB provided grants for construction industry employers who provide training for their workforce

·       The engagement with young people to seek and use their views in Growth and Strategic Investment Programmes, including the Sefton’s Borough of Culture programme 

RESOLVED: That