Agenda and minutes

Agreed as an accurate record.

To confirm the items of business marked Part I will be considered in public and that the items marked Part II will be considered in private.

It was agreed that all items of business would be considered in public.

Mike Langan, Chairman of Hillingdon Chamber of Commerce attended the meeting and provided the review with his organisation’s views on the operation of the Hillingdon First Card in relation to the business sector.

Issues raised were:

·        The businesses which were part of the scheme were mainly High Street businesses

·        There should be more businesses in the scheme and some more thought needed to be put into the categories businesses were put into for the scheme

·        The business discounts did not suit all businesses and there should be some flexibility on this

·        Consideration should be given to changing the emphasis to offers, which would bring some flexibility for individual businesses

·        There needed to be a re-promotion of the business directory

·        The Hillingdon First Card website was very useful but sight must not be lost of those residents who were not internet users

·        Reference was made to the Card being for residents of the Borough and there being no direct benefit for businesses

·        Reference was made to the success of the Card in relation to car parking for residents but not for employees of businesses who worked in the Borough

·        There needed to be a re-promotion of the Card to enable residents to know what they could get with their Card

·        The Chambers of Commerce had started a Members’ pages on their website which could also be used for Hillingdon First Card promotions

·        Reference was made to the Card not giving businesses financial benefit as the Card did not bring in new customers

·        There could be publicity given in the form of case studies, of those businesses that had found the Hillingdon First Card a success for their business

·        Businesses on Industrial estates, self employed businesses such as plumbers, electricians etc who were residents of the Borough could also be captured as part of the scheme

·        Leafleting could take place at the Boroughs various shopping areas to re-promote the Card

Members thanked the Chairman of the Chamber for the useful information and views he had shared with them.

The ICT Strategist attended the meeting and provided the Committee with details of possible technologies which could be used to further promote the Hillingdon First Card.

Issues raised were:

·      Quick Response (QR) Codes – These were essentially a compact barcode which were read by a barcode scanner, typically on a mobile device such as a smart phone or tablet. When QR Codes were read, the code displayed promotional material or can take the smart phone user to a specific webpage. This could be used to take people through to the Hillingdon First Card webpage

·      QR Codes could be generated at zero cost and be included on websites and printed in promotional literature

·      QR Codes could inform residents which shops and businesses were participating in the Hillingdon Card scheme

·      The Hillingdon First Card QR Code could be displayed on public notice boards, in libraries and other Council establishments or even be displayed by businesses

·      Mobile application (Apps) was a term which was used to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 64.

Members were provided with a presentation by the Head of Audit and Enforcement and the Planning Enforcement Manager on the work of the Council’s Planning Enforcement Team.

Members were informed of the legal difficulties which the Council encountered in undertaking planning enforcement and the Committee was informed that greater multi-departmental and agency working would take place to ensure a more joined up approach to the process. Officers would be more inventive with the use of other legislation in addition to planning legislation to obtain prosecutions.

The Committee asked that the Head of Audit and Enforcement writes to the Borough’s local MPs, providing details of the problems which the Council had in terms of planning enforcement and the protracted legal process which currently existed, and requesting that the Government give consideration to looking at the process.

     RESOLVED -

1. That the information contained in the report be noted and officers be thanked for their presentation.

Noted.

Noted.