Agenda and minutes

There were apologies from Councillor Goddard, with Councillor Graham substituting.

There were no declarations of interest.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meetings held on 9 April 2019 and 9 May 2019 be agreed as a correct record.

It was confirmed that all items were Part I and would be considered in public.

Members considered a draft scoping report that put forward an initial plan for the Committee’s next review.

The Partnerships and Business Engagement Manager introduced the scoping report, and stated that it provided a brief overview of the local economy, which would be expanded on in the future witness sessions.

The Committee heard that there were a number of good news stories. The Central Research Laboratory was driving hardware development in the Borough, and looking to expand, while Uxbridge College is establishing one of the country’s first Institute of Technology – one of only twelve in the country.

The Partnerships and Business Engagement Manager noted the large quantity of construction work currently taking place in Hillingdon, and emphasised a need to ensure that training and employment was maximised by these developments.

The Head of Planning, Transportation and Regeneration confirmed that there will be a lot of overlap between planning applications and economic development activity in the Borough, as businesses work closely with the Council to discuss potential developments.

Councillors noted their support for the review, and the format to split the review into three parts focussing on “The Big Picture”, “Skills and the Future”, and “The Local Picture”.

Members confirmed they would like to hear evidence from the witnesses outlined in the scoping report, and also suggested potential witnesses, including the Hayes Partnership, a representative from Stockley Park, the Charter Building or the Belmont Building, Uxbridge College and Job Centre Plus. It was also agreed that at least one site visit should take place if time allows.

The Committee commented that it may be helpful to look at incentives for businesses to move into empty office developments, the decline in manufacturing within the Borough, and the potential impact that Brexit may have on the Borough. It was also agreed that a focus on the success of the apprenticeships within Hillingdon may be considered, to better understand how apprentices were being progressed into employment.

The Partnerships and Business Engagement Manager also agreed to provide information regarding the turnover of start-up businesses, the size of these businesses and their failure rates.

Councillors agreed that it would be helpful to include this information in the review, and agreed to progress the review to the next stage.

RESOLVED: That the Committee agreed the scoping report and initiated a review into “Local Commerce, Employment, Skills and Job Creation”.

The Chairman noted that the Committee’s review into “Combatting Homophobic, Biphobic and Transphobic Bullying in Hillingdon” would be considered by Cabinet on 20 June 2019. Members commented that it great report and hoped that Cabinet would offer it full support, and thanked the officers that were involved in the report.

The Committee also sought clarification on the spending on temporary staff in Social Services, regarding why this money was being spent, how much had been spent, and how was the Council trying to alleviate this spending.

RESOLVED: That the forward plan be noted.

RESOLVED: That the work programme be approved.