Agenda and minutes

None.

Agreed as accurate records.

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 were considered in public.

Members were provided with a draft of the final report on the second major review the Committee had completed at its last meeting.

Members were taken through the recommendations of the report and provided with the reasoning behind the recommendations. Reference was made to Hayes Business Studios which provided an excellent facility for micro-businesses, which a meeting of the review took place at.

Regarding the recommendation on other sources of funding, discussion took place on the possibility of working with BAA and Heathrow Airport and the possibility of working with BAA on providing advice and support to new businesses on issues such as exporting.

The review was informed that the Council funding for the Studios came from Section 106 monies, a London Development Agency grant and funding from Hillingdon Community Trust and Members agreed that investigations should also take place into whether funding for business education and for apprenticeships could also be obtained from Section 106 monies which are earmarked for education.  Members asked that this should be reflected in a recommendation of the review.

Part of the review looked at Industrial Estates, in particular North Uxbridge Industrial Estate, and Members forged links with SEGRO (Slough Estates Group) who owned this estate. One of the recommendations of the review was to work with SEGRO on initiatives such as producing a website for the estate, which would have a web page for each business and which would provide information on rental opportunities and initiatives to support businesses. In addition to encourage business to business support, business clubs could be formed which helped businesses support one and other, possibly providing discounts for good and services.

Resolved –

1. That approval be given to the recommendations contained in the report and the report be finalised for submission to Cabinet by the Chairman of the Committee in consultation with Democratic Services.

2. That a progress report on the recommendations of the review be submitted to this Committee in 2011.  

Members discussed possible review topics for the Committee for this Municipal Year.

Areas and ideas that Members discussed included:

• Elections – What went well, not so well and what went wrong?
• What was the Council doing to deal with political and religious extremism?
• How the Council’s partners are dealing with unaccompanied child asylum seekers and what was the impact on Council services?
• The role of Consultants and Agency staff.

The suggestions would be discussed with officers and the Chairman and a draft scoping report would be submitted to the next meeting of this Committee on the first major review.

Resolved –

1.   That the decision on the two review topics be delegated to the Chairman of the Committee in consultation with Democratic Services.

The report was noted.

The report was noted.