Agenda item

            The Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Culture and the Head of Commissioning, Economy and Attainment submitted a joint report setting out a proposed Economic Strategy for Swindon.

            Councillor Garry Perkins, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Culture, welcomed the proposed Strategy and commented on its importance to Swindon and its link to the Council’s Corporate Strategy and Local Plan. He explained that the proposed Strategy contained the actions required to improve the economic performance and competitive advantage of Swindon people and business. There would also be associated documents that would address the outcomes and delivery targets and timescales for the Strategy once adopted. He commented on the proposals to undertake a wide consultation with the whole of Swindon’s diverse business community and local residents on the proposed Strategy, and on the importance of this in ensuring that the Strategy delivered what Swindon required.

            Councillor Jim Grant, Leader of the Opposition, advised that the Labour Group was broadly supportive of the proposed Strategy and that it reflected many of the aims of his Group’s own economic policy document. He believed that whilst the Strategy was good at putting forward the Council’s aspirations for the Borough, the measurable outcomes and their delivery would be the key factors to its success and these had yet to be put forward.

            Councillor Stan Pajak, Leader of the Minority Group, commented that his Group too was broadly supportive of the emerging Strategy. He welcomed the involvement of the Swindon people in formulating the final document and commented that he would wish to see an even greater emphasis given to the promotion of Swindon to those living in the Borough as well as nationally and internationally.

            Councillor Perkins thanked Councillors and Cabinet colleagues for their comments. He reiterated that the proposed Strategy formed the base document that outcomes and delivery would be built upon. He cautioned that delivery was affected by factors such as the national and world economic climate that it was hard for Swindon to control or influence. However, a robust Strategy would put Swindon in a good position to react quickly to the economic conditions in which it found itself.

            Resolved – (1) That the draft Economic Strategy for Swindon, as set out in Appendix 1 to the joint report, be approved for the purposes of public consultation.

            (2) That the Head of Commissioning, Economy and Attainment be authorised to undertake a consultation programme on the draft Economic Strategy for Swindon as set out at Appendix 2 of the joint report.

            (3) That it be noted that that this wider programme of consultation on the draft Economic Strategy for Swindon  also includes a period of three weeks from the 24^th October to the 14^th November 2012 for formal written responses.

            (4) That the results of the consultation referred to in (2) and (3) above, be reported back to the Cabinet at its meeting on 12^th December 2012, and it be noted that the Cabinet will be asked to recommend that the Economic Strategy for Swindon be adopted at the meeting of the Council on 17^thJanuary 2013.

            The reasons for the decision and alternative options are as set out in the report to the meeting.