Agenda item

(To receive a joint report from Justin Brown, Assistant Director - Growth and Ruth Carver, LEP Chief Executive which invites the Committee to consider and comment on the content of the Greater Lincolnshire Plan for Growth)

The Committee considered a report from Justin Brown, Assistant Director – Growth and Ruther Carver, LEP Chief Executive, which invited the Committee to consider and comment on the Greater Lincolnshire Plan for Growth.

The Committee was advised that the Plan for Growth was a 1–5-year economic action plan and framework for post Covid-19 recovery in Greater Lincolnshire, which had been developed in full partnership across Local Resilience Forum Business and Economy partners.  Appended to the report was a copy of the Greater Lincolnshire Plan for Growth for the Committee to consider.

It was noted that the current plan comprised of 63 actions which were either current activities relating to the economic response to the pandemic or were a critical part of a longer-term ambition.  Each of the actions contained in the plan were assigned to a lead organization, and that the LEP would play the ongoing role of ensuring that the actions within the plan were delivered.  Page 36 of the report provided a list of the organization’s involved in the development of the plan.  It was highlighted that the agreed actions contained within the plan were vital to meeting the ambitions of the five core themes and the six specific sector opportunities for Lincolnshire, these were detailed on pages 36 and 37 of the report.

Pages 37 to 39 of the report provided details relating to specific projects that the Council were the current lead for, or were involved in steering, to help deliver the priorities within the plan.

During consideration of the item, the Committee raised the following comments:

·       Thanks were extended to officers for the excellent report;

·       Clarification was given that on page 36 the Higher Education Colleges should be Further Education Colleges;

·       Page 38 of the report – reference to Health and Care.  The Committee was advised that Adult Social Care and Economic Development were collaboratively working on an initiative to help care businesses to take advantage of business advice and be able to access grants;

·       The value of partnership working;

·       The need to encourage businesses to take on apprentices and graduates.  The Committee was advised that the Council took on apprentices and graduates and encouraged contractors employed by the Council to do the same;

·       Better transport provision in the County to attract people to the area.  The Committee noted that the Transport Plan would address some of these issues.  This item would be considered by the Committee at the January 2022 meeting;

·       The need to look at alternate renewables, reference was made to onshore wind turbines and solar panels.  Some concern was expressed to the use of agricultural land for this purpose;

·       Clarity was sought as to who owned the document and who had the authority to change it?  The Committee noted that there was collective ownership of the plan; and that the Council needed to endorse the plan as it delivered a large part of the Strategy; and

·       The need to ensure that all parts of Lincolnshire benefitted from the plan.

RESOLVED

1.      That the Greater Lincolnshire Plan for Growth be endorsed.

2.     That the Comments raised by the Committee be received.

Note: Councillor A J Baxter wished it to be recorded that he had abstained from voting on this item.