Agenda and minutes

To appoint a Chairman for Municipal Year 2020/2021.

The Board considered the appointment of a Chairman for Municipal Year 2020/2021. The Board noted that the principal of rotation of this office round the three local authorities involved in the board.

Resolved:

That Councillor Karen Buckley, Fylde Borough Council, be appointed Chairman of Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Economic Prosperity Board

The Chairman to welcome members to the meeting, lead introductions and receive any apologies.

The newly appointed Chairman welcomed Board members to the meeting. She introduced Mr Lennox Beattie, Executive and Regulatory Manager, Blackpool Council who would be providing the governance support for this meeting for this Municipal Year 2020/2021.

To consider the appointment of a Vice-Chairman for Municipal Year 2020/21

The Board considered the appointment of a Vice-Chairman of the Board for Municipal Year 2020/2021.

Resolved:

That Councillor Simon Blackburn, Blackpool Council, be appointed Chairman for Municipal Year 2020/2021.

Board Members are asked to declare any interests in the items under consideration and in doing so state the nature and extent of the interest.

If any Board member requires advice on declarations of interests, they are advised to contact the Lennox Beattie, Executive and Regulatory Manager, Blackpool Council in advance of the meeting.

Neil Farley, Co-opted member, Fylde Borough Council declared a prejudicial interest in the matter raised under Any Other Business the nature of the interest being that the proposed development would be connected to his employer.

To consider any matters arising from the minutes of the meeting held on 7 January 2020.

There were no matters arising from the meeting held on 7 January 2020.

To consider any matters arising from the information instead of the 7 April 2020 meeting.

Mr Nick Gerrard, Growth and Prosperity Programme Director, Blackpool Council to provide a further update on the Future High Street Fund and Fylde Coast Tram Loop- you can see that report via this link report on 7 April 2020

The Board considered matters arising from the information circulated instead of the 7 April 2020 meeting.

Mr Nick Gerrard, Growth and Prosperity Programme Director, highlighted one piece of clarification that the Fylde Coast Tram Loop item should be emphasised that this  feasibility study would consider a range of options including all forms of light rail and was not limited to a simple extension of the current Blackpool tramway.

To agree the minutes of the last meeting held on 7 January 2020 as a true and correct record.

The Board considered the minutes of the last meeting held on 7 January 2020.

Resolved:

That the minutes of the last meeting held on 7 January 2020 be approved as a correct record.

If the discussion during items 9, 10 and 11  of this agenda involves the disclosure of “exempt information”, as defined in Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 and the Board wishes to move to confidential session, it may at any point pass the following resolution:  “That the public and press be excluded from the meeting whilst the agenda item(s) is/ are considered, on the ground that their presence would involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in category 3 (Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person, including the authority holding that information) of Part 1 of Schedule 12(a) of the Local Government Act,  1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Variation Order 2006 and, that in the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information”.

Resolved:

That the public and press be excluded from Agenda Items 10 and 11: Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone Progress Report and Hillhouse Enterprise Zone Progress Report as this includes the likely disclosure of Exempt Information under

To hold a discussion on the Coronavirus situation and Economic Recovery including considering items for future Board meetings.

The Board considered the issue of Coronavirus and Economic Recovery. It noted the significant help under various schemes to help small business and the furlough scheme.

Mr Nick Gerrard and Mr Rob Green highlighted that a key development had been the uncertainty that the pandemic had placed on business development and expansion. The need to ensure that the enterprise zones did not lose out and in fact the key roles that Enterprise Zones could play as a driver for economic recovery.

The Board agreed with officers that central to the enterprise zones will be a request to government extend the period in which the 5 year business rates relief is available from expiry in March 2022 to financial year 2025/26.

To discuss the issue further at the next meeting.

To receive a progress report on Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone.

Mr Rob Green, Head of Enterprise Zones, provided the board with an update on the Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone.

It started by outlining the programme for updating the Masterplan to reflect  substantial changes to the physical development around the eastern gateway access, sports field re-provision revised airport proposals and the change of direction for the future of the Squires Gate Industrial Estate (former Wellington Bomber Factory). The revised interim delivery plan will be presented to Blackpool Council as Accountable Body in July before submission to Fylde Borough Council, the Local Economic

Partnership and Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Mr Green provided further information on a number of development schemes within the Enterprise Zone including at the former Wellington Bomber factory site and the recent planning permission to locate new sports pitches outside the area which would allow the relocation of existing pitches.  

Mr Green then highlighted the work that had continued to support the installation of the new transatlantic fibre optic telecommunications cable, part of the North Atlantic loop from New York to Denmark, being developed by Aqua Comms. Cable ducting has been laid from the proposed landing point to the base station constructed at Blackpool Airport with a further expansion of the network under the Local Fast Fibre Network (LFFN) programme at the planning stage and the opportunities to link this with Fibre Blackpool and use as a further opportunity to brink high tech employers to the Enterprise Zone.

In conclusion Mr Green highlighted changes to the marketing of the Enterprise Zone with Marketing Lancashire having now engaged with Richard Barber and Co. to progress Phase 2 of the Enterprise Zone websites, phase 2 of the overarching Invest in Lancashire site and options around the integration of Evolutive.

Resolved:

That the update be noted.

To receive an update on the Hillhouse Enterprise Zone.

Mr Rob Green, Head of Enterprise Zone presented an update on Hillhouse Enterprise Zone.

Mr Green initially highlighted work with the landowwner NPL estates to encourage them to bring forward proposals for an initial phase of speculative development totalling 6,100m² The project will also require some local enabling infrastructure, including site access road, all utilities and in particular an extension and repair to Hillhouse’s water ring main, with an application for Growth Deal funding in preparation in anticipation of last minute resources becoming available.

This would necessitate an updating of the business plan which was already commenced.

Mr Green then spoke about the exploration the opportunities of utilising Hillhouse for the generation and storage of Hydrogen with meetings continuing and the hope that this project’s remit would in time expand to encompass all forms of renewable energy.

The Board considered as an urgent item a report about the potential for the Springfields site to be designated as one of limited number of sites to produce medical isotopes.

The location within an existing nuclear facilities

The Board expressed support for the principal of the development and that it might perhaps generate synergy with the Enterprise Zones and agreed that the Council’s Leaders would write in support.