Issue - meetings

To provide an update to the Performance Monitoring Panel on current work being undertaken to support the South Holland economy (report of the Assistant Director – Strategic Growth and Development enclosed)

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director – Strategic Growth and Development to provide an update to the Panel on current work being undertaken to support the South Holland economy.

The Economic Development and Inward Investment Manager introduced the report and highlighted the following points:

• The Economic Development Team had continued to administer Covid grants with 31.5million pounds distributed to South Holland businesses. This area of work had been drawing to a close.
• A number of businesses had responded generously to a call for Christmas food bank donations. 
• The Food Enterprise Zone in Holbeach had two occupied buildings, with a third, ‘The Hub’, to be completed in May 2022.
• Grants for Growth scheme remained on target and an overachievement had been imminent. From the contracted assistance output to 370 businesses, 369 had been assisted, and a further 5 applications were expected shortly. The project had been extended until June 2023, with a further 500,000 pounds allocated. The scheme had attracted in excess of 4 million pounds of European funding into Lincolnshire businesses and had generated private sector investment of 9.26 million pounds.
• Support continued for town centre retail businesses: 21 large businesses had expansion plans in the immediate future.
• All senior schools in the district were engaged with the local Enterprise Adviser; projects included jobs and careers fayres.

Members considered the report and made the following comments:

• Members were encouraged by the report and activity noted therein, particularly the support for businesses. Positive feedback from businesses regarding the efficient administering of Business Grants was relayed to officers.
• Members asked if any restrictions existed which prevented businesses from reapplying for grants within the same or following year.
  • The Economic Development and Inward Investment Manager responded that an awarding of grant monies precluded further applications within the same funding stream, even if the scheme period had been extended.

• Members asked whether the team had been engaged in influencing wider strategic projects for the area, such as improvements to major arterial roads coming into the district. Roads and networks around the district were deemed unfit for purpose for transporting produce, and in particular, the A16 and A17 needed to be maintained and improved to alleviate traffic queues. As project timescales were often protracted, could urgent pressure be exerted for much needed improvements.
  • The Assistant Director – Strategic Growth and Development confirmed that:
    • The council, as part of the wider S&ELCP, had recently submitted a comprehensive consultation response into the Highways England ‘Route Strategies’ process, utilising data from businesses to demonstrate the importance of the A16 and A17, and make the case for strategic investment in those routes;
    • working through the S&ELCP, the council had submitted a comprehensive response to Lincolnshire County Council’s (LCC) draft ‘Local Transport Strategy 5’, to make the case for both the A16 and A17 to be acknowledged as priority routes for investment through LCC; and
    • that the council, working in collaboration with LCC, had secured £19million in Levelling-Up Funding for improvements to the pinch  ...  view the full minutes text for item 41