Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies had been received from Councillor Vanessa Allen, Sharon Baldwin – Orpington 1^st BID Company, Robert Buckley – LBB Head of Renewal, Zoe Carr – Beckenham Together BID Company & Penge SE20 BID Company, Dave Freeborn – Proctors, Mark Haynes – The Glades, Robert Sargent – Acorn Group and Caroline Tatchell – Splash Damage.

Apologies for absence were also received from Carol Arnfield – LBB Head of Service for Early Years, School Standards and Adult Education and Sam Parrett – London South East Colleges, and Elena Diaconescu – Bromley Adult Education College and Louise Wolsey – London South East Colleges attended as their respective substitutes.

The Chairman noted that any matters arising would be addressed during the meeting.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 26^th January 2021 be agreed.

Alicia Munday, LBB Interim Assistant Director of Culture and Regeneration attended the meeting to provide an update on the draft Economic Development Strategy.

The Local Authority’s Regeneration Strategy had been adopted in 2020 and set out the importance of the local economy. The timing of the draft Economic Development Strategy was beneficial as it would provide support to the economy and assist in its recovery following the pandemic.

The LBB Interim Assistant Director of Culture and Regeneration informed Members that there were several reasons why an Economic Development Strategy was needed:

-  The Borough’s population was growing, and Bromley also had one of the largest older populations in London. This put pressure on health and social care services and there was a lower active workforce compared to other London boroughs.

-  There were several advancements in technology taking place and the team had been supporting the roll out of the Digital Infrastructure Work Plan to ensure that the Borough had optimum connectivity.

-  The Borough had always had a strong retail offer, with Bromley’s main high street being in the top 50 high streets in the country. However, this retail offer was likely to change at a much faster pace than previously imagined.

-  Consideration should also be given to whether the right skills and expertise were being developed for future generations to ensure that residents had the best opportunities to be employed, or retrain and diversify.

-  The Borough also needed to make every effort to ensure that land was zoned for employment uses, sufficient to accommodate the premises which we hoped would be needed.

The core purposes of the Strategy were to ensure that Bromley was “open for business” – ready to promote growth; be innovative; allocate the right resources; and support recovery.

The LBB Interim Assistant Director of Culture and Regeneration noted that pre-pandemic, the local economy had been in a strong position – typically seeing a 5% annual growth in GDP, 78% employment rate (7^th highest in outer London boroughs), and low unemployment rate (3.7% - 2^nd lowest in outer London boroughs). The intention was to return to this position as soon as possible and maintain these benchmarks. With this in mind, the Strategy was seen as facilitating and supporting the local economy to recover and grow through seven key aspirations – Education and Skills; Employment Spaces; Thriving and Investing; High Streets for the Future; Connectivity and Mobility; Promoting Tourism and Culture; and A Green Economy. Overarching these was what they wanted Bromley to be – a Borough where businesses thrived; new businesses wanted to invest; and residents had good skills and benefitted from high levels of investment and employment.

Education and Skills

-  Extending and enhancing services in the Borough’s libraries, so they became information and learning hubs of the future.

-  Promoting the lifelong learning offer, from good rated schools to a vibrant Further Education and active adult education offer that responded to the changing needs in skills, qualifications, and experience.

-  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

The Chairman informed Members that the proposals for a new meeting format had arisen from the draft Economic Development Strategy. The formal arrangements would be finalised over the coming weeks and a further update would be provided after Annual Council in May.

RESOLVED that the Bromley Economic Partnership - new meeting format proposals be noted.

Members of the Partnership gave an update around progress across the main themes of the Partnership.

-  Distribution of COVID Grants

-  Memorandum of Understanding with BT Openreach

The LBB Interim Assistant Director of Culture and Regeneration provided an update:

With regards to business grants, the LBB Interim Assistant Director of Culture and Regeneration advised that these were divided into two categories – mandatory grants, with criteria set by the government; and discretionary grants, for which the Local Authority set the criteria within a national framework. Mandatory grants were administered directly by the Council’s Exchequer Services, who were currently distributing payments under the ‘Restart Grant’ to support and remobilise businesses, whereas the discretionary grants were co-ordinated by the Business Support Team, the majority of which had been the Additional Restrictions Grants (ARG).

There were various grant schemes within the ARG that were ‘live’, including the ‘Hardship Grant’ for which circa £2.5m had been distributed to date. The application period for the ‘Innovation Fund’ (£1m) had recently closed and the team were now assessing around 130 submissions, with capacity to award payments to 100. It was hoped that the first 50 of these grant payments would be made the following week. Two further schemes supported by the Council were ‘Special Treatment Licenses’ and the ‘Home Based Business Grant’. ‘Special Treatment Licenses’ were predominately for those delivering one on one services, such as beauty treatments, to which payments of £1k were being awarded to assist with COVID-19 measures. Businesses that applied for pavement licenses, to allow outdoor trading, were also being given a grant of £1k to use towards keeping the streets and pavements clean and tidy. The ‘Home Based Business Grant’ would be launched within the next few weeks. It was aimed at those that are not registered for business rates and a payment of £2k could be awarded if they had any fixed business costs.

The LBB Interim Assistant Director of Culture and Regeneration informed Members that a ‘BID Business Booster Grant’, which it was hoped would go live within the next couple of months, would provide support to small, independent businesses within the  BID areas. It was highlighted that the team should have distributed the initial ARG by 30^th June 2021 – if this was completed successfully, a further £2.6m would be awarded by the government, and the team would be engaging with businesses as to the best way for this grant to be deployed. It was considered that this additional sum could be used to support recovery, such as autumnal events once restrictions were fully lifted and the night-time economy, but further thoughts and suggestions would be welcomed.

It was noted that the ARG had also been used to support the cultural and leisure sectors, with discretionary payments having been made to venues and facilities within the Borough. The LBB Interim Assistant Director of Culture and Regeneration highlighted that the ARG had been stretched as far as it could be, and thanks were extended to the team who had worked exceptionally hard to ensure that these payments were awarded. These thanks were echoed by the Chairman who acknowledged that it had been a complex and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22a

Ben Johnson, LBB Head of Planning Policy and Strategy provided an update in relation to planning policy.

The LBB Head of Planning Policy and Strategy advised Members that the London Plan had been formally adopted in early March 2021 – the document now formed part of the Bromley development plan and, in addition to the Local Plan, was being used to assess planning applications in the Borough.

At the previous meeting of the Partnership, it had been highlighted that a government consultation was underway regarding permitted development rights. This had been completed swiftly and new regulations had now been published. These would be brought into force from August 2021 and would broadly allow the majority of units in class E (such as retail, offices and restaurants) to be converted to residential use. It was noted that, as the Local Authority’s planning policy did not directly apply, there were some concerns and further Article 4 directions were likely to be required and this would be discussed at the next meeting of the Council’s Development Control Committee.

In response to a question from the Chairman, the LBB Head of Planning Policy and Strategy advised that following the adoption of the London Plan, the Local Plan would be kept under review to ensure general conformity. Katy Woolcott, London Biggin Hill Airport enquired if the zoning process previously mentioned would be taken forward as part of this review. The LBB Head of Planning Policy and Strategy responded that the zoning proposals were being taken forward by the government, but no further information had been provided recently. It was anticipated that more news may be heard later in the year, however the Local Plan would be reviewed under the current system as it may take several years for these proposals to come into force. It was highlighted that a full review of the Local Plan would be undertaken, giving regard to the relevant policies within the London Plan, as well as national policies, to ensure it was up to date.

Mike Lewis, Michael Rogers LLP enquired if the existing Article 4 directions in the Borough would be affected. The LBB Head of Planning Policy and Strategy responded that the government had given Local Authorities a year, to August 2022, to replace any existing Article 4 directions and they would not automatically be extended beyond this period. Mr Lewis said that this was a concern as if any further commercial space was lost it would have a seriously detrimental effect on the economic progress of the town as a business centre. The Chairman highlighted that the draft Economic Development Strategy discussed earlier in the meeting included a target for new jobs and space in the town centre to provide them would be required – a review of the Local Plan would therefore take this into account.

In response to a question from Katy Woolcott, the LBB Head of Planning Policy and Strategy said that units previously classed as B1 were now categorised in class E, so  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22b

Lorraine McQuillan, LBB Town Centres and BID Development Manager provided an update relating to business support.

In addition to the work being undertaken in relation to the distribution of business grants, the team had been establishing further business support measures. The first of these was working with libraries on an initiative to provide support to start-up businesses. The ‘Start Up Bromley’ project would launch the following month, providing business lounge facilities at Central Library and Orpington Library. This was a dedicated business space which could be used by entrepreneurs to work and hold meetings. There would also be a Business Support Manager who would host one-to-one business advice sessions at any of the borough’s libraries – there would be access to a range of business webinars; a business support network; and the opportunity provided to promote and sell products via business showcase events. Once the scheme was launched, further details could be circulated to Members of the Partnership for onward distribution.

(ACTION: LBB Town Centres and BID Development Manager)

The second project being undertaken with businesses was to ensure that they had been ready for reopening on the 12^th April 2021. This had included a package of support and advice being provided on how businesses could open safely, as well as ensuring that the high streets were kept clean and safe for customers. A copy of this advice was available online and could be accessed via the following link: https://www.bromley.gov.uk/info/200013/business_support_and_advice/15

40/open_bromley_business_support_programme

It was noted that this work would be continuing as the country moved through the next stages of the government roadmap for the full reopening of businesses. Work with the Business Support Taskforce would also continue to take place with regards to projects and the identification of funding opportunities to support businesses and the recovery of the local economy. Updates on these projects could be provided to the Partnership as they moved forward.

(ACTION: LBB Town Centres and BID Development Manager)

The team would also disseminate information to businesses relating to the financial support available, and more general support would be provided via the website and e-newsletter.

Louise Wolsey, London South East Colleges informed Members that the Business Support Team had been working with her colleague, Neil Coates, on employer incentives. It was highlighted that there were still some grants and funding available for businesses who were wishing to bring back, or invest in, their workforce – £1k for a young person on a traineeship and up to £4k for an apprenticeship. Any Members who would like more information were encouraged to get in contact, and their details would be passed on to the team.

RESOLVED that the Business Support update be noted.

On this occasion, please could partners notify the clerk by emailing joanne.partridge@bromley.gov.uk if you wish to speak about something relevant to the group or a joint working opportunity.

Please note that any updates should be no longer than two minutes.

Members of the Partnership had undertaken a range of activities since the last meeting.

Elena Diaconescu – Bromley Adult Education College advised Members that they had been working in partnership with Jobcentre Plus to offer employment and training support. These programmes were referral based and the workshops were not readily available elsewhere – examples included a series of onsite, and online, workshops being provided to those clients who wished to set up a new business or become self-employed. The College was working with clients of Jobcentre Plus to review and improve their skills in the job market. These workshops focussed on skills that could be acquired immediately and put to good use, such as the skills needed to perform well in an online job interview.

Digital drop-in sessions were also held for residents within the Borough who would like to update their CV’s, or start them from scratch, and improve their job search skills. Courses on basic skills for English, Maths and language (specifically English for Speakers of Other Languages) were also held and provided a route to improving skills and becoming ready for employment. Further information on these courses could be accessed via the following link:

https://baec.ac.uk/index.php/employment-support/

Chandra Sharma attended the meeting representing the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). The FSB had been working closely with the Rotary Clubs in the Borough to deliver workshops to help people with writing CVs and interview techniques. A round table discussion with Sir Bob Neill MP was being arranged for 21^st May 2021 – any Members wishing to attend were asked to contact Mr Sharma directly. An online webinar would be held the following day on ‘How is Brexit Impacting Your Business?’, and two virtual networking events were held each month for Orpington and Bromley.

Mr Sharma highlighted that he considered that all communications issued by the Local Authority, including rates bills and newsletters, reference should be made to business, with residents encouraged to support their local businesses.

Donald Mars – Jobcentre Plus informed Members that the criteria of the Kickstart scheme had changed, whereby employers could have a smaller number of people aiming to start. The scheme was aimed at those aged 18-24 years and for employers in the Borough who were looking to take on one or two young people to work in their organisation, the government would pay their wages for the first six months.

Helen McIntosh – South East London Chamber of Commerce (SELCC) advised Members that, at the request of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the SELCC had been officially asked to form a new Chamber in Croydon.

Katy Woolcott – London Biggin Hill Airport (LBHA) highlighted that legally only essential travel was currently permitted. LBHA had recruited five new apprentices; a Customer Sustainability Manager; a Head of Technical Services; an Assistant for HR, PR and Business Development. Bombardier had also recruited 16 new apprentices in January 2021. The Bombardier development, which was just under 250,000 sq. ft., was continuing well and it was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23.

Members of the partnership are requested to notify the clerk of any items to be discussed at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting.

The LBB Interim Assistant Director of Culture and Regeneration highlighted that there had not been many charities applying for the ‘Hardship Grant’. Charities were eligible, if they met the other criteria, and Members were therefore encouraged to publicise this where they could.

The LBB Interim Assistant Director of Culture and Regeneration advised Members that a webinar would be held on 7^th May 2021 to provide information relating to the business grants and the mechanisms of support available. The invite would be circulated to Members shortly, and they could then forward on to their wider networks.

(ACTION: LBB Interim Assistant Director of Culture and Regeneration)

The Chairman and Members extended their congratulations to Frances Forrest, Your Bromley BID Company, and her team for the success in securing their second 5-year term.

RESOLVED that the issues raised be noted.

4.00pm, Thursday 15^th July 2021

4.00pm, Tuesday 12^th October 2021

4.00pm, Tuesday 11^th January 2022

4.00pm, Tuesday 29^th March 2022

4.00pm, Thursday 15^th July 2021

4.00pm, Tuesday 12^th October 2021

4.00pm, Tuesday 11^th January 2022

4.00pm, Tuesday 29^th March 2022