To consider the findings of the Hereford City Partnership Review Group following the Review of Hereford City Partnership.

The Committee considered the findings of the Hereford City Partnership Review Group following the Review of Hereford City Partnership (HCP).

Clare Wichbold, the Review Group’s Lead Officer, began be explaining the rationale for the Review and how the Review Group gathered its evidence which lead them to draw a number of conclusions.  A copy of the Review Group’s final report was attached at Appendix 1 to the report.  A summary of HCP’s accounts for 2006/07 and budget for 2007/08 was circulated at the meeting.

The principle conclusions arising from the Review were as follows:

·         HCP lacked major retail representation on its Board of Directors;

·         A Cabinet Member Portfolio for Economic Development should be reinstated as the role was currently appended to the role of the Leader;

·         HCP lacked funding and Herefordshire Council should increase its level of funding to match that provided by Hereford City Council as well as continuing to provide office accommodation;

·         Herefordshire Council should provide an office for the Hereford City Manager in Hereford City Centre not at Plough Lane;

·         The Hereford City Manager needs additional office support.

Mr Jackson, Co-opted Private Sector Representative on the Review Group, commented that he was surprised at lack of funding available to the City of Hereford.  It was the minimum requirement that Herefordshire Council increased its funding to HCCP to the same level as that provided by the City Council.  The Hereford City Manager did an excellent job but was limited to dealing with day-today issues that, amongst other things, prevented her from sourcing additional funding.

Mr Jones, Co-opted Retail Sector Representative on the Review Group, reiterated the need for Herefordshire Council to increase its level of funding to HCP.  He added that HCP needed to address its long-term direction and increase its involvement with key projects developing in the City such as the Edgar Street Grid.

A Member of the Review Group stated that it had been extremely valuable co-opting non-Councillor Members to the Review Group.  It was added that whilst the Hereford City Manager made regular reports to the City Council none were received by Herefordshire Council.

Juliette Coard, previous Chair of HCP, commented that she was pleased the Review had taken place as it had highlighted a number of important areas.  She noted that the Review Group had considered the issue of Street Trading Consents but had discovered that HCP could not administer a part of scheme as a method of income generation.  She therefore asked why Maylord Orchards Shopping Centre were able to issue their own consents?

The Trading Standards Manager explained that only local authorities could issue Street Trading Consents as specified by the Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1982.  However this was only for areas on the public highway and as the Maylord Orchards Shopping Centre was indoors it had the ability to issue its own consents for those traders inside the centre.

A Member added that they were worried about the proliferation of street traders in Hereford.  Concerns were also expressed about the cost of street trading consents which were considered to be cheap compared to the returns they offered.

Bobbie Heavens, Chair of HCP, responded to a comment in the report by explaining that steps had been undertaken by HCP to increase its communications.  She added that the Review had delayed the finalisation of their business plan and welcomed the Review Group’s proposal that Herefordshire Council provided the strategic vision for Hereford City.

The Cabinet Member (Resources) expressed concern about the Review Group’s request for more funding to be provided to HCP.  He stated that in order to provide additional funding to HCP it would be necessary to reallocate resources from elsewhere.  He welcomed the Review Group’s recommendation that Hereford City Council considered increasing it Parish Precept.  He also commented that the Leader worked hard on the Economic Development Portfolio.

The Chairman thanked the Review Group for their report and thanked the representatives of HCP for attending the meeting.  He asked HCP to prepare a response to report to Cabinet alongside the Review Group’s report.  Finally, the Chairman expressed his thanks to the two co-opted Members on the Review Group.

RESOLVED:

That:

(a)    Herefordshire Council reinstates the Cabinet Member Portfolio with responsibility for Economic Development This Cabinet Member should take the lead on a strategic vision for Hereford City with support from partner organisations such as HCP and ESG, and ensure links with the wider County;

(b)         Herefordshire Council representation on the HCP Board is revisited and a member representative with potentially more time to support the work of HCP is appointed.  If the recommendation for the reinstatement of the Cabinet Member for Economic Development is accepted then that Portfolio Holder should assume this appointment;

(c)    reporting mechanisms are put in place to enable the Hereford City Partnership manager to report to the Cabinet Member (Economic Development) on a regular basis;

(d)     Herefordshire Council relocates the Hereford City Manager to one of its City Centre Office spaces, rather than being based at Plough Lane;

(e)    the Hereford City Manager’s job particulars have a person specification prepared to go with the job description;

(f)     the Hereford City Manager be provided with administrative support;

(g)    the Membership of Hereford City Partnership be reviewed to ensure that all areas of the City are represented including the addition of major retailers as Members;

(h)    additional funding is put into HCP to support the Hereford City Manager and administrative support be provided in the short term prior to the emergence of a whole city vision and the development of the Edgar Street Grid;

(i)      the annual funding of £16,000 which is put into HCP by Hereford City Council is matched by Herefordshire Council over the next three years, plus HCP maintains its existing funding and infrastructure support commitments to continue and develop its activities and events;

(j)           Hereford City Council investigate the possibility of increased support for HCP through the level of precept levied in the City;

(k)    Hereford City Partnership commence regular budgeting procedures and produce income and expenditure accounts;

(l)      That Hereford City Partnership concentrate their main activities on the City Centre’s economic and environmental well-being;

(m)    Hereford City Partnership liase with other key partners with an interest in the City, including Hereford City Council, Herefordshire Council, Edgar Street Grid, South Wye Development Trust, and Rotherwas Futures;

(n)    mechanisms are put in place by Herefordshire Council enable the Hereford City Manager to report to Officers at Head of Service level;

(o)    the Street Trading Panel procedures are reviewed to enable direct reporting to the Cabinet Member (Economic Development);

(p)         Hereford City Partnership fully instigates the proposed retail membership scheme with varying levels of membership to generate income;

(q)         Hereford City Partnership be asked to comment on the Review and its comments be considered by the Executive in developing its response.

(r)     the Executive’s response to the Review including an action plan be reported to the first available meeting of the Committee after the Executive has approved its response;

and;

(s)     a further report on progress with respect to the Review be made after six months with consideration then being given to the need for any further reports to be made.