To update the Committee on the progress of Actions Plans relating to the Scrutiny Review of Herefordshire Economic Development Strategy 2005 – 2025, the Review of Tourism with Specific Reference to Tourist Information Centres and the Review of Support for Volunteering in Herefordshire.

The Committee received an updated report on the progress of Actions Plans related to the Scrutiny Review of Herefordshire Economic Development Strategy 2005 – 2025, the Review of Tourism with Specific Reference to Tourist Information Centres and the Review of Support for Volunteering in Herefordshire.

The Assistant Director, Economy and Culture reported that the recommendations from the Review of the Herefordshire Economic Development Strategy had been considered as part of the new Economic Development Strategy, which would be put to Cabinet in June as part of the Local Development Framework and the Local Transport Plan.  The establishment of the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership covering Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford and Wreakin would also have an impact on the way that the Council undertook its work.

The Assistant Director went on to say that the remodelling of the Tourist Information Centres (TICs) had been completed.  With the exception of Ross Visitor Centre, the Council would no longer directly provide TICs.  Tourist information was still being provided in all of the market towns, and in Hereford and Queenswood.  Different solutions had been reached in each area, with a budget saving of £200k.  VisitHerefordshire would organise the service under a service level agreement with the Council. 

Within volunteering, there had been a freeze on Area Based Grant funding, and as a result some schemes had been halted because of the withdrawal of finance.  This had resulted in some of the actions from the Action plan being delayed or withdrawn.  However, as jobs were increasingly hard to find there was potential to use volunteering more widely as a tool for work experience or diversifying skills.

In the ensuing discussion, the following points were made:

• That Job Centre Plus were actively interested in using volunteering, and did refer people to the Council who they did not consider quite ready for the job market in order to help improve their skills.

• A Member asked that officers should give both serious consideration and thoughtful replies to recommendations put forward by the Committee as part of scrutiny reviews.

• In reply to a question from a Member regarding recommendation 6 of the Tourism Review, the Assistant Director said that signage had been improved for the Bromyard Tourist Information Point (TIP).  There were also plans to move the TIP from its present location into a vacant shop in Bromyard.

• She went on to answer further questions by saying that it was not possible for the Council to extract itself from the current building used by the TIC in Hereford, as there was eight more years to run on the lease.  Savings were being made, however, as Visit Herefordshire would use the building as its Head Office, and the Council would be reimbursed through the Service Level Agreement with the company.

• The Assistant Director went onto say that Leominster Town Council had not wanted to move the TIC from its present site, and had taken over the running of the service.  Herefordshire Council would not provide funding for the service after 1 April 2011.

• In reply to a Member’s question regarding the Herefordshire Business Board’s approach to small businesses, the Sustainable Communities Director said that the Service was continuing to work with small businesses, and added that the number of businesses that were now VAT registered had increased substantially, and the associated performance indicator was ahead of target.

RESOLVED:

THAT:

(a)                    progress of delivery of the actions be noted; and;

(b)                   in consideration of the actions achieved or planned there would be no further reporting on action plans relating to the review of the Herefordshire Economic Development Strategy 2005 – 2025, or the Review of Tourism with Specific Reference to Tourist Information Centres