Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor G Morley, Karl Apps (Acting Joint Head of Service – Economic Development Place Directorate), Janine Foxhall (Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust General Manager for Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire), Andy James (Sport England), Graham Marshall (Prosocial Place Director), Julie Richards (Chesterfield College Group Chief Executive Officer) and Jane Tricker (Homes England).

Members are requested to declare the existence and nature of any disclosable pecuniary interests and/or other interests, not already on their register of interests, in any item on the agenda and withdraw from the meeting at the appropriate time.

No declarations of interest were made.

To approve the Terms of Reference of the Clay Cross Town Board.

The Chair handed Chairing of the meeting over to the Vice-Chair.

            The Vice-Chair welcomed everybody to the meeting, which had been arranged to take place over the Zoom video conferencing program because of the ongoing COVID-19 situation. He explained that because Central Government had not given any guidance on changes to Town Deal deadlines in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Clay Cross Town Board had to continue as planned.

            The Vice-Chair updated the Board on progress made since the last meeting on 28 February 2020. He informed them that an advertisement for a tender had been sent out and the closing date for submissions was 24 April 2020. He added that this would be to appoint a consultant to assist in delivering the Clay Cross Town Fund Investment Plan, and formation of a panel to interview the potential consultants would occur later in the meeting under the agenda item ‘Formal Appointment of Members to the Selection Panel’.

            The Vice-Chair presented the draft terms of reference for the approval of the Board. He explained how the terms would formalise how future Clay Cross Town Board meetings would operate.

            The Members of the Board voted unanimously to adopt the draft terms of reference as the Board’s terms of reference going forward.

            RESOLVED – That the draft terms of reference be adopted as the Clay Cross Town Board’s terms of reference going forward.

            (Strategic Director – People/ Acting Joint Head of Service – Economic Development Place Directorate/Governance Officer)

The Vice-Chair presented the draft Communications Strategy for the approval of the Board. He explained how the draft Strategy set out guidelines for officers and Board Members in terms of communicating the work of the Clay Cross Town Board to the public and businesses, particularly:

            1) What is the message?

·           Information sharing about the project, its aims and objectives

·           Spreading the positive message about the project, and the long-term benefits       and regeneration it will bring to Clay Cross

·           Encouraging interaction with the project, either through the consultation process or as a direct stakeholder

2) Who is the audience?

·           The residents of Clay Cross will be communicated with to keep them informed about the project and its progress, and to also make them aware of any consultation that is taking place

·           The businesses of Clay Cross will be communicated with as above, and also be communicated with to be potentially engaged with as a stakeholder within the project, or any projects going forward out of Investment Plan recommendations

3) Which tools will be used?

·Websites (both NEDDC and partners)

·Twitter (both NEDDC and partners)

·Facebook (both NEDDC and partners)

·Newsletters (both NEDDC and partners)

·Press releases

·E-mails

·Letters

·Telephone calls

4) Protocol

·Lead – North East Derbyshire District Council

·North East Derbyshire District Council Lead – Communications Team

            Lee Rowley MP asked if there would be any opportunities for physical interactions in Clay Cross when carrying out consultation with residents, since not everybody would have access to social media. He suggested Clay Cross Social Centre being used as the hub for this, because of its central location within Clay Cross. The Vice-Chair explained that the draft Communications Strategy definitely included scope to carry out face-to-face consultation with residents where possible or necessary.

            The Members of the Board voted unanimously to adopt the draft Communications Strategy as the Board and Investment Plan’s Communications Strategy going forward.

            RESOLVED – That the draft Communications Strategy be adopted as the Clay Cross Town Board and Investment Plan’s Communications Strategy going forward.

            (Strategic Director – People/ Acting Joint Head of Service – Economic Development Place Directorate/Governance Officer)

The Vice-Chair explained to the Board that at the first Clay Cross Town Board meeting on 24 January 2020, the Board had discussed an overarching ‘Vision’ for Clay Cross and the inclusion of this within the Investment Plan. A presentation given on 24 January 2020 summarised the Vision to make Clay Cross “become a 21st century town, moving on from its industrial legacy whilst valuing and preserving its heritage. Clay Cross will become a centre for learning, research and climate change innovation, attractive to students, whilst also ensuring future skilled employment opportunities locally.”

The Vice-Chair advised that with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in mind, this agenda item had been added to ensure the Board still thought the Vision was appropriate in the face of COVID-19.

            Lee Rowley MP felt it was too early to fully estimate the impact of COVID-19 in terms of the overarching Vision, but added that the employment targets set out in the Investment Plan would need to be higher if COVID-19 had a significant impact on unemployment. The Vice-Chair informed the Board that no guidance on these impacts had yet been received from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, but North East Derbyshire District Council Cabinet Members were considering a request to officers to work on an action plan that would mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in the District in terms of mental health, well-being, services and the economy.

            Andrew King believed the overarching Vision was still appropriate in the face of COVID-19, because its prioritisation of digitising Clay Cross and making it digitally connected would be even more important in a post-COVID1-19 world where more people might continue to work from home.

            Councillor C Renwick believed the overarching Vision still stood, but suggested that to prepare for after the pandemic, some of the wording in the Investment Plan about connectivity hubs would need to be strengthened.

            Councillor J Kenyon felt the overarching Vision was still appropriate, but added that COVID1-9 and working from home might lead to businesses in Clay Cross either struggling to continue or finding they do not need premises and can operate online, which would both need to be addressed in the Investment Plan. He added that the Investment Plan should also include provisions for more open space and play areas in Clay Cross, because another COVID-19 lockdown in the future might make residents seek open areas to socialise.

            The Members of the Board voted unanimously to keep the overarching Vision the same in the face of COVID1-9, but also requested that officers address some of the additional points made in the discussion.

            RESOLVED – That the overarching Vision for the Clay Cross Investment Plan be kept the same in the face of COVID1-9, but the Board requests that officers address some of the additional points made in the discussion, which were:

            a) The employment targets set out in the Investment Plan would need to be higher if COVID-19 had a significant impact on unemployment.

            b) To prepare for after  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

            The Vice-Chair advised that an advertisement for a tender had been sent out and the closing date for submissions was 24 April 2020. He added that this would be to appoint a consultant to assist in delivering the Clay Cross Town Fund Investment Plan, and it was now required to form a panel to interview the potential consultants after the closing date.

            The Vice-Chair advised that once the interview panel had made its selection, the decision would then need be ratified by the Clay Cross Town Board.

            The Members of the Board unanimously agreed to appoint the following five Members of the Board to the tender selection panel:

            1) Gary Golden (Chair)

            2) Councillor M E Thacker MBE JP (Leader and Vice-Chair)

            3) Councillor G Morley (Chairman of Clay Cross Parish Council)

            4) Andrew King (Clay Cross Town Centre Group Treasurer)

            5) Warren Manning (Derby University Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology)

            RESOLVED – That the following five Members of Clay Cross Town Board be appointed to the tender interview panel, which would interview potential consultants to assist in delivering the Clay Cross Town Fund Investment Plan:

            1) Gary Golden (Chair)

            2) Councillor M E Thacker MBE JP (Leader and Vice-Chair)

            3) Councillor G Morley (Chairman of Clay Cross Parish Council)

            4) Andrew King (Clay Cross Town Centre Group Treasurer)

            5) Warren Manning (Derby University Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology)

            (Strategic Director – People/ Acting Joint Head of Service – Economic Development Place Directorate/Governance Officer)

No other business was presented.

The Vice-Chair explained that the next meeting of Clay Cross Town Board would be to ratify the decision made by the tender selection panel, so details of this Town Board meeting would be circulated once the tender selection interviews were arranged.