Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors M Emmens and W Jones.

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. 

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve as a correct record and the Chair to sign the Minutes of the Business Scrutiny Committee held on 8 September 2025.  

RESOLVED – That the Minutes of the Business Scrutiny Committee held on 8 September 2025 were approved and signed by the Chair.

Council Plan Targets Performance Update.

Kath Drury, Information & Improvement Manager/Amar Bashir, Improvement Officer 

The Information & Improvement Manager presented a report setting out progress on the strategies underpinning the Council Plan objective ‘A great place to work’ for the period ending 30 June 2025.

Members were updated on progress under the following objective sub-categories in Appendix 1 of the report:

1)       Community with a diverse range of commutable employment that match the skills of residents.

2)       Community with growing commutable employment opportunities.

          The Information & Improvement Manager explained that notable progress included the launch of a Digital Skills project to upskill residents, new apprenticeships with local colleges for Streetscene operatives, and successful funding for Lifeguard and Swimming Teacher training leading to new appointments. Business engagement remained high through regular network meetings, and the Shopfronts Improvement Scheme awarded 15 grants to revitalise local high streets. The Council’s placement programme saw two students move into appointed roles, and preparations were underway for the new food waste service, with recruitment of 16 additional staff in progress. Efforts to attract and support new businesses continued, with active promotion of Coney Green Business Centre and new business units at Baileys Square in Clay Cross helping to create further opportunities for local enterprise and employment.

RESOLVED - That progress against the Council Plan “A great place to work” objective was noted.

To be presented with the East Midlands Chamber Economic Performance and Prospects survey results.

Scott Knowles DL, Chief Executive, East Midlands Chamber

The Chief Executive of the East Midlands Chamber (Scott Knowles) was welcomed to the meeting. He delivered a presentation to the Committee which set out the results of the East Midlands Economic Performance and Prospects

Quarterly Economic Survey for Quarter 3 of 2025.

The results in the presentation included responses about:

• Performance
• State of the Economy
• Sales and Orders
• Workforce
• Recruitment
• Cashflow and Capacity
• Prices
• Investment Intentions
• Confidence
• Growing concerns

The Committee discussed the East Midlands Chamber’s use of Artificial Intelligence. The Chief Executive of the East Midlands Chamber explained that the Chamber’s hope for the future would be that AI leads to the Chamber investing less in training.

Members enquired about how the business support fund was provided to the East Midlands Chamber. The Chief Executive of the East Midlands Chamber stated that a business support fund was provided to East Midlands Chamber and the East Midlands Combined County Authority, and the fund was split between the two bodies.

Committee were also informed that next year, UKSPF funding will be significantly reduced and this will have an impact on the business support provided locally.

The Chair thanked Mr. Knowles for his attendance.

RESOLVED – That the presentation was noted.

To receive the findings from the recent survey undertaken.

Tris Burdett, Programmes Manager and Interim Economic Development & Regeneration Manager

The Programmes Manager delivered a presentation to Members to inform them of the results of the Business Survey 2025 recently undertaken.  Members were informed that it was the second time a survey of this kind had been undertaken at the Council, so the presentation would make comparisons between the Business Surveys of 2024 and 2025.

The Committee were informed that a Workforce Development Survey would be undertaken in early 2026, which will compliment the Business Survey. 

The presentation split the results of the Survey up into a number of areas to show who completed them, including local areas, sectors, employee numbers, business performance, barriers and their opinions on an array of different subjects.

The Assistant Director of Regeneration & Programmes informed the Committee that there is a need to support businesses in terms of skills, and the Accelerator Programme has been a good way to support this. 

The Committee asked how can we try and secure a higher level of funding in the future from EMCCA, and Members were informed that the best way to do this will be through the Leader and raising it at the Strategic Leadership Board.  The Chair requested that the Senior Scrutiny Officer email the Leader with a request to continue to lobby for further funding at the SLB.

RESOLVED - That the presentation was noted.

To inform Committee of recent and forthcoming Cabinet business.

A digest of Cabinet decisions taken since May 2025.  This information is published by Cabinet meeting on the Council’s website.  Cabinet Agendas, Decisions and Minutes can be viewed at: Cabinet

The Forward Plan of Executive decisions.

Plans

These plans are updated to include new business.

Joe Hayden, Senior Scrutiny Officer

The Senior Scrutiny Officer presented a digest of Cabinet decisions taken since the last Committee meeting in September 2025. The digest set out key information for each decision.

The Senior Scrutiny Officer presented Members with the Forward Plan of Executive Decisions for the period up to 15 November 2025.

RESOLVED – That the update was noted.

To contribute to major Policies being considered by the Council.   

The Senior Scrutiny Officer informed the Committee that there were no major policies for Members to consider.

RESOLVED – That the update was noted.

To consider the Committee’s Work Programme, and to also consider and contribute to potential changes in the operating environment which may include legislation, regulation and key projects being undertaken by the Council, for example, that could form potential topic items for the Work Programme in the future.  

Joe Hayden, Senior Scrutiny Officer

The Senior Scrutiny Officer presented the draft Work Programme 2025/26 for the Committee to consider.

The Committee noted the Programme for the remainder of the year.

RESOLVED – That the Work Programme 2025/26 be approved.

To reflect on what the Committee had done to help the Council achieve the goal of making the District a Great Place for our Community.

The Chair expressed her views and felt that this had been a positive meeting and a lot of constructive discussion had taken place.

Members were pleased that the two presentations included so much specific detail.

To consider any other matter which the Chair of the Committee is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency.   

None.

The next meeting of the Business Scrutiny Committee is scheduled to take place on 16 February 2026 at 3.00 pm.

The next meeting of the Business Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to take place on 16 February 2026 at 3.00 pm.