Agenda item

(Director of Neighbourhoods) To consider the attached report AMED-001-2016/17.

The Economic Development Officer (EDO) presented a report to the Cabinet Committee and updated them on a number of projects and issues being explored by the Economic Development Team.

(1)          Visitor Economy

The Economic Development Team had been working with colleagues in Planning to commission a Visitor Accommodation Needs Assessment for the district. This work would look at all forms of visitor accommodation, including serviced (hotels, pub accommodation etc) and non-serviced accommodation (self-catering, camping, moorings etc). As reported previously, the main driver of this work is the preparation of the new Local Plan and the Study will form a key part of the evidence base helping to inform tourism policies in the Local Plan.

Beyond planning policy though, the Study potentially had the scope to inform broader interventions within the Council, for example, through the Economic and Tourism Development Teams and perhaps in the consideration of the future use of the Council’s own assets etc. Presentations from two consultants had been presented to the Economic Development Team but no final decision on the appointment of either consultant had yet been reached.

A presentation had been received from a potential provider of a new tourism website under the Visit Epping Forest banner. Work would commence to realise the vision for a dynamic new website which was intended to promote and support the district’s valuable visitor economy. The initial procurement and build of the website was being funded through monies awarded by the Town and Village Centres Opportunities Fund.

The Tourism and Visitor Board members suggested that a tourism conference towards the end of the year would be more useful than during English Tourism Week which was in March, a decision had therefore been made to host a second conference this year on 14th October and this would once again take place at the Waltham Abbey Marriott Hotel.

Addressing previously raised concerns around local public transport, the Tourism and Visitor Board discussed the idea of a tourism bus travelling between attractions. It was felt that this would be welcomed and especially effective when major events were being held. It was agreed that members would use the forthcoming tourism conference to see if dates for major events could be synchronised making the case for transport even more compelling. It was also agreed that opportunities to access funding for such a scheme should also be investigated.

The Visit Epping Forest leaflet had recently been updated and reprinted. As part of an awareness building campaign, leaflet holders have been purchased and the new leaflets have been placed in high-traffic visitor outlets across the district. The leaflets feature our major attractions plus information on destination towns and villages in the district and will direct traffic to the Visit Epping Forest website.

Members queried who would fund the Visit Essex Leaflet. The Economic Development Officer advised that he would speak to the relevant officer and publish a reply in the council bulletin.

(2)        Town Centres

A meeting of the Town Teams took place on 27 June,  A presentation was given to the Town Teams with regard to the 2016/17 Town & Village Centres Opportunities Fund. A new policy document for the fund was presented, setting out the parameters within which a wider range of organisations could apply to the fund. This report would now be presented to Cabinet for review and subject to this being approved a wider and more concerted launch and promotional campaign for the fund will then take place.

(3)        Business Support

Pop Up Cafe

The Economic Development Team are testing a new format business event in the district in July. The Pop Up Business Café will be held at the newly-refurbished Epping Forest District Museum in Waltham Abbey on Wednesday 13 July, 10am to 1pm. BEST Growth Hub (which provides business support across the Greater Essex area) will be helping to coordinate. They ran a similar event in Southend earlier this year which was very successful. 

The basic concept was to draw together a small number of business support and local business professionals in an informal setting and to invite local businesses and those looking to start-up in business. The businesses would be able to speak with a business professional (say marketing, accounting, HR etc) for 10/15 minutes, networking. Whilst we are unable to pay the local business professionals for their time we would hope that they may see benefit in terms of getting promotion for themselves. Currently three local businesses have signed-up to provide advice and the Economic Development Team have approached several others.

Database

The Team’s exercise to improve the information and contact information it holds for local businesses within the district has progressed well. The work would help in the delivery of a number of the Team’s current projects regular email updates (on business events, funding, training opportunities, awards etc). Currently on the database there were 6,500 address and telephone business contacts and 600 email contacts. Recently 4,000 business were contacted asking for email address to add to the database. Out of these 4,000 we had 750 replies. There will be a further tele-research exercise in July,  to collect further details.

(4)        Broadband

Business Breakfast

To further promote take-up by businesses of the ultrafast fibre broadband network being built within Epping Forest District by Gigaclear plc as part of the Superfast Essex Rural Challenge Project (RCP), the Economic Development team will be hosting a business breakfast aimed at the businesses within the RCP as well as businesses from outside the area whose services may be more effectively utilised with an ultrafast network.

It is planned that as well as a number of speakers presenting to the audience about the opportunities an ultrafast network makes possible, the event will also represent an excellent opportunity for local businesses to network with key Business to Business (B2B) providers, both local and national and make useful connections. The event will take place at Mulberry House, High Ongar on 13 September at 7.00am and promotion of the event will shortly begin. Liaison with local parish councils will also take place to ensure awareness of this event reaches as many businesses as possible in the RCP area.

Ultrafast Network

The physical build of the RCP network continues at pace and to date, over 84km of network has been built, installing connection points outside over 1100 premises in the district. Starting in Bobbingworth, the network has moved on through Moreton, Fyfield, Norton Heath, Abbess Roding and Toot Hill and will continue throughout the remainder of the year to areas such as Willingale, The Lavers, Sheering, Ongar and North Weald. The project has experienced some delays but remains due to be completed in early 2017.

(5)        Partner Liaison

Work was continuing with supporting and attending meetings with a number of Partner Organisations. The Economic Development Team had recently attended the Superfast Essex Super-Connected Business Conference at Chelmsford City Racecourse.

Agreed:

That a report would be published in the council bulletin regarding the funding of the Visit Essex leaflet.

Resolved:

To note the progress and work programme of the Council’s Economic Development Section.

Reasons for Decision:

To appraise the Committee on progress made with regard to Economic Development issues.

Other Options Considered and Rejected:

None, as this monitoring report is for information not action.