Agenda and minutes

The Committee is asked to note any apologies for absence and substitutions received from Members of the Committee.

Apologies for absence were submitted by Councillor Paul Clifton (no substitution).

To confirm and sign as a correct record, the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee, held on 21 March 2022.

It was RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on Monday 21 March 2022 be approved as a correct record.

Councillors are invited to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or Personal Interest, and the nature of it, in relation to any item on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest by Councillors in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting.

Subject to providing two working days’ notice, a Member of the Committee may ask the Chairman of the Committee a question on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties which affect the Tendring District and which falls within the terms of reference of the Committee.

On this occasion no Councillor had submitted notice of a question.

The Committee will enquire into the progress of the Freeport East Proposals, the opportunities this proposal may offer for the District and how these can be harnessed. The enquiry will be supported by the Corporate Director for Projects and Delivery who has provided a report attached

The Community Leadership Overview & Scrutiny Committee (“the Committee”), at its meeting held on 9 May 2022, was reminded that Council (on 13 July 2021, Minute 53 refers) had requested the Committee to undertake an enquiry into the issue of Freeports generally, and specifically, into the progress of the proposals for Freeport East (its interlinking with Thames Freeport); specific measures on site (and particularly on the Harwich site); impact on previous planning permissions being implemented; and measures outside of the Freeport to harness the  maximum soci-economic benefit from them into the local community.

To support the Committee’s enquiry, it was provided at that meeting with a report in the name of the Leader of the Council, Cllr Neil Stock OBE.  Unfortunately, Councillor Stock was not able to attend this particular meeting of the Committee.  Lee Heley, Interim Corporate Director (Projects Delivery) spoke to the report and he was  accompanied at the meeting by the Deputy Chief Executive, Lisa Hastings. 

The Committee  was informed of the progress of the Freeport East Development as follows:

·         Throughout 2020, the Council had worked with public and private sector partners on a bid to present the case for developing Freeport East as one of the Government’s nominated Freeports.

·         In the March 2021 Budget, Government had announced the intention to designate sites in Essex and Suffolk as ‘Freeport East’.

·         At their meeting on April 2021, Cabinet had received the initial Freeport East report, which set out the purpose of Freeports and the process and roadmap the public / private sector partnership would follow to receive formal designation by Government.

·         The Council’s Freeport East Portfolio Holder Working Party took place on the 2 September 2021 and agreed to support the Leader of the Council in providing a letter of support in respect of the Freeport East Outline Business Case.

·         That Working Party also recommended that the Council pursue steps that Hutchinson Ports Ltd could undertake as part of its commitment to Harwich International Port, the skills agenda so the local population could take on careers that would become available as a consequence of Freeport East, and the need to actively pursue the improvements to the A120 from the A12 through to Harwich.

·         In September 2021 Cabinet had endorsed the urgent decision taken by the Leader of the Council, on behalf of the Cabinet, to provide a letter of support for the principles in regard to retained business rates generated within the Freeport East Tax Site, to accompany the Freeport East Outline Business Case, which was submitted to Government on 10 September 2021.

·         On the 13 December 2021 the Outline Business Case was formally approved by Government, the three tax sites in Felixstowe, Harwich and at Gateway 14 near Stowmarket were agreed, published on GOV.UK and Statutory Instruments laid to enshrine them in legislation. 

·         Tendring District Council supported the approach to the Freeport East Full Business Case at Cabinet in March 2022 and included Freeport East in its Policy and Budget Framework at Full Council that month.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.