Agenda item

To update the Cabinet on the work of the Clacton Town Centre Working Party and the progress of the Council’s successful bid to the Government’s ‘Future High Streets Fund’ in respect of Clacton Town Centre;

To seek the Cabinet’s endorsement of the future vision for Clacton Town Centre and for the ‘Love Clacton’ brand;

To seek Cabinet’s approval for a ‘Plan of Action’ for Clacton Town Centre containing short, medium and long-term measures developed from the ideas of the Clacton Town Centre Working Party; and

To agree the approach to ongoing engagement with businesses, residents and partners in respect of Clacton Town Centre.

RESOLVED that –

a) the summary of issues and challenges facing Clacton Town Centre identified by the members of the Clacton Town Centre Working Party, along with the ideas and suggestions for addressing those issues and challenges be noted;

b) the inclusion of Clacton Town Centre in the Government’s ‘Future High Streets Fund’ (as indicated in the August 2019 letter from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government attached as Appendix 1 to the report) and the requirement to develop a more detailed business case as part of the next stage of the process be noted;

c) ‘Love Clacton’ be endorsed as the brand to be adopted as part of a consistent approach to the branding and marketing of Clacton Town Centre and other attractions in Clacton;

d) the ‘Vision for Our Town Centre in 2030’ (attached as Appendix B to the report) be endorsed as the overarching vision for the future of Clacton Town Centre;

e) the Plan of Action for Clacton Town Centre (attached as Appendix C to the report) be endorsed and the Council’s Officers be authorised to work with relevant partners to deliver the actions within it;

f) a fund of £250,000 be allocated to the delivery of short-term actions within the Action Plan, as detailed within the resources and risk section of the report;

g) the approaches for both delivery of actions and ongoing public engagement in relation to the Town Centre (as detailed in Appendix D to the report) be approved; and

h) the Director for Planning and Regeneration, in consultation with the relevant Portfolio Holders, be authorised to submit a detailed business case for Clacton Town Centre to the Government’s ‘Future High Streets Fund’ by the deadline of 30^th April 2020.

The Cabinet gave consideration to a detailed joint report of the Business and Economic Growth Portfolio Holder and the Corporate Finance and Governance Portfolio Holder (A.2) which –

· updated the Cabinet on the outcomes from the Clacton Town Centre Working Party and the progress of the Council’s successful bid to the Government’s ‘Future High Streets Fund’ in respect of Clacton Town Centre;

· sought the Cabinet’s endorsement of the future vision for Clacton Town Centre and for the ‘Love Clacton’ brand;

· sought the Cabinet’s approval for a ‘Plan of Action’ for Clacton Town Centre containing short, medium and long-term measures developed from the ideas of the Clacton Town Centre Working Party; and

· sought an agreed approach to on-going engagement with businesses, residents, visitors and partners in respect of Clacton Town Centre.

The detail of the report was submitted to the Cabinet under the following main headings:-

(1) the work of the Clacton Town Centre Working Party to date;

(2) the ‘Future High Streets Fund’;

(3) the ‘Love Clacton’ brand and vision;

(4) the plan of action for Clacton Town Centre; and

(5) the future engagement with businesses, residents, visitors and partners.

Having considered the information provided in the report and appendices thereto:-

It was moved by Councillor Newton, seconded by Councillor G V Guglielmi and:-