Advance Copy: The Place Select Committee needs to
agree these minutes are accurate but cannot do this until
the next meeting on 16 June 2015
item 2
Place Select Committee
16 June 2015
Place Select Committee
Minutes
17 March 2015
Present: Councillors:
N E Maxwell (Chairman), Boyack, Brady, Dennis,
Hemmer, Harkus, Maxwell, Murphy, McMillan, Purvis,
S Stephenson and Welsh
Also in attendance:
Councillor A West, Lead Member (Housing and Transport)
Councillor J Anglin, Lead Member (Regeneration
John Sparkes (Corporate Lead Regeneration/Lead Officer), Harry
Alder (Senior Regeneration Area Manager), Rick O’Farrell (Head of
Enterprise and Regeneration), Paul Baldasera (Statutory Scrutiny
Officer), Janet Mankin (Democratic Support Officer)
G Laidler UNISON, Graham Borthwick GMB
There were no members of the public in attendance at the meeting.
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1. Disclosable Pecuniary Interests
There were no declarations.
2. Other Interests Declared
There were no declarations.
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Contact Officer, Janet Mankin, Senior Democratic Support Officer – tel 242 7314
Place Select Committee
Minutes of 27 January 2015
3. Minutes of the Special Meeting held on 13 January 2015
Agreed:
That the minutes of the Special Meeting meeting
held on13 January 2015 be accepted as a true and
accurate record.
4. Minutes of the Select Committee Meeting held on 9 September 2014
Agreed:
That the minutes of the Select Committee meeting
held on 27 January 2015 be accepted as a true and
accurate record, subject to the following amendment:
Councillor Neil Maxwell to be added to the list of
attendees.
5. Matters Arising from the Minutes
There were no matters arising.
6. South Shields 365
Members received a presentation from the Senior Regeneration
Area Manager on progress with the South Shields 365 Town
Centre Vision.
The presentation included information and images relating to:
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Current Activity
Latest Masterplan
Central Library and Digital Media Centre
Market Square
Transport Interchange
Management of Places
Summary of Next Steps
The Chairman thanked the Senior Regeneration Area Manager for
his presentation and invited Members to comment on or raise
questions on the presentation.
Members welcomed the information provided and, in response to
issues raised, noted that:
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Lifts in the new central library and digital media centre would
be operational as soon as the building opened.
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The trees around the market square would be removed and
replaced with a different species of tree.
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Place Select Committee
Minutes of 27 January 2015
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It was anticipated that there would be seating for 100 within
the restaurant in The Word.
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Pedestrian safety was paramount in relation to plans for the
new Transport Interchange and Officers had worked very
closely with bus operators to ensure they were happy with
the proposed design.
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Officers were confident that sufficient information on
regeneration activities was being distributed to residents of
the Borough.
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A partner would not come forward to express interest in
establishing a new foodstore opposite the Town Hall until
planning permission had been obtained.
However, Muse Developments remained confident of the
viability of a large foodstore on the proposed site.
Further discussion related to design and quality of buildings and
ways in which the Council could impose requirements on
developers to ensure a high standard of work.
Agreed:
That the contents of the presentation and progress
made with the South Shields 365 Town Centre Vision
be noted.
7. Jarrow Regeneration
Members received a presentation from the Senior Regeneration
Area Manager on Jarrow Town Centre Regeneration.
The presentation included information and images relating to:
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Existing Retail
Future Opportunities
Jarrow Riverside
Housing
The Chairman thanked the Senior Regeneration Area Manager for
his presentation and invited Members to comment on or raise
questions on the presentation.
A Member raised concerns about ‘chuggers’ within the shopping
centre and asked if the Council had any control over the way these
people/organisations operated.
The Corporate Lead Regeneration informed Members that whilst
the Council was limited in what it could do he would raise concerns
with Town Centre management.
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Place Select Committee
Minutes of 27 January 2015
Further discussion related to Housing Ventures and adaptable
properties which would allow tenants to remain in their homes
longer.
Agreed:
That the contents of the presentation and progress on
regeneration be noted.
8. Hebburn Regeneration
Submitted: Report of the Corporate Director Economic
Regeneration
This report provided Members and Residents with a progress
update on the regeneration of Hebburn.
The new Community Hub was at the heart of the Council’s plans to
regenerate Hebburn town centre. It was anticipated that generating
a major increase in footfall in the town centre would stimulate
private sector investment in the retail core and in new housing.
Construction work on the Hub remained on schedule with
completion forecast for May 2015. Major work undertaken to date
included:
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Completion of Steel Frame
Completion of Roof
Pool Tanks Complete, Tested Watertight and Tiling Nearly
Complete.
Corten External Cladding 90% Complete
Completion of Lift Shaft and Internal Floors
Completion of Internal Walls
Completion of External Glazing
Completion of Mechanical and Electrical Installation 90%
complete
Pool Filtration Installed
Construction of New Car Park and Refurbishment of Existing
Car Parks
Wall Tiling and other Internal Wall Finishes Underway
Decoration Almost Complete
The report also included information on the retail core and new
housing.
Members welcomed the report, commented positively on work
carried out to the Hebburn Hub (Hebburn Central) but said they
were disappointed in the lack of progress made on the shopping
centre.
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Place Select Committee
Minutes of 27 January 2015
In response to a request for information on the cost to the Council
of purchase and demolition of the Roadhouse Public House, the
Head of Enterprise and Regeneration explained that the cost of
demolition was as yet unknown. Once asbestos surveys had been
carried out to the property, this would inform the tender for
demolition.
A discussion took place on the possibility of having a Police Team
located in the Hub and how this would be of enormous benefit to
the community should remaining concerns about the security of
data/information be addressed.
Further discussion centred on people’s perceptions that the Council
was responsible for the closure of many of the shops in the
Borough’s Town Centres.
Members suggested that the message needed to go out to
residents that the Council did not own the shops in any of the Town
Centres and, therefore, it had no control over whether they
remained open or closed.
The Corporate Lead Regeneration agreed to further discuss this
matter with the Head of Marketing and Communications.
Agreed:
That the contents of the update report and progress
made be noted.
9. Select Committee Work Programme 2014/2015
Submitted: Report of the Corporate Director Business and
Resources
Members noted completion of the Committee’s Work Programme
for the Municipal Year 2014/2015.
The Statutory Scrutiny Officer informed Members that Officers were
working together to put forward a challenging draft Work
Programme for the forthcoming Municipal Year, for consideration
and agreement by Members.
Members were also invited to raise any issues they wished to
include in the draft work Programme.
Agreed:
(a) That the contents of the report be noted; and (b)
that the Work Programme be agreed as presented
subject to inclusion of issues raised at this meeting.
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