Cabinet Member for Regeneration

The Cabinet Member for Regeneration introduced the report and drew attention to the tabled paper which included a review of recommendations from the Policy Development and Review Committee (PDRC).  The Cabinet Member highlighted that all recommendations had been considered and would be included as referred to the in the tabled paper.

The Cabinet Member for Safer Families and Communities commended the discussion at the PDRC meeting, and for the suggested recommendations from that meeting.

A Member said he was pleased that the recommendations from PDRC had been considered and were now included, but reminded the Cabinet Member that other points had been raised within the discussion at the PDRC meeting that were not included.  He added that the recommendations from the Scrutiny Committee’s Leisure and Tourism review were also not included.   

The same Member suggested that the budget should be increased by a further £50k per year, and that the £250k budget should be over 3 years instead of 5 years, and raised concerns for action in the longer-term.  Finally he requested that the detail of the Visitor Economy Strategy should be further considered before it was adopted.  In response, the Cabinet Member for Regeneration acknowledged the points that were raised and said that historically Leisure and Tourism had not been sufficiently funded to help balance the books.  He added that whilst Swale did not have major tourist attractions, realistic achievement targets had been set and he did not wish to delay the adoption of the strategy.

A Member referred to the wealth of natural assets in the Borough and asked how the £250k would be monitored?  She added that walking and cycling in the Borough should be a major part of the framework.  In response, the Cabinet Member for Regeneration drew attention to paragraph 3.2 on page 48 of the report.  A discussion ensued around the marketing of global and more local tourism and the Cabinet Member agreed that marketing needed to be looked at carefully.

A Member welcomed the document and the assurances that the PDRC recommendations would be included.  He thanked the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and praised the PDRC.  In response, the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and the Vice-Chairman-in-the-Chair, thanked the Head of Economy and Community Services and the Economy and Community Services Manager for their work on the strategy.

The Vice-Chairman-in-the-chair suggested that the process of recommendations from PDRC to Cabinet should be considered in more depth.

Resolved:

(1)  That the Visitor Economy Framework 2018-2023 be adopted.

(2)  That funding of £250,000 from the shared business rates pool with Kent County Council be used to contribute to the delivery of the framework.