Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence from those Members who are unable to attend the meeting.

Apologies were received from Cllr Bill Armer, Cllr Aziz Daji and Chris Friend.

To approve the Minutes of the meeting of the Panel held on the 4^th November 2024.

The minutes of the meeting held on the 4 November 2024, were approved as a correct record.

Members will be asked to say if there are any items on the Agenda in which they have any disclosable pecuniary interests or any other interests, which may prevent them from participating in any discussion of the items or participating in any vote upon the items.

No interests were declared.

Most agenda items take place in public. This only changes where there is a need to consider exempt information, as contained at Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. You will be informed at this point which items are to be recommended for exclusion and to be resolved by the Panel.

All agenda items were considered in public session.

The Panel will receive any petitions and/or deputations from members of the public. A deputation is where up to five people can attend the meeting and make a presentation on some particular issue of concern. A member of the public can also submit a petition at the meeting relating to a matter on which the body has powers and responsibilities.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 10, Members of the Public must submit a deputation in writing, at least three clear working days in advance of the meeting and shall subsequently be notified if the deputation shall be heard. A maximum of four deputations shall be heard at any one meeting.

No deputations or petitions were received.

To receive any public questions.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11, the period for the asking and answering of public questions shall not exceed 15 minutes.

Any questions must be submitted in writing at least three clear working days in advance of the meeting.

In accordance with Council Procedure rule 11, Mr Andrew Wilson attended the meeting and asked a number of questions.  Responses to the questions were provided by the Service Director for Skills and Regeneration.

This report presents the draft Kirklees Inclusive Economy Strategy (KIES) to Scrutiny for comment and input.

Contact: Edward Highfield, Service Director Skills & Regeneration and Chris Duffill, Head of Business & Skills

The Panel was presented with information which outlined the Kirklees Inclusive Economic Strategy draft for consultation.  Cllr Graham Turner, Portfolio Holder for Finance and Regeneration, introduced the item advising the Panel that initially when work was being undertaken to review the strategy, it was decided that the vast majority of it was still relevant, therefore, it would be refreshed to bring it up to date. The basic fundamentals of wanting strong economic growth, creating well paid jobs and to drive the local economy are still there, therefore it is a refresh rather than a total redraft of the strategy.

Edward Highfield, Service Director for Skills and Regeneration, informed the Panel that the current economic plan expires in 2025, and therefore it is timely to refresh the strategy, and it will sit alongside the other top tier strategies.  As a result of being considered a top tier strategy, once finalised, the draft will need to progress to Cabinet for endorsement and finally to Full Council, and the view of Scrutiny is part of the development process.  Comments from the Panel and other comments received through other partnership forums will all be taken on board in a final draft that will go to Cabinet in the new year.

The aim of this is inclusive growth, a more inclusive form of growth in Kirklees to ensure that everybody in society is able to participate and benefit from the proceeds of a growing economy.  It is both a growth plan and more importantly it is about a more inclusive pattern of growth.

The Panel was informed that over the past six months there is now a stronger much clearer alignment between national, regional and local policy and trying to draft this strategy a year ago was more challenging.  Since then, there has been the publication of the National Industrial Strategy and a better understanding of the sectors the government is trying to promote on a UK basis, and it is easy to articulate where Kirklees has relative strengths in those key national industrial sectors.  Through the West Yorkshire mayor there has been work on a local growth plan and this strategy for Kirklees aims to articulate what the vision and strategy is for Kirklees and how it contributes to both the West Yorkshire and the national policy.

In terms of the structure of the document, there are a couple of organising principles:

-         the first is well established around people, place and partners.  When referring to people, that is around employment skills activity, helping people to participate in and benefit from a growing economy and anything that affects people either in or out of work.  Place would capture a lot of the regeneration ambitions, connectivity priorities, environmental activities and things that affect the place of Kirklees. In respect of partners, the majority of that section is on businesses, because business on an economic strategy is critical, and there are other partners around such as the university that are very important.  That section is on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.