Decision details

Economic Recovery Action Plan

Decision Maker: Cabinet

Decision status: Recommmend Forward to Council

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: No

Decisions:

In June 2020, the Economic Recovery Steering Group was established to consider the impact of COVID-19 on the local economy and agree and recommend a recovery strategy and action plan for Cabinet and full Council approval.

 

On behalf of Team East Sussex (TES), East Sussex County Council (ESCC) commissioned consultants to develop an East Sussex Recovery Plan; all local authorities were consulted.  It was noted that the TES plan had guided the development of the Council’s own Economic Recovery Plan (ERAP) appended to the report at Appendix 1.  The ERAP would become the principal work plan for the Regeneration team as the Council continued to respond to the impact of COVID-19.

 

The ERAP set out six broad ambitions, namely thinking local, acting local; building skills, creating jobs; fast-forwarding business; better places, fuller lives; cleaner energy, greener transport; and the future is digital.

 

It was noted that £26,305,750 grant funding had been administered by the Council to 2,312 local businesses.  Deferring rentals had also been agreed to assist commercial tenants with cashflow during the lockdown period.

 

In order to assist the tourism and hospitality sectors, a weekly COVID Culture forum was established between the local authorities and ESCC to understand the impact suffered during lockdown measures.  Partnership working also assisted organisations with applying for grant funding, where appropriate.

 

Cabinet was fully supportive of the ERAP and agreed that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee be kept abreast of progress every six months.

 

RECOMMENDED: That the Rother Economic Recovery Action Plan be approved and adopted.

 

AND

 

*RESOLVED: That officers report to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee every six months on progress against the actions set out in the Plan.

 

*The RESOLVED parts of this minute are subject to the call-in procedure under Rule 16 of the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules.

 

(Councillor Field declared a Personal Interest as a Member of East Sussex County Council and in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct remained in the meeting during the consideration thereof).

 

(Councillor Maynard declared a Personal Interest as an Executive Member of East Sussex County Council and in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct remained in the meeting during the consideration thereof).

Report author: Ben Hook

Publication date: 05/11/2020

Date of decision: 02/11/2020

Decided at meeting: 02/11/2020 - Cabinet

Accompanying Documents: