Members received the report of the Principal Regeneration Officer outlining the Council’s post-COVID recovery plan.

In November 2020, Cabinet approved the Council’s Economic Recovery Action Plan, setting out the actions that the Council would take to support local economic recovery in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic; this was subsequently adopted by the Council in December 2020.

A copy of the Economic Recovery Action Plan was attached at Appendix 1 to the report.  The Plan set out six broad ambitions:  thinking local, acting local; building skills, creating jobs; fast-forwarding business; better places, fuller lives; cleaner energy, greener transport; and the future is digital.  A summary was provided of the progress and activity against each:

•           Supporting business – a total of £236,675 in Government funding had been allocated to Rother to support temporary measures to ease businesses back after lockdown. 

•           Skills and Workforce – The Hospitality sector saw issues around filling vacancies which were still continuing, Social Media for Business workshops were offered to businesses across Rother by Let’s Do Business to help reach customers and develop brand awareness and events were supported with an online training programme to support event organisers and promoters in Rother delivered by 18 Hours.

•           Tourism and Culture – 1066 Country had been working to a COVID Recovery Plan, updated as Government guidelines changed.  The summer of 2021 had required a fine balance between encouraging staycationers to the area, against the problems of ‘over tourism’; the campaign sought to encourage visitors away from the tourist ‘honey-pots’ whilst also guiding people to the safest lifeguarded beaches.  The Sussex Modern campaign had continued to promote Sussex, celebrating its modernity, culture, wine and landscape in partnership with its 36 partner organisations and the 1066 Country Walk had re-launched bringing new life to the 31-mile footpath, with its bespoke sculptures and new signage, seating and information boards.

•           Improving Places – The De La Warr Pavilion’s (DLWP) vision to level-up Community, Creativity and Skills in the region was a basis of the Council’s £17m Levelling Up Fund application.  Building on its legacy of culture-led regeneration, the DLWP’s capital project centred around a series of objectives for the Pavilion which, if met, could dramatically impact the local landscape.

•           Low Carbon – The impact of staff working from home had been a significant boost to carbon reduction targets. The Council quickly established new working practices to facilitate this change, which continued to be used.

•           Connectivity – Information on the Government’s Rural Gigabit voucher scheme continued to be rolled out to parish councils across the district.

Members had the opportunity to ask questions and the following points were noted during the discussions:

•           consideration should be given to an affordable childcare model in light of changes in workplace practices, i.e. increase in homeworking, to avoid childcare providers not being used as a result;

•           in order to encourage people back into town centres, consideration should be given to converting empty retail units into residential buildings;

•           high streets in the district had fared well over the course of the pandemic with their small, individual shops rather than the large chain stores seen in high streets in other districts.  Consolidation of Bexhill town centre could be considered as it appeared too large now for the shops located within it;

•           the most recent French Market in Bexhill had taken place in the De La Warr car park rather than Devonshire Road as it had been previously, which had proved popular.  Sackville Road traders were keen to be able to hold markets in the road and a report was being taken to the Licensing and General Purposes Committee for consideration to designate Sackville Road as a consent street for markets;

•           leisure facilities should be encouraged to move into the high streets as well as central points for deliveries from companies such as Amazon to encourage people back to town centres;

•           Members suggested promoting the two-hour free parking available in towns.  The Chamber of Commerce had previously produced a map of free parking, which could be re-printed; and

•           shop keepers in Rye had felt well supported by the recent poster campaign to encourage shoppers back to the centre.

RESOLVED: That the report be noted.