northlincs.gov.uk

85        (1) SAXBY ALL SAINTS NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN – The Director of Places submitted a report to inform the cabinet member that Saxby all Saints Parish Council had applied to have its area formally designated for the purposes of preparing a Neighbourhood Plan.  The report sought approval to advertise and consult on the application for neighbourhood area status.

The Localism Act 2011 (the Act) introduced new opportunities for local communities to get involved in the planning of their areas by preparing neighbourhood plans, neighbourhood development orders and community right to build orders. The Act and associated neighbourhood planning regulations gave town/parish councils and neighbourhood forums powers to shape and encourage the delivery of new developments

Before town/parish councils or neighbourhood forums could begin the work of preparing a Neighbourhood Plan it was necessary to apply to the council to have the area they wished the plan to cover formally designated.

If the application was approved, the council must then advertise the application for a six week consultation period, after which the council could then decide whether to designate the neighbourhood area.

Saxby All Saints Parish Council wished to prepare a Neighbourhood Plan for its area and had submitted an application to have its area formally designated.  Details were outlined within the report and associated appendix.

Resolved –  (a) That Saxby All Saints Parish Council’s application for neighbourhood area status be advertised,  and (b) that a six week public consultation on the application be undertaken.

86        (2)  NORTHERN LINCOLNSHIRE BUSINESS EXPO – The Director of Places submitted a report providing an update on the first Northern Lincolnshire Business Expo that was held at Forest Pines Hotel in April 2014.

The purpose of the EXPO was to raise the profile of Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Northern Lincolnshire.   The Northern Lincolnshire Business EXPO provided 74 businesses the opportunity to showcase themselves and highlight their services. This provided delegates with the opportunity to see what was available to support the start up of new and existing SMEs.

The event was a considerable success with over 500 delegates attending on the day.

Resolved – That the contents of the report be noted.

87        (3) NORTHERN LINCOLNSHIRE LEADER PROGRAMME (2015-20) PROPOSED BOUNDARY CHANGES – The Director of Places submitted a report to provide an update on the future Rural Development Programme for England LEADER Programme (2015-20).  The report sought support for the proposed boundary changes for the Northern Lincolnshire area.

It was explained that the Northern Lincolnshire LEADER Local Action Group was developing a Local Development Strategy which they intended to submit to Defra in September 2014.  The strategy would set out how they intended to invest LEADER funding and would be used as the bidding document.

Appendix 1 to the report showed the proposed boundary and was based on 2001 Census data for Output Areas and as such would not exactly match existing ward or parish boundaries.

Defra hadn’t designated Barton upon Humber as a hub town which meant that Barton upon Humber wouldn’t attract LEADER funding.  The Local Action Group, the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership and members of the local community however, felt very strongly that Barton was a hub town for the surrounding rural hinterland and as such, believed that the town should be eligible for funding.  For this reason, the proposed boundary included Barton upon Humber.

Details of the proposed boundary were identified in appendix 1 to the report.

Resolved – (a) That the information on the future Rural Development Programme for England (LEADER) Programme for 2015-20 be noted, and (b) that the changes to the proposed boundary be approved.

88        (4)  APPRENTICESHIP AND WAGE INCENTIVE PROGRAMME FOR 2014-2015 – The Director of Places submitted a report which sought approval for the council’s apprenticeship programme and extended the young person’s work experience programme for 2014-2015.

A council apprenticeship offered the opportunity for someone to work within the council, earn a salary and gain a qualification at the same time.  The apprenticeship scheme lasted a minimum of 12 months and was open to anyone regardless of age or existing qualifications

In addition, the council also helped those aged 18-24 who had claimed job seekers allowance for over 6 months to gain paid work experience through the Government’s Wage Incentive Scheme.  Under the scheme, young people gained a minimum of 6 months experience.

It was agreed that the programme had been a huge success and that the new programme would see 14 Level 2 apprenticeships starting in September 2014,  six current apprentices would continue in the council and work towards a Level 3 qualification and a further 10 wage incentive posts would be supported with a start date of August 2014.

Resolved – That the apprenticeship and wage incentive programme for the remainder of 2014-2015 be approved.