Agenda and minutes

Members are requested to advise the Democratic Services Officer of any  apologies for this meeting.

Councillors Davies, Lloyd, Hodgkinson, C Morgan and M Morgan.

The minutes of the meeting held on 13 November 2024 are attached.

The minutes of the meeting held on 13 November 2024 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.  

Government guidance expected Members of Scrutiny Committees not to act in accordance with party whipping and that, if they did, they were to declare it.

Government guidance expected Members of Scrutiny Committees not to act in accordance with party whipping and that, if they did, they were to declare it.

Resolved: There were no declarations.

Please find attached a link to the Council’s Forward Plan, which details the forthcoming Key and Non-Key decisions that are due to be taken by the Cabinet, a Member of the Cabinet (Portfolio Holder) or a Designated Officer relating to the service areas of this Committee, at this time: Forward Plan of Key/Non-Key Decisions.  

The Committee considered the Council’s Forward Plan of forthcoming key and non-key decisions to be taken by the Cabinet, an Individual Portfolio Holder or delegated officers, in relation to the Resources Directorate.

Resolved: The Committee notes the forthcoming decisions, with no items being requested to be placed on a future agenda of the Committee.

Report of Assistant Director – Skills and Enterprise is attached.

The Committee considered a report of the Assistant Director - Skills and Enterprise, Claire Burnham, presented by the Assistant Director, which provided an update on achievements with regard to the Economic Strategy and set out how it is a key pillar of Progress with Unity, and sought Member feedback and input particularly on the priority areas set for next year.

Some of the key areas included in the Committee’s discussion were:

?           Wigan Council’s refreshed Economic Strategy;

?           assisting young people across the borough; and

?           apprenticeships within the borough.

The Assistant Director informed the Committee that a refreshed Economic Strategy had been introduced, in line with Progress with Unity, embedded with Community Wealth Building principles. This included a commitment to re-direct more of the Council’s annual spend back into the local economy and focus on the different strengths and needs of each ward area. Work had been undertaken to further understand the local economy, and Council departments had developed strong relationships with businesses throughout the borough. The borough had understood growth sectors, which were health and social care, manufacturing, construction, digital and green. The refreshed Economic Strategy had aimed to further support the local job market by supporting business growth, providing training opportunities and apprenticeships and good employment which would create financial stability, as well as impacting positively on the health and wellbeing of residents across the borough. 

The Assistant Director advised Members that the Invest in Wigan Team had been working alongside local businesses to support their growth and development through the Believe in Business Charter, which had been co-designed with the business sector. A construction sector led group had also been set up alongside local construction companies and education/training providers, promoting the local supply chain and raising aspirations for young people, as well as working closely with local high schools and colleges, providing guidance to pupils and promoting pathways into local companies. The Council had also refreshed its work experience offer, providing the opportunity for pupils across the borough to join the Council and meet with staff from various directorates and Elected Members during a working week. 

The Director - Environment, Paul Barton, informed Members that the borough was at the top of the national trend regarding apprenticeships and that the Council employed apprentices across various directorates and were proud of the high success rate and full-time employment opportunities becoming available following completion of the apprenticeships. 48,800 apprenticeships had been created in the borough since 2010.

Resolved: The Committee:-

(1)     thanks the officer for her report and presentation; and

(2)     endorses the Economic Strategy and development of an inclusive economy which will help to achieve the two key missions within Progress with Unity, and the priority areas set for next year.

The Committee considered a report of the Director – Environment, presented by Wigan Town Centre Manager, Matthew Jones, which provided an update on Wigan Council’s Purple Flag accreditation for Wigan Town Centre and the priorities and actions proposed to further enhance the vibrancy and diversity of the town.

Some of the key areas included in the Committee’s discussion were:

?           Purple Flag objectives and accreditation;

?           Purple Flag assessors findings;

?           safety of town centre visitors; and

?           future plans for towns within the borough.

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The Town Centre Manager informed the Committee that the Council had continued to uphold Purple Flag objectives on an annual basis through continuous improvements and developments within the town centre and had been successful in maintaining the Purple Flag accreditation.

The Town Centre Manager advised Members that Purple Flag assessors had conducted an overnight assessment in September 2024 and had then provided a report, identifying the findings from the assessment against each of the five criteria listed in the report. The assessors were particularly positive about ongoing developments around Wigan Town Centre, such as the Galleries Project, the Civic Centre refurbishment, the Eckersley Mill redevelopment and creative innovations in the Grand Arcade. Assessors had also looked at an array of different opportunities for travel to and from the town centre and were satisfied with the provisions currently in place.

The Town Centre Manager informed Members that many local businesses had received the highest safety ratings for LSAVI, and Regulatory Services had continued to remind businesses of various safety campaigns, such as Ask for Angela, Call It Out and the mobile street safety app, UMAY.

The Town Centre Manager advised the Committee that the Council had prepared an action plan, containing 23 actions, including short, medium and long-term ambitions for the town centre.

The Town Centre Manager informed the Committee that the Council had ambitions to consider Purple Flag accreditations for other towns within the borough, however Wigan Council’s current focus was to maintain Wigan Town Centres accreditation.

Resolved: The Committee:-

(1)     thanks the officers for their report and presentation; and

(2)     endorses the work being undertake in relation to the achievement and maintaining of the Purple Flag accreditation.   

Report of Assistant Director – Policy and Strategy is attached.

The Committee considered a report and presentation of the Assistant Director - Policy and Strategy, Lewis Greenwood, presented by Joint Intelligence Manager, Sean Melling, which detailed the Council’s current position against a number of key performance indicators, developed to measure progress against the two Progress with Unity missions.

Some of the key areas of the Committee’s discussion were:-

?           the Council’s performance framework; and

?           Oflog indicators.

The Joint Intelligence Manager informed the Committee that the report displayed a heavily revised performance framework, and the appendix document included a broad span of measures. 

The Joint Intelligence Manager advised Members that the Oflog indicators used to the monitor the performance of local authorities, would no longer be provided, as the Office for Local Government had now closed, however, selected indicators would be included in future Council performance reporting, where relevant. 

Resolved: The Committee:-

(1)     thanks the officer for the report; and

(2)     endorses the Performance Data as outlined within the report.