Issue - meetings

Report of Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Regeneration and Planning

Lead Cabinet member: Councillor Zoe Nicholson

(Key decision):

(1) To note the progress made in relation to community wealth building

(2) To note the findings of the diagnostic study undertaken by the Centre for Local Economic Strategies set out at Appendix 1 to the report, and

(3) To agree the Reimagining Lewes District Action Plan set out at Appendix 2 to the report, and to request a 6 month progress report.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Regeneration and Planning, providing them with the results of a diagnostic investigation undertaken into community wealth building (CWB) and to seek their endorsement of the resultant Reimagining Lewes District Action Plan.

Lewes District Council made a commitment to CWB in its Corporate Plan adopted in February 2020 and commissioned the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) to undertake a study over the summer involving in-depth interviews with council staff and partners.

CWB uses the combined power of organisations, businesses and communities to keep as much wealth as possible in the local economy through the creation of new jobs and new locally owned enterprise.

Thanks, were conveyed to Ian Fitzpatrick, Deputy Chief Executive/Director of Regeneration and Planning, Jo Harper, Head of Business Planning and Performance, Councillor Nicholson and CLES for their work in producing the report and Action Plan.

Policy and Performance Advisory Committee (PPAC), held on 30 November 2020, considered the report and were supportive of the recommendations in full. Vice Chair, Councillor Liz Boorman was in attendance to present PPAC’s discussion.

Councillor Collier addressed the Cabinet and requested a 6-month progress report on the Action Plan. This was unanimously agreed by fellow Cabinet members and detailed below.

Resolved (Key decision):

(1) To note the progress made in relation to community wealth building

(2) To note the findings of the diagnostic study undertaken by the Centre for Local Economic Strategies set out at Appendix 1 to the report, and

(3) To agree the Reimagining Lewes District Action Plan set out at Appendix 2 to the report, and to request a 6-month progress report.

Reason for decisions:

The Council is committed to developing a Community Wealth Building approach as part of the Corporate Plan adopted in February 2020.