Agenda item

To consider the report of the Economy and Enterprise Manager.

The Inward Investment Manager updated Members on the significant progress made on each action within the City Centre Strategy 2013 – 2022 (Building on a Decade of Change – Delivering a Competitive and Attractive City Centre), and requested consideration of the future ownership of actions, and to seek a way forward for managing the wider city centre. The long term management of the city centre remained a priority for the City Council, but it was acknowledged that it was no longer managed in a holistic way. The report set out a number of proposals to be brought forward in relation to the overall management of the city centre. Following consultation with city centre business groups and networks, a number of options would be taken forward including:-

·         retention of the current structures and networks to manage the wider city centre (outside of the Exeter Business Improvement District (BID) boundary)

·         that Exeter BID be the main city centre organisation to manage the wider city centre

·         introduction of a city wide group (of interested parties) to proactively manage the wider city centre to improve the city centre experience and offer

The Inward Investment Manager responded to a number of Members’ comments including looking at ways to develop the offer further and sustain the local economy after 5pm into the evening.  A Member suggested that any changes to the opening hours of city centre shops would have a direct impact on staff and he queried whether there was sufficient capacity to expand the local economy. The Deputy Chief Executive welcomed the efforts to widen Exeter’s offer, and certainly the new restaurants as part of the Guildhall Shopping Centre redevelopment, the forthcoming Bus Station and Leisure Centre development and also looking to the future and drawn up of a masterplan at South Street to revitalise even more of the city.

The current spend was surprisingly less than other similarly profiled cities, so it was important to ensure that Exeter remained attractive and efforts were made to continue to develop the experience for visitors and local residents alike.

The Inward Investment Manager was pleased to confirm that a new member of staff(Project Officer), would be joining the team and part of their role would be to move this work forward, and the Members’ comment made this evening and of course any future comments would be picked up as part of the impending consultation.

A Member also commented on the dichotomy between the growing number of street homelessness and the efforts to develop the night time economy, and ensure there was a suitable environment in which the new retail and restaurant ventures could flourish.  He also referred to the future visitor coach parking provision at Haven Banks and in South Street, and suggested that coaches may choose to go to other towns and cities where there was a greater opportunity or more convenient parking arrangement. The Deputy Chief Executive stated that visitor coach parking in the city was included as part of the interim Bus Station arrangements, as well as consideration of a longer term solution, and discussed regularly at the Leisure Complex and Bus Station Programme Board meetings.

Place Scrutiny Committee noted the review of the completed and on-going actions from the City Centre Strategy 2013 – 2022 and endorsed the consultation exercise due to take place over the next six months with key city centre stakeholders, business groups and networks as a way forward.