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 About Scrutiny Panel Meetings.

 

Scrutiny Panel meetings are usually held in public. They give elected members not on the Cabinet an opportunity to examine, discuss and make recommendations about significant issues and decisions.

 

SCRUTINY PANEL 2 – RETAIL EXPERIENCE

 

1.      Purpose/Objectives of the Review

 

·        To investigate how NBC can support the town centre business community.

 

·        To investigate how NBC can support local businesses throughout the development period of any major building projects in and close by to the town centre (i.e. Grosvenor; bus interchange; university accommodation etc).

 

·        To identify and examine good practice from other boroughs 

 

·        To identify ways to develop greater involvement / engagement with local, regional and national businesses in public land improvement initiatives

 

 

2.    Outcomes Required

 

·        To enhance the retail experience to attract new visitors / shoppers and increase the number of return visits to the town centre

 

·        To provide short, medium and long term recommendations, which supports and develops the retail experience.

 

3.    Information Required

 

·        Context:

Local statistics

Demographics – local and national

·        Baseline data:

National statistics

Definition of the Town Centre

Vision for the Town Centre

·        Synopses of various research documents and other published documents

·        Evidence from expert internal witnesses

·        Evidence from expert external witnesses

·        Evidence from residents

·        Evidence from Councillors regarding their shopping experience

·        Best practice data

·        Site visits

·        Desktop research

 

4.    Format of Information

 

• Officer reports/presentations
• Baseline data such as:

Ø       Performance data  - town centre footfall

 Vacancy rates

 Numbers and types of retail within the town

                                                       Car park usage

• Published reports (precis’s) such as:

 

Ø       The Portas Review

Ø      The Right to Retail: Can Localism save Britain’s small retailers

Ø      Understanding High Street Performance

Ø      Core Strategy – Northampton’s Strategic Planning Policies

Ø      Sustainable Community Strategy

 

• NBC – Cabinet Member (Regeneration, Planning and Enterprise) evidence
• NBC – Cabinet Member (Environment)
• Evidence from Northampton BID
• Evidence from Mr Everall, former Director, Northampton BID
• Evidence from various local businesses and retailers
• Evidence from NCC - Highways
• Evidence from Northampton Community Forums
• Evidence from Enterprise Management Services
• Evident from Northants Police
• Evidence from Neighbourhood Warden (town centre), NBC
• Evidence from ACTM
• Evidence from Councillors regarding their shopping experience
• Evidence from Councillors regarding their shopping experience
• Evidence from the Chair, of the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Association
• Evidence from the  Community Safety Manager, NBC
• Evidence from University of Northampton
• Expert advice
• Best practice
• Witness interviews/evidence

 

 

 

 

5.    Methods Used to Gather Information

 

• Minutes of meetings
• Desktop research
• Site Visits (if applicable)
• Officer reports
• Presentations
• Examples of best practice
• Witness Evidence:-

 

Ø      Key Partners as detailed in section 4 of this scope

Ø      Northampton Town Centre BID

Ø      Northampton Chamber of Commerce

Ø      Key Officers – Northampton Borough Council

Ø      Key Officers – Northamptonshire County Council

Ø      Cabinet Member (Regeneration, Planning and Enterprise) – Northampton Borough Council

Ø      Cabinet Member (Environment) – Northampton Borough Council

Ø      Surveyors/Valuers

Ø      Director, EMS

 

6.    Co-Options to the Review

 

·        Sheridan New, former Manager, Grosvenor Centre, and Simon Rushden, Legal and General to be approached suggesting that she is co opted to this Review for its life.

 

7   Equality Impact Screening Assessment

 

• An Equality Impact Screening Assessment to be undertaken on the scope of the Review

 

8   Evidence gathering Timetable

 

April 2012 to April 2013

 

·        25 April 2012 - Scoping Meeting

·        27 June – Evidence gathering

·        5 July - Evidence gathering

·        8 August  – Evidence gathering

·        18 October – Evidence gathering

·        5 December – Evidence gathering

·        14 February  2013 – Evidence gathering (if required)

·         24 April  – Approval of final report

 

Various site visits will be programmed during this period if required.

Meetings to commence at 6.00 pm

7.    Responsible Officers

 

Lead Officer               Marion Goodman, Head of Customer and Cultural Services

                                

Co-ordinator              Tracy Tiff, Scrutiny Officer

 

8.         Resources and Budgets

 

Marion Goodman, Head of Customer and Cultural Services, to provide internal advice.

 

9     Final report presented by:

 

Completed by 24 April 2013.  Presented by the Chair of the Panel to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and then to Cabinet.

 

10  Monitoring procedure:

 

Review the impact of the report after six months (January/February 2013)