Agenda item

To submit a report by the Head of Regulation and Economic Development.

The report of the Head of Regulation and Economic Development incorporating the draft Anglesey Town Centres Improvement Strategy was presented for the Executive’s consideration.

The Chair and Portfolio Member for Economic Development presented the report as delivering on the new Council Plan objective of improving the vitality and viability of town centres and complying with relevant Welsh Government and Audit Wales recommendations to local authorities in respect of regenerating town centres. Subject to approval, a process of public and stakeholder consultation and engagement will take place to gather views and comments and to seek support for the proposed strategy following which it will be finalised and submitted to the Executive for adoption by the end of 2023. She stressed the importance of obtaining the public’s views on their needs for town centres as well as those of existing businesses and also businesses that may have left town centres to understand their reasons for having done so and what might bring them back.

The Regeneration Manager informed the Executive that all local authorities in Wales have been requested to update Welsh Government’s Public Accounts Committee on progress with town centre regeneration which is an issue of interest to many people. The strategy will also enable funding to be secured for regeneration purposes.  Commonplace has been commissioned to help the Council design the consultation process which will be conducted online as well as locally within the community. The Design Commission for Wales is also providing advice and guidance to each local authority on the process after which the Council will be putting together the consultation documentation with Commonplace.

Councillor Dylan Rees, Chair of the Partnership and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee reported from the Committee’s 19 April, 2023 meeting at which the Anglesey Town Centres Improvement Strategy had been discussed. The committee had sought clarification of the definition of town and town centre and any proposal to support and improve the island’s villages. Members had enquired about alignment with place shaping work streams and plans to strengthen infrastructure at individual community level. The main benefits and risks of the proposed strategy were also discussed as were measures to mitigate risks. The committee had also sought clarification of the opportunities and challenges in being dependent upon competitive grant funding to deliver significant strategies and work programmes. Members asked about the availability of private investment to fund Anglesey town centre regeneration programmes and the degree to which it would be possible to seek approval for spend to save funding initiatives in order to increase internal staffing capacity. It was noted by the committee that significant decisions by stakeholders were often a catalyst for town centre regeneration. The committee enquired about the public consultation process in particular the timescales, communications strategy and geographical areas to be included. The Committee had noted the content of the draft strategy and had recommended the strategy to the Executive for public consultation.

Councillor Gary Pritchard, Portfolio Member for Children, Youth and Housing Services highlighted that although the strategy is a county-wide strategy a one size fits all approach to the five towns will not be appropriate given their different characteristics as the Towns/Urban Centres Overview in the appendix to the report illustrates. It is important therefore that people across the Island respond to the consultation so that it is reflective of the differing needs of the towns and ensures that the finalised strategy is meaningful and relevant to each town.

It was resolved to approve the draft Anglesey Town Centres Improvement Strategy as a basis for public consultation.