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Question Time: Cabinet Member for Economy and Jobs

Question time for the Cabinet Member for Economy and Jobs, Councillor Mark Watson

Minutes:

Councillor Mark Watson, Cabinet Member for Economy and Jobs was in attendance.

 

A presentation was provided to the Committee which focused on the challenges and successes on the key areas of his portfolio.

 

Jobs- The Committee was informed that Croydon had experienced a 2% growth in jobs comparable to London and National averages. The employment rate was slightly below the London average however the highest area of employment growth had been in the scientific sector. Croydon had been doing well in creating new businesses with 90% being small businesses. Croydon was in a good position as it continuously attracted new business to the borough. The good employer charter had been set up and was focused on employment of local people through the Croydon Works service who work with departments such as the gateway service to get local people into employment. This had made a fundamental contribution to the community and economy of Croydon. Croydon launched its apprenticeship scheme in 2017 and had employed over 85% of BME apprentices and 90% are Croydon residents.

 

Growth Zone- There had been many infrastructure projects developed and the Council had explored the use of grants to assist in the growth of the borough. The pedestrianisation of the high street had been successful. Many businesses were relocating to Croydon as a result of box park which has attracted hundreds of thousands of people to over 150 events that took place in 2017. As a result of concern over turnover of businesses in Box Park, support had been provided to the small independent businesses to assist in marketing themselves in order to attract clientele.

 

Redevelopment of the Whitgift Centre– This had been approved by the Mayor of London, funding was in place to manage operations whilst the re-development took place. There was confidence that the programme would be delivered and work would commence in 2019. As part of the section 106 agreement it was expected that 50% of jobs would be for local people and work was being done with schools and colleges to build a skills network. Employers were being encouraged to adopt the good employers’ charter.

 

Night Time Economy- There were challenges in this area and there were ongoing works to establish a robust night time economy in the borough. There had been successful ventures such as the Good Evening Croydon event which has been an innovative and successful venture. Box Park had also been a popular destination for people.  More programs and event would be offered to attract people to the centre of Croydon.

 

District Centres- There had been ongoing work on the regeneration of Thornton Heath high street. Completion of the Purley car park upgrade was successful. New Addington redevelopment is in progress.

 

Croydon Urban Edge – The Croydon year of business was launched in January 2018 which aimed to encourage growth, development of business and creation of jobs in the borough through a programme of events. The events planned throughout the year would include training opportunities and lobbying of topics such as the way business rates were calculated for businesses in London compared to the rest of the UK. Through investment services to assist business to relocate and invest in Croydon, the focus had been on marketing, improved visibility and making the most of partnerships by maintaining reputation and satisfaction. Consultation took place with the community on projects such as the redevelopment of Surrey Street Market and investment in lighting, and the launch of the Sunday market which had attracted new traders. 

 

Members raised concerns over the poor advertising of events at Box Park and that there was a need for increased diversification of events. The Cabinet Member responded that conversations had taken place with the CEO of box park regarding marketing and the programmes of events. The Council had also offered a package of support to business to encourage further events to take place.

 

Members asked if the Council would be working with Crystal Palace Football Club on their expansion and redevelopment programme to ensure that the proposed creation of 700 jobs would be directed at local people. The Cabinet member advised the Committee that Croydon Works would be used by the club to ensure jobs were directed to local people. There had also been work with the club and foundation to encourage provision of the London living wage for their staff

 

In response to Member comments on the impact of Brexit on the Growth Zone, the Cabinet Member stated that the uncertainty around the level of impact was a worry for the whole country. Croydon’s current economic position was good and there was place a robust support programme of advice and guidance for business to steer them during this period.

 

In response to a Member question on the challenges to Croydon’s economy in the next three years and the priorities to focus on, the Cabinet Member responded that managing the redevelopment of the Whitgift Centre should be paramount. Increasing the Night Time and evening economies must be addressed through attracting more businesses to the borough. An increase to the London Living Wage should also be a priority of focus in the coming year. Croydon should be proud of its Good Employer charter and must continue to encourage businesses to sign up to the scheme.

 

The Chair thanked the Cabinet Member for his detailed presentation and the Committee thanked him for his engagement with Scrutiny over the years.

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