Issue - meetings

Further to Minute 54 (17 October 2017), the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Social Housing introduced a report on the findings of the latest review of progress against the recommendations of the Growth Commission report “No-one left behind: in pursuit of growth for the benefit of everyone”, which the Council had commissioned in late 2015.

The original Growth Commission had been led by Mike Emmerich, an independent expert in urban regeneration, and put forward 109 recommendations.  The Council carried out an internal review of progress in 2017 and commissioned Metro Dynamics, headed by Mike Emmerich, in June 2018 to undertake a further, independent assessment of progress.  Metro Dynamics’ report, entitled “Growth Commission Stocktake Towards Inclusive Growth for Barking and Dagenham”, reflected that the Council and partners had made considerable progress since 2016 across all areas highlighted in the original Commission, particularly in relation to issues associated with physical regeneration.  The report did, however, suggest that more needed to be done to connect local people into the benefits of the growth in the Borough and proposed five ‘Grand Challenges’ in order to close that gap:

·  ‘Building sustainable communities’, including a renewed focus on the Becontree Estate and Barking Riverside as exemplars of 21st Century sustainable, connected and vibrant urban developments;

·  ‘Creating a new enterprise agenda’, including a range of activity to expand the business base and improve job density;

·  ‘A new deal with decent jobs for everyone that can work’, including a sustained focus on the economically inactive population;

·  ‘Preparing our young people for the future’, including a renewed effort to bolster the institutional, financial and human capacity of schools; and

·  ‘Beyond civic foundations; a new civic culture’, including a new approach to engaging residents in growth and regeneration.

Members welcomed the independent critique of the Council’s progress and spoke on some of the specific initiatives that had stemmed from the implementation of the original Growth Commission recommendations, which included a recent event to encourage and medium-sized business growth in the Borough and community events in partnership with Job Centre Plus to improve individuals’ prospects of gaining employment. 

The Cabinet resolved to:

(i)  Note the recommendations from the Growth Commission stocktake, as set out in Appendix A to the report; and

(ii)  Note that a further report shall be presented to the Cabinet later in the year setting out plans for the Council to respond to the recommendations from the stocktake.