Agenda item

C Taylor introduced the report and said that the report can be split into two parts, 1) the growth and activity of the Maylands area and 2) the activities that the Economic Wellbeing Team have been involved in across the borough.

Currently, the Maylands Gateway is waiting for the police service to decide whether they want to relocate to Maylands and vacate their current site in the Town Centre as part of the Forum development. The land is council owned and there has been persistent interest in the land. The land is in a good location and there are only a few sites of this size available. If the police decided not to move to the Maylands site then the land will be marketed. The Homes and Community Agency owned land was under a bidding process in August. They have received 15 bids for further consideration. On the Aviva owned land there is currently a proposal going to the Development Control Committee on 17th December for a retail development. There has been constant interest in the land at the Maylands site. It is important to consider the financial and employment implications of any new development in the Maylands area. 

An Enterprise Zone bid was unsuccessful in 2011 but a new application has been submitted by Herts LEP and if successful, it could generate enough money to pay for the road improvement/construction and site servicing infrastructure. The Maylands Urban Realm Improvements contract is about to be issued and they should be on site in the New Year. This project will involve widening the pavements, planting trees and improving the lighting. C Taylor said that this was something that the businesses in Maylands had been pushing for. The Maylands area is under independent ownership which means the urban realm then suffers. Hopefully this regeneration will also encourage walking and cycling through the area.

The Maylands Business Centre Extension on the site adjacent to the current site will aim to move forward providing additional industrial units and currently there are 19 businesses on the waiting list. Dacorum Borough Council have also purchased Woodhouse, a corner site at the Heart of Maylands and the plan is for the ground floor to become an office space acting as a satellite to Maylands Business Centre. It was agreed from the start that the site would need to have an active ground floor with residential units above as this is an employment site.

Councillor G Adshead asked if the Smiths building would provide 300 new jobs for the area or if these jobs will be transferred from Watford.

C Taylor said that these 300 jobs will be transfers from Watford but over time, people may leave due to the relocation of the site.

Councillor Ashbourn asked the officers that once all the parcels of land have been settled and developed, what is the long aspiration for the Maylands area.

C Taylor said that the last site has been taken and an employment study will be undertaken going forward to assess what the town needs. There is a great need for employment land.

Councillor Ashbourn asked if they hoped to attract a certain type of business.

J Doe said that they hope to develop a Green Technology area. However, they cannot insist on that but that is currently an area with large growth. Hemel Hempstead is seen as a good location logistics wise with the Maylands area being on the M1 motorway.

Councillor Matthews asked what the key factor was in attracting Smiths to the area.

C Taylor said that with regards to this particular company, it was down to the premises available. Smiths were looking at the Hemel Hempstead site and one in Biggleswade who were actually offering more. The Council has worked closely with the business to provide them with easy transport links between the railway station and Maylands and some additional parking.

J Doe said that car parking was a big issue for the company and C Taylor added that it was about going that extra mile to make them feel wanted in Dacorum.

Councillor Birnie stated that there was a shortage of land for industry. If the police decide not to move to Maylands, how will you ensure it is not used for a residential purpose?

C Taylor replied that there is a separate brief of what will and will not be accepted on that site. The site must be used for office space and it is contrary to policy if not.

Councillor G Adshead asked if this would have an impact on the police presence in the Forum.

C Taylor said that the police neighbourhood team will be present in the Forum. The site at Maylands will include custody suites.

C Taylor then went back to the report and referred to the Business Ambassadors Scheme. The scheme was about getting businesses to buy into the local economy. Part of the deal was getting them to sell and promote Dacorum Borough Council outside the area. On December 11^th, the ten year anniversary of the Buncefield explosion, businesses will meet and the Hemel Hempstead Story will be launched which is a short book promoting the area in business terms. The Ambassador Scheme will also be launched.

Councillor G Sutton took the opportunity to thank J Doe, C Taylor and the team for all their hard work and for being one of the most proactive teams in the area.

Councillor Anderson referred to Annex A in the report and asked if anything was in place for providing protection in case of another incident in the future.

C Taylor said the redeveloped parts had 54 extra planning requirements after the Buncefield explosion and several new safety features were needed which were also put in place in oil depots across the country.

J Doe said that were many health and safety guidelines that had been followed and the sites close to the Buncefield site are mainly service areas which have low employment which allows for a quicker and easier evacuation if needed.

Councillor G Sutton said the standard was obviously much safer now. The two tanks on the St Albans land are now a better standard. With regards to these oil depots being too close to  usage areas, there is a oil storage facility on the M6 in Birmingham right in the middle of residential, retail and industrial areas.

Councillor Birnie asked what the caravan park was and if it was well used.

J Doe said it was for the storage of caravans. C Taylor said it was normally full and 40% of the caravans are Dacorum owned and it prevents them from being stored on the roadside.

Councillor Birnie asked what the return on this site was.

C Taylor said the net figure was around £60-80,000.

Councillor Matthews referred to page 59 of the agenda and the Economic Wellbeing Team. He asked what is the Tourism income?

C Taylor replied that the Council has employed a Tourism officer as there is economic activity to be gained from tourism in the borough. The officer has been working closely with local tourism businesses such as the XC Centre, the Snow Centre and the Warner Brothers Studio Tour in Watford. These businesses pay into a fund and are therefore buying into a service to give them a voice.

Councillor C Wyatt-Lowe referred to page 60 and asked how the Council was supporting new businesses.

C Taylor said that there was a trained business advisor on site at the Maylands Business Centre and to help with business plans and other support activity along with an economic wellbeing team. There is also an online advice channel that businesses can use.

Outcome

The Strategic Planning and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee noted the report.