Economic Action Plan for Merthyr Tydfil

Below is the full text of a Motion put to Full Council by Lib Dem councillors Amy Kitcher and Kevin O'Connor on April 1st 2009. The motion was defeated, with Labour and the independents voting against the plan.

Read the News Story about this Proposal to Council

Read Amy Kitcher's speech proposing this Proposal to council

This Council recognises that the downturn in the economy of the UK and other countries throughout the world will have an adverse effect on many businesses, families and individuals within our borough.

This Council notes that it is not only a significant local employer but that it also has a clear remit for economic regeneration.

This Council agrees to establish a Recession Taskforce in conjunction with appropriate local partners and stakeholders with a view to:

1.Sharing information, data and intelligence on a regular basis to understand the rapid changes in our economy, housing market, levels of debt and housing repossessions. These reports to be shared with the appropriate members of each political group on a regular basis.

2.Understanding the impact of the recession not only on the authority area as a whole but at the lower spatial levels - the impact on the most deprived communities, on specific groups within the community i.e. young families, older people, women, disabled etc.

3.Producing on a quarterly basis an Economic Position Statement for the Borough showing overall trends arising from the changes in our economy as it impacts upon unemployment, benefit levels, our local business base and our housing market and occupancy.

4.Using the evidence from the reports and Quarterly Economic Position Statement to identify additional key actions that need to be taken by the Council

This Council agrees that the appropriate officers bring before Full Council within 12 weeks an 'Action Plan' with additional short, medium and long term measures the Council can implement to support local businesses to safeguard, or minimise, job losses throughout the borough and provide individuals with advice on welfare rights, money advice and entitlement.

Agrees that as part of the development of the 'Action Plan' every Directorate should consider how the recession will impact upon demand in their service area in order to be able to plan and invest accordingly.

Agrees that each Directorate should contribute to the 'Action Plan' with full consideration being given to the following:

1. Financial advice and support to families and individuals

a) Improving public information on how to access advice from the public sector and the third sector

b) Possible additional financial support for the council's own Benefit maximisation team to promote the take up of benefits but also access social tariffs from energy providers and other energy advice

c) Supporting access for residents to affordable credit

d) Supporting community self-help initiatives such as food co-operatives and food growing groups

2. Business support

a) The use of the council's maintenance contracts to maximise local spend where possible

b) Consider a weighted point scoring system whereby local businesses, particularly SMEs, are enabled to more successfully compete for contracts and other work made available by this Council

c) The use of local social enterprises to deliver certain services, which would add more value through enhanced employment prospects

d) The promotion of local food production, including working with the local agricultural community to consider the expansion of the farmers market

e) The Council paying its bills promptly to avoid cash-flow problems for small businesses.

3. Town centre and local retail

a)Extending and publicising free parking for shoppers on Saturdays

b) Running a free shuttle bus from Cyfarthfa Retail Park to the town centre and back, and signposting the route for cars.

c) Improve signage for Merthyr town centre shopping from the surrounding trunk roads.

d) Develop further town centre events and ensure these are properly promoted