Issue - meetings

Mark Ryder introduced the item. The paper built onto the Covid-19 recovery report that was presented at June’s Cabinet meeting and set out the direction for recovery. Mark Ryder continued that recovery is at various spatial levels and everything is interlinked; for example, public transport being affected and effecting the wider economy. The recovery phase was split into three stages: a foundation stage which included improving council services and helping local businesses, a consolidation and acceleration phase. Mark Ryder concluded that Cabinet agreed four themes of the recovery approach: Place, Economy & Climate, Community and Voluntary Sector, Health, wellbeing and social care and the Organisation, including the reinstating of services.

It was clarified that the four working groups will produce a report for Cabinet in September. Councillor Holland suggested setting targets for performance indicators.

In response to Councillor Kondakor, David Ayton-Hill (Assistant Director – Communities) stated that tourism was flagged as a key sector of work in order to help local businesses, whose trade relies on tourism, to continue. Local businesses are being informed on how to market to and accommodate for domestic tourists, especially in rural areas which are likely to have more tourists. Coventry have altered their City of Culture plans so their programme will run from April 2021 until March 2022. This change is being reviewed to it could feedback into Warwickshire’s tourism sector.

Resolved:

That the Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee:

1.     Receives the County Council’s approach to Covid-19 Recovery, as set out in the attached Cabinet report.

2.     Commented on the specific issues relevant to the remit of this Committee that should be considered in the development of the Recovery Plan which is due to be submitted to Cabinet in September.