Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Council House, Coventry CV1 5RR

Contact: Michelle Salmon, Governance Services,  Email:  michelle.salmon@coventry.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

17.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests.

18.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 314 KB

(a)  To agree the Minutes of the meeting held on 13th October 2021

 

(b)  Matters arising

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 13th October 2021 were agreed and signed as a true record. There were no matters arising.

19.

Tourism Strategy pdf icon PDF 287 KB

Briefing Note of the Director of Business, Investment and Culture

Minutes:

The Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3) received a report and presentation of the Director of Business, Culture and Investment that provided an update on progress in establishing Destination Coventry as the new Destination Management Organisation (DMO) for the City, and an update on progress in delivering the Coventry Tourism Strategy 2019-2023. It further provided an update on activity undertaken by the DMO to promote Coventry as a destination for business and leisure tourism. 

 

The presentation and briefing note highlighted the following:

 

The Journey

·  UK City of Culture 2021

·  2018 - Tourism Strategy 2019-2023

·  2019 - Destination Management Partnership (DMP)

·  2020 - Nationwide research and options appraisal

·  2021- Established principles & consideration factors: membership proposition & market testing; operating model defined and approved by DMP; Cabinet Member approved model and business plan; destination Coventry launched 1st August 2021

 

Model Principles

·  Lead management, development and promotion of Coventry’s leisure and business tourism

·  Operation of Coventry & Warwickshire Convention Bureau

·  Responsibility for the provision of visitor information in the city

·  Provision of opportunity for private sector to engage in a regular tourism dialogue

·  Delivery of 2019-2023 Tourism Strategy – stakeholders contributed to reviews and future iterations

·  Will not rely solely on CCC funding - must allow for private sector contribution for amplification

·  Activities to include the development of income streams to ensure sustained financial viability

 

Considerations

·  Visitor economy was in significant growth prior to the pandemic

·  Opportunities in 2021 and 2022 gave hope for recovery and growth

·  Pandemic dramatically affected Coventry’s visitor economy

·  Stakeholders experiencing business disruption and uncertainty

·  Tourism not a primary sector as in other destinations

·  Several business membership organisations already existed

·  Competition for business subscriptions in the city was fierce

·  DMO membership schemes were difficult to develop and sustain

 

The Model

·  A public / private collaboration between Coventry City Council and Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce

·  Two-year proof-of-concept, to test the viability of a future public / private Destination Management Organisation entity for Coventry from 2023 onwards

 

Oversight Board

·  Details of Board Members

·  Details of Governance Structure

·  Fundamental responsibility of the Board - to provide support, challenge strategic direction, maintain oversight and scrutiny, and to improve performance

·  Purpose of the Board:

·  Set and maintain vision, mission and values

·  Development and delivery of agreed tourism strategy / destination management plan

·  Ensure accountability to all stakeholders and investors, publishing annual reports, and communicating effectively, for example the annual tourism conference

·  Review the risk register every six months, with any escalations of risk put forward to the Oversight Board for consideration

·  Maintain budgeting oversight, to efficiently manage and offer effective delivery of the organisation’s resources and objectives

·  Take steps to maintain effective Governance

·  Promote the work of Destination Coventry, enhancing and protecting the reputation of the organisation and act as ambassadors for the organisation

 

Brand

·  Details of the brand, Website and the launch

 

Work

·  Destination Marketing and PR Campaigns

·  Hosted Buyer Familiarisation Trips

·  Visiting Media & Influencer Hosting

·  Maximising Major Events Opportunities

·  Printed Collateral

·  Trade Show Attendance

·  New Product Development  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

20.

Jobs and Business - Impact of Covid pdf icon PDF 237 KB

Briefing Note of the Director of Business, Investment and Culture

Minutes:

The Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3) received a briefing note and presentation of the Director of Business, Investment and Culture that detailed the support that local businesses had received due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. A number of support initiatives had been delivered by the Economic Development Service, whilst they continued to work alongside local business support partners including Coventry & Warwickshire (CW) Chamber of Commerce, CWLEP Growth Hub, Coventry & Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust (CWRT) and Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). Critical to this effort was to enable the adaptation of the support schemes to the changing economic, social and health conditions, as they continued to offer a range of business support initiatives beyond the immediate COVID-19 support.

 

The presentation and briefing note highlighted the following issues:

 

Economic Context

·  The Economic Development Services had worked with key partners to adapt the business support offer to changing economic, social and health conditions and ensure they had done as much as possible to support local businesses through the Covid-19 pandemic

·  The nature of support services provided to businesses had evolved during the course of the pandemic due to changing economic circumstances: Covid-19 outbreak in March 2020 forced some sectors of the economy to close; social distancing limited the output of sectors remaining open

·  The UK economic output fell by over 21% in first two quarters of 2020, and by 9.9% overall in 2020.

·  West Midlands encountered the highest fall in economic output of any English region during the spring 2020 lockdown and was also projected to have the highest economic contracting of all UK regions during 2020

·  The UK economy remained 2.1% smaller than pre-pandemic levels

·  49,200 (30%) posts in Coventry were furloughed in June 2020, when the scheme closed at the end of September 2021, 5,900 (4%) were left on it

·  The Coventry unemployment claimant count doubled to 16,695 (6.7%) in October 2020 and as of October 2021 the claimant count stands at 13,945 (5.3%)

 

Health Inequalities Impact

·  There was a gap in life expectancy of 10.7 years (men) and 8.3 years (women) between the most deprived and affluent areas

·  Business Support services encouraged economic growth

·  Supporting and sustaining the economy in Coventry through Covid and protecting jobs

 

Covid-19 Support

·  EDS staff mobilised to deliver support to businesses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic - communication to businesses via website, e-newsletter, LinkedIn, Twitter and partner networks

·  £48m distributed in Government COVID-19 grants during 1st lockdown - over 4,000 Coventry Retail, Leisure & Hospitality and small businesses supported and a further £2.7m in Discretionary Grants to 470 adversely affected businesses

·  Information communicated to businesses on CJRS and COVID-19 loans: 49,200 employees of Coventry firms furloughed at highest point; 7,400 Coventry businesses accessed loans, totalling over £300m; over 10,000 individuals accessed the Self Employment Income Support Scheme

·  £19.5m COVID-19 grants to 1,612 businesses closed since 4/11/20 plus £12.3m in Restart Grants to 1,880 Coventry businesses in non-essential retail and leisure

·  Design of £12.5m Additional Restrictions Grants (ARG)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

21.

Work Programme 2021/2022 pdf icon PDF 323 KB

Report of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator

Minutes:

The Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3) received a report of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator that detailed issues on the Board’s Work Programme for meetings of the Board for 2021/2022.

 

RESOLVED that the Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3) notes the issues on the Board’s Work Programme for 2021/2022.

 

22.

Any other items of public business which the Chair decides to take as matters of urgency because of the special circumstances involved

Minutes:

There were no other items of public business.