The Economic Development, Transport and Climate Emergency Scrutiny Commission met to discuss worker exploitation, parking fees, inward investment, bus lanes, speed limits and cycling and walking infrastructure. The meeting included a review of a report on worker exploitation, a discussion on proposed parking fee increases, and updates on initiatives related to transport and investment in the city. There was also an opportunity for members to discuss the commission's work programme.

Worker Exploitation Task Group Report and Recommendations

The commission was scheduled to review a report from the Chair of the task group examining worker exploitation in Leicester. The report included recommendations, set out in section 1.3 of the report, that the commission was asked to support.

The report noted that following work to address concerns of non-compliance in Leicester’s garment sector, the City Mayor’s Strategic Plan included a commitment to expand this work to tackle any other sectors which may be blighted by low pay and poor conditions.

The task group had met between November 2024 and February 2025 with the aims to:

• Gain an overview of sectors and practices of worker exploitation across the UK
• Develop a picture of the enforcement landscape, in particular as it appears from the perspective of local authorities
• Map key local stakeholders and their intelligence/systems
• On the basis of broad stakeholder consultation, establish where in Leicester worker exploitation is prevalent
• Recommend avenues to improve monitoring, compliance, and remedy for exploited workers.

The following stakeholders were engaged over the course of the Task Group:

• Margaret Beels - Director of Labour Market Enforcement
• Leicester City Council (Adult Social Care)
• Leicester City Council (Procurement)
• Leicester City Council (Economic Development)
• HMRC
• Police
• Highfields Centre
• GMB
• Unseen
• Leicester & Districts Trades Union Council
• Health and Safety Executive
• Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority
• Crimestoppers UK
• Wesley Hall Community Centre

The report noted that taking on a role in the co-ordination and support of a local partnership would require additional staffing resource, beyond that currently available within existing Council teams, anticipating that this would require a minimum of 1 FTE officer at a cost in the region of £60k per year (including staffing on-costs).

The report also noted that initiatives that improve understanding and aim to deliver benefits by enforcing protection of workers from labour market exploitation should lead to positive impacts for people from across many protected characteristics as defined in the Equality Act 2010¹.

Call-in - Parking Fees and Charges

The commission was scheduled to discuss an executive decision taken by Sir Peter Soulsby ( City Mayor) on 25 March 2025 relating to increasing parking charges. This decision had been the subject of a 6-member call-in.

The councillors who signed the call in were: Councillor Nigel Porter (Mover), Councillor Hemant Rae Bhatia (Seconder), Councillor Kitterick, Councillor Kennedy-Lount, Councillor Haq, and Councillor Westley.

The call-in stated:

'We, the undersigned, wish to 'Call-In' the decision made by the City Mayor to increase council on street and off street parking charges. Raising parking fees will disproportionately impact people on low-incomes, many of whom are already struggling with rising living costs and increased council tax payments. Since the Labour government took office, financial pressures have increased significantly, with last week’s Spring Statement bringing further economic strain with reduced help and support. Increasing parking fees will add yet another burden to those who can least afford it.

Beyond harming residents, these proposed changes will have a wider negative impact on the city centre's economy. The reason for this is clear. Leicester’s high parking charges are literally driving business and customers away to Fosse Park, which offers free, convenient and safe parking and is just a few minutes away from the city centre.If the council considered reducing parking fees it could actually see an increase in revenue. Attracting more visitors to Leicester would be good for local businesses and it would help to revitalise the city centre. Yet the council seems intent on doing the opposite, making it increasingly unaffordable to park in Leicester, which will result in further economic decline, with more businesses and customers moving to Fosse Park. We also oppose the proposed removal of the Night Owl reduced parking rates, as this would harm the nighttime economy. Instead of deterring evening visitors, the council should be encouraging them. Raising parking fees at this time is a bad decision which will hurt residents, businesses and the city’s economy. We respectfully request that the council reconsider the proposals to increase charges and instead starts to adopt policies that will boost investment and encourage economic growth, rather than pricing people out of the city centre.'

The commission was recommended to either:

• Note the report without further comment or recommendation.
• Comment on the specific issues raised by the call-in.
• Resolve that the call-in be withdrawn.

The report that was called in proposed to amend on-street and off-street parking charges across all payment methods in May 2025, benchmarked against other similar local authorities and private car parking providers to ensure tariffs remain appropriate and competitive. The proposed amendment in parking tariffs was expected to generate an estimated £1m of additional income in 25/26, based on income and levels of usage in 23/24.

It also proposed to increase on-street and off-street parking charges annually thereafter to offset increases in operational running costs, benchmarked against the increase in Retail Price Index (RPI), other similar local authorities and private car parking operators and to ensure the tariffs remain competitive.

The report noted that income from parking charges is reinvested into parking, highways and transport-related services to support the delivery of the Council’s transport policies and objectives.

The report also noted that Blue Badge holders remain able to park for free in on-street Pay & Display bays and council car parks.

Inward Investment and Place Marketing

The commission was scheduled to receive an update on the work of the Place Marketing Team for Leicester and Leicestershire from Mike Dalzell, Director of Tourism, Culture, and Investment.

The report noted that Leicester and Leicestershire's Economic Growth Strategy for 2021-2030 emphasises the importance of enhancing Leicester’s profile as a desirable location to visit, live, work, and do business.

The Place Marketing Team (PMT) was established in 2017 and is jointly funded and managed by the City Council and Leicestershire County Council, this team leads on place marketing, inward investment, and strategic tourism across the region.

The service works across Leicester and Leicestershire and delivers the following key areas of activity:

• Strategic Tourism – positioning Leicester and Leicestershire as a cohesive visitor destination, through integrating and delivering in key public and private sector partnerships and contributing to the local economy.
• Place Marketing – to promote Leicester and Leicestershire as a destination to visit, invest and live.
• Inward Investment – Providing an account management service to support businesses (both foreign and domestic) seeking to expand or relocate within Leicester and Leicestershire.

The report stated that latest data commissioned in the annual Scarborough Tourism Economic Activity Monitor (STEAM), reports visitor numbers to Leicester and Leicestershire surged in 2023, generating a substantial economic impact. Leicester and Leicestershire welcomed 31.28 million visitors, contributing £2.39 billion to the local economy.

The report also noted that Leicester and Leicestershire successfully secured accreditation in January 2024 as a Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP)² providing the PMT with the opportunity to promote Leicester and Leicestershire nationally with government recognition and to participate in national marketing and travel trade activities.

The Strategic Place Marketing Group serves as a platform for key stakeholders in Leicester and Leicestershire, and is dedicated to identifying and implementing strategic place marketing campaigns and group member initiatives that promote the region as a thriving destination.

The group’s key priorities for 2024 include:

• Aligning with Visit England’s priorities and the focus of Visit Leicester and surrounding districts.
• Promotion of Leicestershire as a place for students to explore, increasing promotional activities around September and October, capitalising on student enrolment.
• The creation of a business-to-business newsletter.

The report also noted that a new destination management website is due to launch in May 2025.

The report stated that the PMT will generate circa £48,000 of commercial income by the end of the financial year, and that this income is intended to be used to reduce the budget pressures on Leicester City Council.

The report also highlighted a booking from Probus Harpenden in October 2024, comprising 45 delegates, contributed £8,717.50 to a local business, and that the Association of Group Travel Organisers (AGTO) have agreed to host their annual showcase event in the region in February 2026.

The report also detailed the following campaigns:

• Uncover the Story, a campaign aimed at showcasing attractions, hidden gems and telling the story about Leicestershire’s history.
• Fitcation, a campaign that aims to encourage visitors to explore the City’s green spaces, active leisure venues and waterways through experiences such as cycling, walking, and sporting activities.
• Taste the Place, a campaign that resulted in the creation and promotion of a suite of five videos, which were integral in promoting the campaign across social media.

The report also noted that the PMT has developed a collaborative network dedicated to attracting and supporting strategic investment, highlighting local opportunities, and presenting a unified, professional front for investment in Leicestershire. Key partnerships include:

• Team Leicester
• Midlands Engine

The PMT has developed a comprehensive events programme designed to bridge the gap between the public and private sectors, and secured funding from the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) to establish a Key Account Management (KAM) Programme for the region.

24-Hour Bus Lanes - Executive Response

The Chair of the Economic Development, Transport and Climate Emergency Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to provide an update on the Executive response to the 24-Hour Bus Lanes Scrutiny review report.

The executive response stated that:

• Bus lanes remain an element to support passenger transport, benefitting city residents, businesses and visitors.
• Bus lane design should be bespoke to the local context in terms of the layout and hours of operation.
• New bus lane design and the review of existing bus lanes should take into account the need to deliver smoother, reliable journeys for buses and also aim to achieve balance and avoid impact on general traffic.
• Existing bus lanes should be subject to review in terms of layout and hours of operation, with potential for camera enforcement considered.
• Visibility of camera enforcement should be maximised within the scope of permissible regulations to avoid unnecessary fines, with reference to best practice.

20mph Programme Update

The City Transport Director was scheduled to submit a report to provide members of the commission with an update on the progress of the City’s 20mph programme, and to provide members of the commission with details on the next phases of the City’s 20mph programme.

The report noted that the EDTCE scrutiny commission established a task group to review the 20mph programme in 2023, with the findings of this group reported back to the commission in January 2024, and that the commission had recommended that:

• The 20mph streets programme to continue to be implemented on a bespoke basis, in order to consider and be coordinated with complementary sustainable highway improvements where appropriate.
• The Council is committed to introducing 20mph streets in 80% of non-strategic roads by 2027, however the Task Group would like to see an ambition to achieve 100% of appropriate residential streets to be converted to 20mph zones by 2030.
• The 20mph programme should generally exclude A/Strategic roads.
• The 20mph implementation process should incorporate post completion feedback to understand how the scheme is operating and review whether any changes may be required to the area itself or adjacent areas.
• Air quality in 20mph schemes to continue to be monitored and reported where possible.
• The 20mph schemes should incorporate appropriate measures to ensure as much as possible they are self-enforcing.

The report stated that the current 20mph programme began in 2012, and has so far delivered 114 bespoke schemes, making a total of 1,756 streets within a 20mph speed limit or zone – 63% of suitable streets, and that schemes are now programmed through March 2028, which will result in 81% of suitable streets being within a 20mph speed limit or zone.

The report also noted that all 20mph schemes are subject to consultation, and that there has been a 21% response rate to consultation with an average approval rate of 83% for the 20mph scheme and 72% for traffic calming (when proposed).

Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan

The City Transport Director was scheduled to submit a report to provide members of the commission with details on the proposed Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan and to make members of the commission aware of the forthcoming consultation, and provide details for how they may contribute to the plan.

The report noted that a Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) is a strategic document that outlines potential improvements to walking and cycling networks, and is a government requirement to access walking and cycling funding.

The report stated that the LCWIP has been built along five principles and outcomes, as outlined in government guidance:

• Coherence
• Directness
• Safety
• Comfort
• Attractiveness

The report also noted that the LCWIP uses two different digital models, one for walking and one for cycling, that identifies areas and locations that can be most beneficial to enabling trips, and that the models account for population density, destinations, travel patterns, existing infrastructure, and other metrics.

The report stated that the priority walking zones, walking routes, and cycle routes identified through this process will be the subject of the forthcoming consultation.

Work Programme

Members of the commission were scheduled to consider the work programme and make suggestions for additional items as it considers necessary.