The Economy, Infrastructure and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on Thursday 22 October 2026 to discuss a new draft policy for library displays, events, and activities, and to review the six-month progress of the Staffordshire County Council's Economic Strategy. The committee also received an update on the Environmental Action Plan.

Draft Libraries Displays, Events and Activities Policy

The committee reviewed a draft policy designed to provide a consistent framework for managing displays, events, activities, and the use of space across Staffordshire's 16 council-managed libraries. The policy aims to ensure libraries remain neutral public spaces while supporting community activities and council priorities. Key discussions revolved around the balance between promoting community engagement and maintaining political neutrality, with concerns raised about the clarity of the policy and the potential for inconsistent application. Councillor Hayley Coles, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture, emphasised the need for neutrality and evidence-based decision-making, referencing case law that highlighted potential breaches of neutrality rules when public bodies celebrate specific events. Councillor Richard Holland questioned the necessity of the policy and whether it adequately addressed the council's equality duty, specifically asking if Black History Month and Pride Month displays would be permitted. Councillor Thomas Baker raised financial questions regarding income generation for libraries, while Councillor Simon Tagg expressed scepticism about the need for the policy, citing a lack of significant past issues with library displays. Councillor Jonathan Pike inquired about consistency across community-managed libraries and the potential for advertising local clubs. Councillor Holland put forward five recommendations: publishing complaint data, redoing the community impact assessment for each protected characteristic, completing a legal review before Cabinet consideration, ensuring operational decisions are made by officers, and reporting refused requests to the committee annually. The committee voted to put these five recommendations forward. Ultimately, the committee agreed to note and support the draft policy, endorse the principle of political and social neutrality, and submit its comments to Cabinet for consideration.

Staffordshire County Council's Economic Strategy – Delivery (6-month update)

Councillor Robin Hall, Cabinet Member for Economy and Skills, presented a six-month update on the delivery of the Economic Strategy. The report highlighted positive progress in several areas, including securing £34 million for further education projects across Staffordshire, with £26.6 million allocated for new buildings and facilities. Screen Staffordshire has generated over £1.3 million in local economic impact in its first year, and Marks and Spencer's £67 million investment in Fradley Park demonstrates continued business confidence. Progress is also being made on strategic employment sites, with a global automotive parts designer set to move to the Chatterley Park development in 2027. However, challenges were acknowledged, including difficulties for young people in securing employment and the potential closure of Marston's Brewery in Burton, which could put around 300 jobs at risk.

Concerns were raised by Councillor Thomas Baker regarding the uncertainty of funding from the Levelling Up Fund and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and the potential impact on future projects if this funding ceases. Officers acknowledged this as a significant risk, noting the government's shift towards mayoral strategic authorities for funding allocation. Councillor John Pendleton asked about the biggest risks if replacement funding does not materialise, with officers identifying gaps in business and employment support and fewer investment projects progressing. Councillor Gary Bentley raised concerns about the lack of provision in the Moorlands area for youth engagement and the ageing workforce in manual labour roles. Councillor Pike inquired about the geographical distribution of capital investments to ensure rural market towns benefit proportionally. Councillor Bentley also highlighted the need for more practical, hands-on skills training from an earlier age. Councillor Daryl Eyers provided clarification on NEAT figures, stating that Staffordshire had 5.3% NEATs compared to a national average of around 6%, with 1.1% not known compared to a national average of 2.3%. The committee made four recommendations: to acknowledge the strategy's priority, consider and comment on recent economic highlights, invite the Cabinet Member for Economy and Skills to provide a further update in six months, and recommend the inclusion of key milestones, KPIs, and performance measures in future reports.

Environmental Action Plan – monitoring update

James Cartwright, Head of Sustainability, and Councillor Andrew Mynors, Cabinet Member for Connectivity, presented an update on the Environmental Action Plan. The report detailed progress across eight priority themes, with five actions completed, 82 rated green (on track), two amber (minor delays), and one red (at risk). Highlights included the continued investment in LED street lighting, saving approximately £1.2 million annually, and the introduction of a 100% electric fostering outreach van. Efficiency upgrades to corporate properties and adult day care centres, including solar panel installations, were also noted.

Regarding flood resilience, projects at Festival Court, Cannock, and St Luke's Primary School were highlighted, alongside a highways adaptation modelling project to assess the impact of changing weather patterns on transport infrastructure. Business support initiatives, such as the Green Solutions programme and the Staffordshire Business and Environment Network (Sben), which now has over 1,000 members, were also discussed. The committee heard about the success of the Green Suppliers Directory and the development of green skills programmes.

Areas requiring further work included hedgerow planting on county farms due to delays in securing Sustainable Farming Incentive funding, and a pause on developing a mixed recycling facility (MRF) due to the uncertainty surrounding Local Government Reform and the potential impact of the upcoming deposit return scheme. Concerns were raised by Councillor Simon Tagg about the ambition of the 1% year-on-year waste reduction target and the continued employment of waste minimisation officers. Councillor Bentley questioned the maintenance of cleaned-out grips to prevent flooding and the scale of solar panel installations. Councillor Griffiths sought clarification on why building a mixed recycling facility was paused due to LGR. Councillor Jonathan Pike raised questions about wood waste management and secondary takeoff agreements. Councillor Bentley also raised concerns about the food waste collection process and the need for farmers to accept the waste. Councillor Adam Griffiths welcomed the environmental objectives delivering practical benefits, particularly the Warm Homes Programme, and asked for further details on how the council would build on this success.

The committee made three recommendations: to accept the six-month progress report and endorse proposed mitigation actions for delayed deliverables; to request a dedicated briefing paper on LGR waste stream integration before resetting the MRF capital appraisal; and to recommend establishing a ring-fenced match funding pool to support county farms and tenants in accessing national environmental grants.

Work Programme

Carly Trusler, Scrutiny and Support Officer, presented an update on the committee's work programme. Several items were noted as having been moved to different dates, including the Recycling Centres and Waste Minimisation report moving to November, and the EV Strategy report also moving to November. Contracted Transport Services was added to the January 2027 agenda. The committee noted the work programme update and agreed to it.

The meeting concluded at 12:38.