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Growth Scrutiny Committee - Tuesday, 10th June, 2025 10.00 am

June 10, 2025 View on council website  Watch video of meeting or read trancript
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Summary

The Growth Scrutiny Committee convened to discuss its role and responsibilities, receive introductions to key service areas, and review its work programme for the coming year. Members agreed to endorse the presentations and verbal updates they received, and requested that the County Farm Strategy be brought to the committee at the earliest opportunity. The committee also requested a verbal update on the relationship between Lincolnshire County Council and the Mayoral Combined Authority at the next meeting.

Role of the Growth Scrutiny Committee

Kiara Hatsioanu, Scrutiny Officer, presented a report outlining the role and remit of the newly established Growth Scrutiny Committee. The committee's responsibilities include reviewing and scrutinising services related to economic growth, development projects (including broadband), procurement, property, skills, business support, tourism, and attracting funding to Lincolnshire. The committee has the power to review decisions made by the executive, provide advice, and request in-depth scrutiny reviews.

Service Area Introductions

Senior officers provided presentations on the service areas under the committee's purview:

Growth

Justin Brown, Assistant Director of Growth, presented an overview of the local economy, highlighting key sectors such as agri-food, manufacturing, and defence. He noted that productivity in the county is 14% lower than average, and that businesses face barriers related to premises, funding, and labour. He also spoke about the importance of regeneration funding, the council's economic portfolio properties, and the services offered through businesslincolnshire.com. He also discussed the importance of the Visit Lincolnshire website.

Mr Brown also addressed employment and skills, noting a shift towards investing in tackling unemployment and economic inactivity. He highlighted programmes such as Skills Boot Camps and the Careers and Enterprise Hub. He identified water stress and power supply as significant infrastructure challenges. He also mentioned the STEP fusion programme at West Burton and the UK Food Valley.

Councillor Baxter questioned the value of investing in the STEP programme, given its location outside of Lincolnshire. Mr Brown responded that the project would bring opportunities for Lincolnshire businesses and educational institutions. Councillor Dyer raised the issue of the relationship between the council and the new Mayoral Combined Authority. Mr Brown said that he would work with Democratic Services to develop something that the committee could look at to see how that relationship works. Councillor Reeve raised concerns about the security of knowledge produced by the STEP project. Councillor Corey asked for more detailed data on Lincolnshire's GVA1.

Property

Andrew McLean, Assistant Director for Corporate Transformation Systems and Performance and Interim Assistant Director for Corporate Property, provided an overview of the council's property estate, which includes over 1,000 properties, 470 operational buildings, 423 schools, and over 16,000 acres of farmland. He outlined the responsibilities of the property team, which include strategic asset management, design and construction, and facilities management. He also discussed the council's new service delivery model, which involves partnerships with KIA and Vinci. Mark Eyre, Head of Strategic Asset Management and Estates, spoke about the strategic asset management service, school asset management, and the county farms estate. Tina Teague, Building Programme Manager, discussed the council's capital programme, highlighting projects such as the new secure children's home in Sleaford and the refurbishment of Orchard House B. Marie Marrier, Head of Facilities and Workspace Management, discussed the facilities management services provided by her team.

Councillor Baxter asked how he could interrogate how the £1.5 million paid to Vinci had been spent during the last quarter. Councillor Dyer asked how much it would cost to change a light bulb, and requested a list of the council's 54 vacant properties. Councillor Dyer also asked what the cost implications would be of bringing all staff back into the office permanently. Councillor Dyer requested that the County Farm Strategy be brought to the committee for review. Councillor Corey asked how the council was going to monitor short lead time facilities repairs and improvements. Councillor East asked for an update on the high-tech development of RAF Scampton. Councillor Robinson asked who specifically manages the finances, and whether the surveyors are experts in their field.

Commercial

Victoria Eaton, Assistant Director – Commercial, provided an overview of the council's commercial activities, including procurement, contract management, and income generation. She highlighted the importance of the Procurement Act 2023, which promotes flexibility and transparency in procurement processes. She also discussed the council's commercial strategy, which focuses on delivering value for money, innovation, and supporting Lincolnshire's economy and community.

Councillor Corey asked how the commercial team works with the facilities management team to prioritise works that support income generation.

Work Programme

Kiara Hatsioanu, Scrutiny Officer, presented the draft work programme for the Growth Scrutiny Committee, outlining key themes and activities for the year ahead. The committee agreed to note the report and approve the existing work programme, with the addition of the County Farm Strategy and a verbal presentation on the Combined Authority. The Growth Scrutiny Committee Work Programme outlines a forward plan of activity for 2025-2026, aligning with the committee's revised remit and including a balance of pre-decision scrutiny, policy development, and performance monitoring.


  1. Gross Value Added (GVA) is a measure of the total value of goods and services produced in an economy, less the value of intermediate consumption (the cost of materials, supplies, and services used to produce those goods and services). It is an indicator of the economic performance of a region or country. 

Attendees

Profile image for Councillor M D Boles
Councillor M D Boles  Liberal Democrats
Profile image for Councillor L Cawrey
Councillor L Cawrey  Conservative

Topics

No topics have been identified for this meeting yet.

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