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SOLIHULL METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL
Report to:
Overview and Scrutiny Management Board
Meeting date:
1 April 2015
Subject/Report Title:
UK CENTRAL AND THE HS2 GROWTH STRATEGY
Report from:
Director of Managed Growth
Report Author/Lead
Contact Officer:
Andrew Reynolds, UK Central Programme Manager
All Wards
Wards affected:
Bickenhill
Blythe
Castle Bromwich
Chelmsley Wood
Dorridge/Hockley Heath
Elmdon
Kingshurst/Fordbridge
Knowle
Lyndon
Meriden
Olton
Shirley East
Shirley South
Shirley West
Silhill
Smith's Wood
St Alphege
Public/Private
report:
Public
Exempt by virtue of
Paragraph:
N/A
1.
Purpose of Report
1.1
To inform the Board that it will be receiving a presentation at this meeting on UK
Central and the HS2 Growth Strategy.
2.
Decision(s) Recommended
2.1
To note the progress the Council has made in developing proposals for the UK
Central Hub and Interchange Station; and
2.2
To comment on the proposals for the HS2 Growth Strategy.
3.
Background
3.1
On 10 April 2014 Cabinet, following consideration of the published reports of David
Higgins (HS2 Plus) and the HS2 Growth Task Force (HS2 Get Ready), noted the
recommendations of the Task Force included that Councils covering areas where
stations are to be developed should prepare a Growth Strategy for the station and its
surrounding area to explore opportunities to maximise economic growth. The
Council could see this was likely to be accepted, and working closely with
Government, started work to position a Growth Strategy with the Interchange Station
based on the UKC visions and concepts.
3.2
In July the Government published its response to the Growth Task Force
recommendations confirming its desire to see Growth Strategies prepared and in
August 2014 awarded £2.5m to the GBSLEP in the Growth Deal announcement.
This was awarded on the basis that the GBSLEP would produce a single HS2
Growth Strategy that would incorporate three strands of work being the Interchange
Station in Solihull, Curzon Street in Birmingham and a LEP wide strategy for
connectivity infrastructure to maximise the benefits.
3.3
Solihull Council has submitted proposals for £997,000 of funding towards the
development of the Interchange Station Growth Strategy subject to making a
contribution from the Council’s existing UKC and HS2 allocated budgets.
3.4
As reported to Cabinet on 18 September 2014 the Council, through a series of
commissions, has been progressing with work on the Growth Strategy for the UKC
Hub which includes the development of the HS2 Interchange Station.
3.5
At its meeting on 23 October 2014 Cabinet approved the process for producing and
submission of the Interim HS2 Growth Strategy.
3.6
On 9 February 2015 the GBSLEP submitted the Interim HS2 Growth Strategy to
Government which incorporated the Council’s proposals for the Hub and Interchange
Station. This is now being used to inform the next Comprehensive Spending Round
2015 subject to submission of the final HS2 Growth Strategy on 30 April 2015.
3.7
This work to develop a Growth Strategy for the HS2 Interchange has also been an
essential part of the Council building its case in support of the authority’s petition to
the Hybrid Bill and current negotiations on the same.
The HS2 Growth Strategy
3.8
3.9
The HS2 Growth Strategy is formed of three core elements:
(a)
Birmingham Curzon Street
(b)
UK Central Hub and Interchange Station
(c)
Wider Connectivity
In addition there are three cross-cutting themes:
(a)
Skills
(b)
Supply Chain
(c)
Environment
3.10
The context of the Strategy has been produced using an approach of connecting
People, Places and Business to drive productivity and growth.
3.11
The presentation will explain the work that has been done to date, both in terms of
the overall HS2 Growth Strategy and more specifically the work around producing
the Strategic Outline Case for the UKC Hub and Interchange Station. The HS2
Growth Strategy will be setting out the Council’s Asks to Government as part of a
package of measures to enable delivery of the development opportunity around the
HS2 Interchange Station and the wider Hub area.
3.12
This is the opportunity for the Board to be updated on the preparation of the
Strategy, and to highlight any issues that it would like Cabinet to consider when the
final version is considered by them on 16 April 2015.
3.13
The final HS2 Growth Strategy is required to be submitted to Government on 30 April
2015.
4.
Implications
4.1
Delivery of the Council’s Priorities
UK Central is fundamental to the long term delivery and success of the Council’s
priorities and vision for Managed Growth.
4.2
Policy/Strategy Implications
UK Central and the HS2 Growth Strategy will have implications for Solihull’s Local
Plan, its Economic Development Strategy and Transport, Infrastructure and
Connectivity.
4.3
Meeting the duty to involve
Not relevant to this Report.
4.4
Financial Implications
The Government has awarded £2.5m revenue funding to the GBSLEP to support the
development of the HS2 Growth Strategies. The GBSLEP has made a notional
allocation of c£1m to SMBC to support the production of the UKC Hub and
Interchange Station Growth Strategy on the understanding that the Council will be
making a contribution of c£333,000 through the allocated budgets for UKC and HS2.
4.5
Legal implications
Production and publication of the HS2 Growth Strategy is not a statutory requirement
but there are potentially significant opportunities arising from its submission to
Government .
4.6
Risk Implications
None arising directly from this Report.
4.7
Statutory Equality Duty
In delivering the UK Central Programme the Council will ensure that ‘due regard’
under our Statutory Equality Duty is taken account of.
4.8
Carbon Management/Environmental
The development principles will identify and consider appropriate a range of
measures to reduce the impact on and improve the environment as well as
measures to improve carbon management.
4.9
Partner Organisations
There is a range of ongoing engagement with partners in informing and developing
the HS2 Growth Strategy.
4.10
Safeguarding/Corporate Parenting Implications
Not applicable in respect of this Report.
4.11
Customer Impact
Not applicable in respect of this Report.
4.12
Other implications
No other implications identified.
5.
List of Appendices Referred to
5.1
N/A.
6.
Background Papers Used to Compile this Report
6.1
N/A.
7.
List of Other Relevant Documents
7.1
Cabinet Report July 2013 – Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise
Partnership.
7.2
Cabinet Report January 2014 – UK Central and HS2 Memorandum of
Understanding.
7.3
Cabinet Report April 2014 – High Speed 2 publication of the HS2 Plus and HS2 Get
Ready Reports.
7.4
Cabinet Report June 2014 – UKC and HS2 Interchange Prospectus.
7.5
Cabinet Report September 2014 – Decision making and Governance arrangements.
7.6
Cabinet Report September 2014 – Land Owners Collaboration Agreement.