Agenda item

Report of Commercial Director (Bicester)

Purpose of report

The purpose of this report is to seek approval of the Interim Position Statement (attached as Appendix 1 to this report) relating to the securing of construction apprenticeships and skills through the land use planning system.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

 1.1        To approve Appendix 1 as guidance which will operate informally to secure construction apprenticeships and skills through the processing of planning applications by the Council, prior to informing a relevant policy within the Cherwell District Council Local Plan Part 2 and the Planning Contributions Supplementary Planning Document, which are currently in the early stages of preparation.

1.2         To request that the Leader nominates a Cherwell District Council representative on to theApprenticeship and Training Company Apprenticeship and Training Agency (ATA) Board.

Resolved

(1)          That the Draft Cherwell District Council Interim Position Statement on Planning Obligations for Construction Apprenticeships and Skills, April 2016 be approved as guidance which will operate informally to secure construction apprenticeships and skills through the processing of planning applications by the Council, prior to informing a relevant policy within the Cherwell District Council Local Plan Part 2 and the Planning Contributions Supplementary Planning Document, which are currently in the early stages of preparation.

(2)          That, after the Annual Council meeting in May 2016 the Leader  nominates a Cherwell District Council representative on to theApprenticeship and Training Company Apprenticeship and Training Agency (ATA) Board.

The Commercial Director (Bicester) submitted a report which sought approval of the Interim Position Statement relating to the securing of construction apprenticeships and skills through the land use planning system.

Resolved

(1)          That the Draft Cherwell District Council Interim Position Statement on Planning Obligations for Construction Apprenticeships and Skills, April 2016 be approved as guidance which will operate informally to secure construction apprenticeships and skills through the processing of planning applications by the Council, prior to informing a relevant policy within the Cherwell District Council Local Plan Part 2 and the Planning Contributions Supplementary Planning Document, which are currently in the early stages of preparation.

(2)          That, after the Annual Council meeting in May 2016 the Leader  nominates a Cherwell District Council representative on to theApprenticeship and Training Company Apprenticeship and Training Agency (ATA) Board.

Reasons

Increasing the number of new apprenticeships in England is a high profile Government objective. Cherwell District Council supports this aspiration. The amount of new development taking place in the District over the next 20 years or so, coupled with the evidenced shortage of construction skills provides both an incentive and opportunity to secure the provision of new construction related apprenticeships through the land use planning system.

The Cherwell District Council Local Plan Part 1 as well as CDC’s Economic Strategy contains strategic aspirations relating to the need to support an increase in skills and training within the District. The Guidance provides detail on how this overarching strategic aim can be achieved through the land use planning process.

CDC is anticipating that developers will generally support the approach being promoted in this Guidance as an important and progressive initiative designed both  increase the number of local skilled construction operatives available to support the building industry, as well as promoting the construction trades generally as a valuable future career path for young people. As such, the Executive is recommended to approve Appendix 1 to operate as informal guidance to secure construction apprenticeships and skills through the processing of planning applications by the Council, prior to informing a relevant policy within the Cherwell District Council Local Plan Part 2 and the Planning Contributions Supplementary Planning Document, which are currently in the early stages of preparation.

The setting up and operating of The Apprenticeship and Training Company to manage apprenticeships on behalf of developers and their contractors is a key element of delivering the apprenticeships. This is because it will make the whole process easier for developers by acting as the apprentices’ employer - rather than the developer needing to. Given that the OXLEP grant is supporting the first year or so of the Company’s operation and CDC is the accountable body for this grant, as well as its strategic commitment to support skills and training, it would seem appropriate that there is a CDC representative to sit on the Board.

Alternative options

Option 1: Not to progress the interim informal guidance but wait until a relevant policy can be included in Local Plan Part II and Planning Contributions Supplementary Planning Document. Rejected as this will present an opportunity lost and would potentially put the Council in breach of one of the key deliverables tied to the funding, which is to demonstrate measures undertaken to roll out this approach more widely than at NW Bicester.

Option 2: Not to seek a representative on the Board of the Apprenticeship and Training Company from Cherwell District Council.Rejected as this would potentially lead to some risk for the Council in terms of being the accountable body for the OxLEP grant. A key deliverable of the funding is that each relevant delivery partner in the project should have representation on the Board.