Minutes:
RECEIVED the report of Peter George, Director-Meridian water, a copy of which is attached to the agenda.
NOTED
(i) The report updates the Board on the progress to date towards delivering the Council’s target of 10,000 homes and 6,000 jobs at Meridian Water.
(ii) Meridian Water is a key component in contributing to the vision, aims and priorities of the Council’s Corporate Plan. This includes:
· Good homes in well-connected neighbourhoods;
· Safe, healthy and confident communities;
· An economy that works for everyone.
(iii) Meridian Water Aims & aspirations include:
· Highest quality of design and place-making throughout;
· New facilities to include restaurants, schools, community facilities, parks, health, leisure and culture.
(iv) A residential update was provided detailing progress made to date on delivering the four sites at Meridian Water that has received Cabinet authority to proceed: Meridian 1-4. (please refer to Appendix 1: page 23 of the agenda for a plan of Meridian 1-4).
(v) Discussions took place on the strength in diversity aspect of the programme including:
· Promoting public sector values via procurement;
· Insisting sub-contractors achieve 50% BAME and 50% females at a partner level plus Edmonton company;
· Investment in scholarship/future generation;
· Design future procurements to promote SME/diverse frameworks;
· Encourage public sector partners to adopt a similar approach
(vi) An employment update was also provided which covered details on the required outcomes. These included:
· Create 6,000 permanent, high quality jobs of which no less than 25% will be from local labour;
· Deliver 1,000 new high-quality jobs through Meanwhile Employment Uses on land intended for redevelopment, where possible rehoming these businesses within the new development;
· Enabling local Enfield employers to supply meridian Water starting with its construction, with no less than 10% of all investment benefiting local employers;
· Deliver 1,000 construction jobs, sustained over 25 years, of which no less than 25% will be from local labour.
(vii) Meridian Water Enfield Construction Skills Academy will train up to 500 people a year giving them skills to gain a meaningful career in construction. Designs for the Skills Academy have progressed, and planning permission has been granted. Procurement of the Skills Academy Operator commenced in August with selection likely to be completed early 2022. The Skills Academy is due to be delivered late 2022.
(viii) The Council has also entered a partnership with Troubadour Theatres which has delivered three film studios at Meridian Water with three more to be delivered by 2023. Troubadour also plan to deliver a skills academy for the film industry in 2023. This will provide sector-based training in technical roles associated with film production with a target of training up to 450 roles per annum. This Academy will work with an Higher Educational partner to deliver recognised industry qualifications.
Following Peter’s update, the following comments and questions were raised:
· Vistry have appointed a local firm to deliver Groundworks on Meridian 1a. This is a significant piece of work and great news for the local economy. Vistry is also performing well on levels of local, female and Black, Asian and ethnic minority construction staff.
· Through the procurement of the professional services for Meridian Four project, the team has sought to ensure that the Council’s approach to promoting Equality, Diversity and capturing Social value benefits have been captured.
· In response to a question regarding employment numbers and statistics Peter explained that KPI’s, data gathering, and baselining of these numbers is now in place with a tracker being updated quarterly and relationships with employers and contractors allows for the anonymized data to be collected. The monitoring also includes data on equalities, diversity and inclusion.
· Clarification was sought on paragraph 9, page 18 of the report. Peter advised that strategic and industrial land at Meridian Water will be discussed with the Greater London Authority (GLA) but in the context of the overall Local Plan, the target of 10,000 homes to be built remains constant.
· Concern was raised that climate change had not been addressed as part of the presentation received as this was most important in relation to equalities. Peter apologised that this slide had been missed from the power point presentation provided but agreed that it was absolutely right to raise climate change in relation to equalities.
· Peter asked for direction from the Chair as to the frequency of updates to the Board on progress with Equalities in relation to Meridian Water.
Action: Lucy Nasby/Chair
The Chair thanked Peter for his interesting and informative presentation.