The Scrutiny Officer has submitted a report which presents recommendations from the Scrutiny Committee on the Covered Market Leasing Strategy

Scrutiny Committee Recommendations to the City Executive Board

We recommend that the City Executive Board approve the updated Covered Market Leasing Strategy 2015 with the following amendments:

a) The word ‘discouraged’ in paragraph 4.4 is strengthened to ‘avoided’.

b) The word ‘typically’ in the sixth bullet point of paragraph 4.9 is changed to ‘usually’.  It could also be stated that exceptions will be considered for larger independent retailers that originate from Oxford.

The Scrutiny Officer submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) which detailed the recommendations from the Scrutiny Committee regarding the Covered Market Leasing Strategy.

Cllr Simmons, Chair of Scrutiny Committee presented the report and highlighted the proposed amendments to the wording of the Covered Market Leasing Strategy.

The City Executive Board resolved to AGREE the recommendations of the Scrutiny Committee as set out in the report.

The Regeneration and Major Projects Manager has submitted a report which details the latest position in respect of the updated Covered Market Leasing Strategy.

Officer Recommendation: That the City Executive Board approve the updated Covered Market Leasing Strategy 2015.

The Regeneration and Major Projects Manager submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) which detailed the updated Covered Market Leasing Strategy.  The Regeneration and Major Projects Manager said that this was an update to the previous strategy and that it had been subject to extensive consultation with the market traders.  

Cllr Price presented the report and emphasised that the proposed changes to the strategy were intended to ensure that the covered market remained a “must visit experience” and “focussed on the needs of all Oxford residents”. 

The City Executive Board resolved to APPROVE the updated Covered Market Leasing Strategy 2015.

The Markets Manager presented the report which provided details of the updated leasing strategy for the covered market.  She explained that the updated Leasing Strategy builds on the 2007 leasing strategy, by incorporating the conclusions and recommendations of the 2013 review of the covered market management and operations.  The draft revised leasing strategy was shared in a meeting with covered market traders in February 2015 and circulated to all traders for consultation. No substantive responses or concerns were received by officers.

The review identified a range of improvements which were needed to raise the market’s trading performance. This included the need for a change in the retail mix and improvements in the quality and range of traders.

In discussion the Scrutiny Committee made the following points:

·         It was essential that the distinctive character of the market was maintained;

·         Were there sufficient incentives to attract the right mix of traders;

·         the wording at paragraph 3.13 should be reviewed for clarity.

The Scrutiny Committee AGREED to make the following recommendations to the City Executive Board:

1.    That paragraph 4.4. should be amended to read  “Uses which detract from the Market’s special character will be discouraged avoided, for example, electrical / white goods, mobile phones, travel agents, estate agents, nailbars and other ‘high street’ type operators.”

2.    That paragraph 4.9, bullet point 6 should be amended to read: “Independent with limited (typically usually less than 10) other shops.”