Agenda item

Scrutiny report to note.

Executive report for decision. 

ORDERED that the Executive:

1.     Note the report of the Place Scrutiny Panel into Barriers to Regeneration and its accompanying recommendations; and

2.     Approve the Action Plan prepared by the service in response to those recommendations.

The Place Scrutiny Panel submitted a report for Executive’s consideration.

The purpose of the scrutiny report was to present the findings of the Place Scrutiny Panel following its review into Barriers to Regeneration in Middlesbrough, together with an Action Plan developed in response to the Panel’s recommendations.

The Panel’s recommendations were:

A.  Carry out a survey of college and university students, to gain feedback to see if people who had come from different places across the country and now studied in Middlesbrough could suggest ways of improving Middlesbrough, from their own life experiences from where they were born.

B.  Elected Members and Officers to actively promote and talk up the town - many positive things are happening in Middlesbrough but they are often overlooked and overshadowed by the negative. This could be achieved through a positive marketing campaign and press releases.

C.  Support and deliver more town centre events with a strong emphasis on cultural activity to drive footfall and encourage people that live local and further afield to travel into the town centre.

D.  Redevelop Linthorpe Road to create a more compact retail centre to naturally increase footfall. The increased activity could make the town centre feel more vibrant and safer.

E.  Increase the number of Neighbourhood Safety Wardens to provide a reassuring presence and help to build confidence in the town centre.

F.  Work in partnership with businesses to ensure compliance with street‑drinking regulations and discourage related activity around their premises.

G. Increase green spaces and create a new attraction in the town centre, such as a winter garden, which could entice visitors to travel into the town centre and provide significant health (mental & physical), environmental (cleaner air, less heat, better drainage), social (community building, recreation), and economic (higher property values, tourism, jobs) benefits.

H.  Work in collaboration with Tees Valley Combined Authority to improve transport links into the town centre and outer areas of Middlesbrough to ensure key points of interest are easily accessible. This could be achieved by introducing a park-and-ride facility and improving bus services.

I.     Increase Middlesbrough Town Hall/Box Office opening times to improve accessibility and user satisfaction and potentially function as a dual-purpose information hub.

J.   Strengthen our relationship with Middlesbrough Development Corporation (MDC) further and work together towards the common goal.

K.  Apply for an extension to funding from the Office of the Police & Crime Commissioners Cleveland Unit for Reducing Violence (CURV) or seek alternative funding for the Night-Time Economy Pilot Project, which is currently due to end in March 2026.

Executive was advised that the Place Scrutiny Panel had undertaken a review during 2025 to examine barriers to regeneration across Middlesbrough, including issues relating to economic growth, town centre vitality, safety and partnership working.

The Chair of the Place Scrutiny Panel advised Executive that the review had explored a range of themes, including attracting businesses, improving perceptions of safety, enhancing the town centre offer, strengthening partnerships, and identifying good practice from other local authorities.

Executive heard the review and used comparators including Barnsley, Stockton and Grimsby and that urban regeneration had been an issue for some time. Town Centre development had also proven to be challenging for several reasons including transport links austerity. While young people were economic drivers, they were spending less time in town centres and as such not spending as much money. The Chair of the Panel also commented that retail could not be relied on and the ability to attract people to the town centre was made difficult considering working from home policies. An important consideration was the perception of crime in the town centre which made less appealing.

Members were informed that the Panel had developed a series of recommendations aimed at addressing the identified barriers. These included proposals to improve engagement with students, promote the town more positively, increase cultural events, enhance safety provision, improve transport connectivity, and develop the town centre environment, including additional green spaces and attractions.

An Executive Member thanked the Panel for emphasising the need for a strong cultural component in regeneration initiatives.

A discussion took place during which it was commented that Executive Member attendance at scrutiny was important to ensure transparency and effective challenge.

The Executive Member for Development provided a service response to the recommendations and stated that while many of the recommendations were already in progress they were all welcomed.

The Mayor stated that culture was an important feature of regeneration projects and provided comparatively higher visibility than other established sectors for attracting people to the town centre.

The Executive heard that the recommendations would help inform forthcoming strategic work, including the development of a Place Strategy, Town Centre Strategy and Investment Prospectus, expected later in 2026.

Members noted that the proposals aligned with the Council Plan priorities, particularly in supporting a successful and ambitious town, improving environmental outcomes, enhancing community safety and strengthening governance arrangements.

It was further noted that the actions would largely be delivered within existing resources and budgets, with no immediate impact on the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan, although some longer-term proposals such as town centre redevelopment and new attractions may require future investment and further reports.

OPTIONS

Executive considered the option of taking no action. This was not supported, as the Panel’s recommendations provided a clear and deliverable direction for the service and represented an opportunity to address identified barriers to regeneration.

Executive also considered the option of delivering all recommendations in full. This was not supported, as some proposals would be difficult to deliver or offer limited benefit, and therefore each recommendation had been individually assessed and incorporated into the Action Plan where appropriate.

ORDERED that the Executive:

1.     Note the report of the Place Scrutiny Panel into Barriers to Regeneration and its accompanying recommendations; and

2.     Approve the Action Plan prepared by the service in response to those recommendations.

REASONS

It was a requirement that Executive formally considered the Scrutiny Panel’s report and confirmed the service area’s response to the accompanying plan.