Policy and Project Advisory Board - Tuesday, 22nd September, 2026 7.00 pm - Agenda and draft minutes

To confirm the Minutes of the Meeting held on 9th June, 2026 (copy attached).

The minutes of the meeting held on 9th June, 2026 were agreed as a correct record.

The Board to review the aims and the action plan of the Aldershot & Farnborough Growth Partnership (action plan and prospectus attached).

 

Lee McQuade, Economy and Growth Service Manager and Tom Bircham, Economic Development Officer will be in attendance at the meeting to guide the discussion.

The Chair welcomed Mr Lee McQuade, Economy and Growth Service Manager and Mr Tom Bircham, Economic Development Officer, who provided further information in relation to the aims and the action plan of the Aldershot & Farnborough Growth Partnership. By way of context, the Board was informed that Rushmoor ranked highest in the UK for GVA (Gross Value Added) per hour worked and that, overall, productivity was 100.9% higher than the national average. The Borough boasted an employment rate of 85.6% which was significantly above regional and national benchmarks. Key sectors included aerospace, defence, digital and technical and professional services, with many major companies having a presence in the Borough, including Airbus, Boeing, Qinetiq, Gulfstream and BMW. It was noted, however, that the area also faced economic challenges, with pockets of deprivation, tired town centres and a growing challenge around talent and investment.

 

Turning to the Aldershot and Farnborough Growth Partnership, Members were informed that this was convened and chaired by Alex Baker MP and was a collection of the Borough’s key stakeholders combining forces to speak as a single economic cluster and promote the region’s strengths. The Partnership had identified three key priorities:

 

• Business Investment and Acceleration

 

• Skills and Jobs

 

• Renewing the Place

 

The Board was informed that the priorities were underpinned by a set of cross-cutting themes that shaped how activity was developed, coordinated and delivered:

 

• Improving awareness of collective business strengths and skills requirements

 

• Strengthening growth and connectivity between businesses and local partners to collaborate, share and learn

 

• Improving collaboration between businesses and schools and colleges on what skills business need and the varied career opportunities possible

 

• Developing a vision and action plan for town centre regeneration and business’ role in that

 

• Developing and promoting the growth and skills opportunity

 

• Establishing and promoting the Aldershot and Farnborough Growth Partnership brand, creating a clear, credible and consistent identity for the Partnership to unify activity

 

Members were informed that the establishing and operation of the Partnership was helping to address a number of key Council’s priorities, including the Delivery Plan priority of ‘Work with businesses to attract and retain jobs’, the Corporate Peer Review recommendations, including leveraging partners and to improve routine engagement between partners and businesses.

 

In discussing the content of the presentation, the Board raised the following points:

 

• Seems a paradox – statistics show great place to live and work in – but it doesn’t necessarily feel like that!

 

• Residents’ earnings are nowhere near the average earning shown in the figures as the Borough imports workers from affluent areas and exports the lower paid

 

• Need to address skills gap – connect businesses to schools and promote existing opportunities, such as apprenticeships

 

• Need to ensure that companies engaging with schools in a more coordinated way, where possible

 

• Mustn’t forget home-schooled children – some local home school groups exist

 

• Good communications are vital here

 

• Qinetiq has done some great work with veterans – any others?

 

• Careers events/days within schools and colleges are really important

 

• Feels like this applies more  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

The Board to consider recommending changes to the current application requirements or standard conditions relating to the Council’s Street Trading Consent Policy (report attached).

 

Shelley Bowman, Place Protection Manager (Licensing, Patrol, Enviro-crime) and Lauren Arthur, Licensing Apprentice will be in attendance at the meeting to guide the discussion.

The Chair welcomed Ms Shelley Bowman, Place Protection Manager (Licensing, Patrol, Enviro-crime) and Ms Lauren Arthur, Licensing Apprentice, who provided information on proposed changes to the current application requirements or standard conditions relating to the Council’s Street Trading Consent Policy. The Board was informed that the Council had, previously, adopted the provisions of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 Schedule 4 and had designated that all streets within Rushmoor would need consent for street trading to be carried out lawfully. Street trading was defined as the selling, exposing or offering for sale of any article in a street, except for pedlars, markets or fairs, news vendors, trading at petrol stations and shops or roundsmen. It was explained to Members that a street was defined as any road, footway, beach or other area to which the public had access without payment. It was confirmed that the Council had not had a cohesive policy document up to now but that decisions had been taken on their merits, based on historic decisions that had been made by Members some time ago. It was now proposed to produce a policy as it was felt that some of the historic decisions taken no longer represented a realistic way forward in these times. Examples of street trading that would need to be considered would be the sale of Christmas trees from people’s homes, coffee and other home-based  refreshment outlets and the growth of ‘cake sheds’ in the Borough. Members were asked for their recommendations on changes to the current application requirements or standard conditions.

 

In discussing the content of the presentation, the Board raised the following points:

 

·                    Confirmed that ‘cake sheds’ are controlled from a food safety perspective and do not need to register for this purpose

 

·                    Does ‘honesty box’ count as trading? Street trading legislation not explicit but licensing team interpretation is that it counts in terms of licensing provisions

 

·                    Do we need a policy after not having one for so long? Felt that policy was now needed by licensing team to enable smooth decision making

 

·                    Confirmed that a ‘cake shed’ does need a licence where the location meets the definition of a street and this currently costed £390, based on a cost-recovery approach

 

·                    Confirmed that street trading not affected by planning considerations, such as car parking etc.

 

·                    It was expected that the Street Trading Policy would be considered by the Cabinet around June, 2027

 

·                    In terms of complaints – not many received and mostly in relation to Christmas tree sellers

 

·                    Suggested that food inspectors should require to see proof of public liability insurance

 

·                    Historic decision means that the default position in town centres is that street trading is not allowed – there are now many circumstances when street trading in Farnborough and Aldershot is and should be welcomed – it is laborious to have to ‘divert from policy’ each time applications are granted

 

·                    Suggested that the Council should consider having designated ‘pitches’ in town centres for street trading, subject to an economic assessment  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

To discuss the Policy and Project Advisory Board Work Plan (copy attached).

The Board noted the current Work Plan.

 

The Chair invited Members to submit any possible items for consideration by the Programme Management Board by email.