Agenda item

The Executive RESOLVED that

(i)            the bid to the EM3 Local Enterprise Partnership for ‘Supporting Town Centre Funds’ be endorsed; and

(ii)          the Council’s financial contribution to the overall LEP bid, including staffing resource be noted.

The Executive RECOMMENDED to Full Council that the Capital Programme be amended by £10,000 to fund the Council’s contribution towards the Surrey Heath Online Retail Experience project.

The Executive was informed that Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) had launched a Supporting Town Centres call for projects of up to £100,000 that would help re-start the local economy.The Economic Development team had been working with the world’s largest e-commerce company Alibaba and start-up technology company Bubbl to form a bid to the LEP for a borough App that housed a UK first live-commerce and proximity marketing platform, from which businesses would be able to promote and sell.

Members were advised that all LEP bids required a match funded contribution from partners. It was proposed that the Council would contribute £10,000 of monetary contributions and a further £40,000 of other resources, which would primarily involve officer time, to support the initial build and ongoing promotion; Montagu Evans and Collectively Camberley BID had already pledged support for the project.

It was confirmed that the App would be developed alongside partners, but owned by the Council. As the App would be publicly funded there would be no intention to generate revenue for the first 12 months; however, it was anticipated that there would be income from membership once the pilot 12 months had passed and marketing revenue could be achieved.

RESOLVED that

(i)        the bid to the EM3 Local Enterprise Partnership for ‘Supporting Town Centre Funds’ be endorsed; and

(ii)      the Council’s financial contribution to the overall LEP bid, including staffing resource be noted.

RECOMMENDED to Full Council that the Capital Programme be amended by £10,000 to fund the Council’s contribution towards the Surrey Heath Online Retail Experience project.