Agenda and minutes

To confirm the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee held on 5 November 2008    (previously circulated) and matters arising.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 5 November 2008 be agreed, subject to the following amendment:

·               That Christine Buttling and County Councillor M Tomkins had attended the meeting.

To receive a presentation from Robert Smith (Chairman) of Essex Playing Fields Association. (Explanatory note attached)

The Chairman welcomed Robert Smith from Essex Playing Field Association.

Mr R Smith advised the committee that the Association had been founded in 1924, as a charity based organisation, devoting itself to the creation, preservation, improvement and development of playing fields, play grounds and play areas.

The Association provided a source of key information for people who needed help and advice on preserving their green areas and playing fields and were affiliated with Fields in Trust (FIT).

The Association was run by volunteers that relied on generous financial support from Essex County Council, donations from grant-making trusts, companies and individuals.

Currently membership was around 200, with only a third from Epping Forest District. Mr R Smith wished to encourage more Essex Parish and Town Councils to take up membership of the Essex Playing Fields and asked for an application form to be included with the minutes.

AGREED:

That the application form for the Essex Playing Fields Association would be included in the minutes.

The Chairman thanked Mr R Smith for attending the Committee.

Presentation by Richard Crone (FAIR Manager) on the FAIR Project.

The Chairman welcomed Richard Crone from the F.A.I.R Project.

Mr R Crone advised that the project provided Funding Advice and Information Resources to voluntary and community organisations with Harlow and Epping Forest District. The range of services for the users included access to GrantNet; an online directory of funding opportunities, support with sourcing appropriate funders, completing application forms and help gathering supporting documentation needed to obtain funding. The project kept organisations informed by providing weekly bulletins including funding and training links, local news, national voluntary sector headlines and a quarterly 'FAIR'S FAIR' newsletters.

Mr R Crone advised that a working shop had been arranged to run for March 2009 in Theydon Bois and invited members to attend.

AGREED:

That, members wishing to attend the workshop should contact Mr R Crone and that the FAIR Project contact details would be included in the minutes.

The Chairman thanked Mr R Crone for attending the Committee.

To discuss the following items raised by Councillor Surtees:

• Update on the Gypsy/Traveller Survey.
• Communication with Local Councils and Essex County Councils. 
• Procedure for assessing Community Initiative Fund/Youth CIF/Road CIF applications.
• The impact on local residents of the Call for sites for potential development.
• Functionality of the Iplan” system and continued distribution of paper copies of planning documents.
• Rubbish collection services for Village Halls and other similar establishments.
• Local Police Pledges appear to be uniform across the district/county – should there be a mechanism for communities to contribute?

Councillor Surtees raised the following items collated from the Epping Forest Local Councils;

(a) Gypsy and Travellers Consultation – Update

An update had been requested on the Gypsy and Travellers Consultation on Options.

The Director of Planning and Economic Development, John Preston, informed the committee that 9, 700 responses to the consultation had been received in total. The breakdown of responses had been 8,100 from Action Groups, 900 individual and 700 received online and that the consultation period had closed on the 20 February 2009. Officers would now check for duplicates and attain an initial analysis to present to the Overview and Scrutiny Panel in April 2009.

Mr J Preston advised that the Regional Office of the Government had reduced the allocation of additional gypsy and traveller site pitches for Epping Forest District by ten from 49 to 39. The Examination in Public (EiP) Report into the Review of Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation in the East of England published on 18 December 2008 would form the basis of recommendations to the Government which would be holding further consultation before issuing the final allocations in 2010.

A committee member asked whether new sites identified would have any implications on the consultation that had taken place.

Mr J Preston advised that sites identified in addition to the consultation would be considered and would have to go through the same initial assessment criteria however the public consultation would not be carried out again.

The Chairman asked whether the outcome of the consultation would be before the next general election and if the consultation could be prevented

J Preston advised that the process would be lengthy and most probably continue into 2010, and although it could be discontinued, a considerable amount of time and funding had been applied.

A committee member asked how planning applications on identified sites in the consultation would be dealt with.

J Preston explained that any planning application would be dealt with according to the normal planning requirements.

The Chairman commented that a number of residents had complained about certain compulsory questions, which they felt required a more substantial knowledge of the District and expressed dislike about commenting on other sites within the consultation.

A committee member asked whether the consultation had impacted on the District Councils’ work load.

Mr J Preston advised that the consultation had a considerable impacted on the District Council in particular the forward planning team and would continue to effect the performance of the Planning Directorate due to the strict time table and volume of work involved in the consultation.

AGREED:

That if any Parish/Town Councils had any further concerns or comments to contact Mr J Preston.

(b)               Communication with Local Councils and Essex County Councils

Information had been requested regarding the amount of notification Parish/Town Councils received with regards to business considered by Essex County Council and Epping Forest District Council.

The Assistant Director of Democratic Services, Graham Lunnun advised that a basic statutory requirement to convene a public meeting required that the agenda  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.

To receive a report from Councillor R Bassett on Essex County Council “Localism” initiative and to agree on how nominations for the Parish/Town Councils seats would be made.

Councillor Bassett advised the committee that under the Essex County Council “Localism” initiative, the District Council planned to establish a Local Highways Panel to carry out annual consultation with Essex County Highways concerning priorities for the use of a devolved highway maintenance budget.

An information leaflet was handed out to members providing details of the highways scheme.

The scheme would be implemented on a phased basis across the County and Epping Forest had been invited to participate in the process from April 2009. The panel would be established along the following lines;

a)      that the number of District Councillors serving on the Panel would total 11, pro rota political groups and representative of the three geographical areas (East, South, West) ;

b)      that the number of Parish/Town Councillors serving on the Panel would be 3,  representative of the three geographical areas (East, South & West);

(c)  that the Panel will be chaired by the Portfolio Holder for Civil Engineering & Maintenance (or any successor Portfolio Holder) who would be counted as one of the nominees of the appropriate political group;

(d)  That a Vice-Chairman will be appointed from among the other District Councillors;

(e)  That only District members of the Panel would have voting rights;

(f)   That representatives of Parish Councils should be able to attend panel meetings and speak, provided that they have given advanced notice of matters they wished to raise so that an agenda item placed before the Panel;

(g)  That other District Councillors should be able to attend and speak on the same basis as (h);

(h)  That meetings should be open to the press and public and held in the evenings at the Civic Offices, Epping;

(i)   that a minimum of six meetings should be held each year;

(j)   that designated County Council Highways should nominate a lead officer to support the Panel;

(k)  that the Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation would be able to invited to attend when necessary; and

(l)   that the agenda and minutes of the Panel would be circulated to each District Councillor and to each Parish/Town Council.

Proposed training session would be held for the appointed members of the Panel and other interested Councillors.

Councillor Pond raised concerns regarding the three geographical areas and suggested that the South of the District should have greater representation because of the higher population in that part of the District and therefore a higher vehicle usage with the roads requiring more maintenance.

Councillor Bassett advised that the Highways Panel would endeavour to achieve an even geographical representation of the District but advised that if particular issues were raised, Parish/Town members could attend meetings.

Councillor Surtees advised that the item would be considered at the next meeting for Epping Forest Local Councils Branch and the Highways Panel would be advised accordingly of the Parish/Town representatives.

AGREED:

That interested members would contact Councillor Surtees.  

Councillor Bassett advised the committee that if they had any issues or concerns that they could contact him.

Councillor B Murphy advised the Committee that he had meet with the District Commander, Chief Inspector Alan Ray and no major concerns had been raised.

To note the proposed meeting dates of the Committee scheduled for the new

municipal year:

15 July 2009

18 November 2009    

17 March 2010.

The future meeting dates for this Committee were noted.