Agenda and minutes

(a)        This meeting is to be webcast;

(b)        Members are reminded of the need to activate their microphones before speaking; and

(c)        The Chairman will read the following announcement:

I would like to remind everyone present that this meeting will be broadcast live to the Internet and will be capable of subsequent repeated viewing, with copies of the recording being made available for those that request it.

By being present at this meeting, it is likely that the recording cameras will capture your image and this will result in your image becoming part of the broadcast.

You should be aware that this may infringe your human and data protection rights. If you have any concerns then please speak to the Webcasting Officer.

Please could I also remind Members to activate their microphones before speaking.

The Chairman reminded everyone present that the meeting would be broadcast live to the Internet and that the Council had adopted a protocol for the webcasting of its meetings.

(Director of Governance) To report the appointment of any substitute members for the meeting.

The Cabinet Committee noted that Councillor J Philip substituted for Councillor G Mohindra.

(The Director of Governance) To declare interests in any items on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest pursuant to the Council’s Code of Member Conduct.  

To confirm the minutes of the last meeting of the Cabinet Committee held on 06 July 2017.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 6 July 2017 be taken as read and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

(Director of Neighbourhoods) To consider the attached report AMED-004-2017/18.

The Economic Development Officer (EDO) presented a report to the Cabinet Committee and updated them on a number of projects and issues being explored by the Economic Development Team.

3.         Town Centres

Waltham Abbey Wayfinding Project

The Waltham Abbey Wayfinding Project was managed by the Council on behalf of the Town Partnership. 14 of the 15 signs have been installed and the last one was due to be installed on Friday 12 January 2018.

4.         Business Support

One Business Briefing

To date the One Business Briefing magazine for businesses which was published in August 2017 had now been downloaded from the Council’s website in excess of 660 times. The Spring edition was now being planned with a theme of tourism in the district.

Meet the Buyer

On the 23 November 2017, in conjunction with Epping Forest Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Development team organised a Meet the Buyer Conference to enable local businesses to meet face-to-face with some of the biggest buyers in and around the District.  Small and medium sized enterprises were able to understand how big organisations in the public and private sector buy, what they procure, how much they procure, and opportunities available.  The event attracted over 70 delegates, representing a wide variety of sectors from aviation, health, research, tourism, and education. The Team secured sponsorship from the Marriott Hotel Waltham Abbey and the event included speakers from London Stansted Airport, Public Health England, Essex County Council, Epping Forest College, and Vibrant Partnerships.

5.         Digital Innovation Programme

Economic Development officers in conjunction with One Epping Forest, Princess Alexandra Hospital and West Essex CCG submitted an application in November 2017 to the LGA / Design Council ‘Design in the Public Sector’ programme. The application was put together as a Digital Innovation Zone (DIZ) project to address the level of A&E incidents amongst the over-75 population of the Digital Innovation Zone.

A third Smart Places Seminar focusing on Digital Skills for future jobs was planned to take place on 9 February 2018 at Haileybury College in Broxbourne Borough. It was planned that external speakers from business and academic perspectives will bring forward their thoughts on what was coming down the line in terms of digital opportunities and threats, but crucially also to focus back on what businesses, colleges etc. need to do now to prepare themselves and their workforces for an increasingly digital future.

The DIZ Board continued to meet on a monthly basis. This cross-border grouping, originally formed of Epping Forest District Council, Uttlesford, Harlow, East Herts and Broxbourne Councils, Essex County Council, the London Stansted Cambridge Consortium, Princess Alexandra Hospital, West Essex CCG and KAOData, chaired by Councillor Lion (with Councillor Mohindra as Vice Chairman). The Board had now welcomed representatives of Further and Higher Education and the voluntary sector. Membership will continually be reviewed and supplemented where appropriate to ensure it represented the key stakeholders in our digital future.

An expression of interest had been submitted, on behalf of the DIZ Board, to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

(Director of Neighbourhoods) To consider the attached report AMED-005-2017/18.

The Director of Neighbourhoods presented a report to the Cabinet Committee and updated Members on further developments to the report since it had been published.

(1)        Epping Forest Shopping Park

The shopping park opened on time and within budget. Eight of the eleven units were now operational with one of the anchor stores, Next PLC, opening their doors on the 19 December 2017. Early reports indicated that trading levels were very good. Interest for the three remaining units was progressing, all from well known high street retailers and it was hoped that more units would be let by the end of March 2018. Although there had been a soft opening of the Shopping Park it was expected that the official opening would be in March/April 2018.

There was an initial period where parking was unrestricted due to contractors being on site fitting out the units. The ANPR Cameras and enforcement activity in the car park commenced with the opening of Aldi at the end of November 2017. Shoppers were allowed to park for a maximum of 3 hours and the electric car charge points were proving to be very popular.

The Section 278 Highways works were 99% completed and had gone through the formal safety audit process. This was a three stage process - the first being a safety audit process on the design which was passed. The second stage was the construction of the highways works and the third stage was the road safety audit, which would take place at practical completion. It had been noted that pedestrians were taking risks crossing the very busy road at the Chigwell Lane/Borders Lane junction. The need for more kerbside safety barriers at the end of Borders lane had been identified in order to prevent pedestrians crossing the roads unsafely. These works should be completed by the end of January 2018.

Councillor S Kane asked exactly how popular were the electric car charging points and were they being used by people without electric cars. Mr Macnab advised that there were 10 electrical charging spaces and they were being occupied by the owners of non electric cars. The enforcement company were now having to implement a new set of controls over these spaces.

Councillor J Philip asked if  there been any changes since the Council had brought in the ANPR and was there enough parking for people wishing to use the stores. Mr Macnab advised that commuters and staff from other businesses in Langston Road had been using the free parking facilities. Since the ANPR became live it had been observed that vehicles were entering the car park with false number plates taped over their own. The length of free parking at the shopping park was 3 hours, which was what the tenants asked for in their leases. Shoppers have complained that 3 hours was not long enough and would be reviewed in the future.

(2)        Oakwood Hill Depot

As part of the Council’s Corporate Accommodation Review, the feasibility of relocating the Housing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.

Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972, together with paragraphs 6 and 25 of the Council Procedure Rules contained in the Constitution require that the permission of the Chairman be obtained, after prior notice to the Chief Executive, before urgent business not specified in the agenda (including a supplementary agenda of which the statutory period of notice has been given) may be transacted.

The Cabinet Committee noted that there was no other urgent business for consideration.

Exclusion: To consider whether, under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press should be excluded from the meeting for the items of business set out below on grounds that they will involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the following paragraph(s) of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act (as amended) or are confidential under Section 100(A)(2):

The Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006, which came into effect on 1 March 2006, requires the Council to consider whether maintaining the exemption listed above outweighs the potential public interest in disclosing the information. Any member who considers that this test should be applied to any currently exempted matter on this agenda should contact the proper officer at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.

Background Papers:  Article 17 - Access to Information, Procedure Rules of the Constitution define background papers as being documents relating to the subject matter of the report which in the Proper Officer's opinion:

(a)        disclose any facts or matters on which the report or an important part of the report is based;  and

(b)        have been relied on to a material extent in preparing the report and does not include published works or those which disclose exempt or confidential information and in respect of executive reports, the advice of any political advisor.

The Council will make available for public inspection for four years after the date of the meeting one copy of each of the documents on the list of background papers.

The Cabinet Committee noted that there were no items of business on the agenda that necessitated the exclusion of the public and press from the meeting.