Agenda

Key to abbreviations:

Other venues are shown in full.

Currently meetings are subject to change, postponement or cancellation.

Many meetings will be held virtually but Democratic Services will advise arrangements for individual meetings.

Committee Management System

The members’ extranet facility for the Modern.Gov system is available at:

https://eppingforestextranet.moderngov.co.uk/extranet

Members may wish to save this link on their computer or mobile devices. Queries concerning login and password details for the extranet should be addressed to the Democratic Services Manager.

Constitution

The Council’s Constitution is available at:

https://rds.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CId=638&Info=1

Queries concerning the Constitution should be addressed to the Democratic Services Manager

ECC Highways Portal

Up to date details of all Highways work is available at:

https://www.essexhighways.org/Transport-and-Roads.aspx

Member Contact

Please be aware that all Member queries should be logged using https://eppingforestdc-self.achieveservice.com/service/Member_Contact as this will ensure that your query or question is properly logged and chased up if you have not received a response within 5 days.

Members iPad / Technology Issues

Please email details of your issue to MemberContact@eppingforestdc.gov.uk and an ICT ticket will be raised on your behalf.

With the combined District, County, Police Fire and Crime Commissioner, and Town and Parish Council elections scheduled to take place on Thursday 6 May, I thought it would be helpful to circulate the following guidance based on a template prepared by the Local Government Association.

Guidelines and restrictions on decision making and publicity during the pre-election period

For practical purposes, the pre-election period that starts on Friday 19 March 2021. These restrictions apply to all elections happening during this period.

From the start of the pre-election period, the council must comply with restrictions outlined in Section 2 of the Local Government Act 1986. In addition a Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity published in 2011 makes clear that particular care should be taken in periods of heightened sensitivity, such as in the run up to an election. The Act defines publicity as “any communication, in whatever form, addressed to the public at large or to a section of the public.”

Generally, the Act says that we should “not publish any material which, in whole, or in part, appears to be designed to affect public support for a political party.” The Code of Practice recommends that authorities should generally not issue any publicity which seeks to influence voters and that publicity relating to individuals involved directly in the election should not be published unless expressly authorised by statute.

Decision making

In relation to decision making within the council, the position remains that it is ‘business as usual’ unless there are very good reasons why this should not be the case. In the vast majority of cases, the pre-election period will have no impact on normal council business, including the approval of planning decisions.

What this means

• The primary restriction is on proactive publicity by the council which particularly relates to candidates and other politicians involved directly in the election.
• The council can still issue media releases on factual matters provided that these do not identify individual councillors or groups of councillors.
• Councillors are still free to respond to enquiries received from the media in a personal capacity.
• Individual councillors can issue their own statements, write letters to the local newspaper(s) for publication, contact the media directly or say what they like in a personal capacity, but must not use council resources to do so.

It is still possible for the council to issue statements on behalf of a councillor holding a key political or civic position provided it relates to important events which are outside the council’s control and can be shown to justify a member response. These occasions are likely to be rare and to be the exception, rather than the rule.

(Further information: Tome Carne ext 4201)

Please see attached.

None this week

Please be advised that the Licensing Unit has received the following application for Street Trading Consent Renewal:

Please ensure that any comments/objections are received by the Licensing team on or before the consultation end date.

Manager                                                         Kim Tuckey 01992 564034

Licensing Officer                                            Debbie Houghton 01992 564336

1.            Appeals Lodged

EPF/1485/20 - 4 Little Goldings, The Barn Clays Lane Loughton IG10 2RZ - Proposed alterations & extensions to a detached house, including first floor extension over garage & utility, first floor back extension over back of kitchen & detached garage with guest bedroom & ensuite – Householder appeal – M Rahman ext. 4415

EPF/2087/20 – 11 Charles Street Epping CM16 7AU - Proposed single storey rear extension & extension of a dormer (Revised application to EPF/0928/20) Householder appeal – Alastair Prince ext. 4462

EPF/2146/20 – 5 Amesbury Waltham Abbey EN9 3LG - Proposed first floor rear extension- As Amended  - Written reps – appealing condition – Caroline Brown ext. 4182

2.         Forthcoming Planning Inquiries/Hearings -

EPF/1649/17 – White Rose Curtis Mill Lane Stapleford Abbotts RM3 1HS – Re determination appeal by new Inspector- date to be arranged.

13^th April 2021 – Virtual Inquiry - EPF/2905/19 and EPF/0379/20 Epping Forest College Sites Redevelopment of the site to provide x 139 no. residential units in 3 buildings ranging from 3-5 storeys, car parking spaces, communal landscaped amenity areas, secure cycling parking & other associated development and

Redevelopment of the site to provide 285 residential dwellings (Use Class C3) in a series of blocks ranging from 2 to 5 storeys in height, a new Wellness Centre (Use Class D1), creation of a new public park, car parking, communal landscaped amenity areas, secure cycle parking and other associated

3.            Enforcement Appeals

None this week

4.            Appeal Decisions

EPF/2033/20 – Grindelwald Middle Street Nazeing EN9 2LB - Existing bungalow roof removed & proposed 1st floor & two storey side/rear extension and alterations to create two storey dwelling & single storey side extension to create garage/utility room. Existing garage to be demolished – Allowed with conditions

5.         Tree Preservation Orders

None this week

6.         S106 Agreements

None this week

7.         Changes to Planning Systems

None this week

The notification of decisions taken by individual Portfolio Holders is no longer included in the Council Bulletin.

All members of the Council receive automatic email notification of the publication of each individual Portfolio Holder decision and the call-in period for each decision commences immediately. Members wishing to call-in a decision should complete the attached call-in form and return it to Democratic Services before the expiry of five working days following the publication date of the decision. Members should refer to the Constitution (Article 6 - Overview and Scrutiny) for the rules of call-in.