To discuss the following items raised by Councillor Surtees:
Minutes:
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 must be published 5 days before the meeting. EFDC normally published the notice of the meeting on the internet between 7/9 days before the meeting with paper copies of the agenda dispatched to Parish/Town Councils and information points across the District. Any queries could be forwarded to Mr G Lunnun.
The Deputy Chief Executive, Derek Macnab advised that the Cabinet published a work programme, which sets out key decisions made within a three month period ahead. In addition Overview and Scrutiny Committee also continuously reviewed their work programme. Mr D Macnab advised the Committee that they could contact Key Officers to answer their queries.
AGREED:
Agreed that Mr D Macnab would circulate an information guide with contact details of Key Officers at EFDC for the Parish/Town representatives and inform how to access the Cabinet and Overview and Scrutiny Forward Plans.
(c) Procedure for assessing Community Initiative Fund/Youth CIF/Road CIF Applications
Committee members requested further information on the Community Initiatives Fund (CIF), to enable more Parish/Town Councils to benefit from the initiatives.
D Macnab advised that the Community Initiatives Fund (CIF) helped fund projects or initiatives that promoted the social, economic or environmental well-being of the locality and resulted in the creation or enhancement of physical assets. Mr D Macnab suggested that this item should be raised on the West Essex Forum agenda, where the scheme had been administrated by the County Council
AGREED:
That Mr D Macnab would raise Community Initiatives Funding at the West Essex Forum.
(d) The Impact on Local residents of the Call for Sites for potential Development.
Mr J Preston advised the committee that the Council would be commencing work on the Core Strategy, the key document of the new Local Development Framework (LDF). The immediate priority of the LDF would be to make sufficient land allocations to meet the housing and employment targets and infrastructure requirements of the East of England Plan (EEP) which dealt with the period up to 2021.
The EEP would be an immediate comprehensive review with the time-span extending probably to 2031. The Council therefore considered that the Core Strategy should take account of this later date, with implications for further provision of land for housing (including gypsies and travellers) and employment. Mr J Preston advised that the Call for sites, sought opinion on sites that might have genuine potential for development over at least the next fifteen years. The process allowed public and private land to be suggested for future sites.
Committee members asked for information concerning the relevant Parish/Town Council affected by the sites, whether sites were dismissed or not, to be updated at the earliest opportunity.
(e) Functionality of the ‘Iplan’ System and continued distribution of paper copies of planning documents.
Members commented on teething problems with the system and wanted to be reassured that paper documents would continue to be supplied.
J Preston advised that the system had been implemented successfully and had only experienced a few problems which would be rectified. The system should allow a greater number of people to view planning applications and that this would be the way forward. J Preston advised that once all the problems had been resolved then electronic documents would eventually take over from paper documents. Mr J Preston advised that officers would provide initial support to Town/Parish Councils and he agreed to advise his staff of their concerns and problems.
D Macnab added that if numbers allowed committee members could attend the internal training for District Members.
Members expressed concerns regarding the poor search facilities and suggested that improvements would be required on the resolution before paper copies were removed.
(f) Waste Collection Services for Village Halls and other similar establishments.
Councillor Surtees advised that Mr C Thomson wished to comment on this agenda item but had sent his apologies.
Mr D Macnab informed the committee that a report concerning Waste Collections should be on Cabinet agenda on 20 April 2009, and if Colin Thomson would like to advise Mr J Gilbert of the issues, they could be addressed in the report.
AGREED:
That due to the time scale and absence, Councillor Surtees would advise Mr C Thomson to contact Mr J Gilbert.
(g) Local Police Pledges Appear to be uniform across the District/County – should there be a mechanism for Communities to contribute?
Councillor A Jackson, a member of ECC Police Authority forum advised that the Police pledge had been a national pledge which Essex had been one of the first to sign up to and already achieved most, if not all of the aims. It should not to be confused with the Local targets, which were separate from Essex and National targets.