Council Procedure Rule 10.6 provides for questions by any member of the Council to the Leader, Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee or any Portfolio Holder, without notice on:
(i) reports under item 7 above; or
(ii) any other matter of a non operational character in relation to the powers and duties of the Council or which affects all or part of the District or some or all of its inhabitants.
Council Procedure Rule 10.7 provides that answers to questions without notice may take the form of:
(a) direct oral answer from the Leader or, at the request of the Leader, from another member of the Cabinet;
(b) direct oral answer from the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee or, at their request, from another member dealing with that issue as part of an Overview and Scrutiny review;
(c) where the desired information is in a publication of the Council or other published work, a reference to that publication;
(d) where the reply cannot conveniently be given orally, a written answer circulated later to the questioner; or
(e) where the question relates to an operational matter, the Leader, Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee or a member of the Cabinet will request that a response be given direct to the questioner by the relevant Chief Officer.
In accordance with the Council Procedure Rule 10.8, a time limit of twenty minutes is set for questions. Any question not dealt with within the time available will receive a written reply. The Chairman may extend this period by up to a further 10 minutes to ensure that all political groups and independent members may have their questions answered.
Minutes:
(a) Buckhurst Hill Parking Review
Councillor Spencer asked the Safer, Greener and Highways Portfolio Holder if a team of officers was in place to undertake the Buckhurst Hill Parking Review next year.
Councillor Smith, Safer, Greener and Highways Portfolio Holder stated that a team of officers had not yet been established but that she was fully aware of the need for a team to be developed.
(b) Revenue Income Optimisation – Parking Charges
Councillor J M Whitehouse drew attention to the written report of the Finance and Economic Development Portfolio Holder regarding the revenue income optimisation exercise recently undertaken by Price Waterhouse Coopers. He asked the Portfolio Holder to acknowledge the direct relationship between off and on-street parking and sought confirmation that any proposals would take account of the impact on on-street parking and ensure that the car parks in town centres would be available for local shoppers.
Councillor Mohindra, Finance and Economic Development Portfolio Holder advised that the main purpose of the proposals was to secure better utilisation of the car parks. Councillor Mohindra advised that the view of the Finance and Performance Management Committee had been to retain current off-street car parking charges to support the local economy of the District and further work would be carried out on how car parking charges could be structured to benefit local businesses by increasing turnover within the car parks. Councillor Mohindra invited Councillor Smith, Safer, Greener and Highways Portfolio Holder, to respond to that part of the question regarding on-street parking.
Councillor Smith, Safer, Greener and Highways Portfolio Holder advised that the correlation between off and on-street parking was recognised and would be taken into account.
(c) Epping New Road
Councillor Watts suggested that the Safer, Greener and Highways Portfolio Holder had omitted from her report reference to the filling of a pothole in the Epping New Road.
Councillor Smith, Safer, Greener and Highways Portfolio Holder thanked Councillor Watts for drawing this to the attention of the Council.
(d) Changes to Housing Benefit
Councillor Murray drew attention to the written report of the Finance and Economic Development Portfolio Holder regarding changes to Housing Benefit for single people under 35. He asked the Portfolio Holder if he agreed that a small section of the society was being unduly affected.
Councillor Mohindra, Finance and Economic Development Portfolio Holder advised that the decision of Central Government was a matter of concern to him. He acknowledged that a small minority would be affected and advised that the Government was trying to ensure that people lived in suitable sized accommodation. Councillor Mohindra said that the Council help those affected as best as it could.
(e) Council House Building Programme
Councillor Murray drew attention to the written report of the Housing Portfolio Holder regarding the decision of the Cabinet to commence a new Council House Building Programme. He pointed out that the District Council had not built a Council house since 1985 and that the current proposals would not secure a property until 2015. He asked the Portfolio Holder if she agreed that this was both a local and national disgrace.
Councillor McEwen, Housing Portfolio Holder pointed out that whilst the District Council had not built any houses during the last 30 years, a number had been built by Housing Associations. She emphasised that the District Council had been prevented from building houses as a result of Government regulations.
(f) Community Safety
Councillor Wixley drew attention to the written report of the Safer, Greener and Highways Portfolio Holder regarding operations undertaken in the Loughton Way area. He advised that the report referred to the Loughton Way area in Loughton whereas it should have referred to the Loughton Way in Buckhurst Hill.
Councillor Smith, Safer, Greener and Highways Portfolio Holder asked Councillor Wixley to accept that Buckhurst Hill was a safe place in which to reside as was Loughton. She pointed out that the reference to Loughton Way had been intended as a reference to the general area in which the Council had invested as had the local Town Council.
(g) Community Safety – The Broadway, Loughton
Councillor Markham referred to the domestic violence one stop shop in The Broadway, Loughton and to the proposed CCTV regeneration project in that area. He said that he was alarmed that it was felt necessary to give this much attention to The Broadway and he sought an assurance from the Safer, Greener and Highways Portfolio Holder that The Broadway was no different from any other part of the District.
Councillor Smith, Safer, Greener and Highways Portfolio Holder stated that earlier this month four doves had been released at a small service on the green adjoining the Civic Offices to symbolise the four deaths which had occurred in Essex in the last year as a result of domestic violence. She urged anyone experiencing home concerns to contact the Centre. The Portfolio Holder advised that domestic violence was a real problem and suggested that the provision of a on stop shop was a very worthwhile facility. She said that the Broadway had been chosen due its accessibility and the availability of premises.
(h) Revenue of Income Optimisation – Advertising
Councillor Sutcliffe drew attention to the written report of the Finance and Economic Development Portfolio Holder regarding the opportunities for the introduction of advertising on the Council’s website and vehicle fleet. Whilst acknowledging the need to increase income she sought an assurance that any such advertising would be limited and carefully controlled.
Councillor Mohindra, Finance and Economic Development Portfolio Holder, advised that this suggestion would be subject to a detailed report and the concerns of the Councillor would be taken into account.
(i) Olympic Games
Councillor J H Whitehouse referred to local events being organised to celebrate the Olympic Games in 2012 and asked the Leisure and Wellbeing Portfolio Holder if a comprehensive list was available showing all the events.
Councillor Gadsby, Leisure and Wellbeing Portfolio Holder stated that such a list was not available at present but that she considered this to be a good idea which she would pursue with officers.
(j) Relocation of Refuse Freighters to North Weald Airfield
Councillor Stallan asked the Environment Portfolio Holder about the current position regarding the possible relocation of refuse freighters to North Weald Airfield.
Councillor Knapman, Environment Portfolio Holder stated that matters were moving slowly and that at present no plans had been submitted. He continued that he was awaiting a report regarding contaminated land and on receipt of that report it might be possible to progress matters. However, there were other options and it was his preference not to relocate the refuse freighters to North Weald Airfield.
(k) Anti-Social Behaviour in North Weald
Councillor Grigg referred to the reduction in the number of reported incidences of anti-social behaviour and asked the Safer, Greener and Highways Portfolio Holder if she agreed that the figures distorted the extent of the problem due to residents being reluctant to report situations. Councillor Grigg stated that a resident in North Weald had suffered repeated attacks by graffiti artists outside of her property, most of which had taken place whilst the resident had been at work or asleep. Councillor Grigg reported that the resident had been advised that unless she witnessed the attacks and could provide evidence there was little action that could be taken. Councillor Grigg invited the Portfolio Holder to meet her outside of this meeting in order to consider this matter with a view to taking some remedial action.
Councillor Smith, Safer, Greener and Highways Portfolio Holder said that she remembered Councillor Grigg had raised this matter with her previously and that officers from the Safer Communities Team had spoken to the resident. Councillor Smith agreed to meet Councillor Grigg outside of the meeting in order to discuss possible further remedial action.
(l) Recycling – Blocks of Flats
Councillor Jenny Hart congratulated the Environment Portfolio Holder, officers and residents for the Epping Forest District Council being one of the top twenty District Councils for recycling rates. She stated that she understood communal bins were to be provided for a number of blocks of flats to enable the collection recycling of dry waste and she questioned when it would be possible for food waste to be collected from blocks of flats. She also asked if blocks of flats not within the communal scheme would still have clear sacks and blue boxes collected.
Councillor Knapman, Environment Portfolio Holder, thanked Councillor Hart for her compliments but stated that despite this Council’s good performance he wanted to achieve a higher rate of re-cycling. He advised that a meeting was to be held in early January at which Councillor Hart will be welcome to attend when he would be discussing with officers the need for bespoke systems for individual blocks of flats so that all residents of flats were given the same opportunities to re-cycle as other residents.
(m) Reduction in Non-Recyclables to Landfill
Councillor Jenny Hart advised that members had been informed via the Council Bulletin in May 2011 of a proposal for a strategic waste management site at Courtauld Road in Basildon. She stated that she understood the aim was to provide a facility which would extract recyclable materials and process the remainder to produce a dried output material that could potentially be used or landfilled without the problems associated with the disposal of untreated household waste to landfill sites. She asked the Environment Portfolio Holder if he was aware what progress was being made in relation to the provision of this facility.
Councillor Knapman , Environment Portfolio Holder stated that the Courtauld Road site was going ahead. Officers were currently investigating a PFI arrangement and ultimately waste from this District would go to a transfer station at Harlow and then onto the Courtauld Road site.