Agenda item

To receive reports from the Leader and members of the Cabinet on matters falling within their area of responsibility:

(a)         Report of the Leader;

(b)     Report of the Asset Management and Economic Development Portfolio Holder;

(c)         Report of the Environment Portfolio Holder;

(d)     Report of the Finance and Technology Portfolio Holder;

(e)        Report of the Housing Portfolio Holder;

(f)      Report of the Leisure and Wellbeing Portfolio Holder;

(g)         Report of the Planning Portfolio Holder;    

(h)     Report of the Safer, Greener and Highways Portfolio Holder;

(i)      Report of the Support Services Portfolio Holder.

The Council received written reports from the Asset Management and Economic Development Portfolio Holder, the Environment Portfolio Holder, the Finance and Technology Portfolio Holder, the Housing Portfolio Holder, the Leisure and Wellbeing Portfolio Holder, the Planning Portfolio Holder, the Safer, Greener and Highways Portfolio Holder and the Support Services Portfolio Holder.

The Chairman invited the Leader to provide an oral report and other members of the Cabinet to give an oral update of their written reports.

(a)        Leader of the Council

Councillor Whitbread reported that as Chairman of One Epping Forest, the Local Strategic Partnership, he had attended a meeting of the Board at which there had been a presentation from the Head of Planning and Regeneration of the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority.  He advised that the presentation had focussed on the Park Authority’s aspirations for the future and in particular how they planned to maximise the legacy benefit of the Olympics facility.  Councillor Whitbread reported that the Board meeting had also received an update on the work being undertaken by the Tourism Sub-Committee.  He advised that this Sub-Committee brought together a range of partners to promote the opportunities to visit this area and hopefully spend money as well as time in the district to aid the local economy.  The Portfolio Holder drew attention to the website they had recently developed – www.visiteppingforest.org  – which had already received several thousand hits.

The Leader reported that together with the Asset Management and Economic Development Portfolio Holder he had met representatives of the Local Chamber of Commence to explore what further steps the Council could take to support local businesses.  He said that he proposed to bring forward some of those ideas to a future meeting.

Councillor Whitbread reported that he had attended a conference on 12 October run by One Epping Forest to discuss some of the implications of the changes in the delivery of Health Services within the district.  He advised that further details of this conference were contained in the Leisure and Wellbeing Portfolio Holder’s report and he expressed the view that it had been very useful to bring key partners together to discuss the issues.

The Leader stated that he had met the Chairman and Clerk of North Weald Bassett Parish Council and the two local Ward Members to discuss future play provision in the village and to clarify the issue of landing fees and operating costs of North Weald Airfield.  He stated that he understood the Parish Council would now be undertaking some community consultation on suitable locations for a playground and to address some of the young persons’ issues in the area.

Councillor Whitbread stated that the previous week he had meet County Councillor John Aldridge, appointed as lead liaison member for this district.  Councillor Whitbread stated this had been a useful meeting and that he was confident the new Locality Board arrangements in the form of revised terms of reference for the existing Cabinet, Management Board, local County Councillors, local M.P’s quarterly meetings would provide an effective way to coordinate services.  He emphasised the need to work closely with the County Council as partnership working was becoming more important. 

Councillor Whitbread drew attention to the significant amount of correspondence he had received in relation to the Local Plan Issues and Options consultation exercise.  He drew attention to the report of the Planning Portfolio Holder which gave details of the level of responses.  Councillor Whitbread advised that at a meeting the previous week together with the Chief Executive he had met Eleanor Laing M.P. in order to address some of the concerns which had been expressed to her by her local constituents about the Local Plan process.

(b)       Finance and Technology Portfolio Holder

Councillor Stavrou reported that the Local Government Finance Act 2012 had received Royal Assent.  She pointed out that the Cabinet had already taken decisions in relation to the Local Council Tax Support in anticipation of the legislation and recommendations would be submitted to the next Council meeting.

The Portfolio Holder advised that work on the budget for next year was continuing but that it was now apparent that the grant figures would not be available until 20 December 2012.  Accordingly officers would be busy over the Christmas/New Year period.

The Council noted that no further information had been received in relation to the calculation of the Council Tax Base but that as soon as details were available these would be shared with members.

Councillor Stavrou reported that in 1980 the then Department of Transport had compulsorily purchased land in Brooker Road/King George Playing Fields, Waltham Abbey.  After lengthy negotiations the Council’s title to the land had been accepted and a compensation payment of £336,001 had now been received.  Councillor Stavrou thanked officers in the Council’s Legal Section, particularly Alison Mitchell, for their endeavours over a prolonged period of time.

(c)        Planning Portfolio Holder

Councillor Bassett drew attention to an error in his written report regarding the Sainsbury’s Judicial Review.  He advised that reference to Pyrles Lane should have been to Rectory Lane/Chigwell Lane.