Council Procedure Rule 12.6 provides for questions by any member of the Council to the Leader or any Portfolio Holder, without notice on:
(i) reports under item 6 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 12.7 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) where the desired information is in a publication of the Council or other published work, a reference to that publication;
(c) where the reply cannot conveniently be given orally, a written answer circulated later to the questioner; or
(d) where the question relates to an operational matter, the Leader 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 12.8, 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) Bridge Strengthening Works – Roding Lane, Buckhurst Hill
Councillor Spencer asked the Safer, Greener and Highways Portfolio Holder if he would make representations to Essex County Council to take steps to mitigate the delays being caused to traffic by temporary traffic lights which had been installed on Roding Lane preparatory to strengthening works being undertaken to the bridge.
Councillor Waller, Safer, Greener and Highways Portfolio Holder stated that he would be happy to make representations but that the final decision would be one for Essex County Council.
Councillor Knapman advised that he had already made representations to the County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation and as a result the strengthening works had been brought forward from Autumn 2013 to February 2013.
(b) Civic Offices Car Park
Councillor J M Whitehouse thanked the Asset Management and Economic Development Portfolio Holder for finding £35,000 to enable Town Centre Partnerships and other bodies to put into place practical schemes to enhance high street viability. He asked if continuing this theme she could think of any reason why in principle the staff car parks at the Civic Offices could not be made available to shoppers at weekends.
Councillor Grigg, Asset Management and Economic Development Portfolio Holder referred to the arrangements which had been made for free parking in the build up to Christmas and undertook to discuss the suggestion with officers following which she would report the outcome in the Council Bulletin.
(c) Local Plan
Councillor Wagland referred to the Planning Portfolio Holder’s announcement regarding the dates and venues of workshops. She stated that some residents would be disappointed that workshops would not be held in their locality. She also referred to the expectation that there should be consistent input into the workshops which would require a commitment of 18 hours within a six week period. She suggested that it was not particularly satisfactory to expect such a commitment and she asked the Portfolio Holder if he would reconsider both the number of workshops to be held and whether each workshop should be self contained.
Councillor Bassett, Planning Portfolio Holder, stated that he had spread the workshops across the District as far as possible and that the workshops were intended for District Councillors, representatives from each Parish Council, local County Councillors and local Members of Parliament rather than residents. He pointed out that the views of residents had already been expressed as part of the consultation and that these would be taken forward in the workshops. He also pointed out that there would be a further major consultation exercise with the public in relation to preferred options. He said he would give further consideration to the format of the workshops when further details became available.
(d) Community Services
Councillor Jennie Hart congratulated the Leisure and Wellbeing Portfolio Holder on the external funding that had been secured to expand community and health improvement provision across the District. She expressed disappointment however at the decision to withdraw funding for seated exercise for the elderly at a residential home in the Loughton Broadway ward and asked the Portfolio Holder if this could be reinstated in the light of the amount of external funding which had been attracted.
Councillor Webster, Leisure and Wellbeing Portfolio Holder, suggested that Councillor Hart should discuss this matter with her after the meeting and pointed out that it may have been an activity which had not been supported by external funding.
(e) Local Plan - Workshops
Councillor McEwen referred to the written report and the statement made by the Planning Portfolio Holder regarding the workshops to be held in the new year and asked if a workshop could be held in Ongar whose residents had expressed an intense interest in the process. She said that she appreciated the Portfolio Holder had attempted to spread the workshops across the District but pointed out that none was proposed to be held in the north of the District.
Councillor Bassett, Planning Portfolio Holder, stated that the venues for the workshops had been selected having regard to their suitability and that one was to be provided in each Plans Sub-Committee area. He emphasised that Councillor McEwen and a representative of Ongar Town Council would have the opportunity to attend all of the workshops irrespective of the venues.
(f) Local Plan – Brown Field Sites
Councillor Philip advised that he was pleased to read in the Planning Portfolio Holder’s written report that the Forward Planning Team would be compiling a list of brown field sites which they had considered as part of the Local Plan process. He asked the Portfolio Holder when the information would be available and how it would be published bearing in mind that it would be important for residents to access the information and have an opportunity to comment on the list.
Councillor Bassett, Planning Portfolio Holder, stated that an Excel spreadsheet was being prepared which would identify sites to be considered wholly brown field, partly brown field/partly green field and green field. He stated that he expected the spreadsheet to be available within the next few days when it would be sent to all councillors. Councillor Bassett continued that officers in the Forward Planning Team were in addition, revisiting this issue to ensure that they had identified all of the brown field sites. He suggested that in some instances there may have been confusion over place names as officers did not necessarily have the same local knowledge as residents and ward members. Councillor Bassett invited members to draw his attention to sites which they considered had been missed or wrongly designated as part of this process.
(g) Local Plan – Workshops
Councillor Knapman drew attention to the statement in the Planning Portfolio Holder’s written report that the results of workshop 1 would be analysed and reported back to participants to inform workshop 2. He pointed out that those not present at workshop 1 would be unable to participate fully at workshop 2 and he asked the Portfolio Holder to consider this issue. He also sought an assurance that the workshops would not be officer-led and would be conducted in plain English rather than technical planning language. Councillor Knapman also asked the Portfolio Holder to reconsider the intention that all participants should discuss all areas as he was not convinced that this would work.
Councillor Bassett, the Planning Portfolio Holder, stated that he would make all members aware of the results of workshop 1 so that they would be able to participate fully in workshop 2. He confirmed that the workshops would be member-led with the aim of setting out a strategy as to how to progress with preferred options. He emphasised his preference not to develop green field sites.
(The Chairman indicated that Councillor Knapman had in effect asked three questions despite his request at the outset of this item for members to ask only one question at a time. Accordingly he directed that the Portfolio Holder should not answer the third point raised by Councillor Knapman in order to allow other members an opportunity to ask questions within the agreed time limit).
(h) Council Car Park – Plume of Feathers, Church Hill, Loughton
Councillor Markham advised that the vacant car park had recently been cleared and he asked the Asset Management and Economic Development Portfolio Holder if the Council was proposing to re-market this site.
Councillor Grigg, Asset Management and Economic Development Portfolio Holder, advised that, together with officers, she was continuously looking at the Council’s assets but had nothing planned at present for this site.
(i) Borders Lane, Loughton – Pothole
Councillor Leonard asked the Safer, Greener and Highways Portfolio Holder for an assurance that the jetstream system for repairing potholes would not be used in future on roads like Borders Lane in view of the limited time which the repair lasted.
Councillor Waller, Safer, Greener and Highways Portfolio Holder, reminded Councillor Leonard that this was a matter for Essex County Council and that the District Council had no control over the methods used by that authority. He said that he was prepared to make representations to the County Council but would be unable to influence their decision.
(j) Access to Civic Offices – Standards Committee
Councillor J H Whitehouse reported that the Independent Persons on the Council’s Standards Committee had found it difficult to gain access to Committee Room 1 for a recent meeting of the Committee. She asked the Support Services Portfolio Holder to review the signage in the reception area and to improve the advertising of meetings on the Council’s notice boards.
Councillor Ulkun, Support Services Portfolio Holder undertook to discuss these matters with officers with a view to introducing improvements.
(k) Countrycare
Councillor Angold-Stephens invited the Leader of the Council to write to Countrycare and the Essex Wildlife Trust to express his thanks for the work they had recently undertaken in erecting fencing and planting 800 hedging shrubs at the Roding Valley Nature Reserve all within a four hour period. He advised that the work had led to a great improvement in the street scene.
Councillor Whitbread, Leader of the Council, agreed that this was something to be applauded and said that he would be delighted to write to them expressing his thanks.
(l) Planning Applications – Pre-application Discussions
Councillor J M Whitehouse referred to a number of major development proposals being progressed by developers in the District and asked the Planning Portfolio Holder what advice was being given to potential developers seeking to develop Green Belt sites.
Councillor Bassett, Planning Portfolio Holder, stated that Planning officers listened to proposals, informed developers of relevant planning policies but made no judgement about proposals at the pre-application stage. He pointed out that the pre-application processes had been discussed at a recent meeting of the Planning Scrutiny Panel.
(m) The Box, Epping
Councillor Angold-Stephens reported that “The Box” in Epping provided a much needed service for young people. He advised that he had heard earlier in the day that the service was facing problems with short term funding and might be forced to close. He continued that he understood the paid staff had agreed to continue working until April without pay. He asked the Leader to consider whether funding could be provided to ensure that the service was kept open.
Councillor Whitbread, Leader of the Council, thanked Councillor Angold-Stephens for bringing this matter to the attention of the Council. He agreed that “The Box” provided a very good facility and that the Council was anxious to support the voluntary sector. He said that he understood grant application forms had been sent to “The Box” in the past but had not been returned and that they received support from elsewhere. However, he would ask the Policy and Research Officer to contact the organisation in order to establish if the Council could offer assistance.