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 Council also received a supplement to the report of the Asset Management and Economic Development 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)        The Leader of the Council

Councillor Whitbread reported that together with the Planning Portfolio Holder he had attended both of the Local Plan Workshops which had been held.  He stated that he had also met two of the local Members of Parliament, Eleanor Laing and Robert Halfon to discuss the Local Plan.

The Leader advised that he had attended events to support the local economy, the launch of the Waltham Abbey Media Pack and the Tourism Summit both of which had been well attended.

Councillor Whitbread said that he had met Greg Clark, Chairman of the London Stansted Corridor Consortium which was a private sector led partnership bringing together key business representatives and local authorities along the M11/Lee Valley Corridor.  The Leader stated that he had also attended a meeting at which the future plans for Stansted Airport had been discussed.

The Council noted that later in the week the Annual Local Strategic Partnership Stakeholder Conference concentrating on young people would be held and over 100 delegates were expected.  Councillor Whitbread pointed out that the Youth Council would be involved and he also drew attention to a transport survey undertaken by the Youth Council which it would seek to submit to a future meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The Leader thanked the Housing Portfolio Holder for keeping the Council informed about the future of the Council’s Careline Service.

(b)       Safer, Greener and Highways Portfolio Holder

Councillor Waller, Safer, Greener and Highways Portfolio Holder updated members about the Domestic Homicide Review to which he had referred in his written report.  He advised that Domestic Homicide Reviews were conducted under a fairly new statutory procedure in order to make sure that lessons were learned when a person had been killed as a result of domestic violence.

Councillor Waller explained that as Chairman of the Epping Forest Community Safety Partnership he had set up a Domestic Homicide Review following the death last year of Gillian Andrade of Buckhurst Hill.  He stated that the previous Friday, Daniel Hodges of Loughton had pleaded guilty to murder and had been sentenced to life imprisonment to serve a minimum term of 17½ years.  The Portfolio Holder advised that now the court proceedings had been completed, the Panel chaired by Mrs Ann Haigh would be able to contact parties which could not previously be approached in case of a trial.  Councillor Waller stated that he was confident the Panel would produce a valuable report which might help to make a difference in future cases involving domestic abuse.