The Council’s rules provide for questions by any member of the Council to the Leader or any Portfolio Holder, without notice on:
(i) reports under the previous item; 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.
The Council’s rules provide that answers to questions without notice may take the form of:
(a) 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 Service Director.
In accordance with the Council’s rules, a time limit of thirty 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 ten minutes at their discretion.
Minutes:
(a) Council Owned Car Parks - Charges in Ongar
Councillor P Keska asked the Contracts and Technical Services Portfolio Holder whether he would consider reversing the decision to charge on Sundays at Council owned car parks in Ongar.
Councillor N Avey advised that the car parking charges had been determined by Cabinet in 2018; to bring in line all council owned car parks across the district. The charges proposed for Sundays provided an hour free parking and thereafter a charge of £1 for the whole day. He advised that in light of the concerns raised regarding this matter, he would consider the charges and discuss this matter with officers and advise Councillor P Keska accordingly.
(b) Hydrotherapy Sessions at Waltham Abbey Leisure Centre
Councillor R Brookes asked the Contracts and Technical Services Portfolio Holder whether consideration could be given to providing two sessions for disabled swimming to take place on different days at Waltham Abbey Leisure Centre, when the new timetable was considered in March 2019.
Councillor N Avey advised that both he and Places Leisure were aware of this request and he would investigate the outcome and advise Councillor R Brookes in due course.
(c) Leisure Centre - St John’s Road Site, Epping
Councillor H Whitbread asked the Contracts and Technical Services Portfolio Holder whether all Epping Ward Councillors had met with the leisure consultants, to discuss the potential leisure centre provisions at the St John’s Road site.
Councillor N Avey advised that all Epping Ward District Councillors had met with the leisure consultants to discuss the potential leisure provisions at the St John’s Road, site.
(d) Council Website
Councillor C C Pond asked the Customer Services Portfolio Holder when the issues experienced with the Council’s new website would be resolved.
Councillor H Kane advised that feedback was being requested from all users in order to identify any issues encountered and these were being looked into as a matter of course.
(e) Epping Town Permit Scheme
Councillor J H Whitehouse asked the Contracts and Technical Services Portfolio Holder when the Epping Town Permit scheme would be reviewed.
Councillor N Avey advised that the scheme would be reviewed and any specific issues could be passed onto him to investigate.
(f) Epping Forest Retail Park Bins
Councillor L Mead thanked the Commercial and Regulatory Services Portfolio Holder for resolving the issues with overflowing bins at the retail park.
(g) Civic Offices
Councillor L Burrows asked the Leader of Council whether the public and civic functions of the Council would remain in Epping, if the Council decided to move its operational base to North Weald.
Councillor C Whitbread advised that all civic functions and customer facing services would remain in Epping. The Cabinet were looking to secure the most cost effective and best value approach for the residents of the District and only back offices services would be moving to North Weald.
(h) Street Lighting
Councillor S Murray asked the Leader of Council whether he agreed that;
(i) It was fair to circulate the costs of the street lighting to each parish/town council days before consideration of their draft budgets;
(ii) the cost figure was enough information; and
(iii) there was no collation with the reduction in the precept for Essex County Council (ECC) for Town/Parish Councils taking on this service.
Councillor C Whitbread advised that residents had asked for the street lighting to return and the Council had discussed this with ECC. He had supplied the associated costs and all information available to the town and parish councils as soon as it had been made available. He wished to gain an indication of interest from the town and parish councils at this time.
(j) White Bridge Primary School
Councillor S Neville asked the Contracts and Technical Services Portfolio Holder whether he could update him on an issue raised two months ago regarding dog faeces on a route to White Bridge Primary School, Greensted Road, Loughton.
Councillor N Avey advised that he would contact officers to discuss this issue and advise Councillor S Neville accordingly.
(k) Rough Sleepers
Councillor C P Pond asked the Housing & Property Services Portfolio Holder whether the Council knew how many rough sleepers there were in the District and where the nearest night shelter was situated.
Councillor S Stavrou advised that the yearly snap shot of rough sleepers had been completed in November 2018 and revealed three rough sleepers in the District. The nearest night shelter was based in Chelmsford and run by CHESS and transport could be provided, if required.
(l) Natural England
Councillor J Knapman asked the Planning Services Portfolio Holder for an update on Natural England’s requirements for the Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation (SAC), the associated costs for new builds and when planning permissions would be issued.
Councillor J Philip advised that an interim approach for the managing recreational pressures on the SAC had been agreed by the Cabinet on 18 October 2018, which determined the contribution costs required to be sought from individual residential development schemes. The SAC also covered the London Boroughs of Waltham Forest and Redbridge, so it was not only Epping Forest that had been affected by the awaited decision. Furthermore, complications were created with changes to the Air quality assessment at the end of 2018. This had been resubmitted to Natural England and it was anticipated that the Council would receive a decision by April 2019.
(m) Sheltered Housing Review
Councillor J M Whitehouse asked the Housing and Property Services Portfolio Holder whether she had any further information on the progress of the Sheltered Housing Review.
Councillor S Stavrou advised that it was a working document which was consistently being updated and she would keep members updated on the progress of the review.
(n) Green Arc
Councillor D Wixley asked the Community and Partnership Services whether he was aware of an idea to create a linear forest running from the east coast of Essex to Epping Forest and the possibility of collaborations with the Green Arc.
Councillor S Kane advised that he would discuss this with Councillor N Bedford and update Councillor Wixley.