Agenda item

To receive the report of the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and to answer any questions without notice asked in accordance with Council Rules.

The Council received a written report from Councillor M Sartin, the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee regarding the meeting that was held on the 19 November 2020. She advised that there was an amendment on page 75 of the Agenda in paragraph 1. where it referred to Dr John McGill this should in fact be Mr John McGill.

Councillor S Murray expressed concerns regarding the release of the restrictive covenants to Epping Forest College (New City College). He thanked the Members and Officers involved with the call-in to safeguard the land and the proposed new wellness centre for the community; and to resolve the future of the remaining open space and its protection for the community in perpetuity.

The sports hall that was built with public subscription for ordinary working class people to use which then got transferred to the college without any compensation to the local community. The College then proceeded to knock it down and sold the land for millions of pounds and an old peoples home was built on that land. New City College have campuses all over the country so what guarantee do the Council have that the money will be spent on the college in Loughton.

Councillor S Murray then went onto comment about the appointment of the new Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Stronger Place Select Committee and thought it was unfair that none of the minority groups were considered for these positions.

He asked the Leader if in 2021/22 he would be prepared to accept nominations for any chairman and vice-chairman for the Council and the Select Committees from a non-Conservative group.

Councillor C Whitbread advised that his group would be meeting regularly and would discuss Councillor Murrays question and would in time let the other groups know what they decide. It had been a very difficult year and next year would be no easier therefore, we all had to focus going forward to do the best that we can for the Epping Forest district.

Councillor M Sartin stated this was an outline report of the Overview and Scrutiny meeting on the 19 November 2020 and the minutes of that meeting will be published shortly and they were very detailed minutes going in depth on a lot of these items. The call-in for the release of the restrictive covenants to Epping Forest College (New City College) did get referred back to Cabinet on 3 December 2020 and it was Cabinet who made the decision.

Councillor C C Pond stated that the fact the call in was referred back to Cabinet for further consideration, he advised he was looking to the Leader of Council to find a way of protecting in perpetuity the remaining open space which will be left in the so-called wellness centre so that at 5, 10 or 15 years down the line we do not have to have the same argument again and that it should be protected for the use of the people of the district in general and Loughton in particular.

Councillor C Whitbread replied that we all know how important green spaces were especially now in the light of the pandemic. In the new year I will arrange a meeting with the Chief Executive, Councillor Pond and myself to see if there was any way we could take forward some form of method of more protection for that area.

            RESOLVED:

That the Overview and Scrutiny report for the meeting held on the 19 November 2020 be noted.