Agenda and minutes

To receive any announcements.

The Chairman welcomed the press and reminded Members that the meeting was being webcast.

He referred to the Product Tour enjoyed by many Members on 2 September 2013, at which the best of East Herts’ local produce had been highlighted.  The event had received much positive press coverage and he thanked Officers in the Economic Development team and Councillor W Ashley for their work in organising the day.

The Chairman advised Members that staff drinks at Christmas would be on 4 and 5 December 2013 in Bishop’s Stortford and Hertford respectively.

Finally, the Chairman gave notice of various forthcoming events, as follows:

·               a race night on 15 November 2013, at St Michael’s Mead Community Centre;

·               the Burns Night on 25 January 2014;

·               Beat the Bands on 1 February 2014;

·               the Civic Dinner on 21 March 2014, at the Rhodes Centre; and

·               a May Ball at Paradise Park, on a date to be confirmed.

To approve as a correct record and authorise the Chairman to sign the Minutes of the Council meeting held on 24 July 2013.

RESOLVED – that the Minutes of the meeting held on 24 July 2013, be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive a presentation from Officers.

The Head of Environmental Services and the Waste Services Manager gave a presentation detailing the implementation of the new Separate Paper and Recycling Collections (SPARC).  They reminded Members of the reasons for the changes being made for the new service to start from 11 November 2013.  They detailed the benefits in terms of revenue savings and likely increased recycling rates.  Finally, they outlined the publicity campaign, the feedback received from residents, which was mostly positive, and they referred to frequently asked questions. 

After dealing with various Members’ questions, the Chairman thanked the Officers for their presentation.  The Executive Member for Community Safety and Environment also thanked all the staff involved in implementing SPARC.

To receive any Members' questions (to follow).

Question 1

Councillor M Wood stated this Council often talked about diversifying its membership in order to have a good cross section of the population.  He asked the Executive Member for Community Partnership and Liaison whether this aim would be assisted if Council meetings were not held in the first week of school summer holidays and in half term and whether the future programming of meetings could take this into account.

In response, the Executive Member for Community Partnership and Liaison expressed some sympathy for the theme of the question but reminded Members that the Council operated full time for 52 weeks of the year.  Given that school holidays accounted for approximately 13 weeks of the year, it would be unreasonable to expect there to be no meetings during these periods. 

She reminded Members that some holiday periods were kept clear of meetings as far as possible.  Also, meetings were not held on Mondays to avoid clashes with Town and Parish Council meetings and she believed that Friday evenings would not be popular.  Therefore, there were already a substantial number of unavailable days.

The Executive Member referred to the complexities of planning meetings given various constraints and statutory requirements.  All Council meetings currently, were well attended by Members.  In the event of a change in demographics post 2015 with a significant number of Members with child care responsibilities, the situation might have to be reviewed to see if there was anything that could be done.  In the meantime, she invited Councillor M Wood, if he had any practical suggestions that took account of all the above with no disruption to the business of the Council, to discuss them with Officers.

Question 2

Councillor J Wing referred to the discussion at the recent District Planning Executive Panel meeting, when it had become clear that inadequate provision of schools and school places could make delivery of a sustainable District Plan impossible.  He asked the Executive Member for Strategic Planning and Transport if he would write to the Secretaries of State for Education and Local Government, and to the local Members of Parliament, expressing the Council’s concern that current Government policies on the capital funding of new schools imposed severe restrictions on the ability of the Council to deliver a sustainable District Plan.

In reply, the Executive Member for Strategic Planning and Transport commented on the funding gap that would prevent additional schools provision that would meet natural growth and inward migration, let alone the infrastructure requirements of large scale developments.  He questioned how this funding gap could be met, as Local Enterprise Partnership resources were not feasible for schools.  Developers would not provide the funding necessary due to the competing demands of other contributions made, such as highways.

The Executive Member reiterated the need to develop a District Plan that was sustainable and agreed that the funding gap was a serious issue that needed addressing.  He undertook to write to the Secretaries of State and local MPs as suggested by the question.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 290.

To receive a report from the Leader of the Council and to consider recommendations on the matters below:

RESOLVED – that the Minutes of the Executive meeting held on 3 September 2013 be received.

Minute 205 refers – the revised Plan including amendments made since the Executive meeting is attached.

RESOLVED – that (A) the comments of the Corporate Business Scrutiny Committee, be received;

(B)      the 2014/15 – 2017/18 Corporate Strategic Plan be approved, subject to minor typographical errors and alterations being made, in consultation with the Leader; and

(C)      Officers be requested to review the Sustainable Community Strategy over the coming year to ensure that it was still fit for purpose for the Local Strategic Partnership and East Herts Council.

Minute 206 refers

RESOLVED – that (A) the comments of Corporate Business Scrutiny Committee be received;

(B)      the proposed Financial Strategy, as now submitted, be adopted; and

(C)      the planning assumptions set out in the report now submitted, be adopted as the basis for framing the 2014/15 budget and Medium Term Financial Plan to 2017/18.

Minute 207 refers

RESOLVED – that (A) the responses to the public consultation be noted and the Officer responses and proposed changes to the Widford Conservation Area Appraisal be agreed;

(B)                authority be delegated to the Head of Planning and Building Control, in consultation with the Executive Member for Strategic Planning and Transport, to make any further minor and consequential changes to the Appraisal which may be necessary; and

(C)      the Widford Conservation Area Appraisal be adopted.

Minute 208 refers

RESOLVED – that (A) the responses to the public consultation be noted and the Officer responses and proposed changes to the Draft East Herts Statement of Community Involvement be approved; and

(B)      the East Herts Statement of Community Involvement, 2013 be adopted.

Minute 209 refers

RESOLVED – that (A) a change to the structure of the District Plan, to combine Strategic Policies, Development Management Policies, and Site Allocations, into a single District Plan, be approved;

(B)      an early review of the District Plan, based on a ‘plan-monitor-and-manage’ approach particularly in respect of long-term planning, be approved; and

(C)      the approach to obtaining critical delivery information, including ATLAS project support, be approved.

Minute 210 refers

RESOLVED – that (A) the current main issues relating to the Duty to Co-Operate involving adjoining authorities, be noted; and

(B)      the Hertfordshire Infrastructure and Planning Partnership Memorandum of Understanding, be approved for use in planning policy and development management work.

Minute 211 refers

RESOLVED – that it be noted that recently published and emerging information, together with the ongoing interpretation by the Planning Inspectorate of ‘objectively assessed housing need’ in the context of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), continues to indicate that East Herts Council may need to plan for the upper end of the range 10,000 to 17,000 dwellings over the 20 year period 2011 to 2031.

Minute 212 refers

RESOLVED – that (A) the list of identified sites, contained as Essential Reference Paper ‘B’ to the report submitted, which includes responses received to the Call for Sites, be noted and taken into account as part of the preparation of Round 3 of the East Herts Strategic Land Availability Assessment (SLAA); and

(B)      any future Call for Sites suggestions be included and assessed as part of the preparation of Round 3 of the SLAA, and subsequently as part of the annual monitoring and review of the SLAA.

Minute 213 refers

RESOLVED – that the Town Wide Employment Study of Bishop’s Stortford, June 2013, be approved as part of the evidence base to inform and support the East Herts District Plan and for Development Management purposes in the determination of planning applications.

To receive a report (to follow) from the Leader of the Council

RESOLVED – that the Minutes of the Executive meeting held on 1 October 2013 be received.

Minute 260 refers

RESOLVED – that (A) the Parks & Open Spaces Strategy 2013 – 2018 be formally adopted, and

(B)      the draft High Level Action Plan be agreed.

Minute 261 refers – the revised Strategy including amendments made since the Executive meeting is attached.

RESOLVED – that (A) the East Herts Health & Wellbeing Strategy 2013-2018, as now submitted, be adopted; and

(B)      authority to make final amendments to the Strategy, be given to Officers, in consultation with the Executive Member for Health, Housing and Community Support.

Minute 262 refers

RESOLVED – that the draft revised policy for private sector housing enforcement, as now detailed, be adopted.

Minute 263 refers

Note – Members are asked to bring their copy of the Executive agendas to the meeting.

RESOLVED – that (A) the comments of Corporate Business Scrutiny Committee and Audit Committee be received; and

(B)      the updated Risk Management Strategy be approved.

Chairman: Councillor Mrs R Cheswright

RESOLVED – that the Minutes of the Development Management Committee meeting held on 14 August 2013, be received.

Chairman: Councillor D Andrews

RESOLVED – that the Minutes of the Corporate Business Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 27 August 2013, be received.

Chairman: Councillor Mrs R Cheswright

RESOLVED – that the Minutes of the Development Management Committee meeting held on 11 September 2013, be received.

Chairman: Councillor D Abbott

RESOLVED – that the Minutes of the Environment Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 17 September 2013, be received.

Chairman: Councillor J Ranger

RESOLVED – that the Minutes of the Audit Committee meeting held on 18 September 2013, be received.

Chairman: Councillor Mrs D Hollebon

RESOLVED – that the Minutes of the Community Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 24 September 2013, be received.

To follow

Chairman: Councillor C Woodward

RESOLVED – that the Minutes of the Human Resources Committee meeting held on 2 October 2013, be received.

To follow

Chairman: Councillor Mrs R Cheswright

RESOLVED – that the Minutes of the Development Management Committee meeting held on 9 October 2013, be received.

To receive a report of the Executive Member for Health, Housing and Community Support

The Executive Member for Health, Housing and Community Support submitted a report suggesting amendments to the role description for a Ward Member.  She advised Council of the deliberations of the Member Development Charter Group, who had considered such a review to be appropriate in the light of the evolving community leadership role for all Members and also the impending local council elections in May 2015.

Council approved the revised role description as now submitted.

RESOLVED - that the suggested amendments to the role description of a Ward Member, as detailed in Essential Reference Paper B to the report now submitted, be approved.