Agenda item

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.