Agenda, decisions and minutes

The Executive Member for Development Management and Council Support submitted a report on the Thundridge and Wadesmill Conservation Area Appraisal following public consultation.  She detailed the outcome of the public consultation in the report now submitted.

The Appraisal identified the special character of the Conservation Area together with the elements that should be retained or enhanced and those which detracted from the identified character.  Once adopted by the Council, the Appraisal would become a ‘material consideration’ in the process of determining planning applications.  It would also link into the development of neighbourhood planning.

The Executive Member referred to a couple of typographical errors in the report and on page 79 of Essential Reference Paper ‘B’.

Members welcomed the report and noted the rich local history of the area.

The Executive supported the recommendations as now detailed.

RECOMMENDED – that (A) the responses to the public consultation be noted and the Officer responses and proposed changes to the Thundridge and Wadesmill Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan be supported;

(B)      authority be delegated to the Head of Planning and Building Control, in consultation with the Executive Member for Development Management and Council Support, to make any further minor and consequential changes to the document which may be necessary; and

(C)      the Thundridge and Wadesmill Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan be adopted.

An apology for absence was submitted on behalf of Councillor G Jones.

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 8 March 2016.

RESOLVED – that the Minutes of the Executive meeting held on 8 March 2016, be approved as correct record and signed by the Leader.

That (A) the revised Planning Enforcement Plan be endorsed;

(B)     changes to the delegation to Officers in relation to the serving of Enforcement and related notices be made as set out in paragraphs 2.4 - 2.5 of the report submitted;

(C)    new PIs and targets be established for the service for the 2016/17 year onwards as set out in paragraphs 2.8 – 2.11 of this report; and

(D)    a business case to establish if further resources should be provided to enable the implementation of pro-active site monitoring be submitted to a future Executive meeting.

The Executive considered a report detailing the outcome of a review of the Planning Enforcement Policy by a Task and Finish Group set up by the Environment Scrutiny Committee. 

At the invitation of the Leader, Councillor T Page, the Chairman of the Task and Finish Group, summarised its deliberations and highlighted the main conclusions detailed in the report submitted.  He also corrected the paragraph numbers quoted in the recommendations proposed.  Finally, Councillor T Page thanked Members and Officers for their support in the work of the Task and Finish Group.

The Executive welcomed the report and also thanked Members and Officers for their efforts.

In respect of the proposed general delegation to Officers to issue all enforcement and general notices, Councillor D Andrews suggested that the local Member should also be kept informed.

In response to a question from the Leader, the Chief Executive suggested that the business case to establish if further resources should be provided to enable the implementation of pro-active site monitoring could be submitted to the Executive within three or four months.

The Executive approved the proposals as now detailed.

RESOLVED - that (A) the revised Planning Enforcement Plan be endorsed;

(B)      changes to the delegation to Officers in relation to the serving of Enforcement and related notices be made as set out in paragraphs 2.4 - 2.5 of the report submitted;

(C)      new PIs and targets be established for the service for the 2016/17 year onwards as set out in paragraphs 2.8 – 2.11 of the report submitted; and

(D)      a business case to establish if further resources should be provided to enable the implementation of pro-active site monitoring be submitted to a future Executive meeting.

That (A) the comments of the Corporate Business Scrutiny Committee on the Asset Management Plan, be received;

(B)     the Asset Management Plan, included at Essential Reference Paper B of the report submitted, be approved; and

(C)    the proposed annual review period for the Asset Management Plan, be approved.

The Executive Member for Finance and Support Services submitted a report setting out the aims and objectives for the management of the Council’s assets contained within the Asset Management Plan.  This included a list detailing each land and property asset and how each contributed to the corporate priorities of the Council.

The Executive approved the Asset Management Plan as now submitted.

RESOLVED - that (A) the comments of the Corporate Business Scrutiny Committee on the Asset Management Plan, be received;

(B)      the Asset Management Plan, included at Essential Reference Paper B of the report submitted, be approved; and

(C)      the proposed annual review period for the Asset Management Plan, be approved.

That the application for the designation of a Neighbourhood Area, submitted by Watton-at-Stone Parish Council, be supported.

The Executive gave consideration to a report detailing an application by Watton-at-Stone Parish Council for the designation of a Neighbourhood Area, as detailed on the plan attached to the report submitted. 

The Executive considered the application and the consultation undertaken, including the comments on the proposed neighbourhood boundary that had been submitted.  The report submitted detailed the main areas of consideration in determining the application in accordance with Schedule 9 of the Localism Act 2011.

Councillor M Freeman, as the local Member, welcomed the application and expressed his thanks to Officers for their efforts in supporting the application.

The Executive supported the application as now detailed.

RESOLVED - that the application for the designation of a Neighbourhood Area, submitted by Watton-at-Stone Parish Council, be supported.

That the application for the designation of Sele Ward Neighbourhood Area, submitted by Hertford Town Council, be supported.

The Executive gave consideration to a report detailing an application by Hertford Town Council for the designation of a Neighbourhood Area in Sele Ward, as detailed on the plan attached to the report submitted. 

The Executive considered the application and the consultation undertaken, including the comments on the proposed neighbourhood boundary that had been submitted.  The report submitted detailed the main areas of consideration in determining the application in accordance with Schedule 9 of the Localism Act 2011.

The Executive supported the application as now detailed.

RESOLVED - that the application for the designation of Sele Ward Neighbourhood Area, submitted by Hertford Town Council, be supported.

That the deletion of certain of the restrictive covenants placed upon the Transfer and Deed of Nomination Rights by the Council in the sale of Nos. 67 – 89 & 101 – 113 Gladstone Road, and 12 – 26 Priory Street, Ware to Riversmead Housing Association in 1999, be approved.

The Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing submitted a report seeking approval to remove restrictive covenants placed upon the title deeds by the Council on nos. 67 – 89 & 101 – 113 Gladstone Road, and 12 – 26 Priory Street, Ware when they were transferred to Riversmead Housing Association Limited in 1999. 

Gladstone Road had been decanted by Riversmead as they wished to redevelop the site and intended to submit a scheme seeking planning permission.  The removal of the restrictive covenants would allow Riversmead the opportunity to produce a mixed tenure scheme which was fit for purpose for East Herts residents.

The Executive approved the proposal as now detailed.

RESOLVED - that the deletion of certain of the restrictive covenants placed upon the Transfer and Deed of Nomination Rights by the Council in the sale of Nos. 67 – 89 & 101 – 113 Gladstone Road, and 12 – 26 Priory Street, Ware to Riversmead Housing Association in 1999, be approved.

That (A) the revenue budget forecast underspend of £677k, as detailed at paragraph 2.1 of the report submitted, be noted;

(B)     proposed slippage on the following capital schemes:

·        Hertford Theatre, £13k

·        The Bourne Ware, £41k

·        Wallfields solar panel, £45k

·        Environmental enhancements to town centres, £28k

·        Market improvements, £22k

·        Community Capital Grants, £41k

·        Operational Building Rolling Programme, £74k

·        North Drive Ware, £12k

·        Print investment, £20k

·        HR & payroll system, £55k

·        Electoral management software, £75k

·        Historic Building Grants, £13k

·        Energy grants, £38k

·        Land Management Programme, £26k

be noted; and

(C)    the reported performance for the period October 2015 to December 2015 be noted.

The Executive Member for Finance and Support Services submitted a report on finance, performance and strategic risk monitoring for 2015/16 as at December 2015.

The Executive noted the report as now detailed.

RESOLVED - that (A) the revenue budget forecast underspend of £677k, as detailed at paragraph 2.1 of the report submitted, be noted;

(B)      proposed slippage on the following capital schemes:

·                        Hertford Theatre, £13k

·                        The Bourne Ware, £41k

·                        Wallfields solar panel, £45k

·                        Environmental enhancements to town centres, £28k

·                        Market improvements, £22k

·                        Community Capital Grants, £41k

·                        Operational Building Rolling Programme, £74k

·                        North Drive Ware, £12k

·                        Print investment, £20k

·                        HR & payroll system, £55k

·                        Electoral management software, £75k

·                        Historic Building Grants, £13k

·                        Energy grants, £38k

·                        Land Management Programme, £26k

be noted; and

(C)      the reported performance for the period October 2015 to December 2015 be noted.