Agenda, decisions and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Wilson.

To receive any announcements from the Leader of the Council.

The Leader welcomed everyone to the meeting and reminded them to use the microphones to be heard on the webcast.

To receive any Member(s) declaration(s) of interest.

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the extraordinary meeting held on 21 December 2023.

Councillor Goldspink proposed, and Councillor Dumont seconded a motion that the Minutes of the meeting held on 21 December 2023 be approved as a correct record and be signed by the Leader. On being put to the meeting and a vote taken, the motion was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED – that the Minutes of the meeting held on 21 December 2023 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Leader.

The Executive Member for Financial Sustainability presented the Budget 2024/25 and the Medium Term Financial Plan and ran through the highlights of the report. He said that the budget picture had improved slightly since the report was presented to the Audit and Governance Committee on 30 January 2024 due to the receipt of additional government funding of £200,000 which had been added to the council’s reserves.

The Executive Member for Financial Sustainability said that £1.2 million of savings had to be found for 2024/25 due to the impact of inflation. The funding available to the council had increased with £1.5 million New Burdens Funding for the food waste collections and a 7.2% increase in the New Homes Bonus. He said that this extra funding would be used to cover the debt servicing costs and allow the administration to set a balanced budget for 2024/25.

The Executive Member for Financial Sustainability said that the 2025/26 budget would be very difficult, hence the need to increase reserves this year where possible. He said that there would be pressures of approximately £5million and there was uncertainty in the projections at this time. He said however, the council by then would be benefitting from the income of Hertford Theatre. Due to the ongoing pressures, it was recommended that Council Tax be increased by 2.99% for 2024/25.

Councillor Brittain proposed that the recommendations in the report be supported. Councillor Hoskin seconded the proposal.

Councillor McAndrew referred to planning enforcement and said that it played a vital role in the district with the large developments across East Herts. He felt this service should not be cut and needed enforcement to encourage people to operate within the rules. He also asked the Executive Member to clarify the position around Blue Badge parking.

Councillor Brittain said that the items Councillor McAndrew were referring to were savings proposals that had been rejected by the Executive. He said the council would not be pursuing these savings in the 2024/25 financial year.

Councillor McAndrew referred to civil parking enforcement and asked the Executive Member to expand on the £4 million deficit and the plans to recover costs.

Councillor Brittain said the deficit had built up over time for on street parking and said the plans were for the council to gain more revenue from parking and said they were entitled to do that.

Councillor McAndrew then referred to the plans for the Executive to introduce a new parking policy to prevent congestion and penalise heavy pollutant vehicles.

Councillor Hoskin said in principle, heavy polluting vehicles should be penalised and said this would be part of the public consultation over the next 12 months.

Councillor Jacobs referred to page 60 of the report and the proposed list of asset disposals. He asked for an update on the progress of this following the discussions held at the Member Asset Reference Group.

Councillor Brittain said he had fed the discussions back to the Head of Strategic Finance and Property and said it was his  ...  view the full minutes text for item 334.

The Executive Member for Financial Sustainability presented the report and said the capital strategy showed the financial position of the council and the costs of servicing existing debts. He said the position of the council meant that it could not afford any new major projects and the Old River Lane project would be paused until the costs of borrowing had been reduced.

The Executive Member for Financial Sustainability said that capital assets were being reviewed to see if any could be sold to reduce debt and a cross party group had been set up to discuss the options. The group had agreed that assets would only be sold where interests of the community were protected and if there was a clear financial advantage to the council of doing so.

Councillor Brittain proposed that the recommendations in the report be supported. Councillor Glover-Ward seconded the proposal.

Councillor Estop referred to paragraph 2.4 about the pausing of the arts centre at Old River Lane. She asked the Executive to consider keeping their options open and talk about the site as development land instead of specifically an arts centre.

The motion to support the recommendation having been proposed and seconded was put to the meeting and upon a vote being taken, was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED – To recommend to Council the approval of the Capital Strategy, Minimum Revenue Provision Policy and the Treasury Management Strategy 2024/25 including the Prudential Indicators contained within the reports.

The Leader of the Council presented the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town Infrastructure Delivery Plan Review report. He said that the purpose of the report was to lay out what infrastructure was required and where and when it was needed to achieve the targets set out in the District Plan such as the number of houses required, sustainable travel and employment. He said that the delivery plan also provided the scale of infrastructure needed, the phasing of it, the costs, the priorities, who was responsible, who paid and identified funding gaps and how developer contributions were shared.

The Leader of the Council said that the plan needed updating after five years due to new local plans, the approvals of planning applications, changes to developer contributions and changes in costs. He said that the role of the document was to provide an evidence base for masterplanning and to assist planning officers in their future discussions to get the delivery of infrastructure at the right time and place. He said that the plan would be updated every 2-3 years to keep up with changes to needs and costs and it was important to endorse now as infrastructure delivery was a key part of achieving the council’s aims.

Councillor Crystall proposed that the recommendations in the report be supported. Councillor Glover-Ward seconded the proposal.

Councillor Dunlop said that there was no mention in the plan about burial grounds. He said that Gilston currently had capacity for 28 burials and 30,000 people would be moving into the area over the next 30 years. He said he wanted to flag that it was missing in the report.

The Garden Town Lead Officer said the plan would be reviewed in the future when the demand started to present itself. He said a greater evidence base was required to be able to secure infrastructure for burial grounds and said this would start to come forward as the development starts. He said the issue of burial ground would be accommodated by future updates and reassessment of needs.

Councillor Dunlop said he appreciated that the land was there but asked who would pay for it to be turned into burial ground in the future.

The Garden Town Lead Officer said that there would be costs but it was not possible to introduce further requirements into the Gilston Area s.106 agreement (which had established the infrastructure requirements for the Gilston Area) at this stage as the Development Management Committee endorsed the Heads of Terms last year. He said the funding requirements would likely, in part, be covered in the normal way throughthe management and operation of sites, including fees from burials. He also added that through the stewardship arrangements of the s.106 agreement, there was a requirement for considerable areas of land to be handed over to a stewardship organisation, in good order and suitable for its future intended use. Once emerging, the stewardship organisation may decide to safeguard some of  the land for burial purposes.

Councillor Buckmaster said that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 336.

a) That the findings of the HGGT Strategic Economic Framework, as set out in Appendix 1, be endorsed;

b) That subject to all authorities approving the HGGT Strategic Economic Framework, the Framework is supported and agreed and will form the basis of the approach to economic development in the Garden Town area; and

c) That it delegates to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Executive Member for Planning and Growth, to make any necessary, non-consequential and minor amendments and refer those amendments back to the HGGT Chair and Director.

The Leader of the Council presented the Strategic Economic Framework for the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town which was the roadmap for economic growth over the next 20 years and would sit alongside various economic development strategies in partner authorities. He said that the framework would help get the right mix of jobs and housing.

The Leader of the Council said that the Framework set a target and timeline for the trajectory of employment creation to hit 23,000 jobs created by 2045. He said that the targets in the framework would be reviewed annually and a major review would be undertaken every five years. The framework had been presented to the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town Board and was now with the member authorities for approval.

Councillor Crystall proposed that the recommendations in the report be supported. Councillor Glover-Ward seconded the proposal.

Councillor Dunlop said that the data set used for the framework was pre-pandemic and there was now a large increase in home working and therefore fewer transport requirements. He said it would be good to think in the framework about how to encourage more home working and there was an opportunity for it to be updated once post-pandemic data was available.

The Garden Town Lead Officer said that the framework would continue to be reviewed on a regular basis and understood the beneficial impact of home working. He said that the framework was about the initial creation of jobs, some of which would allow people to work from home.

Councillor Brittain said it was a great report but referred to section 6 on page 251 of the report which raised concerns about the current state of the commercial market. He said it was good to set targets but questioned whether there was a Plan B if there was no land available to create employment space.

The Garden Town Lead Officer said that under the District Plan, an economic analysis of wider areas was undertaken which identified land requirements and challenges. He said there were a range of ‘easy wins’ like the commitment to the delivery of the new hospital in Harlow but the framework set out a range of options and would assess risks and take actions as appropriate.

Councillor Buckmaster said that following the pandemic, there was more home working but also there had been an increase in commercial vehicles as more people shop online so that type of employment needed to be factored in. He said that it went back to the phasing of infrastructure and ensuring it was right to enable economic growth.

Councillor Estop asked if key worker housing would be provided as this went hand in hand with the stated objectives.

The Garden Town Lead Officer said it was not the focus as the framework was about the delivery of growth, but that housing delivery requirements had been assessed in the preparation of the Councils District Plan.

The motion to support the recommendations having been proposed and seconded was put to the meeting  ...  view the full minutes text for item 337.

The Executive Member for Wellbeing presented the Thriving Together health and wellbeing plan. She said that work had begun on the plan in the previous administration and a public survey had been carried out over the autumn in 2023 which received good feedback that has been incorporated into the plan. She said a focus group was held before Christmas to go through the updated version of the plan and the document was reviewed at the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 16 January 2024. She said that there should be joint ownership of the plan by residents and councillors.

Councillor Hopewell proposed that the recommendations in the report be supported. Councillor Dumont seconded the proposal.

Councillor Dumont said that wellbeing was about more than just exercise but wanted to highlight the importance of exercise and physical activity. He said that obesity costed the NHS £6.5 billion a year and the council should act as an enabler and facilitated exercise groups and a wider scope of wellbeing activities. He thanked the Executive Member for allowing him to engage with his process.

Councillor Daar said that she was pleased that the administration had decided to protect the funding given to organisations such as the Citizens Advice Bureau and Community Alliance who play an important part in delivering the action plan.

Councillor Buckmaster said he was pleased to see the continuation of this work and said there were other elements to wellbeing such as not being isolated. He said everyone had a role to play in the improvement of health and wellbeing.

Councillor McAndrew said that Bishop’s Stortford had a vibrant cycling community which encouraged learning how to ride and promoting women’s cycle groups. He said one of the biggest challenges was trying to influence the manufacturers of food to change what they put in what we all consume.

Councillor Crystall said that the Executive Member for Planning and Growth was doing some great work on local markets to make local food and fresh produce more easily accessible.

The motion to support the recommendations having been proposed and seconded was put to the meeting and upon a vote being taken, was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED -  That (A) the comments put forward by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee be considered, listed in Appendix A, and endorse the resulting actions proposed by the Executive Member for Wellbeing as also detailed in Appendix A;

(B) the draft Thriving Together health and wellbeing plan for 2024 – 2027 be endorsed, as amended by Recommendation (a), and recommend it to Council for approval

(C) Delegate to the Executive Member for Wellbeing, acting in consultation with the Head of Housing and Health, the authority to (i) determine action plans to deliver the objectives in the Thriving Together health and wellbeing plan, pending its approval by Council, and (ii) authorise periodic progress reports

The Executive Member for Neighbourhoods presented the revised East Herts Council Safeguarding Policy and Procedure. She thanked the officers involved for their hard work and Councillor Boylan for his previous work on the policy and his continuing assistance. She said the policy was last reviewed in 2020 and the amended version incorporated many changes which were listed at paragraph 2.11 of the report.

The Executive Member for Neighbourhoods said that the Independent Chair of the Hertfordshire Safeguarding Board had reviewed the policy and was very complimentary of it. She said that the new policy had an overview section at the beginning which provided clear guidelines to give everybody confidence in dealing with safeguarding matters.

Councillor Goldspink proposed that the recommendations in the report be supported. Councillor Daar seconded the proposal.

Councillor Dumont said that safeguarding happened behind the scenes due to the confidential nature of the work. He wanted to praise the team who dealt with safeguarding as they had always taken his concerns seriously and were always quick to respond.

The motion to support the recommendations having been proposed and seconded was put to the meeting and upon a vote being taken, was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED – That (A) the Head of Housing and Health incorporates any amendments to the Safeguarding Policy suggested by the Executive, acting in consultation with the Lead Member for Neighbourhoods, prior to presentation to Council by the Executive Member for adoption; and

(B) the revised Safeguarding Policy be recommended to Council for adoption.

a)    consider and approve the draft Air Quality Action Plan found in Appendix A;

b)   approve that the Executive Member for Sustainability may submit the draft Air Quality Action Plan to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for their review and approval;

c)    delegate to the Head of Housing and Health, acting in consultation with the Executive Member for Sustainability, authority to make minor changes to the Air Quality Action Plan if needed following submission to DEFRA for approval, with any changes with a financial implication for the council being brought to the Executive for consideration;

d)   delegate to the Executive Member for Sustainability authority to adopt the final version of the Air Quality Action Plan on behalf of the council once it has been approved by DEFRA;

e)    delegate to the Head of Housing and Health, acting in consultation with the Executive Member for Sustainability, authority to add, amend or delete actions from the Air Quality Action Plan over the lifetime of the action plan so as to ensure that it remains current, reflecting the financial viability of projects and evolving best practice

The Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability presented the final draft version of the Air Quality Action Plan and said it would be submitted to DEFRA for approval if the Executive agreed it. He said that the council were required under legislation to produce an action plan and the plan was designed to be an active and evolving document.

The Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability said that the Action Plan went out for public consultation from 31 October to 13 December 2023 and received 189 responses. He said the action plan was presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in January and their comments were provided at Appendix C.

Councillor Hoskin proposed that the recommendations in the report be supported. Councillor Glover-Ward seconded the proposal.

Councillor McAndrew said it was good to see an end result after a long process. He said a lot of time and effort had gone into it from both officers and members. He said the biggest challenge in tackling air pollution was behaviour change and getting individuals to make changes to their daily routines.

Councillor Hoskin said that the council had now installed real time monitors in all three AQMAs and were looking at how to publish that information to the public so they could make better decisions for sustainable travel.

Councillor Estop referred to the proposed actions and acknowledged the LCWIP which would make physical changes to the environment to make walking a more pleasant and safe environment.

The motion to support the recommendations having been proposed and seconded was put to the meeting and upon a vote being taken, was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED – that (A) the draft Air Quality Action Plan found in Appendix A be considered and approved;

(B)  approve that the Executive Member for Sustainability may submit the draft Air Quality Action Plan to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for their review and approval;

(C) delegate to the Head of Housing and Health, acting in consultation with the Executive Member for Sustainability, authority to make minor changes to the Air Quality Action Plan if needed following submission to DEFRA for approval, with any changes with a financial implication for the council being brought to the Executive for consideration;

(D)          delegate to the Executive Member for Sustainability authority to adopt the final version of the Air Quality Action Plan on behalf of the council once it has been approved by DEFRA;

(E) delegate to the Head of Housing and Health, acting in consultation with the Executive Member for Sustainability, authority to add, amend or delete actions from the Air Quality Action Plan over the lifetime of the action plan so as to ensure that it remains current, reflecting the financial viability of projects and evolving best practice

a)    To overrule twenty seven Traffic Regulation Order objections for the reasons set out in Appendix A and reintroduce parking charges.

b)   To authorise the Head of Legal and Democratic Services to publish a Notice of Making under the Road Traffic Regulation Act to give effect to the introduction of the tariff structure as shown in Appendix C.

The Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability presented the report to reintroduce parking charges in Stanstead Abbotts. He said that a commercial employer approached the council in 2014 and offered to pay £7,500 a year to cover the pay and display income but they had now withdrawn their funding leading the council to undertake a review. The council’s car parks were operated on a chargeable basis and would ensure optimal use of spaces and encouraging model shift.

Councillor Hoskin proposed that the recommendations in the report be supported. Councillor Goldspink seconded the proposal.

Councillor McAndrew asked if the Executive Member was aware of the unintended consequences of charging for parking as cars would migrate to parking on the side streets.

Councillor Buckmaster said he was also concerned about parking in certain streets and as a county council member, did not want to install double yellow lines to discourage parking when it just moved the problem on. He said he understood why decision was being made but it would have consequences.

Councillor Boylan spoke on behalf of residents as the local ward member. He said Stanstead Abbots was the only village in East Herts that had a council owned car park  and questioned if alternative sources of funding had been explored. He said that there were significant disparities in the charges compared with towns in the district and residents did not think they were being treated reasonably.

Councillor Hoskin said that a parking review across the whole district would be undertaken in the summer to look at anomalies across car parks and ensure fairness. He said the parity would be dependent on the public consultation and there was no alternative funding within the council to cover the costs.

Councillor Boylan said he was not suggesting that the funding should come from the council but was asking about alternative commercial funding. He said it seemed strange to start charging a village a higher rate than a town.

Councillor Hoskin reminded Members that the car park had always been charged for and it had been covered by commercial business. He said that parking was something that the Executive were trying to get right and had an opportunity to be able to bring about changes through attitudes.

Councillor Deering asked the Executive Member to confirm if he had explored alternative funding for the car park.

Councillor Hoskin said it had not been considered at this stage.

Councillor Buckmaster said that not all towns were alike and hoped the administration would prove that they were a listening council through the parking consultation.

Councillor Dumont said he was able to vote for this because he felt able to defend his position with his residents. He felt that this was the only viable option at the current time.

Councillor Hopewell said that she felt, as a someone who did not drive, that the car park prices were fairly reasonable and were cheaper than public transport. She said that there would be no incentive for people to walk if  ...  view the full minutes text for item 341.

To consider such other business as, in the opinion of the Chairman of the meeting, is of sufficient urgency to warrant consideration and is not likely to involve the disclosure of exempt information.

There was no urgent business.