Agenda, decisions and minutes

To receive any announcements.

The Leader welcomed the press to the meeting and Councillor P Phillips to his first meeting as an Executive Member.

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

Councillor N Poulton declared a personal interest in the matter referred to at Minute 32 – Parking and Transport Strategy, in that his wife was a blue badge holder.

The Leader submitted an exception report on finance and performance monitoring for February and March 2012.

The Executive recommended the carry forward of various budgets, as now detailed.

RECOMMENDED – that (A) the underspending of £44k on property budgets be set aside and carried forward to 2012/13 to be applied to a programme of refurbishment of toilets at Wallfields, as detailed at paragraph 2.9 of the report submitted;

(B)      £9k of the £50k funding for business improvement be set aside and carried forward to 2012/13 to be applied to the following projects:

(1)       Self service

(2)       Voice recognition phone service

(3)       Freedom of information request

as detailed at paragraph 2.10 of the report submitted;

(C)      £50k of the £107k underspend on ICT licences be set aside and carried forward to 2012/13 to be applied to improvements to ICT resilience and business continuity and roll out of the new telephone system, as detailed at paragraph 2.11 of the report submitted; and

(D)      in accordance with Financial Regulation 4.7.3, the carry forward of the capital budgets not spent in 2011/12, as set out in Essential Reference Paper ‘D’and summarised at paragraph 2.27 of the report submitted, be approved, and that these sums be added to the 2012/13 capital estimates.

(see also Minute 33 below)

To approve the Minutes of the meetings held on 6 March and 4 April 2012.

RESOLVED – that the Minutes of the Executive meetings held on 6 March and 4 April 2012 be approved as correct records and signed by the Leader.

RESOLVED – that (A) the work undertaken on the development of East Herts Council’s first Parking and Transport Strategy, be noted;

(B)     Officers be requested, in consultation with the Executive Member for Economic Development, to bring forward specific policy recommendations for consideration and adoption by Council at its next meeting; and

(C)    in the event that the recommendations in (B) above are approved, Officers be requested to identify key potential projects and an outline action plan in line with these policies, to be submitted to the next Executive meeting.

The Executive Member for Strategic Planning and Transport submitted a report proposing the adoption of a Parking and Transport Strategy.  He commented that the proposed Strategy was intended to provide a position statement and a strategic framework for more specific proposals to come forward later.

The Executive Member thanked the Environment Scrutiny Committee, Task and Finish group Members and Officers for their work in developing the Strategy.  He also thanked residents and community and business representatives for their contribution and input.

Various Members commented on the need to strengthen the economic vitality of towns and for this not to be compromised by certain parking options, such as on-street parking charges.  The need for consultation with disabled people on blue badge policies were also acknowledged.  Reference was also made to the need for realistic aspirations particularly for rural communities.

The Leader acknowledged the comments made and stated that the proposed Strategy did not commit to any specific measures.  The Executive Member for Economic Development also commented on the need for parking policies to support the economic vitality of town centres.  With this in mind, he proposed an alternative recommendation that would seek to achieve specific policy recommendations being submitted for consideration at the next Council meeting.

The Executive approved the revised recommendations as now detailed.

RESOLVED – that (A) the work undertaken on the development of East Herts Council’s first Parking and Transport Strategy, be noted;

(B)      Officers be requested, in consultation with the Executive Member for Economic Development, to bring forward specific policy recommendations for consideration and adoption by Council at its next meeting; and

(C)      in the event that the recommendations in (B) above are approved, Officers be requested to identify key potential projects and an outline action plan in line with these policies, to be submitted to the next Executive meeting.

The Leader submitted an exception report on finance and performance monitoring for February and March 2012.

RESOLVED – that the budgetary variances set out in paragraph 2.1 of the report submitted, be noted.

(see also Minute 30 above)