Agenda and minutes

Growth and Prosperity Overview and Scrutiny Panel - Monday 13 September 2010 2.00 pm

Venue: Council House, Next to the Civic Centre

Contact: Helen Rickman, Democratic Support Officer  Email: helen.rickman@plymouth.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

26.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members will be asked to make any declarations of interest in respect of items on this agenda.

Minutes:

The following declarations of interest were made in accordance with the Code of Conduct in relation to items under discussion at this meeting –

 

Name

Minute No. and Subject

Reason

Interest

Councillor Martin Leaves

35. Feedback from the South West Devon Waste Partnership – Joint Scrutiny Review

Member of South West Devon Waste Partnership.

Personal

Councillor Roberts

35. Feedback from the South West Devon Waste Partnership – Joint Scrutiny Review

Member of Planning Committee

Personal

Councillor Mrs Stephens

35. Feedback from the South West Devon Waste Partnership – Joint Scrutiny Review

Member of Planning Committee

Personal

Councillor Wheeler

35. Feedback from the South West Devon Waste Partnership – Joint Scrutiny Review

Member of Planning Committee

Personal

 

27.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 129 KB

To confirm the minutes of the last meeting held on 12 July 2010.

Minutes:

Agreed that the minutes of the meeting held on 12 July 2010 were confirmed as a correct record.

28.

CHAIR'S URGENT BUSINESS

To receive reports on business which, in the opinion of the Chair, should be brought forward for urgent consideration.

Minutes:

There were no items of Chair’s Urgent Business.

29.

TRACKING RESOLUTIONS AND FEEDBACK FROM THE OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY MANAGEMENT BOARD pdf icon PDF 68 KB

The Panel will monitor the progress of previous resolutions and receive any relevant feedback from the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board.

Minutes:

The Chair updated the Panel on their tracking resolutions and feedback from the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board.

 

With regards to tracking resolutions, the Panel was informed that –

 

(i)

the Plymouth City Council Housing Services item had been greyed out as complete as it was agreed at the 28 July 2010 Overview and Scrutiny Management Board meeting that the Panel should scrutinise homelessness and housing needs issues as a single Panel; this item would be added to the work programme for consideration later in the year;

 

With regards to feedback from the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board held on 28 July 2010 the Panel was informed that –

 

(ii)

Community Services has been removed from the Panel’s terms of reference (minute 26 (4));

 

(iii)

the recent Hoe Foreshore maintenance Task and Finish Group had been a successful piece of scrutiny;

 

30.

GOVERNMENT POLICY CHANGES pdf icon PDF 76 KB

The Panel will be provided with an update on Government Policy changes.

Minutes:

Gill Peele, the Business Manager for Development and Regeneration provided the Panel with a briefing report on recent Government policy changes.

 

In response to questions raised it was reported that –

 

(i)

the maximum Local Housing Allowance (LHA) payable for eligible properties in Plymouth would be provided to Panel Members via email before the next Panel meeting;

 

(ii)

the number of households expected to be affected by housing benefit and local housing allowance cuts would be provided to Panel Members  via email before the next Panel meeting;

 

31.

LOCAL STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP (LSP) WEALTHY THEME GROUP UPDATE pdf icon PDF 54 KB

The Panel will be provided with a briefing note on the Local Strategic Partnership Wealthy Theme Group action plans.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Panel noted the update on the Local Strategic Partnership Wealthy Theme Group report. A further report would be submitted to the next scheduled meeting.

32.

SECTION 106 - PLANNING OBLIGATIONS MONITORING pdf icon PDF 127 KB

The Panel will be provided with an update on Section 106 – Planning Obligations Monitoring report.

Minutes:

Jonathan Bell, the Head of Development Planning, and John Dixon, the Planning Delivery Manager, provided the Panel with an overview report of Section 106 – Planning Obligations Monitoring (pages 35 – 50 of agenda pack refers).  This was in advance of a more detailed presentation to the next scheduled meeting of the Panel to address any matters arising from the Panel’s questions.

 

In response to questions raised it was reported that –

 

(i)

the list of outstanding planning obligations, including information on progress in actioning these, would be presented to the next meeting;

 

(ii)

in relation to the recent planning permission for residential development at Mount Wise, this was a revision to an earlier permission.  However, the Planning Obligations & Affordable Housing SPD, adopted in August 2010, provided for the possibility of seeking financial contributions for primary school places for family development wherever it was in the city;

 

(iii)

it was highlighted that the viability of development could be taken into account when agreeing planning obligations, but this did not mean that unacceptable schemes should be approved, and the balance of arguments was something that planning officers and the Planning Committee would need to make a judgment on;

 

(iv)

officers welcomed feedback from Councillors regarding the governance arrangements and opportunity for member engagement in the planning obligation process, and would provide further information to the next meeting on this matter;

 

(v)

if developers failed to make section 106 payments to the council, officers would seek to recover the money as debt. If a developer went bust it was thought that the section 106 obligation was tied to the site and the obligation would be sold with the site, however further information would be provided in response to this question at the next meeting;

 

(vi)

officers noted the concern expressed that their choice of wording in the report submitted to the Panel, in paragraph 53, whilst not inaccurate did not explain the full story which led to the refund of S106 monies.  Any future reference should correct this;

 

(vii) 

officers would provide a flow chart to Panel Members detailing the            spending process of 106 money and would highlight the different levels of process involved in getting funds spent;

 

 

(viii)  

officers would provide a list of improvements made to the section 106 funds data base which monitors and records all clauses in all Section 106 agreements, and provide more information on the administration of the planning obligations process;

 

(ix) 

officers would provide an explanation to the next meeting of the gap between financial contributions negotiated and secured as identified in Table 1 of the report.

 

The Chair thanked the officers for their attendance and congratulated them on their informative and well written report. The Panel looked forward to receiving the detailed report at the next meeting that would answer their questions.

33.

LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN 3 pdf icon PDF 36 KB

The Panel will be provided with an update on the Local Transport Plan 3 overview timetable and engagement of scrutiny.

33a

Overview of timetable and scrutiny engagement

Minutes:

Phil Heseltine, Head of Transport Strategy and Sunita Mills, Transport Strategy & Spatial Development Controller, provided the Panel with an update on the Local Transport Plan 3.

 

The Panel was informed that –

 

(i)

this plan would cover a period of 15 years unlike the previous two Local Transport Plans 1 and 2 that covered five years each;

 

(ii)

this plan had a longer term strategy which was in line with the strategic planning framework; growth, climate change,  had all been considered in order to assess how transport would have an impact on the quality of life for residents/business;

 

(iii)

a 12 week consultation period had been organised for the end of October 2010 which would incorporate a wide audience; an online consultation would also take place as well as community events, leaflet dropping and the handing out of questionnaires;

 

(iv)

all Members would be briefed on the LTP3;

 

(v)

the local authority was to agree with partners its prioritised transport investments in the LTP3;

 

(vi)

the majority of the targets in the LTP2 had been achieved however it was the responsibility of the local authority and partners to reflect on local objectives and priorities to consider if the targets not achieved should be added to this plan;

 

(vii)

currently targeted meetings had been organised to consult the Youth Council, transport providers, external stakeholder groups and the Local Strategic Partnership; several events in the community had also been organised as a road show to present information and receive feedback. A summary document would also be available online;

 

(viii)

the LTP3 would be consulted on in years 1, 2 and 3;

 

(ix)

30% financial cuts had been programmed into the LTP3 in order to prepare for possible Government cuts;

 

Members considered it appropriate for liaison officers to ensure that the LTP3 consultation was highlighted and made available at local neighbourhood meetings for the benefit of local residents.

 

The Chair thanked the officers for their attendance and requested a more detailed report be brought to the 10 January meeting in which feedback could also be brought back from the consultation.

 

 

 

The Panel recommended to Officers that –

 

1)

a full Council briefing be appropriate to inform members of the LTP3;

 

2)

further updates be presented to the Panel at the November and January meetings.

 

33b

Equality of opportunity planning and progress

Minutes:

The Panel received a written progress report and agreed that this would be discussed at a future meeting if required as part of LTP3.

34.

EASTERN CORRIDOR UPDATE

Members of the Panel will receive a verbal update on the Eastern Corridor Major Scheme Bid.

Minutes:

Juli Wileman, Major Schemes Project Manager, provided the Panel with an update on the Eastern Corridor.

 

The Panel was informed that –

 

(i)

Devon County Council were further developing the design of the preferred transport option;

 

(ii)

officers had recently commissioned a transport model for the scheme and it would be completed by November this year;

 

(iii)

work has been commissioned to undertake further design work at Cattedown roundabout and Plymstock Quarry junctions which would be completed by December 2010;

 

(iv)

with regards to the overall programme, the Department for Transport had advised that they would not commit to any major scheme works under the Government spending review had been completed;

 

(v)

maintenance work was currently being carried out in Deep Lane;

 

The Chair thanked the officer for her attendance. The Panel agreed that this item would no longer be a standing item and that a further update will be requested a future date.

35.

FEEDBACK FROM THE SOUTH WEST DEVON WASTE PARTNERSHIP - JOINT SCRUTINY REVIEW pdf icon PDF 359 KB

The Panel will be provided with feedback from the South West Devon Waste Partnership – Joint Scrutiny Review.

Minutes:

The Chair introduced the report from the South West Devon Waste Partnership Joint Scrutiny Review and undertook to answer questions from Panel Members that were not involved in the review.

 

In response to questions raised it was reported that –

 

(i)

if this scheme was adopted, Plymouth would have an obligation to send all of its waste to the specified plant;

 

(ii)

the trade waste scheme would allow for flexibility in waste tonnage supplied to the plant;

 

Agreed that all recommendations detailed in the report to be referred to the South West Devon Waste Partnership Joint Committee for a response back to the scrutiny Panel.

 

 (Councillors Roberts and Mrs Stephens declared a personal interest in this item however resolved to leave the room; Councillor Martin Leaves and Councillor Wheeler similarly declared a personal interest and resolved to stay in the room however both abstained from voting on this item).

36.

WORK PROGRAMME pdf icon PDF 84 KB

To review the panels work programme 10/11.

Minutes:

The Panel considered their work programme for 2010/2011 and considered that Tourism/Place issues, Devon Home Choice Lettings and Worklessness might need to be scrutinised in the future.

 

The Democratic Support Officer informed the Panel that the Carbon Reduction Commitment was no longer on the work programme for this Panel as the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board had previously agreed that it would be better suited to the work of the Support Services Overview and Scrutiny Panel. This particular topic focused upon the Council’s requirements and use of energy, however overall topics of sustainability and climate change were still this Panel’s responsibility.

 

Agreed that the scope of sustainability and climate change be clarified by the Director for Development & Regeneration.

 

37.

QUARTERLY SCRUTINY REPORT / REVIEW pdf icon PDF 80 KB

To approve the Growth and Prosperity Overview and Scrutiny report for the first quarter.

Minutes:

The Panel received their quarterly scrutiny report covering the period March 2010 to July 2010 and commented that such reports need to specify how the Panel had added value to Council proceedings or achieved effective scrutiny. Members felt that in order to improve the scrutiny process, the results of all recommendations made to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board or Cabinet, should be reported back to the Panel so they can be considered or challenged.

 

The format of the report was acknowledged as following corporate procedures but needed to be amended to add interest and better highlight effective scrutiny.

 

Recommended to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board that the format and layout of future reports be amended to add interest and better highlight effective scrutiny.

 

38.

EXEMPT BUSINESS

To consider passing a resolution under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the press and public from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that it (they) involve(s) the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph(s) of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Minutes:

There were no items of exempt business.