Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Panel held on 11th June 2013.

The Minutes of the meeting of the Panel held on 11th June 2013 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive from Members declarations as to disclosable pecuniary or other interests in relation to any Agenda Item. Please see Notes below.

No declarations were received.

A copy of the current Notice of Executive Decisions, which was published on 20th June 2013 is attached. Members are invited to note the Decisions and to comment as appropriate on any items contained therein.

The Panel considered and noted the current Notice of Executive Decisions (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) which had been prepared by the Leader of the Council for the period 1st July to 31st December 2013. It was confirmed that the item entitled Loves Farm – Request for Supplementary Estimate related to the Community Centre and had been deferred for consideration by the Cabinet at its September meeting. In noting that the Whole Waste System Approach would be submitted to the Panel at its October meeting, comment was made that there should be early Member involvement in this matter as the proposals were likely to affect all Wards.

To receive a report from the Planning Services Manager (Policy) seeking approval of the Landscape Sensitivity to Wind Turbine Development Supplementary Planning Document.

With the aid of a report prepared by the Planning Service Manager (Policy) (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Panel gave consideration to the Landscape Sensitivity to Wind Turbine Development Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) and the supporting technical evidence prior to their submission to the Cabinet. In introducing the item, the Planning Service Manager (Policy) reported that the Draft Revised SPD had been updated to take into account the publication of new national policy guidance within the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the development of the technical methodological approach to assessing landscape sensitivity to wind turbine development since 2005, the need for guidance on the siting and design of smaller scale wind turbines and the need to clarify the document’s evidence base. The evidence base included an additional commissioned piece of work on the Cumulative Landscape and Visual Impacts of Wind Turbines in Huntingdonshire, which detailed all operational and consented wind turbine developments in the District together with those which currently were awaiting determination.

The Chairmen drew attention to the content of a letter sent to Members by Mr Watters, a representative of Molesworth Action Group, in which he stated a number of concerns relating to various aspects of the proposed SPD. In the letter the view was expressed that the guidance on wind turbine developments had been relaxed. In response, the Landscape Officer confirmed that there may have been some confusion over the reclassification of wind turbine group sizes within the SPD but the guidance overall was designed to tighten up the guidelines for developers. The omission of separation distances between developments was a further area of concern and it was held that other local authorities within Cambridgeshire had introduced them. However the Landscape Officer confirmed that this was not correct and that, in any case, the Local Plan was the appropriate place for such a policy. Finally, in response to references in the letter, clarification was received of the term “historic village”. It was noted that this included conservation areas as well as buildings of historic interest which were on the Listed Buildings Register. Having expressed their satisfaction with the responses received to the points made, Members requested that a written response was sent to Mr Watters.

Following discussion on the findings of the study on the Cumulative Landscape and Visual Impacts of Wind Turbines in Huntingdonshire and in acknowledging the importance of this piece of work, the Panel made a recommendation that in order to give the draft revised SPD further weight and to make it better able to withstand the rigours of an appeal, the document should be subject to a separate public consultation exercise. It was therefore agreed that this recommendation should be put to the Cabinet.

Having regard to the NPPF, a Member commented upon the omission of the terms “adverse visual impact” and “material harm” from the SPD. The Planning Policy Manager (Policy) responded by informing the Panel that they appeared in the Core Strategy. Nevertheless, the Panel  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

To receive an update on drainage in Yaxley.

Owing to delays with receiving a response from Anglian Water, the Chairman reported that this item would be deferred for consideration at a future Panel meeting.

To consider, with the aid of a report by the Head of Legal and Democratic Services, the current programme of Overview and Scrutiny studies.

The Panel received and noted a report by the Head of Legal and Democratic Services (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) which contained details of studies being undertaken by the Overview and Scrutiny Panels for Social Well-Being and Economic Well-Being. The Chairman indicated that he would be making enquiries into how the Environmental Panel might have an input into the items on Economic Development and on the Local Plan 2036 – Provision of Social, Affordable and Supported Housing which were being examined by the Economic Well-Being Panel and Social Well-Being Panel respectively.

To consider a report by the Head of Legal and Democratic Services on the Panel’s programme of studies.

The Panel received and noted a report by the Head of Legal and Democratic Services (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) which contained details of actions taken in response to recent discussions and decisions. The Chairman delivered a brief update on the work being undertaken by the Corporate Plan Working Group on the development of the Council Delivery Plan, which would then be used to hold Executive Members to account on the performance of their respective service areas.

Having regard to the Tree Strategy and Design Guide, the Chairman indicated that he would be raising both matters at a meeting he had arranged with the Assistant Director for Environment, Growth and Planning and the Executive Councillor for Strategic Planning and Housing. In noting that a report on the Whole Waste System Approach would be submitted to the Panel in October, Councillor M G Baker reported that the Waste Collection Working Group would consider whether to reconvene once the work on RECAP was complete.

In terms of rural transport and the suggestion made at the previous meeting that local bus services within Towns might be a potential future study area, the Panel decided that both matters should be raised by Councillor Mrs L Kadi? through her Cambridgeshire Future Transport Initiative scrutiny work. Members then requested that a scoping report on car parking management and a position statement on areas where household recycling was not taking place were submitted to the Panel at its September meeting. Finally, the Panel agreed to remove the impact of large scale housing developments upon the A428 from its work programme as it was a matter that would be addressed through the Local Plan.

To scrutinise decisions as set out in the Decision Digest and to raise any other matters for scrutiny that fall within the remit of the Panel.

Having considered the 135th Edition of the Decision Digest, the Panel placed on record their concerns at the increase in waiting times for Occupational Therapy assessments which was reported as currently being 26 weeks. This matter had been discussed by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Social Well-Being) as part of their deliberations on the Home Improvement Agency Shared Service Review and Disabled Facilities Grant Budget report.