Agenda, decisions and minutes

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 28th April 2005.

The Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 28th April 2005 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive from Members declarations as to personal and/or prejudicial interests and the nature of those interests in relation to any Agenda item.  Please see Notes 1 and 2 below.

No declarations were received.

To appoint Members to hold responsibility for executive powers and duties determined by the Leader.

The following portfolios were approved by the Cabinet in June 2004 –

¨  Finance;

¨  Planning Strategy

¨  Public Health and Community Safety;

¨  Leisure;

¨  Resources, Welfare and Information Technology;

¨  Housing and Young People; and

¨  Waste Management and Streetscene.

Responsibility for matters associated with the local economy, including town centre management, Pathfinder House and the strategic overview of personnel issues were reserved to the Leader.  The Leader was appointed ex-officio Member of the Employment Panel.

Those Members appointed as Executive Councillors for Planning Strategy and Resources, Welfare and Information Technology were also appointed ex-officio Members of the Licensing and Protection and Development Control Panels.

RESOLVED

  (a)that executive responsibilities for the Municipal Year 2005/06 be allocated as follows –

¨  Finance – Cllr T VRogers;

¨  Planning Strategy – Cllr N J Guyatt;

¨  Environment &

    Transport  – Cllr Mrs P J Longford;

¨  Leisure – Cllr Mrs J Chandler;

¨  Resources & Policy – Cllr A Hansard;

¨  Housing & Public

Health – Cllr Mrs D Reynolds;

¨  Operations &

Information

Technology – Cllr L M Simpson.

  (b)that executive responsibility for issues associated with the Council’s Headquarters and Other Accommodation and the strategic overview of personnel issues be reserved to the Leader of the Council; and

  (c)that Executive Cllrs be appointed to serve as ex-officio Members of Panels as follows –

  Executive Cllrs for - Ex-officio for –

  Resources & PolicyLicensing & Protection Panel

  Planning StrategyDevelopment Control Panel

  Strategic Overview of Employment Panel

  Personnel

To appoint Members to serve on the following Leisure Centre Management Committees –

¨  Huntingdon Leisure Centre Management Committee (6)

¨  St Neots Leisure Centre Management Committee (5)

¨  St Ivo Centre Management Committee (6)

¨  Ramsey Leisure Centre Management Committee (5)

¨  Sawtry Leisure Centre Management Committee (5)

The Local Government Act, 2000 requires the appointment of a minimum of one Cabinet Member to Leisure Centre Management Committees.  Any non-Cabinet Members appointed are required to represent wards within the catchment area of the relevant Centre.  The political balance requirements do not apply.

RESOLVED

  that for the Municipal Year 2005/06, Members be appointed to serve on the Leisure Centre Management Committees as follows –

¨  Huntingdon Leisure Centre Management Committee

Councillors Mrs J Chandler, J J Dutton, J D Fell, C R  Hyams, Mrs S A Menczer and L M Simpson

¨  St. Neots Leisure Centre Management Committee

Councillors Mrs B E Boddington, Mrs J Chandler, A  Hansard, Mrs P J Longford and I P Taylor

¨  St. Ivo Leisure Centre Management Committee

Councillors J D Ablewhite, I C Bates, J T Bell, Mrs J Chandler, S J Criswell and C J Stephens

¨  Ramsey Leisure Centre Management Committee

  Councillors E R Butler, Mrs J Chandler, I R Muir, R Powell and P A Swales

¨  Sawtry Leisure Centre Management Committee

Councillors Mrs M Banerjee, Mrs J Chandler, J E Garner, P G Mitchell and J S Watt.

To appoint four Members to serve on the Hinchingbrooke Country Park Joint Liaison Group.

RESOLVED

  that Councillors M G Baker, Mrs M Banerjee, Mrs J Chandler and J D Fell be appointed to serve on the Hinchingbrooke Park Joint Liaison Group for the ensuing Municipal Year.

To appoint six Members to serve on the Huntingdonshire Environment and Transport Area Joint Committee.

The 2000 Act requires the appointment of a minimum of one Cabinet Member to the Joint Committee.  Other Members may be appointed to the Joint Committee but the political balance requirements do not apply.

RESOLVED

  that Councillors M G Baker, N J Guyatt, Mrs P J Longford, M F Newman, together with two further nominations from the Conservative Group be nominated to serve on the Huntingdonshire Environment and Transport Area Joint Committee for the ensuing Municipal Year.

To appoint seven Members to serve on the Advisory Group.

A sub-group of the Cabinet that is exercising any decision-making powers delegated to it by the Cabinet must include only Cabinet Members.  Those whose terms of reference are merely advisory non-Cabinet Members.  Proportionality requirements do not apply to any sub-groups or Committees to which the Cabinet may appoint.

RESOLVED

  that Councillors I C Bates, W T Clough, P J Downes, P L E Bucknell, D P Holley, K Reynolds and T V Rogers be appointed to serve on the District Council’s Headquarters and Other Accommodation Members’ Advisory Group for the ensuing Municipal Year.

To appoint seven Members to serve on the Development Plan Policy Advisory Group.

RESOLVED

  that Councillors I C Bates, W T Clough, P J Downes, N J Guyatt, P G Mitchell, J M Sadler and P A Swales be appointed to serve on the Development Plan Policy Advisory Group for the ensuing Municipal Year.

To appoint six Members to serve on the Advisory Group.

RESOLVED

  that Councillors M G Baker, J T Bell, J D Fell, T V Rogers, L M Simpson and G S E Thorpe be appointed to serve on the Customer First Advisory Panel for the ensuing Municipal Year.

To appoint five Members to serve on the Advisory Group.

RESOLVED

  that Councillors Mrs D E Collins, J W Davies, A Hansard, R Reynolds and L M Simpson be appointed to serve on the Safety Advisory Group for the ensuing Municipal Year.

To consider a report by the Head of Planning Services regarding suggested preferred options for inclusion in the Core Strategy Development Plan Document for approval by Council as a basis for consultation.

(Appendices 1–3 are attached separately.  Please retain your copies for the Special Meeting of the Council to be held on 25^th May 2005.)

It was recommended that the Special Meeting of the Council to be held on 25^th May 2005 approve the content of the Core Strategy: Preferred Options Report as a basis for public consultation.

A report by the Head of Planning Services was submitted (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) inviting the Cabinet to consider suggested preferred options for inclusion in the Council’s Core Strategy Development Plan Document (DPD).

Members were reminded that the core strategy would describe a spatial vision for the District and criteria-based policies to guide the development and use of land and would form a framework for a range of documents, which would include a planning proposals DPD containing site specific allocations.

The Development Plans Manager reported on the findings of the Draft Final Sustainability Appraisal and Strategic Environmental Assessment to be circulated for the Special Council meeting on 25th May 2005.  Members were informed that this had been produced by consultants and examined the suggested options against social, economic and environmental criteria to ensure the approaches recommended would be more sustainable than the alternatives identified.

Having been reminded of the timescale and procedure for public consultation and consideration by the Council prior to its submission to the Secretary of State, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

  that the Council be recommended to approve the content of the Core Strategy:  Preferred Options Report as a basis for public consultation.

To consider a report by the Head of Planning Services requesting the adoption of the revised Framework as Interim Planning Guidance.

The Head of Planning Services was authorised, after consultation with the Executive Councillor for Planning Strategy  to  make any necessary amendments to the text and illustrations of the Urban Design Framework document to incorporate agreed changes proposed during consultation.  Subject to these changes the UDF for St Neots Community College  was adopted as Interim Planning Guidance.  

Consideration was given to a report by the Head of Planning Services (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) to which was attached a schedule summarising those representations received during consultation on the Urban Design Framework which would guide development in the vicinity of St. Neots Community College.

Having recognised that the development of the area as envisaged would be subject to the receipt of detailed planning applications and that the matters raised during consultation would be addressed through the planning process, it was

RESOLVED

  (a)that the Head of Planning Services be authorised, after consultation with the Executive Councillor for Planning Strategy, to make any consequential amendments to the text and illustrations of the Urban Design Framework document to incorporate those changes proposed during consultation; and

  (b)that the Urban Design Framework for St. Neots Community College (as amended) be adopted as Interim Planning Guidance.

To consider a joint report by the Head of Environmental Health Services and Head of Housing Services regarding the main provisions of the Act.

To delegate authority to Officers to use a range of powers established by the Housing Act 2004 in relation to private sector housing enforcement work.

By way of a joint report by the Heads of Environmental Health Services and of Housing Services (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) Members were acquainted with the provisions of the Housing Act 2004 and the arrangements required to ensure that the District Council, as local housing authority, was in a position to fulfil its duties under the Act in relation to private sector housing enforcement issues.

Whereupon, it was

RESOLVED

  (a)that the Council’s scheme of delegation be varied to authorise appropriate Officers to use a range of powers and duties in relation to the Housing Act 2004 as set out in paragraphs 5.1 (a) – (f) of the report now submitted;

  (c)that the availability of mandatory Disabled Facilities Grants be extended to those occupying caravans in the District as their only or main residence; and

  (d)that the Head of Housing Services consider the needs of gypsies and travellers living in the District when reviewing housing needs in accordance with statutory requirements and other relevant corporate strategies.

To consider a report by the Head of Financial Services requesting the Cabinet to release funds for the MTP Schemes detailed in the annexe to the report.

Funding was released for additional car parking spaces at Huntingdon Leisure Centre, a private sector housing survey, to meet a deficit in air quality fees and to commission work to investigate contaminated land.

With the assistance of a report by the Head of Financial Services (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Cabinet considered requests for the release of funding for MTP schemes.

Having considered the schemes involved, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

  that the relevant funding be released for additional car parking spaces at Huntingdon Leisure Centre, a private sector housing survey, to meet a deficit in air quality fees and to commission work to investigate contaminated land-as included in the Council’s MTP.

To consider a report by the Director of Operational Services (the Chairman agreed to the admission of this matter to the agenda as an urgent item of business).

The Cabinet supported a proposal by the Highways Agency to introduce a 60mph speed limit on the A14  between Huntingdon and Cambridge  for a trial period.  However, the Cabinet indicated their preference in the long term for variable speed limits together with SPECs cameras on this section of the A14 which should be strategically placed in the vicinity of the junctions.  

(The Chairman announced that he proposed to admit the following urgent item in accordance with Section 100B (4) (b) of the Local Government Act 1972 given the need for the Council to respond to a proposal from the Highways Agency by a deadline of 8th June 2005 which fell in advance of the date for the next meeting of the Cabinet.) 

A report by the Director of Operational Services was submitted (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) drawing the Cabinet’s attention to a proposal by the Highways Agency to introduce a permanent 60 mph speed limit on the A14 between Huntingdon and Cambridge.

The Cabinet indicated their preference in the long term for variable speed limits together with SPECs cameras on the section of the A14 from the north west of the Spittals interchange to east of the Histon roundabout to be strategically placed in the vicinity of road junctions.  Having also noted emerging proposals by the Highways Agency for the introduction of a permanent 40mph speed limit at the A14/141 Spittals interchange together with the installation of traffic signals, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

  that a proposal by the Highway Agency to introduce a 60mph speed limit on the A14 between Huntingdon and Cambridge be supported for a trial period.