Agenda, decisions and minutes

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 27th April 2006.

Subject to the inclusion of Councillor Mrs D C Reynolds and former Councillor D P Holley in the list of attendees, the Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 27th April 2006 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.

Councillor A Hansard declared a personal interest in Minute No. 11 by virtue of his membership of St. Neots Town Council.

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

The following portfolios were approved by the Cabinet in May 2005-

¨  Finance;

¨  Planning Strategy;

¨  Environment and Transport;

¨  Leisure;

¨  Resources and Policy;

¨  Housing and Public Health; and

¨  Operations and Information Technology

Those Members appointed as Executive Councillors for Planning Strategy and Resources and Policy were also appointed ex-officio Members respectively of the Development Control Panel and Licensing and Protection Panel/Licensing Committee.

Following his resignation as Leader, Council on 7th December, 2005 appointed Councillor D P Holley as a Member of the Cabinet with the following portfolio – Office Accommodation and Other Projects (to include the office and other accommodation project, economic development and regeneration, the development of the Community Strategy and the Huntingdonshire Strategic Partnership and to represent the Council on Cambridgeshire Horizons and other organisations). Councillor Holley was also ex-officio member of the Employment Panel.

RESOLVED

(a)   that executive responsibilities for the Municipal Year 2006/07 be  allocated as follows - 

  (b)  that the Leader of the Council be appointed to serve as ex-officio Member of the Employment Panel; and

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

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 Leisure 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 2006/07, Members be appointed to serve on the Leisure Centre Management Committees as follows –

¨  Huntingdon Leisure Centre Management Committee

  Councillors K Baker, Mrs J Chandler, J J Dutton, J D Fell, C R Hyams and Mrs S A Menczer

¨  St Neots Leisure Centre Management Committee

Councillors B E Boddington, Mrs J Chandler, R Eaton, A Hansard and Mrs P J Longford

¨  St Ivo Leisure Centre Management Committee

Councillors J D Ablewhite, J T Bell, Mrs J Chandler, S J Criswell, J W Davies 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

(a)  that Hinchingbrooke Country Park Joint Liaison Group be reconstituted as the Countryside Joint Group to consider all matters related to country, riverside and other parks and open spaces; and

(b)  that Councillors M G Baker, Mrs M Banerjee, Mrs J Chandler and J D Fell be appointed to serve on the 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, K Reynolds and T D Sanderson 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

(a)  that the existing Customer First and New Headquarters Advisory Groups be merged to form the Customer First and Accommodation Advisory Group; and

(b)  that Councillors I C Bates, P L E Bucknell, S J Criswell, P J Downes, K Reynolds, T V Rogers and L M Simpson be appointed to serve on the Advisory Group for the ensuing Municipal Year.

RESOLVED

that Councillors Mrs J Chandler, N J Guyatt, Mrs P Longford and L M Simpson be appointed to serve on the Members’ Advisory Group for Public Conveniences for the ensuing Municipal Year.

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

RESOLVED

that Councillors I C Bates, P L E Bucknell, P J Downes, N J Guyatt, P G Mitchell, J M Sadler and P A Swales be appointed to serve on the Development Plan Advisory Group 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, K 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 Planning Policy Manager requesting the adoption of the revised Framework as Interim Planning Guidance.

Agreed to adopt the Urban Design Framework for the redevelopment of land in and around the old Fire Station site in St Neots as Interim Planning Guidance, subject to the making of any consequential amendments to the text and illustrations of the Brief by the Planning Policy Manager after consultation with the Executive Member for Planning.

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 the redevelopment of land in and around the old Fire Station site in St Neots.

Having considered the responses received and in noting that the relocation of the waste disposal depot and issues surrounding the provision of a high quality recreational area along with additional car parking would be addressed through the planning process, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

(a)  that the Planning Policy Manager be authorised, after consultation with the Executive Councillor for Planning Strategy, to approve the text and illustrations of the Development Brief document to incorporate the responses referred to in Annex 1 to the report now submitted and any minor consequential amendments; and

(b)  that, following on from (a) above, the Development Brief for the old Fire Station site in St Neots (as amended) be adopted as Interim Planning Guidance.

To consider the development brief for the village of St. Mary’s and to approve it as a basis for further discussion and consultation.  (A copy of the Development Brief is attached to the Agenda separately).

Approved the contents of a development brief for land to the west of St Mary’s Church, St. Neots for consultation prior to adoption as Interim Planning Guidance.

Having considered a report by the Head of Planning Services to which was attached a development brief for land to the west of St Mary’s Church, St. Neots (copies of both documents are appended in the Minute Book), the Cabinet

RESOLVED

that the Urban Design Framework for St Mary’s Village be approved for consultation.

To note a summary by the Head of Financial Services of debts written-off during the quarter ended 31st March 2006.

Noted those debts which had been written off during January – March 2006 as irrecoverable.

The Cabinet received and noted the report by the Head of Revenue Services (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) summarising debts which had been written off during January – March 2006 as irrecoverable.