Agenda, decisions and minutes

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 19thNovember 2020.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 19th November 2020 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman. 

To receive from Members declarations as to disclosable pecuniary and other interests in relation to any Agenda item.

No declarations were received.

To consider a report presenting a draft Waste Minimisation Strategy and Waste Minimisation Action Plan for approval.

Executive Councillor: Mrs M L Beuttell.

Cabinet approved the Council’s new Waste Minimisation Strategy and Waste Minimisation Action Plan.

Consideration was given to a report prepared by the Operations Manager for Waste and Recycling (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) seeking approval of a new Waste Minimisation Strategy and Waste Minimisation Action Plan for the District Council.

In introducing the report, the Executive Councillor for Operations and Environment outlined the background to the development of the Strategy  which had been prepared to respond to the main challenges being faced by the Council’s Waste and Recycling Collection service and to set out the principles for the development of the service over the next three years.

Cabinet’s attention was drawn to the vision and objectives of the Strategy which were set out within the report, together with details of the improvements in performance and value for money which had been secured by the service in recent years. Huntingdonshire was a growing area and the Executive Councillor reiterated that the waste service must grow or adapt to absorb this growth.

In reviewing the comments which had been made by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Customers and Partnerships) at their meeting on 3rd December 2020, the Cabinet received an update on the current status of the Council’s contracts for recycling and waste disposal and the Executive Councillor also indicated that public awareness raising and education would form a key part of the action plan. The Cabinet were pleased to note that the Panel had commended the positive and proactive attitude of the Strategy in progressing the waste minimisation aims and objectives of the Council.

Whereupon it was

RESOLVED

that the Council’s new Waste Minimisation Strategy and Waste Minimisation Action Plan be approved.

To receive a report from the Service Manager (Growth) seeking agreement to act upon the Examiner’s report into the Buckden Neighbourhood Development Plan.

Executive Councillor: J Neish.

Agreed that the District Council should act upon the Examiner’s report to accept the recommended modifications and progress the neighbourhood plan to referendum.

With the aid of a report by the Service Manager Growth (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Cabinet gave consideration to a report seeking agreement to act upon the Examiner’s report into the Buckden Neighbourhood Plan and to progress the Plan to a referendum on whether or not it should be brought into force as part of the statutory development plan.

In introducing the report, the Deputy Executive Leader and the Executive Councillor for Strategic Planning outlined the background to the receipt of the Examiners report which had been received on 23rd October 2020. The Examiner had recommended that with appropriate modifications the Neighbourhood Plan would meet the basic conditions against which it is required to be tested and so should progress to referendum. The modifications and recommendations had been discussed and agreed with representatives of Buckden Parish Council.

The Cabinet were advised that in the usual circumstances following the decision of the Cabinet to act upon the Examiners report, the Neighbourhood Plan would now proceed to a referendum within 56 days. However the Covid-19 health emergency had resulted in several amendments to the normal process and given that all elections and referendums had been postponed until 6th May 2021, it was proposed that the referendum for the Buckden Neighbourhood Plan be held on this date. Buckden Parish Council had had indicated their support for this approach.

Whereupon and having noted that the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Performance and Growth) had supported the recommendations within the report, it was

RESOLVED

that the District Council should act upon the Examiner’s report to accept the recommended modifications and progress the neighbourhood plan to referendum.