Presentation by the Executive Leader and Deputy Executive Leader.
Minutes:
By reference to a document which had been tabled (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Executive Leader, Councillor J D Ablewhite and Deputy Executive Leader, Councillor N J Guyatt presented to the Council, the proposed ‘Leadership Direction’ and ‘Key Priorities’ for the Council in the ensuing year.
Councillor Ablewhite explained that although the document reflected key themes and aims and would form a basis upon which to work, it could not cover all the services the District Council provided. He believed, however, that the strategic direction concentrated on those issues of most importance to local people, national priorities and local challenges arising from the social, economic and environmental context of the District.
With the assistance of power point, Councillor Ablewhite described the overall vision for Huntingdonshire and the individual themes in detail. The key themes included –
¨ strong local economy
¨ enable sustainable growth
¨ improve the quality of life in Huntingdonshire
¨ working with our communities; and
¨ the Council.
As an illustration of the way the Council was required to respond to national priorities, Councillor Guyatt addressed Members on the requirement to produce the new Local Plan within twelve months. To meet this timescale, Councillor Guyatt explained that it was the intention to use the existing Plan as a basis for going forward and to respond to new challenges, such as employment and the successful delivery of the Alconbury Enterprise Zone.
As an example of the theme “working in other communities”, Councillor Guyatt described the steps being taken by the Council to consult with non-statutory consultees on the potential for new housing development and how 110 responses had been received thus far.
Members were urged to involve themselves in the consultation to help shape and develop the new Local Plan. Communities could, if they so wished, then begin to prepare their own neighbourhood plan which would be required to conform to the District Council’s Local Plan. Councillor Guyatt indicated that the new Local Plan would support, among other issues, low/medium growth in key service areas, improved infrastructure provision including the A14 and measures to improve and maintain the quality of life and a strong local economy. He intimated that the formal statutory consultation process would commence at the end of July.
In response to questions from Councillor R B Howe and R S Farrer, Councillor Guyatt confirmed that he would expect to be in a position to advise on the timescale for preparation of neighbourhood plans towards the end of the Local Plan process and that those Authorities without arrangements in place for developers to contribute to a Community Infrastructure Levy would ultimately experience a deficit in funding towards their infrastructure projects. The Executive Leader added that each District Authority was obliged to undertake the same process but that the Council had progressed further than other Authorities and hopefully would reap the consequential benefits of its prompt response.
Referring to Section 3 of the “Leadership Direction”, Councillor P J Downes expressed the view that the Leadership may have under-estimated the difficulty which lay ahead in implementing benefit reforms in terms of the impact on the District and effect on the Council and suggested that the District Council would need to work hard to protect the most vulnerable.
Councillor P D Reeve welcomed the level of engagement which had been arranged on the proposed new Local Plan and indicated his appreciation for the support offered by the Head of Planning and Housing Strategy. He was hopeful that the new Local Plan would seek to impose minimal rather than maximum parking standards and establish a requirement for good quality family housing. In response to a further observation from Councillor M F Shellens on the inadequacy of car parking on the Kings Ripton Park Estate, Councillor Guyatt confirmed that whilst parking standards were under consideration, the District Council had no control over a householder’s decision to convert their garage for leisure or other use.
Actions:30 minutes