Agenda item

In accordance with the Council Procedure Rules, all questions –

v  Must be relevant to an item which the Council has powers or duties;

v  Must not relate to an item which is included elsewhere on the Agenda

v  Should be limited to obtaining information or pressing for action; and

v  Should not exceed two minutes in duration.

Questions should not divulge or require to be divulged, confidential or exempt information.

With reference to discussions at recent meetings of Parish Councils, Councillor S Cawley outlined the concerns which were being expressed regarding the potential for an increase in fly tipping following the implementation of the new green bin subscription service. An assurance was sought that the District Council would do all it could to enforce fly tipping and to have robust plans in place to tackle the issue. In response to which, the Executive Councillor for Customer Services, Councillor S Ferguson reiterated that the Enforcement Team continued to take the issue of fly tipping seriously and that a new schedule of fines for enforcement had recently been approved. He also reiterated the importance of education, so that residents did not find themselves being prosecuted when they passed their waste to commercial operators who later fly tipped. When prosecutions did take place, he was keen to ensure that they were publicised. The Executive Councillor for Leisure, Waste and Street Scene, Councillor S L Taylor also took the opportunity to provide an update on the take-up rate for the garden waste subscription service and Members were informed that 42% of households had now taken up the scheme, against a target of 30%.

Referring to the recent correspondence which had been sent to Parish Councils for distribution to residents regarding the availability of green bin freighters, Councillor K Gulson commented on the complaints which were being fielded by Parish Councils from residents who were unaware of the community initiatives before they paid for a bin, together with the numerous questions and concerns regarding the operation of the initiatives. In response to which, the Executive Councillor for Leisure, Waste and Street Scene explained that she was concerned that residents were not aware of these initiatives given that they had been discussed at great length at Overview and Scrutiny, in workshops with members, towns and parish councils and community groups. Members were remined that they had been put in place to address the concerns of those who had been unable to afford a green bin. Details regarding the operation of the schemes were available on the District Council website.

Comment was also made with regards to the inaccuracies of several freighter locations on the What3Words App. In response to which the Executive Councillor for Leisure, Waste and Street Scene, Councillor S L Taylor explained that officers were currently assessing the situation.

In response to a request from Councillor N J Hunt for an update regarding progress with the Shopfront Improvement Scheme in Huntingdon, Ramsey, St Ives and St Neots, the Executive Councillor for Jobs, Economy and Housing Councillor S Wakeford reported on the number of applications received and awards made in each area. Members noted that he was pleased with the level of interest received thus far and the take up of the programme which was now operational in all four market towns.

In response to a request from Councillor D J Shaw for an update on the current backlog of planning applications and enforcement cases, the Executive Councillor for Planning Councillor T D Sanderson reported that the number of household applications determined on time remained above the target of 85% at the end of February. Although major applications had fallen slightly, they were getting back on track. There had also been a reduction in the backlog of cases. He was pleased to report that performance within the service had now been met or exceeded targets for nine consecutive months.

With reference to recent contact from a resident in his ward who was a member of the St Neots Swans Swimming Club, Councillor A Jennings drew attention to the discrepancies between the provision which had been made for swimming club training between different Leisure Centres within the District and asked the Executive Councillor for Leisure, Waste and Street Scene whether any action could be taken to assist the St Neots Club. In response to which, Councillor S L Taylor explained that she had already spoken to the Head of Leisure regarding the matter, and it would need to be considered in further detail. Given that the facility was also used by the public, the current shortage of swimming facilities within the District, and the need to accommodate general swimming there was a balance to be struck. She undertook to give the matter further consideration.

In response to a question from Councillor J Harvey regarding the methods by which residents might transport their green waste to the Saturday freighters, the Executive Councillor for Leisure, Waste and Street Scene suggested that this could be done using a reusable solid box. Although black bin liners could be used, if necessary, these should always be taken away and disposed of afterwards.

In light of the comments made regarding public awareness of the garden waste community initiatives and his experience with his own residents Councillor R Martin questioned whether there was need to scrutinise the Council’s Communications Strategy to explore whether there were alternative ways of communicating with local residents. Having noted in detail the communications which had taken place with town, parishes and community groups from September 2023 to-date, the Executive Councillor for Customer Services took the opportunity to explain that communications with regards to this decision had far exceeded any the Council had previously undertaken. He also reiterated the responsibility for all Councillors to report on the decisions of the District Council to the town and parish councils in their area.

In response to a further question from Councillor R Martin as to how the District Council was planning to support those Parish Council’s that didn’t own land or had nowhere to store extra community bins, the Executive Councillor for Leisure, Waste and Street Scene Councillor S L Taylor undertook to respond to this question in writing. She went on to explain that it would be the responsibility of Town and Parish Councils to ensure that there was no contamination of waste within the Community Bins and that they were ready for collection at the appropriate times. She also undertook to provide further details to Councillor M L Beutell as to when Parish Councils were informed of their responsibilities regarding contamination.

With reference to the recent increases in planning fees, Councillor J Neish sought assurances that residents and developers would see improved turnaround times in planning applications and confirmation that the increased income in planning would be ring fenced for the planning service. In response to which, the Executive Councillor for Planning Councillor T D Sanderson agreed to provide further details in writing. However, he reminded Members that applications continued to be determined in accordance with the Council’s key performance indications and that the Council were seeing fewer applications being disputed by Parish Councils. In terms of income, he was pleased to report that a further grant had been received from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and he would endeavour to ensure that was reinvested into the department as much as possible.

With reference to an elderly and housebound resident within his ward who received assisted bin green bin collections, Councillor J Neish queried whether there were any concessions within the new subscription scheme. In response to which, the Executive Councillor for Leisure, Waste and Street Scene explained that although there were no specific concessionary elements, the community initiatives had been designed to assist those who were unable to afford the new charge. In terms of communications the Executive Councillor undertook to investigate further the potential to ensure that bin hangers were posted directly through the doors of those who received assisted collections.

With reference to the recent agreement of a pay settlement for District Council employees for 2024/25, Councillor D Mickleburgh queried the affordability of the agreement and asked how it would influence staff recruitment and the ongoing Workforce Strategy. The Executive Councillor for Climate and Environment, Councillor L Davenport-Ray confirmed that the award was affordable and within the Budget approved by the Council the previous month. It was her understanding that the 2024/25 award had been influential to staff who may have been considering departing the Council and it was the belief of both Council and staff representatives that it would improve the attractiveness of the authority to new employees over the coming year. She was pleased to report that Huntingdonshire was the first authority within Cambridgeshire to reach an agreement upon pay for 2024/25 and expressed her appreciation to all those who had been involved in the process.

With reference to recent discussions by the Corporate Governance Committee on the Risk Register, Councillor E R Butler sought comments from the Executive Councillor for Planning on the risk identified for Development Management regarding the failure to achieve commitments. In response to which, the Executive Councillor for Planning explained that this emphasised the importance of updating the Local Plan for the District, and that the planning service would continue to work towards achieving its targets. He also drew attention to the continuing difficulties in employing and retaining staff within the planning service and the role that that the new Workforce Strategy would play in helping to improve this position. The Executive Councillor with responsibility for employment matters also reiterated that the approach towards the attraction and retention of planning staff had been altered in recent months and this was being to show some positive results.

With reference to her recent attendance at a Phoenix Futures event, Councillor C H Tevlin requested an update on the Huntingdonshire Place Strategy. The Executive Leader advised the Council that an update on the Festival of Place would be presented to Overview and Scrutiny shortly and it was hoped that the Council may then be able to move forward with the offer of the grant scheme.

In response to a question from Councillor T D Alban as to whether any consideration had been given to offering charitable relief to churches and other charitable organisations for the garden waste subscription service, the Executive Councillor for Leisure, Waste and Street Scene explained that the issue had been considered but would be very difficult to administer. The Executive Councillor for Customer Services Councillor S W Ferguson reiterated that the cost of doing so would significantly reduce the effectiveness of the scheme and referred his colleagues to the previous discussions on the matter prior to the implementation of the scheme.

In response to a request for clarification on the closing date for requests for refunds for those who had already paid for the subscription service, the Executive Councillor for Leisure, Waste and Street Scene Councillor S L Taylor explained that requests must be received before the 1st April 2024. She also undertook to establish if requests received on Bank Holiday Good Friday - 31st March 2024, would also be honoured.

In response to a request from Councillor C A Lowe for an update regarding the replanting of trees on the A14, the Executive Councillor for Climate and Environment undertook to respond outside the meeting in writing to ensure that she was providing the most recent information.

In response to a subsequent question from Councillor C A Lowe as to whether it was possible to undertake a tour of the Mechanical Biological Treatment Plant Facility at Waterbeach, Members were advised that a tour had been offered upon their election to the Council. Whilst it may be possible in the future, it was not currently feasible as the County Council were currently investigating upgrading the facility to comply with recent European legislation which had resulted in the closure of two of the treatment lines.

Councillor P J Hodgson-Jones reported on his recent attendance at a meeting of the A141 Working Group and outlined his concerns that the studies which had been undertaken to alleviate the traffic and congestion on the road would not be progressed. In responding to the concerns raised, the Executive Councillor for Jobs, Economy and Housing Councillor S Wakeford and the Huntingdonshire representative on the Transport an Infrastructure Committee of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority outlined his disappointment that the Councillor had interpreted the meeting in this way. Council were informed that the CPCA had commissioned Cambridgeshire County Council to take this forward and that proposals were being reviewed in light of the update of government policies concerning the impact on the environment. Further engagement would take place in due course. Councillor P Hodgson-Jones went on to reiterate that whilst sustainable transportation was important, given the scale of development in the area, road improvements were also required. The Executive Councillor clarified that these were still being considered.

Councillor J A Gray asked the Executive Leader for her view on whether car parking fees should be used to deter individuals from using their cars to drive into town centres or reduced to incentivise people to use the town centres and facilities within the market towns. In response to which, the Executive Leader explained that this was not an easy answer and would form part of an ongoing dialogue. One of the real challenges was not just about the philosophy of what the Council should do but was also about the practicalities of looking at the Council’s fees and charges and up until now parking charges have been crucial to balancing that. She was hopeful that the Council would be able to have that philosophical discussion as it moves forward with a sustainable forward-looking Budget, as it was an important matter for discussion for the District’s high streets and town centres.

Finally, in response to a question from Councillor S Wakeford as to whether it might be helpful for Executive Councillors to be given advance notice of those questions which required multi part or detailed answers, the Executive Councillor for Leisure, Waste and Street Scene Councillor S L Taylor agreed that Members would get a more detailed response if she was given prior warning. Within this in mind, she encouraged any members who had issues to make contact with her in advance of the meeting. In response to which, Councillor T D Alban reiterated that the Constitution did not require advance notice to be provided and there was a danger of Council meetings appearing pre-rehearsed. He argued that perhaps there was a balance to be struck.