Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Overview and Scrutiny Working Group, (copy enclosed).

TheCommittee considered thereport ofthe Overview and Scrutiny Working Group (the Working Group) providing an update following a recent meeting of the Working Group and recommending a course of action on a further Member scrutiny item request.  The scrutiny request form was attached as Appendix A to the report, along with Officer preliminary feedback and further discussion that came out of the initial Working Group considerations.

The scrutiny request had been submitted by Councillor W Stamp and related to the Council’s Five-Year Housing Land Supply (5YHLS).  Iit was noted that following consideration by the Working Group there were a number of suggestions which it felt required further investigation.  The Working Group recommended that this item of scrutiny be added to the workplan according to course of action set out in paragraph 3.2 of the report.

With the permission of the Chairman, Councillor Stamp provided further detail in respect of her scrutiny request, highlighting a number of areas where she felt further investigation and information in relation to the 5YHLS was required.  She also read from a letter sent by Braintree District Council to the Secretary of State which urged clarity on the issues of the 5YHLS.  When referring to the Council’s strategic sites she expressed concern over the speed that planning applications for such sites were being brought forward by developers.  These views were supported by the Committee and the amount of public correspondence in relation to planning was commented on. 

Following clarification, it was agreed that in addition to the actions detailed in section 3.2 of the report a further action in respect of details of strategic site planning applications coming forward and the predicted time for reaching the housing plan, be added.  The Chairman then put the recommendation as set out in the report with the proposed amendment, this was duly seconded and agreed.

In response to a request for details of all the land previously brought forward for consideration as a strategic site and whether it was rejected or not, the Programmes, Performance and Governance Manager advised that this would be best raised as a separate scrutiny item, as a specific request for detail.

RESOLVED that the scrutiny request (Appendix A to the report) be noted and the following course of action be approved:

the following should be explored in greater detail -

i)                 A clearer understanding of what has led to the present position, and why this issue was not identified and reported earlier;

ii)                What is proposed to resolve the present difficulty, and,

iii)              What impact this has on the Local Development Plan and the impending Review.

iv)              Details of the strategic site planning applications coming forward and the predicted time for reaching the housing plan.

To consider the report of the Director of Strategy, Performance and Governance (copy enclosed).

TheCommittee considered thereport ofthe Director of Strategy,Performance andGovernance that soughtto appoint two Members to work alongsidethe Process ImprovementTeam forwebsite and customerfeedback.

The Chairmandeferred to the Programmes, Performance and Governance Manager who introduced thereport.  The Chairman then opened the debate andnominated herself. CouncillorM WHelm then nominatedCouncillor C Mayes.  Both thesenominations wereduly seconded.

TheChairman put the nominationsto theCommittee forapproval and they wereagreed by assent.

RESOLVEDthat thefollowing Memberswere appointed towork alongside theProcess ImprovementTeam:

·                  CouncillorV J Bell;

·                  CouncillorC Mayes.