Issue - meetings

Councillor B S Beale asked the Leader of the Council if he agreed that the problem of clearing the South Eastern Area Planning Committee enforcement backlog had grown to an untenable position.  He advised that the Committee were concerned and required assurance that the situation would be sorted as soon as possible and if further assistance to Officers was required this should also be addressed.  In response, the Leader of the Council agreed with Councillor Beale and advised that these concerns also related to the North Western and Central Area Planning Committees.  He informed Members that Officers had been asked to present a business case to provide extra resource and a further report in respect of enforcement was being drafted regarding the South Eastern area which would be shared with Councillor Boyce and the Chairman / Vice-Chairman of that Committee.

Councillor Miss S White asked the Deputy Leader if there was a risk to the Council following a recent upper tier tribunal ruling regarding Freedom of Information Act requests and the way they were handled by the Authority.  In response the Deputy Leader advised that there were always risks attached to a decision from the Information Commissioner’s Office.  He reported that he along with the Leader would be meeting with the Chief Executive and Director of Resources to discuss the ruling.

Councillor S J Savage asked when the final draft of the Local Government Authority Peer Review would be available and when the Peer Review would be coming before the Council.  The Deputy Leader advised that the Leader had been speaking with the Peer Review Team and going through the required process which would result in the Peer Review Team coming back to the Council.

Councillor I E Dobson advised that it had been a year since the Aquila site in Maldon had been cleared and he asked for an update on this.  The Deputy Leader informed Members that there had been issues with the site but confirmation had been received from Aquila that work would be starting on 25 September and all works would be practicably completed by mid-August 2018.  He noted that the development was anticipated to bring over 200 jobs.

Councillor B S Beale referred to the disappointing news in the local paper regarding St. Peter’s Hospital.  He asked what the Council was going to do in respect of finding the information highlighted in the paper and when this would then be brought to the Council for debate.  In response, the Deputy Leader provided an update following a recent meeting that had taken place (attended by Councillor N R Pudney) and assured Members that the Chief Executive was doing everything she could to bring this to the table.  Any further updates would be sent to Members.

At this point in the meeting the Chairman allowed a short deferral of business in order for Mr Holmes to open the gifts he had been presented with.  The Chairman also advised that he was not wearing his chain of office as it was currently being re-gilded and the engraving updated.

Councillor R Pratt asked the Leader of the Council if she could give the Council an update in resolving the situation involving the vessel Llys Helig which has capsized on the foreshore at Burnham-on-Crouch.  The Leader gave a detailed response attached at APPENDIX 1 to these Minutes.  She concluded that after collating further information and seeking clarification on the legal position the next step would be to take a report to the Community Services Committee and Finance and Corporate Services Committee with a range of options for a decision as soon as practically possible. 

Councillor R G Boyce asked the Leader of the Council if she would agree that the proposal just made was going to take a length of time and that this situation could potentially cost the District Council tens of thousands of pounds to dispose of the ship.  Therefore, he asked if she agreed it would have been better if the Council had a proposal before it tonight to authorise, if necessary, the spending of money because the longer the Llys Helig sits there the longer it would take to dispose of.  In response, the Leader of the Council agreed this would have been beneficial, but the Council had strong legal advice that it was not as clear cut as it first thought.  Officers have a clear view of the situation and it was being monitored.  Three courses of action were being pursued with a view to bringing it forward.  If there was an urgent need the Director of Customers and Community would arrange for an emergency meeting to deal with matters.  The Leader advised that she was confident that whatever can be done is being done at the moment.  The Director of Customers and Community reported that the River Baliff had taken immediate action and was working alongside the Harbour Authority on this matter .  He advised that he would be looking to discuss the matter with the Director of Resources who started the following day and bring forward a number of options to the relevant programme Committees.

Councillor B S Beale asked the Leader of the Council if she had a further update regarding the National Health Authority event in London concerning its strategy and it was important that the Council should have attendance and table as many questions to assist getting the needs of this Authority answered.  The Leader of the Council advised that her Personal Assistant was pursuing concessionary places so that the Council could send two persons, one of which would be Councillor Beale and she would pursue the matter the following day.

Councillor M S Heard asked if the contract with Essex Police to take over space in the Council offices had been signed.  In response, the Leader of the Council advised that it was signed on Friday 31 March 2017.

Councillor A S Fluker asked the Leader of the Council if steps were being taken to ensure that all properties on the Council’s foreshores were properly insured.  He felt sure  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1163

Councillor M S Heard asked the Leader of the Council if she could explain the decision for Maldon Police to be sited in the Council Offices and why the decision had not been made open by the Council.  In response, the Leader of the Council advised that the Finance and Corporate Services Committee had responsibility for the management of assets where this matter had been discussed for a period of time.  She also outlined the timeline from between when the Council was notified to when the Police publically reported the move and advised the Council of the benefits from the impending move.

Councillor Heard raised a further question regarding the proposed income to the Council and at this time declared a non-pecuniary interest as Essex Police employed him.  The Leader of the Council advised that the amount of rent was commercially sensitive but had been included as proposed income when discussed at recent Member budget seminars.

Councillor A S Fluker raised a question regarding commercial rent agreed by the Valuation Office and the rent being charged to Essex Police.  He proposed that the Leader consider looking into this and consider asking the Finance and Corporate Services Committee to decide whether the Council wished to proceed.  The Chairman advised that there would not be any further debate on this matter.

Councillor Rev. A E J Shrimpton referred to Minute 675 of 19 December 2014 and asked the Leader of the Council when the Transformation Board was due to meet.  The Leader referred to the Chief Executive who reported that a meeting of the Transformation Board would be organised during the latter part of the third week of January 2017, following the Examination in Public.

Councillor R P F Dewick asked a question to the Leader of the Council regarding the recent loss of Directors and whether Council processes could be improved to assist with recruitment into such roles.  In response, the Leader of the Council advised following successful recruitment some matters were beyond the Council’s control.  The Leader also referred to the Peer Review undertaken by the Local Government Association (LGA) in 2013 and advised that the Council was due for a review of this review in February 2017.  Members would, in due course, have the opportunity to propose topics to form part of the scope of that re-review prior to February 2017. 

Councillor M F L Durham posed a question to the Leader regarding the LGA Review referring to proposals raised in a recent meeting and asking if she supported these proposals.  In response, the Leader advised that in respect of the scope of the review she had asked the LGA to consider certain areas relating to governance, financial control and internal communication.

Councillor A T Cain commented that the scope should also include individual interviews between the LGA and Members and asked who had invited the LGA.  The Leader provided detail in response to this question.

In response to a question from Councillor Mrs P A Channer regarding Members’  ...  view the full minutes text for item 830

Councillor R G Boyce, asked if the Leader agreed that although the Council and its business was very serious, a bit of amusement and fun does help to relieve the seriousness without detracting from the business of the Council.  The Leader advised that she was in absolute agreement with this.

Councillor A S Fluker paid tribute to the hard work that Parish and Town Councillors do.  He congratulated those involved in the recent installation of Automatic Number Plate Readers in Latchingdon.  He asked if the Leader agreed it would make the Dengie safer.  The Leader responded that she did agree and hoped that residents would also be reassured that the Dengie was not being left behind in policing the District.

Councillor Mrs B F Acevedo asked the Leader to request that Members make nominations for the Maldon District Council Business Awards.  The Awards were good for both the Council and businesses and heightened profiles.  She reminded Members that nomination forms were in pigeon holes and that the Officer had agreed for an extended deadline for nominations.  The Leader responded that the form was lengthy and off-putting to complete.  Also, Members had not expected to be those making nominations and the Leader, whilst supporting the awards initiative, hoped that the Council could consider this feedback and learn from this for the next time.  It was noted that if Members required support with making nominations that Officers could assist with completion of the form.

Councillor S J Savage asked if the Leader would agree that it was time for the Transformation Board to meet.  The Leader replied that although she would like to see it meet as soon as possible, officers had recently had a great deal of meetings and she did not know when it would actually meet.

Councillor B S Beale asked if the Leader agreed that Members should be informed of all staff vacancies on a regular basis.  The Leader advised that as vacancies are an operational issue she could not speak on behalf of the Chief Executive, but would put this proposal to her so that Members could be informed prior to each Council meeting.

Councillor H M Bass advised Members that he had requested an updated version of the organisational chart from the Chief Executive.

Councillor R P F Dewick asked the Leader of the Council if she was aware of today’s Maldon and Burnham Standard regarding an agenda item due to be considered by the South Eastern Area Planning Committee at its meeting on Monday.  In response the Leader advised that she was not as she had been in meetings all day.  Councillor Dewick then provided information regarding this article and asked the Leader if she would agree that Officers should be very careful in how they worded such things (referring to a report due to be considered by the South Eastern Area Planning Committee on the venue for its future meetings)?  The Leader provided some background information regarding the identification of this subject by the Corporate Governance Working Group.

Councillor Mrs P A Channer asked the Leader if she would agree that the Corporate Governance Working Group was a Working Group of the Council and therefore should be reporting back to this Council?  She referred to the Terms of Reference of the Working Group commenting that she could not recall the venue of the South Eastern Area Planning Committee being detailed on this and the Working Group should abide by its Terms of Reference and those matters agreed for it to consider by the Council.  The Leader pointed out that a report considered by the Council at this meeting had sought amendment of the Terms of Reference to allow the Working Group to work with the South Eastern Area Planning Committee.  At this time, the Chief Executive provided the Council with some further background information regarding this matter.

Councillor A S Fluker raised a point of order advising that this item of business related to questions to the Leader and was not an item for further discussion.

Councillor Rev. A E J Shimpton asked the Leader if the speed of technology change was such that the Transformation Board should be summoned.  The Leader advised of discussion she had had regarding this matter and concern had been raised regarding the speed of changes and the impact these would have particularly on older residents.  She noted the importance of ensuring that when looking at channel shift consideration be given to providing accessible services for such residents.  The Leader agreed that it would be useful at this time for the Transformation Board to meet and take stock, check the Council was getting results and providing accessible services to all residents.

Councillor Fluker made specific reference to an application from the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency (NDA) to be determined by Essex County Council (ECC) seeking agreement to bring nuclear waste to Bradwell Power Station by rail.  He asked the Leader if she would be prepared to meet with him (electronically) and support him writing to ECC as if they were going to rely on traffic management plans to control large lorry movements in the same way as for the Middlewick wind farm etc. these should make it clear that the routes should not go through Southminster but  ...  view the full minutes text for item 492