Agenda item

Councillor W Stamp asked the Leader of the Council if he would agree with her and thank the finance team for producing, finalising and signing off the 2021 / 22 and 2022 / 23 accounts. She commented on the hard work of the team to get this work done. In response, the Leader of the Council agreed and thanked the finance team for getting the Council up to date, he also referred to the new Interim Chief Financial Officer who had recently joined the Council and the work he was doing.

Councillor W Stamp referred to proposed introduction of car parking charges for Burnham-on-Crouch and asked the Leader of the Council if he would agree there was a lack of consultation regarding local businesses and sports clubs within the town when these costs were put forward to the Council. She explained that people visited Burnham-on-Crouch for tourism and free parking and that the town didn’t have the same facilities as Maldon. Councillor Stamp asked that it be recorded that bringing parking charges to Burnham-on-Crouch would have a retrograde step to the economy and more consultation was needed. In response the Leader agreed the importance to take into account public opinions and reminded how he had put forward the recommendation at the Strategy and Resources Committee to delay approval of those fees and charges for further consideration. He advised that if the Finance and Car Parking Working Groups decided further consultation was required, he would support this. The Leader noted that no decision on car parking charges at Burnham-on-Crouch had been made at this time.

Councillor A S Fluker referred to a comment made by the Leader of the Council regarding turning land in Burnham-on-Crouch into housing at the last meeting of the Strategy and Resources Committee and asked whether he stood by this. In response the Leader advised that this comment was a response to a separate statement and there was no plan for any such development.

Councillor Siddal-Norman, referring to car parks in Burnham-on-Crouch, asked the Leader of the Council if he realised that one of the car parks was not a shoppers car park but the car park for the doctor’s surgery. She commented on the importance to have car parking for people using the surgery. In response, the Leader referred to the doctor’s car park being owned by the Council and that this had to be maintained, a cost that the Council had to pay. He advised that the Council would be flexible as it developed policies, and reminded the Council that a decision had not yet been made in respect of charging for car parking in Burnham-on-Crouch.

Councillor J S Stilts asked the Leader of the Council if he agreed that the Council should be thanking the volunteers that tirelessly looked after the Council’s cemeteries. The Leader of the Council agreed and commented on the importance of thanking volunteers for helping the Council look after the cemeteries and such spaces.

Councillor M F L Durham referred to the changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and publication of the Devolution White Paper expected and asked the Leader of the Council if any allowance had been made in the Corporate Plan and other documents if it came out in the publication that Essex was to undertake local government reform ahead of other areas. The Leader read out a statement he had given that day and advised how he was extremely disappointed to see that the housing target imposed on the Council as part of the Government’s NPPF had dramatically increased. He commented on the impact this would have on the local community and the Local Plan which was being developed. The Council would continue to work closely with Essex County Council and partners to ensure that the infrastructure was delivered now and in the future. He referred to the increases seen across all Councils and the pressure this would put on Local Authorities.

Councillor P L Spenceley referred to questions raised by members of the public at the last Council meeting and advised the Council of an email sent from the Head of Heybridge Primary School to all parents raising concern regarding highway safety outside of the school. She asked the Leader to provide an update on the progress made with regards to safety improvements on Broad Street Green Road so that she could update her residents. In response the Leader advised that he would provide Councillor Stilts with a written response.