Waverley Borough Council Committee System - Committee Document
Meeting of the Council held on 19/02/2008
Council Meeting - 19th February 2008
Fax No:
01483-523475
Your ref:
Our ref:
When calling please ask for:
Emma McQuillan
Direct line:
01483 523351
E-mail:
emcquillan@waverley.gov.uk
Date:
8th February 2008
To: All Members of the Council
Dear Councillor
COUNCIL MEETING - TUESDAY 19TH FEBRUARY 2008
A Meeting of the WAVERLEY BOROUGH COUNCIL will be held in the COUNCIL CHAMBER, COUNCIL OFFICES, THE BURYS, GODALMING on
TUESDAY, 19TH FEBRUARY 2008
at
*7.00 p.m.
and you are hereby summoned to attend such meeting.
The Agenda for the Meeting is set out below.
Prior to the commencement of the Meeting, prayers will be led by Reverend John Bundock of Holy Trinity Church in Bramley.
Yours sincerely
Chief Executive
* This meeting will be webcast and can be viewed by visiting
http://www.waverley.ukcouncil.net/
and will
be preceded by an open public question time at 6.30 p.m.
AGENDA
1.
MINUTES
To confirm the Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 11th December 2007 (herewith).
2.
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
The Mayor to report apologies for absence.
3.
DISCLOSURE OF INTERESTS
To receive from Members declarations of personal and prejudicial interests in relation to any items included on the agenda for this meeting in accordance with the Waverley Code of Local Government Conduct.
4.
MAYOR’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
5.
QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
To answer the following question received from Mr J Hyman of Farnham in accordance with Procedure Rule 10:-
Mr Mayor. A year ago, Council agreed the draft miniplan based upon advice that the likely effect upon Farnham Park and existing users of the heaths would be minimal, as the strategy sought to divert (from the SPA to the Park) only the numbers associated with new development in Farnham. Nevertheless, Surrey Wildlife Trust have since written to WBC expressing concern regarding the possible effect upon the nature of the Park.
More recent documents now show that in order to support extensive housing development on MoD land around the Bourley & Long Valley SSSI, the evolving strategy actually seeks to divert far greater numbers of Waverley, Hart and Rushmoor residents away from the heaths, through the imposition of draconian SPA access restrictions.
Due partly to pressures on MoD funding, the Secretary of State is expected to favour permitting the 1100-home QEB (Crookham) and 4500-home AUE (Aldershot West) developments, subject to SPA Visitor Management Strategies (VMSs) that remove most of the public car parking at the heaths and that also close many of the footpaths (including some near Sandy Hill). The QEB 's106' planning obligation also provides funds for extensive signage, leaflets, active wardening and other 'public education' which will direct SPA-users to Farnham Park and other smaller 'Suitable Accessible Natural Greenspaces' (SANGs). Surveys indicate that up to a million visits per annum are currently made to Bourley, the majority by car.
Were it to work, the 'new' strategy would obviously have a far greater effect upon the Park and SPA users than Members had previously assumed. The relevant Authorities would be legally bound to ensure the effectiveness of the strategy.
SEERA are now consulting (until Feb 15th) upon a revised TBHSPA strategy called the 'Interim Strategic Delivery Plan'. The ISDP marries the old Draft Delivery Plan (the 'DDP' which Inspector Peter Burley, SEP Assessor, found "unsound") with LDA Design's SPA access management strategy and Plans (AMPs). The strategy for Bourley specifically presumes upon the QEB and AUE VMS access restrictions.
Although the ISDP and Natural England (NE) claim to support "soft" SPA management measures like 'education' rather than "hard" access restrictions, their claims do appear somewhat disingenuous in the light of the strong support given by NE (at the recent QEB Inquiry) to the controversial draconian access closures that underpin the ISDP. Surprisingly, no spatial or quantitative assessment of the likely displacement effects of the strategy have been conducted; nor has the legality of the ISDP yet been established.
Knowing all this, and given that EU environmental Directives are founded upon the principle of "the polluter pays" (rather than punishing existing SPA users for the effect of future developments),
will this Council please respond to the ISDP Consultation, in the interests of the public it serves, expressing:
(i) firm opposition to the unprincipled and draconian restrictions being imposed upon existing SPA users,
(ii) the need to first investigate what effect the forced diversion of large numbers of existing and new SPA users from Bourley would have upon the nature of Farnham Park, the largest nearby SANG, and
(iii) the need for both the legality of the ISDP's SANGS/Access Management strategy and the effects of displacement within the heaths to be properly ascertained
prior
to the granting of Permissions near the SPA?”
6.
QUESTION TIME
To answer any questions received in accordance with Procedure Rule 11.2.
7.
NOTICE OF MOTION
To receive any notices of motion in accordance with Procedure Rule 12.1.
8.
BUDGET 2008/2009
To receive the report of the Executive in respect of the 2008/2009 budget, set out at Appendix A (
To Follow
), incorporating:-
Appendix A.1 Car Parking Tariffs Review
Appendix A.2 - General Fund Revenue Estimates 2008/2009
Appendix A.3 - General Fund Capital Programme 2008/2009
Appendix A.4 - Housing Revenue Account Revenue Estimates and Rent Levels 2008/2009
Appendix A.5 - Housing Revenue Account Capital Programme 2008/2009
Appendix A.6 - Council Tax Setting 2008/2009 (including any information received since the meeting of the Executive).
9.
MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE AND COMMITTEES
(a) To receive the minutes of the meetings of the Executive held on:-
(i) 8th January 2008 (
herewith
- coloured grey); and
(ii) 5th February 2008 (
herewith
- coloured grey); and
(iii) Special Meeting - 19th February 2008 (
to be tabled
);
(b) To receive the minutes of the meeting of the Joint Planning Management Committee held on 18th December 2007 (
herewith
- coloured yellow);
(c) To receive the minutes of the meeting of the Licensing and Regulatory Committee held on 12th February 2008 (
to follow
); and
(d) To receive the minutes of the meeting of the Standards Committee held on 14th February 2008 (
to follow
).
10.
EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC
To consider the following motion, to be moved by the Mayor, where appropriate:-
That pursuant to Procedure Rule 20 and in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any matter on this agenda on the grounds that it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public were present during the item(s), there would be disclosure to them of exempt information (as defined by Section100I of the Act) of the description specified in the appropriate paragraph(s) of the revised Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (to be identified at the meeting).
Comms/council/2007-08/052 agenda
