Waverley Borough Council Committee System - Committee Document
Meeting of the Environment and Leisure Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 15/11/2005
Minutes of the Meeting held on 15th November 2005
MINUTES of the MEETING of
the ENVIRONMENT AND
LEISURE OVERVIEW AND
SCRUTINY COMMITTEE held
on
15TH NOVEMBER 2005
(To be read in conjunction with the Agenda for the Meeting)
*
Mr J R Sandy (Chairman)
*
Mrs S R Jacobs
Mrs M V M Hunt (Vice Chairman)
*
Dr P M Marriott
*
Mr M H W Band
*
Mrs P N Mitchell
*
Dr J F A Blowers
*
Mr J M Savage
*
Mr M W Byham
*
Mrs J A Slyfield
Mr R D Frost
Ms M Taylor
*
Mr P D Harmer
Mr A E B Taylor-Smith
*
Mrs P Hibbert
*
Mr R C Terry
*
Mrs L S R Hodgson
* Present
Mrs P Ellis and Mr B A Ellis attended as substitutes.
116.
MINUTES
The Minutes of the Meeting held on 13th September 2005 were confirmed and signed.
117.
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies for absence were received from Mrs M V M Hunt, Mr R D Frost, Ms M Taylor and Mr A E B Taylor-Smith.
118.
DISCLOSURE OF INTERESTS
The following interests were declared at the meeting in relation to items on the agenda:
Personal & Prejudicial – Mr M H W Band, Dr J F A Blowers, Mrs P Ellis, Mr B A Ellis, Mr P D Harmer, Mrs S R Jacobs, Mrs P N Mitchell, Mr J M Savage, Mr J R Sandy and Mr R C Terry as Waverley representatives on outside organisations (Items 4, 7 and 8).
119.
EXECUTIVE FOUR-MONTH ROLLING PROGRAMME
[Wards Affected: N/A]
The Committee noted the Executive’s four-month rolling work programme, and received an update on Environment and Leisure issues which were not on the agenda for the meeting.
RESOLVED: That the Executive Four-Month Rolling Programme be noted.
120.
COMMITTEE WORK PROGRAMME: IN-DEPTH REVIEWS
[Wards Affected: N/A]
The Committee received an oral update on the progress of the Review to explore current issues regarding mobile phone technology. Members were given further details about the Select Committee style hearing planned for Monday 28th November and heard that the agenda had recently been circulated. Officers said they would circulate the results of the survey of local residents’ mobile phone usage to all Committee Members before the meeting.
The Committee heard that Sue Petzold who had organised the hearing, would not be involved in Overview and Scrutiny Committee work after 28th November. The Committee thanked Sue for all her work in supporting the Overview and Scrutiny Committees.
RESOLVED: That officers continue planning the hearing.
121.
FARNHAM URBAN SAFETY MANAGEMENT
[Wards Affected: All Farnham Wards]
The Chairman welcomed Stuart Reid from TRL Limited and Roland Potter, Farnham Town Clerk, to the meeting.
Roland Potter introduced the item and described Farnham Town Council’s Farnham Urban Safety Management study, explaining that the Council had employed TRL Limited to examine the impact of traffic congestion in Farnham. He said that TRL Limited, working with Farnham Town, Waverley Borough and Surrey County Council, were looking at options for the future of traffic management in Farnham.
Stuart Reid outlined
the objectives of the scheme which would create a viable action plan for a holistic study of Farnham town centre based on sustainable travel, urban safety management, Historic Core Zone proposals, proposed developments and previous transport strategies and proposals.
Traffic Management
A number of questions and points were raised including:-
·
Whether it would be possible to introduce/enforce a 20mph speed limit in the centre of Farnham or reduce the Borough to one lane as proposed.
·
A comment that it would be useful to make South Street two way to the junction with the Borough.
·
Whether the restriction of HGVs would be desirable and whether it could compromise Farnham’s economic life.
Stuart Reid responded by saying that the study was aiming to identify solutions to address traffic problems and that proposals would need to be fully tested before being implemented. He said that the Town Council would be working with other Councils and various organisations including freight partnerships.
Accessibility
A number of questions and points were raised including:-
·
Examples of how things would be different to the way they are now?
·
Central car park was a popular and convenient car park and it could be difficult to encourage people to park elsewhere.
·
What about pedestrians? A point was made that there would need to be provision for stopping and dropping people off.
Stuart Reid said that the proposals required further development and that examples of solutions to traffic problems might include better, perhaps electronic, signage on the way to town to direct people to car parks and facilities for more people to park and walk. He would take on board the comments about dropping people off.
Streetscape enhancement
A number of questions and points were raised including:-
·
Whether it was a good idea to reduce the number of street signs?
·
Would there be an adverse economic impact on the town with some of the traffic management proposals e.g. pedestrianisation?
·
Had there been communication between developers and TRL Limited over the East Street development?
Stuart Reid responded by saying that too much signage could be disfiguring and confusing and that those signs which were conducive to the historic environment would be particularly encouraged. He said that they did not want to stop people accessing the town but that there was evidence that streets with higher levels of pedestrian activity perform better. He confirmed that there were discussions between the developers and TRL Limited on East Street.
RESOLVED: That the Executive be advised that the Committee welcomes the Urban Safety Management Study; and
That the above comments be passed to the Executive.
122.
LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK – DRAFT ANNUAL MONITORING REPORT
[Wards Affected: ALL]
The Committee received a report outlining the Local Development Framework (LDF) draft Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) which was presented for consideration prior to its submission to the Government Office of the South East (GOSE). Officers also tabled some amendments to the draft AMR at the meeting.
The Committee made a number of observations about the draft AMR:-
·
There was a query about who the report was aimed at. Officers confirmed that whilst the AMR was an obligatory part of the new planning regime, that it would be useful to Waverley BC and its neighbours too.
·
A Member had heard about a proposal for a new mineral site in East Hants District and asked whether Waverley Borough Council had been consulted and whether it would be referred to in that Council’s AMR. Officers agreed to check the situation and respond to the Member concerned.
·
Members asked why the report had been deferred and officers explained that GOSE had felt that the vocabulary, rather than content of the report, needed to be amended.
·
Members wanted to know who had been involved in the ‘Early Stakeholders Consultation’ and officers agreed to send a list of stakeholders to all Members of the Committee.
·
There was some discussion about the mapping of flood zones, whether the information was accurate, and the possibility of its use by insurance companies. Officers confirmed the data was compiled by the Environment Agency but that the Council would take legal advice about use of the information.
·
A number of observations on the content of the report were made including a reference to a former coal depot which was in Godalming, not Farnham, and another query about accuracy of figures on an age profile table citizens aged 65+.
Members thanked the officers who had worked on the report and commended it as a useful and educational document.
RESOLVED: That the Environment and Leisure Overview and Scrutiny Committee forwards the above comments to the Executive.
123.
DRAFT 2006/7 CAPITAL PROGRAMME
[Ward Affected: All]
The Committee received a report putting forward proposals for the draft 2006/7 Three Year Capital Programme in respect of the General Fund Services within the remit of the Committee. Officers reported that initial proposals for the 2006/7 Capital Programme amounted to £4.7 million. However, the resources identified within the Financial Strategy amounted to only £3 million.
The Committee went through each page of the report and made a number of observations on the report including:-
·
In the Environment Portfolio section, Members noted that the rolling programme funding for car parks in the Borough had increased to cover the cost of ongoing re-surfacing works. There was a question about Weyhill car park and officers confirmed that in terms of revenue for the future, it paid for itself as an investment.
·
There was a discussion about the Bus Shelter Improvement Programme and the maintenance of the c100 bus shelters in the Borough and whether the sum which had been allocated to cover this was sufficient. Although the figure was small, Members felt it was necessary to retain it.
·
Members heard there would be a long term financial saving when the responsibility for public conveniences was transferred to the Town Council.
·
In the Culture and Leisure Portfolio, officers confirmed that the cost of the ‘Trees – Risk Management’ works varied year to year, and that a report would be brought to a future meeting of the Committee.
RESOLVED: That the Committee inform the Executive of its views on the draft Capital Programme.
124.
2006/7 DRAFT GENERAL FUND REVENUE ESTIMATES
The Committee received a report seeking its views on the draft Revenue Estimates for the services within its remit.
The Committee went through each page of the report and made a number of observations on the report including:-
·
On the Development Control section of the Planning and Major Developments Portfolio, Members noted that the mediation service provision for High Hedges was very good and that the grant should be given to Waverley Mediation Services, rather than Surrey Mediation.
·
Members noted that income from land charges was had decreased with the advent of the homebuyers’ pack and that also there had been a reduction in planning applications over the last few months.
·
In the Budget Variations section of the Environment Portfolio, officers reported that responsibility for the 24 hour dog service which in the past had been shared with the police, would be the responsibility of the Council.
·
In the Waste Recycling section, Members heard that a better rate for recycling income had been negotiated by the Environment and Leisure Department.
·
In the Leisure and Culture portfolio section, Members commented that there had been a lack of promotional activity for holiday schemes at Farnham Sports Centre in recent months. Officers explained that it was under new management and noted the comments.
RESOLVED: That:
The Committee inform the Executive of its views on the Draft Revenue Estimates.
125.
It was agreed that items 9, 10 and 11 be deferred to the Special Environment and Leisure Overview and Scrutiny Committee to be held on 1st December 2005.
The meeting concluded at 10.34pm
Chairman
comms/0&S3/minutes/151105/54.doc