Agendas, Minutes and Reports

Minutes

of the Meeting of the

Strategic Planning and

Economic Development Policy

and Scrutiny Panel

Monday 11th December 2006

held at the Town Hall, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.

Meeting Commenced: 3.30 p.m. Meeting Concluded: 5.30 p.m.

Present: Councillors Elfan Ap Rees (Chairman), Clive Webb (Vice-Chairman), Bob Bateman, Peter Burden, John Clark, David Jolley (substitute for David Shopland), James Tonkin (substitute for Mark Canniford) and Andy Wright

Apologies for absence: Councillors Mark Canniford and David Shopland

SPE

Minutes of the Meeting held on 21st November 2006 (Agenda Item 4.1)

Resolved: that the minutes of the meeting be approved as a correct record.

SPE

Budget Working Group Report (Agenda Item 6.1)

The Panel considered and commented on the follow-up report on the findings and proposals of the Budget Working Group which had been tabled (a copy of which is filed on the signed Minute Book).

The Chairman noted that the Working Group had had regard to the fact that asking for increased expenditure was unlikely to be supported unless alternative savings were identified. The Panel also had regard to its initial conclusions and recommendations made on 21st November 2006.

The representative of the Director of Development and Environment answered Members’ queries on some of the technical terms and descriptions in the report.

1) Economic Development/Strategic Projects – The Chairman reported that the Budget Working Group considered that the Economic Development and Regeneration team was particularly under-resourced, the work having slowed down with the loss of 1 FTE post last year. The Working Group whilst acknowledging the overall budget situation, considered that any further reductions in the Economic Development Group and also the Strategic Projects Team were untenable.

The Chairman also highlighted the need to bring more employment to Weston-super-Mare and encourage tourism.

2) Highways Maintenance – Councillor Burden expressed great concern at the poor level of highways maintenance, and argued that the budget for this area should be increased.

Councillor Jolley commented that the condition of highways was getting worse.

The representative of the Director of Development and Environment advised that within the available resources, the Authority sought to balance and prioritise highways maintenance works as best as possible. He added that traditionally highways maintenance was under-resourced.

3) Supported Bus Services – Councillor Burden commented that investment in this area was needed, otherwise he feared that the capital bid for the Local Transport Plan would be in doubt.

Other Panel Members concurred with the need to put more funding into community transport.

Reference was made to the involvement of the Working Group set up at a previous Panel meeting to look at the overall strategy and continued improvement of appointed bus services in North Somerset.

The attention of the Panel was drawn to the matter of expenditure in relationship to concessionary fares with the early indication that this was likely to be in the range of existing budget provision. However, there were still a number of factors that could increase this expenditure including –

(i) Further growth in the take-up of free travel.

(ii) Any changes in fares.

(iii) Any season factors.

(iv) Appeal by First Bus to the Department of Transport in the method of calculation.

(v) Costs associated with capacity.

The Chairman anticipated that there would be budgetary pressures in respect of concessionary fares.

Councillor Burden expressed the view that budget proposals should accord with the Corporate Plan priorities.

Recommended to the Executive:-

(1) that the Panel recommends the retention of the current highways budget but with more emphasis on actual highways repairs, including footways maintenance rather than ancillary works, and also recommends the retention of the existing highways maintenance workforce including the General Purpose Gang;

(2) that the Executive be requested to support the capital bid to invest in new funding for highways over and above the current budget expenditure;

(3) that the Executive be requested to note the Panel’s view that, whilst there may be certain efficiency savings to be made in Development Control, no effective cuts are possible without impacting the front line service which the Council has recently striven to bring up to an acceptable standard;

(4) that the Executive be informed of the concern that previous cuts in the Development and Environment Directorate’s budget in the areas covered by its remit have already had an effect on the front line services and consequent public image of the Council in areas such as streets and open spaces, highways maintenance, tourism promotion and offers and economic development; further “salami slicing” across this range of public services will only result in further erosion of those services;

(5) that the Panel recommends that there be no reduction this year in the budgets for supported bus services and community bus services;

(6) that the Panel recommends that the existing budgets for marketing and tourism be maintained;

(7) that the Executive be requested to look to the Corporate Plan which reflects the view of the public on services priorities and that Council wide budget saving proposals should reflect this; and

(8) that the Executive be advised that the Panel unanimously agrees that if sufficient savings cannot be found in the areas identified in the above report, which in themselves may involve staffing reductions, then the Council must look to other high spending Directorates and their services to provide a greater share of budget cuts; the Panel particularly identifies strategic housing and educational central services for such a review.

(9) that the Panel recommends no reduction in staffing levels in the Strategic Projects Group or the Economic Development Team, but supports ongoing efforts to replace agency staff with permanent posts where this can be shown to have a positive saving.

SPE

Decriminalised Parking Enforcement Working Group (Agenda Item 6.7)

The Panel considered a report of the Chairman which provided an update on the preparation for the introduction of decriminalised parking enforcement in North Somerset.

The Chairman reaffirmed his concern and that of the Working Group, that the introduction of decriminalised parking enforcement in North Somerset had slipped back from 2007 to 2008.

The Chairman, in response to a query by Council Jolley, advised that whilst decriminalisation would apply across North Somerset, the initial concentration on pay and display parking would commence in Weston-super-Mare.

Discussion also focused on the provision of double yellow lines, and the need to identify which ones were no longer appropriate. Councillor Burden considered that the provision of an appropriate number of parking bays for disabled drivers would reduce the need for some double yellow lines.

Councillor Jolley reported the concern of Councillor Shopland that it was intended there should be no parking enforcement on Saturdays and Sundays.

The Chairman and Councillor Burden in response, explained that the working group was more concerned about pay and display on Sundays than parking enforcement.

Concluded: that the ongoing work by officers on decriminalised parking enforcement be noted, and that the working group continue to input their views and considerations into this process.

SPE

Area Development Framework – Future Employment/Residential Projections (Agenda Item 6.3)

The Panel considered a report of the Chairman.

The Chairman explained that he had produced the report to acquaint the Panel with his concern that developers were pressing ahead with proposals in advance of the Area Development Framework/Area Action Plan which could lead to disjointed master planning. He particularly highlighted the absence of connected public transport links and the allocations for residential development being depicted in the draft developer Master Plans.

The representative of the Director of Development and Environment commented that confusion may have arisen as a consequence of the Planning Inquiry Inspector asking developers to come forward with an overall Master Plan. However, the Council had stated that no decisions would be taken on residential development until the next Local Plan post 2011 was in place.

The Chairman commented that it appeared that developers were putting forward proposals as if they were already agreed under the Replacement Local Plan. He expressed his concern that at a public meeting he had attended a North Somerset officer had indicated that 40 per cent of the housing at RAF Locking would be affordable housing, and that this had been agreed by the relevant Executive Member. Since no housing had yet been agreed for RAF Locking he felt such statements were premature. The representative of the Director of Development and Environment had confirmed that the Master Plan would not be agreed until the post 2011 Local Plan was in place.

The representative of the Director of Development and Environment added that the Area Action Plan was being developed following the recent public consultation exercise, and at the appropriate time, a report would be submitted to the Executive regarding how the AAP fitted in with the Regional Spatial Strategy.

Councillor Wright enquired whether the transport strategy would be linked with the early development of employment opportunities.

The representative of the Director of Development and Environment commented that it was important to have the necessary infrastructure in place first and accepted that some long term transport issues needed to be addressed as the early employment applications progressed. He undertook to clarify how the Authority would specify the number of houses provided relative to the number of jobs (the trigger points).

Reference was made by the Chairman to the paragraph on imbalance issues. He pointed out that in support of the Replacement Local Plan, it was estimated that the 9,000 dwellings placed in the Principal Urban Area could require 13,500 jobs to be created. There was therefore still a shortfall of 6,500 jobs if the number of dwellings to be built remained at the present figure.

Councillor Burden expressed concerns that changes in staffing and membership of the various bodies and organisations involved in the Regional Spatial Strategy meant that the local imbalance issues were being forgotten and firm reminders were needed. The Chairman agreed, noting that, after a recent meeting where he had expressed these concerns, he had been approached by a member of the Regional Assembly from another authority, who suggested that North Somerset needs to make the points more forcibly.

The representative of the Director of Development and Environment noted that several different figures existed for job creation estimates per dwelling. In light of this it was agreed to amend Paragraph 2 of the report (line 3, third paragraph) to read “… each of the 9,000 dwellings planned in the PUA could require 1.5 jobs …”.

Concluded: (1) that it be recommended to the Executive Member for Strategic Planning and Transport that Paragraph 2 of the report (as amended, and quoting the imbalance issue, is put to the Regional Assembly, the EIP, the Government Office for the South West, and the West of England Partnership in a very forceful way by the Executive Members, officers, and the Council’s representatives on the Regional Assembly; the point to be made that without strict controls on housing numbers and timing, Weston-super-Mare will continue to be commuter dominated, and the present situation will worsen considerably, with more than 4,000 additional residents adding to the daily commuter run;

(2) that the trigger points need to be robust and agreed as soon as possible, before the planning applications for the future developments at Weston Airfield and RAF Locking are entered into.

SPE

West of England Road Safety Partnership Update (Agenda Item 6.4)

The Chairman presented an update on the West of England Road Safety Partnership. He reported that the organisation was unlikely to be formally constituted before May 2007, and that in the meanwhile the JLTP steering group was still considering how it might also scrutinise the Partnership.

Councillor Jolley referred to the recent accident on the M5 under the Junction 21 roundabout, and the considerable time taken by the Highways Agency to clear the scene.

The Chairman suggested that Councillor Jolley raise his concern direct with the Highways Agency. The Chairman added that he would be particularly interested to be informed of any response received by Councillor Jolley given the Highways Agency’s presentation to the Panel at which they had advised that with the introduction of Highways Agency Traffic Officers assuming responsibility there would be an improvement in dealing with breakdowns and accidents.

Concluded: that the report be noted.

SPE

Report of the Executive Member for Strategic Planning and Transport (Agenda Item 6.5)

The representative of the Director of Development and Environment with reference to Regional Spatial Strategy undertook to ascertain why the Regional Assembly’s proposals were unacceptable.

It was noted that a further report on the North Somerset Replacement Local Plan pertaining to the Royal Portbury Dock issues would be submitted to the Council in February 2007.

Councillor Jolley reaffirmed the desire of people living in the Portishead area for the Portishead – Bristol rail passenger service to be re-established.

Concluded: that the report be noted.

SPE

Report of the Executive Member for Economic Development (Agenda Item 6.6)

Concluded: that the report be noted.

SPE

Quarter Two Finance and Performance Monitoring (Agenda Item 6.7)

The Panel was informed of the anticipated financial position for the Council’s General Fund and Contract Services as at 30th September 2006, together with the monitoring of key performance targets.

Particular reference was made to not meeting the target for determining major planning applications within 13 weeks, and the reasons for this.

Concluded: that the report be noted.

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Chairman

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