Agendas, Minutes and Reports

MINUTES

OF THE MEETING OF THE

StratEGIC PlanNING AND EconOMIC DevELOPMENT Policy AND Scrutiny Panel

Monday 3rd November 2003

HELD AT THE TOWN HALL, WESTON-SUPER-MARE, SOMERSET.

Meeting Commenced: 3.30 p.m. Meeting Concluded: 4.55 p.m.

PRESENT: Councillors Elfan Ap Rees (Chairman), Mark Canniford (Vice-Chairman), John Crockford-Hawley, Glyn Duck (substitute for Derek Kraft), David Shopland, Clive Webb

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: Councillors Bob Cook, John Clark, Derek Kraft

SPE

Declaration of Interest

A Member declared the interest below –

Councillor Ap Rees – A prejudicial issue in matters relating to Weston Airfield (SPE 10 refers). He advised that if Weston Airfield became the subject of debate, he would vacate the Chair and leave the meeting during the discussion.

SPE

Minutes of the Meeting held on 8th September 2003 (Agenda Item 4.1)

RESOLVED: that the minutes of the meeting held on 8th September 2003 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

SPE

Request for Item to be Considered by the Panel – Traffic Management, Potential Growth and Future Safety Issues in Herluin Way, Marchfield Way, Winterstoke Road and Searle Crescent (Agenda Item 6)

Councillors Ap Rees and Canniford asked for the following to be considered:-

“To review traffic management, potential growth and future safety issues in Herluin Way, Marchfield Way, Winterstoke Road West and Searle Crescent, and to consider more sustainable transport options (in line with Government objectives and Council policy) for consideration as an alternative way of achieving the proposed traffic improvements that the new signal controlled junctions on Herluin Way are intended to provide and which would then be considered by the Executive Member with regard to the Section 278 Agreement”.

CONCLUDED: that a Working Party comprising three Members, Councillors Ap Rees and Crockford-Hawley and an invitation to be extended to Councillor Derek Kraft, be set up to deal with the above matter.

SPE

Interim Report on Progress of Overview and Scrutiny Assessing Objections to the North Somerset Replacement Local Plan (NSRLP) First Deposit Draft (Agenda Item 7.1)

The Chairman submitted a report which reviewed and assessed the progress in scrutinising the comments made by objectors on the NSLRP First Deposit draft.

Reference was made by the representative of the Director of Development and Environment to the workshop being held to look in detail at the objections received and to identify key issues considered likely to need addressing by amendments to the Plan when placed on Second Deposit. It was explained that amendments would only be in respect of matters already within the draft Plan, and not in respect of anything new. The issues raised would be evaluated prior to the officers reporting on to the Executive Member for Strategic Planning.

A Member raised a concern regarding the increasing trend particularly in Weston-super-Mare, to sub-divide large residential properties into large numbers of flats.

It was suggested that this matter could be appropriately raised at the forthcoming workshop on housing-related matters.

A Member also raised the issue of ensuring the provision of energy efficiency.

The representative of the Director of Planning and Environment commented that officers would prefer to provide supplementary planning guidance on energy efficiency, as being a better and more flexible process than including within the Plan as policy.

CONCLUDED:

(1) that this Panel formally records that three workshops have been conducted with officers covering aspects of North Somerset Replacement Local Plan relating to chapters 1 Introduction, 2 Planning Context, 3 Local Plan Vision, Aims and Locational Strategy, 4 General Development Principles, 9 Transport and 11 Cultural and Community Facilities;

(2) that this Panel formally endorses the comments made at Appendix A to the report as proposed recommendations to the Executive Member for Strategic Planning following the Workshops held on 13th September, 3rd October and 17th October 2003 respectively with respect to the chapters listed above;

(3) that where appropriate and necessary, officers continue to progress responses to objections made to the North Somerset Replacement Local Plan First Deposit draft taking into consideration the recommendations of the three Workshops held to date; and

(4) that the officers be requested to include within the North Somerset Replacement Local Plan, energy efficiency with respect to housing, either as a policy requirement or as supplementary planning guidance.

SPE

Interim Report of the Safety Camera Partnership Working Group (Agenda Item 7.2)

The Vice-Chairman presented a report. He referred to Working Group’s programme and highlighted the conclusions and recommendations.

The following issues raised during the discussion:-

1) The need to be assured that the Safety Camera Partnership was financially credible.

2) The desirability of the proposed fifteen per cent rule which would allow local authorities to influence the location of fifteen per cent of camera sites.

3) The importance of assuring the public that they were not being used to finance the Partnership through fines.

4) Camera positioning. Members of the Panel were requested to inform the Vice-Chairman of any sites which would benefit from having a camera.

The representative of the Director of Development and Environment advised that officers worked within the Partnership with the Project Manager to identify sites in accordance with Government guidelines. A fifteen per cent rule would provide more scope on the identification of sites, which would need to be in line with the Council’s objectives of benefiting road safety. He added that the issues of locating cameras was discussed regularly with the Partnership.

5) Signage. This was defined by legislation.

Members wanted speed limit reminders near cameras but dislike the proliferation of signs. It was considered that speed signs should be located with the camera warning signs (either above or below).

The representative of the Director of Development and Environment undertook to raise this matter through the Partnership with the Department for Transport.

6) The Highways Agency which was responsible for motorways was involved as a partner. Therefore, the Partnership could operate on motorways.

7) Parking of Partnership vehicles on verges.

The representative of the Director of Planning and Environment advised that parking/siting of vehicles only took place following a health and safety assessment by the Operational Manager.

8) The representative of the Director of Development and Environment advised that the Partnership had permission for new camera sites as part of the Operational Plan for 2002/3. He suggested that the Panel request to be consulted on the Partnership’s Operational Plan for 2003/04. The Panel were briefly informed of new fixed and mobile camera sites in North Somerset.

CONCLUDED:

(1) that subject to timescales, this Panel be consulted on the 2004 Safety Camera Partnership Operational Plan;

(2) that no dangerous or illegal parking should be carried out by the Safety Camera Partnership on any highway in North Somerset;

(3) that the Safety Camera Partnership should concentrate its efforts on high pedestrian areas where there have been speed and pedestrian-related collisions;

(4) that this Panel be provided with a full set of the current accounts of the Safety Camera Partnership.

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Chairman

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