Overview and Scrutiny Co-ordinating Committee Agenda 15 September 2010

Contact: Debbie Meakin
Phone: 01395 517540
E-mail:  dmeakin@eastdevon.gov.uk

Meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Co-ordinating Committee; Wednesday 15 September 2010 at 6.30pm in the Council Chamber.

Members of the public are welcome to attend this meeting.

  • A period of 15 minutes has been provided at the beginning of the meeting to allow members of the public to raise questions.
  • In addition, the public may speak on items listed on the agenda.  After a report has been introduced, the Chairman of the Committee will ask if any member of the public would like to speak in respect of the matter and/or ask questions.
  • All individual contributions will be limited to a period of 3 minutes – where there is an interest group of objectors or supporters, a spokesperson should be appointed to speak on behalf of the group.
  • The public is advised that the Chairman has the right and discretion to control questions to avoid disruption, repetition and to make best use of the meeting time.

A hearing loop system will be in operation in the Council Chamber.  Visitors please note that the doors to the civic suite (meeting rooms) will be opened 15 minutes before the start time of the meeting.  Councillors are reminded to bring their key fobs if they wish to access the area prior to that time.

AGENDA

1.

Public question time – standard agenda item (15 minutes)

Members of the public are invited to put questions to the Committee through the Chairman.

Councillors also have the opportunity to ask questions of the Leader and/or Portfolio Holders during this time slot whilst giving priority at this part of the agenda to members of the public
2. To confirm the PDF file minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Co-ordinating Committee held on the 23 June 2010 (86KB - 07 July 2010 - PDF Help)  and PDF file minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Co-ordinating Committee held on 19 August 2010. (125KB - 01 September 2010 - PDF Help)
3. To receive any apologies for absence.
4. To receive any declarations of interest relating to items on the agenda.
5. To consider any items which, in the opinion of the Chairman, should be dealt with as matters of urgency because of special circumstances.
(Note: such circumstances need to be clearly identified in the minutes; Councillors please notify the Chief Executive in advance of the meeting if you wish to raise a matter under this item.  The Chief Executive will then consult with the Chairman).
6. To agree any items to be dealt with after the public have been excluded. There are no items that the officers recommend should be dealt with in this way.
7 Decisions made by the Executive Board called in by Members for scrutiny in accordance with the Overview Procedure Rules under Part 4.5 of the Constitution. There are no items which have been identified.
8.

Devon and Cornwall Constabulary

(Councillor Bob Buxton and Gerry Moore, Community Safety Co-ordinator are requested to attend)

With budget cuts due to be outlined in detail in October in the Government’s spending review, and recent consultation on police station opening hours, this is an opportunity for the Committee to put questions to Inspector Jez Capey on future working with the Police.

Potential questions already identified include:

  • Implications of reducing station open hours
  • Non-policing of events in the area and traffic management plan responsibilities
9.

PDF file Ice/Snow/Frost Treatment Policy (88KB - 03 September 2010 - PDF Help)

Report from Peter Jeffs, Corporate Director, in response to previous debate on the Council’s policy of not gritting Council owned car parks.  Members are asked to consider the report, which contains a suggested policy with budget implications.
10.

Local Development Framework

(Councillor David Key, as Chairman of the LDF Panel; and Kate Little, Head of Planning and Countryside Service, are requested to attend)

Following meetings back in February and March 2010 by this Committee on the LDF process, the Development Management Committee has approved a public consultation period of 12 weeks on the Local Development Framework Core Strategy Preferred Approach document (and associated reports) starting on Monday 6 September 2010.

The Chairman has requested that the LDF process is revisited on the following grounds:

  • That overall housing units have considerably increased from the figures used earlier in the year despite the RSS figures being abolished;
  • That Members have not had suitable opportunity to debate the contents of the draft Core Strategy, due to the timing and location of the Panel Meetings and the limitation of the Development Management Committee in only allowing Members on that Committee to enter into debate (no debate on the content of the draft Core Strategy was permitted at the Special Development Management Committee on 17 August 2010);
  • That the “hub settlement” concept is new to many Members from previous draft versions and does not appear in consultation received to date.  An explanation of how this concept arose and the merits of the application of this concept are sought;
  • Previous consultation, and discussion at this Committee, has highlighted the request by some smaller villages for new homes in order to develop into a sustainable community.  The consultation documents do not reflect this in the broad brush approach to the smaller villages;
  • There is no connection in the draft Core Strategy to the Decentralisation and Localism Bill that will bring about new system of collaborative planning.

Members are asked to debate these issues and take this opportunity to fully understand the consultation documentation in order to assist their local communities in responding during the consultation period.

The consultation documents can be accessed via the Council’s website or using the link: www.eastdevon.gov.uk/ldfconsultation2010
11.

Joint Scrutiny with South Somerset District Council

For Members’ information, the next meeting of the Panel is the 23 September 2010 at the East Devon Business Centre, Honiton starting at 10.00am
12. Update from the Chairman of each Overview and Scrutiny Committee
13. PDF file Overview and Scrutiny Committees Forward Plan (65KB - 03 September 2010 - PDF Help)

Page last updated on 3 September 2010