Agenda and minutes

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any personal and/or prejudicial interests or Members to declare the existence of a party whip in relation to any item on the agenda

None

In accordance with Procedure Rules Nos.11 and 35 a total period of 10 minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the Committee on any matter relevant to the work of the Committee.

Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a number of speakers.

Note: In order for officers to undertake any background research it would be helpful if questions were submitted at least one working day before the meeting.

None

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 6 August 2009

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meeting held on 6 August 2009.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman

To receive a presentation of the Planning and Performance Manager

Consideration was given to a presentation by the Planning and Performance Manager, which outlined the out-turn performance data for 2008/09, the baseline for Cheshire East and the inherited areas for improvement.

The presentation was set in the context of :

• The new National Comprehensive Assessment Framework
• The introduction of a new national Indicator set in 2008-09
• A national Place Survey carried out in September – November 2008
• LGR data being re-aligned to new organisation boundaries.

It was noted that there were 38 National Indicators, which fell within the remit of the Committee, 16 of which had been identified as priority indicators for the Local Area Agreement.

The new CAA regime provided areas with a scored assessment and would also highlight red flag (for areas of concern) and green flag (for areas of exemplary performance.

The Audit Commission had applied a framework for the delivery of CAA and its initial analysis of how the Council and partners understood and addressed local communities and their needs and had produced an “emerging thoughts” document.

The audit commission had consequently identified some ‘red tags’ which may become red flags for final assessment in the following areas :

• Housing
• Health inequalities

The presentation also noted some areas that the Audit Commission had highlighted in final Annual Inspection and Audit Letter reports for the predecessor district Councils and County Council as requiring a focus by the new Cheshire East Authority and some other areas where attention was needed. These included:

• Waste
• Planning
• Affordable Housing
• Environment (Climate Change)
• Employment

RESOLVED

That a report on the Mid Point Performance Review, including further information on the improvement areas be brought to the next meeting of the Committee.

To receive a presentation of the Head of Planning and Policy

Consideration was given to a presentation by the Head of Planning and Policy on the Local Development Framework (LDF) process.

The LDF system introduced a spatial planning approach, whichprovided the basis for guiding future development within the Borough.Unlike the former Structure Plan/Local Plan system, the LDF process involved all stakeholders at all stages of the process. The LDF consisted of a folder of planning documents, which would provide a single source for all the Council’s planning policies.

The folder contained the following documents:

• Local Development Scheme
• Statement of Community Involvement
• Annual Monitoring Report
• Core Strategy
• Site Allocations Development Plan Document (DPD)
• Area Action Plans
• Proposals Map
• Supplementary Planning Documents

To give consideration to the above consultation.

The Committee gave consideration to the consultation by 4NW on the draft North West Plan Partial Review. The Partial review of the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) was limited to three subject areas: Gypsies and Travellers, Travelling Show People and Regional Parking Standards. These policies would have direct implications for the LDF and the Council’s core strategy would set out the criteria for the location of these sites, while other LDF documents would translate these requirements into land requirements, and set out how these sites would be delivered.

It was noted that, draft policy L6 proposed that the Council should make provision for a minimum of 60 additional permanent residential pitches and 10 transit pitches between 2007 and 2016. The Committee agreed that the figure for permanent residential pitches was still too high and should be in line with the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA) requirement of 37 to 54.

With regard to the transit pitches, it was agreed that the reasons for accepting the higher number of 10 should be included in the response to the consultation and that the response should be amended to read ‘up to a maximum of 10’.

RESOLVED

That the relevant portfolio holder be recommended to submit the following response to 4NW:

1) That the Council objects to the Gypsy and Traveller pitch provision figures identified in draft policy L6 for Cheshire East as they exceed the figures shown in the Cheshire Gypsy & Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA);

2) That the Council objects to the current wording in policies L6 and L7, concerning the provision of an annual 3% compound increase in overall residential pitch provision beyond 2016, as it fails to fully recognise that a review of the GTAA may result in the requirement for a different level of provision or percentage increase beyond 2016;

3) That the Council supports the Travelling Showpeople plot provision for Cheshire East identified in draft policy L7. However the provision should be for up to a maximum of 10 plots. The reasons for agreeing to this provision should also be highlighted within the response.

4) That, while broadly welcoming the proposed revisions to the regional parking standards, the Council objects to some of the content of Table 8.1.

To give consideration to the Residents Parking Policy

Consideration was given to the draft Residents Parking Policy, prior to its submission to Cabinet for adoption. Following detailed consideration of the report, Members made the following comments:

• The Policy should be updated to reflect Cheshire East Council and not Cheshire County Council.
• The cost of implementing a scheme should be funded by the residents.
• Where possible the implementation of a scheme should be cost neutral. However any profits made should be put back into the Residents Parking Scheme fund.
• Cabinet should be requested to reconsider the wording of paragraph 10.4, as the intention of the paragraph is unclear.

RESOLVED

That subject to consideration being given to the above comments, Cabinet be recommended to approve the Residents Parking Policy.

(Councillors M Hollins and C Thorley left the meeting during consideration of the above issue)

To give consideration to the extracts of the forward plan which fall within the remit of the Committee

The Committee gave consideration to the extracts of the forward plan, which fell within the remit of the Committee.

RESOLVED

That the extracts be noted

To give consideration to the work programme

The Committee gave consideration to the work programme. It was agreed that a report on the Performance Management Mid Year Review and the Annual Monitoring Report (LDF) would be considered at the meeting scheduled to be held on 25 November 2009.

RESOLVED

That the work programme be amended to include the issues highlighted above.