Agenda and minutes

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any personal and/or prejudicial interests in any item on the agenda

None

A total period of 15 minutes is allocated for members of the public to make a statement(s) on any matter that falls within the remit 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

None

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 8 June 2010 as a correct record

RESOLVED

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

To receive a presentation on the scope and objectives of the Interim Affordable Housing Policy followed by a discussion and to agree a date for the affordable housing tour.

The Committee received a presentation on affordable housing. The presentation detailed the definition of affordable housing, why affordable housing is required and the supporting evidence, the current policies and details of the interim policy statement.

With regard to the rural housing needs, Members requested that the sites identified for housing be circulated to Members. Members also highlighted the importance of there being a need for the housing and that facilities such as public transport, schools and shops should be available near to the sites.

 K Carsberg highlighted that the schemes need to be sympathetic and proportionate to the area and that there was now a Rural Housing Enabler Officer in place, who is responsible for demonstrating the need and consulting with Parish Councils.

Following detailed consideration of the presentation the Committee agreed that it should carry out a tour of typical affordable housing schemes, prior to it giving consideration to the interim policy statement.

RESOLVED

1. That the presentation be noted.

2. That a tour of affordable housing schemes be arranged for September, prior to consideration being given to the interim policy statement.

At its meeting held on 10 May 2010 the Committee gave consideration to a report on winter learning. At that meeting Members agreed to look at the reasons for school closures in further detail. Representatives from the Children and Families Directorate will attend the meeting to discuss this issue with Members.

An extract of the report considered on 10 May 2010 relating to Children’s Services is attached for information.

Following the meeting held on 10 May 2010, A Kent, Liaison Manager (Schools, Settings and Services) attended the meeting to discuss the school closures due to adverse weather conditions. He felt that the situation was managed well and that the highways department was responsive. However, real time and accurate information relating to the weather forecast was required to enable the Head Teachers and Governors to make an accurate and informed decision with regard to closing schools.

RESOLVED

That the comments highlighted above be forwarded to the Portfolio Holder for consideration.

To consider a report of the Head of Human Resources considered by Cabinet on 14 June 2010, which set in motion the formal process to consult Overview and Scrutiny Committees in accordance with the Budget and Policy Framework procedure rules.  The Committee is asked to consider making observations on the Corporate Plan which will be considered by Cabinet on 19 July 2010.

The Committee considered a report enclosing for comment the draft Corporate Plan which was due to be considered by Cabinet on 19 July prior to making a recommendation to Council regarding its formal adoption on 22 July 2010. Members made the following comments and recommendations:

·         That the document is poorly written. For example page six refered to 'looking after waste' Members felt it should read ' responsible for waste'

·         That the Committee would like to see further information on the rural housing need and the sites identified for rural housing

·         That the plan needed to say how the vision would be achieved.

·         That the plan was aspirational and required more detail

·         Member questioned the accuracy of  household incomes

·         That the departmental service plans be considered by the Committee

·         That the decline in house prices in Cheshire East was a positive as they were too high

·         That free swimming would be stopped in the near future.

·         That the reference relating to scrutiny Committees meeting 10 times per year should be removed.

·         That with regard to the second objective it was agreed that the visitor economy strategy should be included in the section relating to how we will achieve our ambition.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet be informed of the comments highlighted above.

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

Consideration was given 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

Consideration was given to the Work programme. It was reported that the Department for Transport had recently announced that it had suspended the Major Schemes guidance and processing of new applications at least until the conclusion of the spending review in the autumn.  This meant that all preliminary and design work on the SEMMMs A6 to Manchester Airport Relief Road scheme had ceased for the foreseeable future.  The SEMMMs scheme was due to submit the Major Scheme Business Case to DFT in the Autumn to secure approval for £290m.   Following the announcement from DFT Cheshire East Council, Stockport MBC and Manchester City Council had all agreed that work should cease to develop the scheme further at this stage. The Committee therefore agreed to remove this issue from its work programme.

RESOLVED

That subject to the item ‘SEMMMS update’ being removed, the work programme be approved.