Agenda item

To receive updates and any recommendations from the Places Advisory Panel Task Groups :-

Car Parking – Attached

Waste Collection – Attached

Strategic Development – Attached

Local Development Framework – Attached

Safer Communities – Verbal update

Consideration was given to reports updating the Panel in respect of the work carried out by the Task Groups for Car Parking, Waste Collection, Strategic Development and Local Development Framework.  Before consideration of the reports, the Chairman stated that he would like to make it clear that the Task Group reports were a preliminary review and any statements and options discussed did not relate to any policy decisions made to date.

In considering the report relating to the update on Civil Parking Enforcement and proposals for Pay and Display Charging in Cheshire East, Members expressed concern that the report did not include an options appraisal and did not state how the decisions had been arrived at. Reference was made to paragraph 3.3 of the report and it was noted that the proposed charges related to all car parks within the new Cheshire East Authority area. It was suggested that paragraph 3.3 of the report should be incorporated into the objectives and that the charges should be cost neutral.  It was reported that work in relation to the various options had taken place and officers undertook to examine whether the work carried out had been appropriate and would bring a report back to the Panel.

With reference to paragraph 1.1 of the report, the Portfolio Holder sought clarification in respect of civil parking enforcement and stated that it had already been agreed that the new Cheshire East Authority would be adopting the Civil Enforcement powers.  It was reported that Cheshire County Council legal advice had been in line with this, however confirmation was awaited.  Officers had been in liaison with CLG in respect of the transitional arrangement regulations, which had been through Parliament and would allow parts of the Cheshire East Authority area to be subject to civil parking enforcement. The Prosperity Portfolio Holder reported that notwithstanding some capacity issues and the fact that Congleton Borough On Street Enforcement remained the responsibility of the police, he considered that steps needed to be taken to ensure that there was continuity in respect of civil enforcement in the areas of the Cheshire East Authority.  He had been in discussions with the Transport Director at the Government Office and was producing a paper for her with a view to progressing this matter.

RESOLVED

That officers examine the work which has already taken place in respect of the current position with regard to car parking and any options appraisals which had taken place to establish whether this work had been appropriate and a report in respect of this be submitted to a future meeting.

Waste Collection

It was noted that the report relating to Aligning the Green Waste Collection Services in Cheshire East, set out at item 7 of the agenda, superseded the update report attached at item 5 and consideration was given to this report.

It was noted that kerbside collection of green waste was currently free, at point of dlivery, to residents of Congleton and Macclesfield Boroughs, whereas there was a charge levied to those residents who used the service in Crewe.  The paper discussed the options available to the Cheshire East Council with regard to the lack of standardisation and set out a number of recommendations to the Advisory Panel.  The Panel needed to consider whether it accepted the recommendations, which would then be reported to the Cheshire East Management Team and the Cheshire East Cabinet.

RESOLVED

That the following recommendations be submitted to the Cheshire East Management Team and then the Cheshire East Cabinet:

1     That a free of charge green waste kerbside collection service is rolled out to the residents of the former Crewe & Nantwich Borough Council area as soon as practicable following 1 April 2009.

2     That no initial bin purchase charge should be levied to recipients of the new bins.

3     That (subject to approval by the existing waste collection authorities) preparations should be made prior to April 2009 to procure the required equipment to roll out a free of charge green waste in Crewe utilising the existing 2008/09 Waste Implementation Capital Grant.

4     That should the Waste Implementation Capital Grant Funding for 2008/09 be unavailable or insufficient to support this initiative, the new Cheshire East Authority should approve additional funding (following an additional report) to procure bins.

Strategic Development

Consideration was given to a paper, which set out the matters arising from the Strategic Development Task Group on 3 December 2008.  It was noted that the South Cheshire Sub Regional Study had been completed by ARUP, having been commissioned by Cheshire County Council on behalf of 4NW and Members of the Task Group and Places Advisory Panel would receive a hard copy when available.  The Strategic Housing Market Assessments had been completed in Macclesfield and commenced in Congleton and Crewe & Nantwich, and a paper on the findings of the SHMAs would be submitted to the Places Advisory Panel, once completed.  Progress in respect of the Subregional Economic Development Partnership would be reported to the Task Group and subsequently the Advisory Panel.  The next meeting of the Task Group would take place on 11 February 2009.

Local Development Framework

Consideration was given to a report informing the Panel of the progress being made by the Local Development Framework Task Group and requesting the Panel to note the report and to agree the need for an urgent Project Plan for the LDF work, and to support the proposed Joint Working with Cheshire West and Cheshire Councils on minerals and waste policy making, and this was agreed.

Safer Communities

It was noted that the scheduled meeting of the Safer Communities Task Group had been deferred and would now take place in January.

It was also reported that a meeting of the Development Management Task Group was scheduled to take place on the following Tuesday.