In accordance with Procedure Rule 11, questions must be submitted at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting. Any questions considered urgent will only be accepted with the agreement of the Mayor prior to the meeting.
Minutes:
The following questions were submitted and responses given:
1. As a result of the councils inability to demonstrate a five year supply of deliverable housing sites we now have a situation in the village of Baldwins Gate where a planning application has been submitted for 117 houses. The houses are to be crushed into a small plot resulting in increased danger for all local residents using the dangerous A53 as well as unacceptable pressures on the current infra-structure. What does the leader intend to do to stop our villages being blighted by developers in this case and in the future. (Submitted by Cllr Loades).
Response from Cllr Snell:
Cllr Snell stated that that care had to be taken not to prejudice any future planning committee discussion and that should residents wish to make representations then these would have to be made to the relevant planning committee.
Supplementary question from Cllr Loades and response from Cllr Snell:
Cllr Loades asked the Leader if he now regretted the decision of the Cabinet to disregard the findings of the working group regarding the removal of the 7 sites?
Cllr Snell stated that even with the removal of the 7 sites changes made by the Government had still left the Council short of suitable land and that successful applications exacerbated the situation. If changes were required then representations needed to be made to central government.
2. Can the portfolio holder update the council on the community centre review? (Submitted by Cllr Sweeney)
The Portfolio Holder stated that members and officers were currently working hard to understand the current situation. All community centres had been consulted and the results fed back to the management committee.
Supplementary question from Cllr Sweeney and response from Cllr Williams:
Can the Portfolio Holder still say that no community centres will shut?
Cllr Williams stated that this was still the case.
3. Can the leader advise me when the Police and Crime Commissioner is making his presentation to the Full Council. (Submitted by Cllr Sweeney)
Cllr Snell stated that the Commissioner was sue to attend the next Cabinet meeting to make a presentation and that if the Council wished, an invitation could be extended to invite him to a future meeting of the Council.
The Mayor stated that an invited would be issued to the Commissioner to attend a future Council meeting.
4. Can the portfolio holder update the council on the current situation concerning the Ryecroft (submitted by Cllr David Loades).
The Portfolio Holder stated that he was working closely with Officers to find the best way forward regarding the Ryecroft. At the moment there were various options available and care was being taken to ensure that any solution was delivered within the financial parameters. Once an affordability case had been completed then a strategy would be prepared and the Council could go out to the market with a solid business case.
5. Does the leader intend to write expressing his disappointment to the representative from HS2 ltd who withdrew from attending the Economic Development scrutiny Committee when he found out public were to be present. (Submitted by Cllr David Loades).
Cllr Snell stated that he was happy to write to the representative to rearrange the meeting if this was what Members wanted.