Executive Committee - 26 January 2009
NOTICE AND AGENDA
For a meeting to be held in the Penn Chamber, Three Rivers House, Rickmansworth, on Monday 26 January 2009 at 7.30pm.
Members of the Committee (portfolio responsibility in brackets):-
Councillors Ann Shaw OBE (Chairman), Matthew Bedford (Vice-Chairman) (Resources)
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Phil Brading (Public Services and Health) |
Roger Seabourne (Community Safety) |
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Chris Hayward |
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Ron Spellen |
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David Sansom |
Martin Trevett (Environment) |
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Alison Scarth (Sustainability) |
Chris Whately-Smith (Leisure and Community) |
David Gardner, Director of Corporate Resources and Governance
16 January 2009
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The Executive Committee welcomes contributions from Members of the public to its discussion on agenda items. Contributions will be limited to one person speaking for and one against each item for not more than three minutes. Please note that in the event of registering your interest to speak on an agenda item but not taking up that right because the item is deferred, you will automatically be given the right to speak on that item at the next meeting of the Committee. Details of the procedure and the list for registering the wish to speak will be available for a short period before the meeting. |
| 1. |
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE |
| 2. |
MINUTES |
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To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the Executive Committee meeting held on 1 December 2008. |
| 3. |
NOTICE OF OTHER BUSINESS |
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Items of other business notified under Council Procedure Rule 31 to be announced, together with the special circumstances which justify their consideration as a matter of urgency. The Chairman to rule on the admission of such items. |
| 4. |
DECLARATION OF INTERESTS |
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To receive any declarations of interest. |
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RESOURCES |
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| 5. |
CONSIDERATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE RESOURCES POLICY AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE |
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To receive the recommendations of the Resources Policy and Scrutiny Committee held on 15 January 2009 in relation to the following items on the Executive agenda on 26 January 2009. |
| 5a |
PERFORMANCE AND SCRUTINY SERVICE |
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This report considers the future of performance management, scrutiny and value for money studies in the light of a consultant’s report. 09 01 26 EX i - (5a) resources recs-performance and scrutiny service (doc) |
| 5b |
PROCUREMENT CARDS |
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The purpose of this report is to give Members an update on progress in respect of the current pilot scheme for procurement cards. |
| 6. |
NATIONAL NON-DOMESTIC RATE – CONSIDERATION OF RELIEF |
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To consider applications for discretionary relief from payment of the National Non-Domestic Rate. 09 01 26 EX i - (06) NNDR relief (doc) 09 01 26 EX i - (06) NNDR relief-app1 (doc) |
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SUSTAINABILITY |
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| 7. |
CONSIDERATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT POLICY AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE |
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To receive the recommendations of the Sustainable Environment Policy and Scrutiny Committee held on 13 January 2009 in relation to the following items on the Executive agenda on 26 January 2009. |
| 7a |
THE CASE FOR INVESTMENT – THE FUTURE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN HERTFORDSHIRE |
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To consider a proposal for a new economic partnership for Hertfordshire. 09 01 26 EX i - (7a) new economic partnership (doc) |
| 7b |
MEASURES TO SECURE RESIDENTIAL USE OF LONG TERM EMPTY PROPERTIES |
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To advise Members on measures taken to bring long term empty properties back into residential occupation. |
| 8. |
LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK- CHANGES TO CORE STRATEGY ‘PREFERRED OPTIONS’: POLICY ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING |
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The Core Strategy ‘Preferred Options’ were considered by the Executive Committee (20.10.08). A further report was presented to the last Executive Committee (1.12.08) setting out changes necessary to reflect up to date information and circumstances. One final set of changes in relation to the policy on affordable housing is set out in this report. The revised policy reflects the findings of two important studies on affordable housing. The Committee is recommended to agree the changes, prior to public consultation on the ‘Preferred Options’ in February/March 2009. 09 01 26 EX i - (08) core strategy policy on aff housing (doc) 09 01 26 EX i - (08) core strategy policy on aff housing-app2 (doc) |
| 9. |
THE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES ACT |
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This report considers the implications of the above Act and whether the Council should opt in to the Act. 09 01 26 EX i - (09) sustainable communities act (doc) 09 01 26 EX i - (09) sustainable communities act-app 1 (pdf) 09 01 26 EX i - (09) sustainable communities act-app 2 (pdf) |
| 10. |
REVIEW OF THE REGIONAL SPATIAL STRATEGY |
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To consider Hertfordshire County Council’s response to the East of England Regional Assembly’s (EERA) request for advice on the East of England Plan Review to 2031. |
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LEISURE AND COMMUNITY |
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| 11. |
CONSIDERATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE LEISURE AND COMMUNITY SAFETY POLICY AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE |
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To receive the recommendation of the Leisure and Community Safety Policy and Scrutiny Committee held on 2 December 2008 in relation to the following item on the Executive agenda on 26 January 2009. |
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11a |
CAPITAL GRANTS |
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For the Committee to consider two capital grant applications from King George’s Field, Sarratt, and from Abbots Langley Parish Council. King George’s Field, Sarratt, is requesting a £13,500 capital grant towards the cost of replacing and making safe some of their existing children’s play facilities at King George’s Field. This is dealt with in paragraphs 2.1 to 2.8. Abbots Langley Parish Council is requesting a £34,000 capital grant towards the cost of fully refurbishing the play area at Lemonfield Drive. The detail is dealt with in paragraphs 2.9 to 2.13. |
| 12. |
CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU (CAB) |
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To provide the Committee with further information on the potential growth bid by the CAB as requested by the Executive Committee at the December meeting. |
| 13. |
CONSIDERATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC SERVICES AND HEALTH POLICY AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE |
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To receive the recommendations of the Public Services and Health Policy and Scrutiny Committee held on 4 December 2008 in relation to the following items on the Executive agenda on 26 January 2009. |
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13a |
UPDATE ON THE TRIAL KITCHEN CADDY SCHEME |
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To update Members on the trial kitchen caddy scheme and recommend district wide expansion. |
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13b |
WASTE VEHICLES LIVERY AND FLEXIBLE ADVERTISING SIGNAGE |
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This report seeks approval for an alternative and more flexible way of displaying the Council’s livery on waste collection vehicles whilst offering a new, innovative and flexible way of promoting key council messages to residents. 09 01 26 EX i - (13b) waste vehicles livery (doc) |
| 14. |
CONSIDERATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FORUM |
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To receive the recommendation of the Equal Opportunities Forum held on 25 November 2008 in relation to the following item on the Executive agenda on 26 January 2009. |
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14a |
GENERIC EQUALITIES SCHEME 2009-2012 |
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This report presents a draft Generic Equalities Scheme for 2009-2012 and recommends that the Equal Opportunities Forum recommends to the Executive Committee that it is consulted on with stakeholders and the public. |
| 15. |
STRATEGIC, SERVICE AND FINANCIAL PLANNING INTRODUCTION |
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This report is an introduction to the five agenda items that follow. (see item 20 below) |
| 16. |
STRATEGIC PLANNING – THE STRATEGIC PLAN 2009-2012 |
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The purpose of this report is to allow consideration of the Council’s Strategic Plan for the period 2009-2012. (see item 20 below) |
| 17. |
SERVICE PLANNING – SERVICE PLANS 2009-2012 |
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The purpose of this report is to allow consideration of the service plans for the period 2009-2012. (see item 20 below) |
| 18. |
FINANCIAL PLANNING – REVENUE SERVICES |
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The purpose of this report is to allow the Executive Committee to recommend to the Council the service levels and outputs it wishes to see in the medium term and the associated revenue budget. This budget is a component part of the 2009/2010 council tax calculations. (see item 20 below) |
| 19. |
FINANCIAL PLANNING – CAPITAL INVESTMENT PROGRAMME |
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The purpose of this report is to allow the Executive Committee to recommend to the Council its capital investment programme, in the light of the available funding. It also seeks approval to the Council’s Treasury Management Strategy for 2009/2010 in accordance with its Treasury Management Policy Statement. (see item 20 below) |
| 20. |
STRATEGIC, SERVICE AND FINANCIAL PLANNING - RECOMMENDATIONS |
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This report enables the Executive Committee to make its recommendations on the Strategic, Service and Financial Plans to the Council on 24 February 2009. 09 01 26 EX i - (15-20) strategic service and financial planning (doc) |
| 21. |
OTHER BUSINESS - if approved under item 3 above |
| 22. |
EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC |
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If the Committee wishes to consider the remaining item in private, it will be appropriate for a resolution to be passed in the following terms:- “that under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined under Paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act. It has been decided by the Council that in all the circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.” (Note: If other confidential business is approved under item 3, it will also be necessary to specify the class of exempt or confidential information in the additional items). |
| 1. |
CONSIDERATION OF A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE JOINT MEETING OF THE PUBLIC SERVICES AND HEALTH AND LEISURE AND COMMUNITY SAFETY POLICY AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEES |
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To receive the recommendation of the Joint Meeting of the Public Services and Health and Leisure and Community Safety Policy and Scrutiny Committees held on 14 January 2009 in relation to the following item on the agenda for the Executive Committee on 26 January 2009 |
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1a |
ENVIRONMENTAL AND GROUNDS MAINTENANCE CONTRACT AWARD |
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To advise members on the outcome of the evaluation of the Grounds Maintenance and Environmental Maintenance Contracts, in order for a recommendation to be made to Executive. |
| 2. |
COUNCIL TAX AND NATIONAL NON-DOMESTIC RATE WRITE OFFS |
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This report seeks approval to write off debts which are irrecoverable. |