Full Council - 25 November 2014

To: ALL MEMBERS OF THE THREE RIVERS DISTRICT COUNCIL

You are hereby summoned to attend an ordinary meeting of the Council to be held in the Penn Chamber, Three Rivers House, Rickmansworth, on Tuesday 25 November 2014 at 7.30pm for the purpose of transacting the under-mentioned business:-

A G E N D A

1.  APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

2.  MINUTES

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the Council meeting held on 16 September 2014 (pages A1 to A21).

14 09 16 CL mins (doc)

3.  CHAIRMAN’S ANNOUNCEMENTS

4.  LEADER’S REPORT

5.  RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE

To consider the recommendations of the Policy and Resources Committee at its meeting held on 22 September 2014 and the Extraordinary meeting held on 27 October 2014:

PR32/14 BUDGET MONITORING – MONTH 4 (JULY 2014)

To Council:

That the following revenue budget variations be approved and incorporated into the three-year medium-term financial plan:-

Revenue		2014/15 £		2015/16 £		2016/17 £
Overspend/(Underspend) at Period 4		0		0		0

That the following capital budget variations be approved and incorporated into the three-year medium-term financial plan:-

Capital		2014/15 £		2015/16 £		2016/17 £
Increase/(Decrease) in Expenditure at Period 4		200,000		0		0

PR34/14 ICT TECHNICAL ROADMAP

The approval of the additional capital budget requested within this proposal to full Council.

PR44/14 BUSINESS RATES POOLING

That the Policy and Resources Committee recommends to Council that, subject to a final review following the Local Government Settlement 2014, Three Rivers District Council enters into the Hertfordshire Business Rates Pool for 2015/16.

The Policy and Resources Committee recommends that Council delegate authority to the Chief Executive and the Director of Finance, in consultation with the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee, to sign up to the Hertfordshire Business Rates Pool, within 28 days of the Local Government Finance Settlement.

6.  RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE SERVICE COMMITTEES

To consider the recommendations of the Sustainable Development, Planning and Transport Committee at its meeting held on 9 September 2014:

SD15/14 BUDGET MONITORING – MONTH 4 (JULY 2014)

To Council:

(1) that the following revenue budget variations be approved and incorporated into the three-year medium-term financial plan:-

Revenue		2014/15 £		2015/16 £		2016/17 £
Overspend/(Underspend) at Period 4		(12,630)		(12,630)		(12,630)

(2) that the following capital budget variations be approved and incorporated into the three-year medium-term financial plan:-

Capital		2014/15 £		2015/16 £		2016/17 £
Increase/(Decrease) in Expenditure at Period 4		0		0		0

To consider the recommendations in relation to the following items to be considered at the Sustainable Development, Planning and Transport Committee at its meeting held on 18 November 2014:

BUDGET MONITORING – MONTH 6 (SEPTEMBER 2014)

To consider the recommendations of the Leisure, Wellbeing and Health Committee at its meeting held on 17 September 2014:

LW11/14 BUDGET MONITORING – MONTH 4

To Council:

That the following revenue budget variations be approved and incorporated into the three-year medium-term financial plan:-

Revenue		2014/15 £		2015/16 £		2016/17 £
Overspend/(Underspend) at Period 4		(1,770)		6,630		6,630

That the following capital budget variations be approved and incorporated into the three-year medium-term financial plan:-

Capital		2014/15 £		2015/16 £		2016/17 £
Increase/(Decrease) in Expenditure at Period 4		0		0		0

To consider the recommendations in relation to the following items to be considered at the Leisure, Wellbeing and Health Committee at its meeting held on 19 November 2014:

BUDGET MONITORING – MONTH 6 (SEPTEMBER 2014)

To consider the recommendations of the General Public Services and Community Safety Committee at its meeting held on 13 November 2014:

GPS03/14 BUDGET MONITORING – MONTH 6 (SEPTEMBER 2014)

To Council:

That the following revenue budget variations be approved and incorporated into the three-year medium-term financial plan:-

Revenue		2014/15 £		2015/16 £		2016/17 £
Overspend/(Underspend) at Period 6		76,580		(80)		(80)

That the following capital budget variations be approved and incorporated into the three-year medium-term financial plan:-  

Capital		2014/15 £		2015/16 £		2016/17 £
Increase/(Decrease) in Expenditure at Period 6		0		0		0

7.  REPORTS AND QUESTIONS TO THE LEADER AND LEAD MEMBERS

LEADER OF THE COUNCIL

Question from Councillor Ty Harris to the Leader of the Council

“After two attempts of securing a development partner for the South Oxhey Initiative can the Leader of the Council:

Advise the savings the Council would have had from the £1.151m already spent if the first attempt had been successful?

Does the Leader welcome, as I do, the recent successful completion of the current tender short list of five suitable potential development partners? and

Does the Leader agree this is in part due to a recognised project management approach, noting the Council Motion of the 25 February 2014 following the recommendations of the Grant Thornton report on the failures associated with the William Penn project and, secondly, in the publication of the Councils Project Initiation Document in March 2014 in which the insistence that the project’s financial viability should take precedence over unrealistic expectations of its social housing content?”

Question from Councillor Paula Hiscocks to the Leader of the Council

“Would the Leader of the Council please confirm that one of the few Christmas lights for Rickmansworth High Street, the light garlands in the tree outside the library, will not be operational this year and why?”

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, PLANNING AND TRANSPORT

Reports from the Lead Member for Economic Development, Sustainability and Transport (Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst) and the Lead Member for Housing, Planning and Strategic Schemes (Cllr Martin Trevett) and questions.

Question from Councillor Paula Hiscocks to the Lead Member for Housing, Planning and Strategic Schemes

“The adoption of the Local Plan has established the proposed residential development pattern throughout the District.

Would the Lead Member for Housing, Planning and Strategic Schemes provide an estimate of the number of residential units, detailed in the Site Allocation Document, that will remain to be developed after the end of 2014 and up to the end of the planned period. Would he also break those numbers down into the various Parished and non-Parished areas.”

LEISURE, WELLBEING AND HEALTH

Reports from the Lead Member for Leisure, Community and Wellbeing (Cllr Keith Williams) and the Lead Member for Health (Cllr Sara Bedford) and questions.

Question to Councillor Keith Williams from Councillor David Sansom:-

“I understand that a new member of staff has been taken on to run the Filmsmeet project for the New Year.

As this was not included in the report that was agreed by Leisure Committee on 17 September 2014 can he tell me what the new financial projections are?”

GENERAL PUBLIC SERVICES AND COMMUNITY SAFETY

Reports from the Lead Member for Public Services (Cllr Phil Brading) and the Lead Member for Community Safety (Cllr Roger Seabourne) and questions.

RESOURCES

Report from and questions to the Lead Member for Resources and Shared Services (Cllr Matthew Bedford)

Question from Councillor Ralph Sangster to the Lead Member for Resources and Shared Services

Would the Lead Member explain which elections, although organised by the District Council, are actually paid for by the Council and which are not.

8.  REPORTS AND QUESTIONS TO THE CHAIRMEN OF THE AUDIT, PLANNING, LICENSING AND REGULATORY SERVICES COMMITTEES

AUDIT COMMITTEE

Report from and questions to the Chairman of the Audit Committee (Cllr Sarah Nelmes).

PLANNING COMMITTEE

Report from and questions to the Chairman of the Planning Committee (Cllr Chris Whately-Smith).

LICENSING

Report from and questions to the Chairman of the Licensing Committee (Cllr Steve Drury).

REGULATORY SERVICES

Report from and questions to the Chairman of the Regulatory Services Committee (Cllr Steve Drury).

9.  QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC UNDER PROCEDURE RULE 15

(None received).

10. PETITIONS UNDER PROCEDURE RULE 18

(None received).

11. MOTIONS UNDER PROCEDURE RULE 11

(1) Councillor Stephen Giles-Medhurst, seconded by Councillor Andrew Scarth, to move under Notice duly given as follows:

Three Rivers District Council (TRDC) notes that only 30 people supported the cuts proposed in the HCC recent bus consultation, that more than 12,000 objected, and that the user groups, Parish, Town and District Councils and Heath Trusts were among those objecting to the planned cuts.

It seems that, in spite of the overwhelming objections, and the projected surplus of £752k form the bus base budget and the Bus Support Grant, HCC is determined to go ahead with severe service reductions which will have a devastating impact on vulnerable bus users.

TRDC requests HCC to review routes individually, consult objectors and partners and work to improve the service, meet the needs of local communities and increase passenger numbers.

(2) Councillor Sara Bedford, seconded by Councillor Raj Khiroya, to move under Notice duly given as follows:

Three Rivers District Council (TRDC) regrets that the Highway Authority has found it necessary to postpone 142 roads and footway repair schemes. These include road resurfacing, footway repairs and major road rebuilding schemes. The state of the local roads and footways is a major concern to residents and members.

It is disappointing that there was no prior consultation on this. The Council requests HCC to guarantee that the impact of the postponement will not delay the agreed provisional programme for 2015/16, and that additional funding will be released to ensure the postponed works go ahead as quickly as possible.

(3) Councillor David Sansom, seconded by Councillor Heather Kenison, to move under Notice duly given as follows:

This Council notes that the completion of the Croxley Rail Link will improve the ability of many residents of Three Rivers to travel by public transport to Watford General Hospital, Watford Junction Station and the Town Centre. We further note the proposal by the Member of Parliament for South West Hertfordshire, David Gauke, that, on completion of the Croxley Rail Link, London Underground provides a Amersham/Chesham to Watford branch of the Metropolitan Line. The advantage for residents using Chorleywood or Rickmansworth Station will be that the new branch will be direct and not require a change at Moor Park. 

This Council expresses its support for this proposal on the basis that this measure would further reduce journey times for many residents in Three Rivers to various Watford facilities and requests that the Chief Executive writes to London Underground to inform it of the position of this Council.

(4) Councillor Sue Stibbs, seconded by Councillor Martin Trevett, to move under Notice duly given as follows:

This Council requests the Chief Executive to convey its opposition to Herts County Council about the proposed reduction in the Chorleywood library service.

This is a much valued community facility and local residents do not accept that a self service operation with a "virtual Librarian" service will be adequate or acceptable.

(5) Councillor Paula Hiscocks, seconded by Councillor Kemal Butt, to move under Notice duly given as follows:

In March 2015 the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) will come in to operation.  Part of the levy will be set aside for Parish and Town Councils to spend on infrastructure projects which support their residents.

Where there is no Parish or Town Council all the levy is to be held by the District Council. This places the non-parished areas of the District at a potential disadvantage.

This Council requests that at its next meeting the Constitutional Working Party considers appropriate arrangement for a Committee to be set up , comprising the ward members of the un-parished areas, so that they may decide on how CIL funds raised in their area should be spent and that those funds be ring-fenced for that purpose.

The Council also recognises that if a new Parish or Town Council was to be established in part or all of the current un-parished areas of the District then these arrangements would be amended accordingly.

12. CHANGES TO COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

To note that Councillor Marie-Louise Nolan has replaced Councillor Stephen Cox as the Labour Group Member on the Strategic Service Review Working Group.

13. INDEPENDENT REMUNERATION PANEL

To consider the recommendations from the Independent Remuneration Panel. (Pages B1-B3)

14 11 25 CL i (13) Independent Panel Members Allowances (doc)

14. AMENDMENT TO THE COUNCIL CONSTITUTION CONCERNING BUDGET AND POLICY FRAMEWORK PROCEDURE RULES

14 11 25 CL i (14) Council Constitution Amendment Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules (doc)

15. VEHICLE CROSSOVER PROCEDURE ON TRDC LAND

14 11 25 CL i (15) Vehicle Crossovers (doc)

16. SITE ALLOCATIONS – LOCAL DEVELOPMENT DOCUMENT

To approve the Site Allocations Local Development Document (LDD) and resolve that it is adopted by the Council as part of the statutory Local Plan for the District.

14 11 25 CL i (16) Site Allocations LDD Adoption (doc)

14 11 25 CL i (16) Appendix 1 - Inspector's Final Report (pdf)

14 11 25 CL i (16) Appendix 2 - appendix to Inspector's Final Report (Sept 2014) (pdf)

14 11 25 CL i (16) Appendix 3 - Site Allocations LDD for adoption (Nov 2014) (pdf)

17. THE DISTRICT COUNCIL’S PARLIAMENTARY PETITION ON PROVISIONS OF THE HS2 HYBRID BILL - RESPONSE TO HS2 LTD AND PREPARATION FOR SELECT COMMITTEE HEARING

14 11 25 CL i (17) Reponse to HS2 Petition (doc)

Chief Executive, 17 November 2014

Three Rivers House, Northway, Rickmansworth, Herts WD3 1RL

NOTE AS TO PRAYERS: Reverend Robert Riley-Braley, St Oswald’s Church, will read prayers at 7.25pm. Members who are not already in their places are requested to refrain from entering the Chamber during the reading of prayers. Sufficient time will be allowed for Members to do so after the close of prayers in order that the business of the meeting may begin at 7.30pm.