COUNCIL 25 February 2008 MINUTES Held at Council Chamber
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COUNCIL 25 February 2008 MINUTES Held at Council Chamber, Elizabeth House, Stratford-upon-Avon Meeting commenced: 2.00 pm meeting ended: 4.06 pm Present: The Chairman of the Council (Councillor Stuart Beese) in the Chair COUNCILLORS V Seaman J Fradgley E Payne S Thirlwell S Adams A Gardner D Pemberton L Topham A Akeister R Hobbs M Perry M Weddell J Appleton V Hobbs G Roache R White P Barnes K James N Rock C Williams P Barton S Juned T Russel D Wise P Beaman Sir W Lawrence Bt C Saint S Wixey Rev N Beamer S Main J Short H Wright L Bowring L Marshall I Seccombe R Wright M Brain C Mills P Seccombe D Close P Moorse B Slaughter T Dixon L Organ R Stevens 872. Apologies for Absence Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Beckett, Gray, Harrison, Jackson and Patrick. 873. Disclosure of Interests - Council Personal Interests were recorded by the following Councillors relating to any item on the Agenda arising from virtue of the members serving on the organisations indicated:- 1. As a Warwickshire County Councillor Councillors Appleton, Barnes, R Hobbs, Main, Perry, Saint, I Seccombe and Stevens 2. As a Director of South Warwickshire Housing Association Councillors Russel and R Wright 3. As a Director of South Warwickshire Tourism Limited Councillors Barton, Bates and Perry 4. As a member of Stratford Local Strategic Partnership Councillor Topham 5. As a member of Stratford Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership Councillors Weddell and Williams 6. As a member of the Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire Sub- Regional Forum Councillors James and Topham 7. As a Director of the Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire Partnership Limited. Councillor Topham, together with Councillor Saint as a Warwickshire County Council appointee. Councillor Minute Nature of Interest Type of Reference Interest R Hobbs 878 A Member of Warwickshire Police Authority Personal Juned 878 A Member of Warwickshire Efficiency Agency Personal Rock 878 He had a client who provided energy savings Personal advice to the Council Rock 878 His wife was employed by Warwickshire Personal Police Authority Saint 878 He had received a letter from ‘Live & Local’ Personal and he was also a Board Member of the Arts Personal Council West Midlands Saint 876 Any reference to the proposals for an Eco Personal Town in the District as he was the Warwickshire County Council Portfolio Holder for Planning I Seccombe 878 A Member of Warwickshire Police Authority Personal All 877 As District Councillors Personal Councillors in attendance 874. Minutes The Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 10 December 2007 were confirmed and signed. 875. Announcements Under this heading, the Chairman reported on the following: 1. Chairman’s Charity Ball was to be held on Saturday 8 March 2008 and tickets were still available. 2. This would be the last meeting of the Council for the Head of Resources (David Buckland) before he left the Council’s service and on behalf of the Council, the Chairman extended his thanks for the work undertaken by him on behalf of the Council. During the meeting tributes to David were also made by Councillors Topham, Bowring and Organ. 3. The Chief Executive reported receipt of a letter from Warwickshire Police Authority thanking the Council for the hospitality given at the Annual Conference held at Elizabeth House. 876. Public Participation (Questions by the Public) Under this heading, the Chairman reported receipt of a petition signed by 1,000 people opposed to the siting of an Eco Town at Long Marston. He added that the petition would be displayed in the Members Lounge for inspection by Councillors. In accordance with the Council Procedure Rules the following questions were asked by the person indicated: (1) The following question was asked by Roger Harrison, Chairman of Quinton Parish Council: ‘As Chairman of the Parish Council of Quinton, I have grave concerns for the Community of Quinton at the current proposal before the Secretary of State, Hazel Blears MP, for an Eco Town at Middle Quinton. The nature of all the Villages surrounding the site belonging to St. Modwen’s and The Bird Group, are rural. The network of small communities which are based largely around agriculture, and small businesses, are fed by a network of minor roads, with the exception of the B4632 which is already overpopulated with traffic to the point of concern for safety. The introduction of a New Town of 6,000+ houses will change for the good the rurality of the area to an Urban and commuter belt. The community that I represent will inevitably find the routes through the villages being used by service and private vehicles too and from the New Town and the facilities currently enjoyed by our villages will be inadequate to support either extra pressure, or the challenge of greater and newer facilities within the Middle Quinton town. In other words, Chairman, our rural communities feel threatened for their very existence. I ask you, as Chairman of Stratford District Council, if it is the intention of the Council to set up a Working Party to consider the wide ranging issues likely to impact upon the area, if this site is chosen by the Secretary of State as one of the preferred options, and, if this Working Party would also include representatives of the Parishes within the locality, in order that these communities may have the opportunity to feed local issues into the strategic process? The Planning Services Portfolio-holder, Councillor Stephen Thirlwell replied as follows: I thank the Chairman of Quinton Parish Council for his question regarding the Middle Quinton Eco-Town Proposal and I fully understand the concerns that he expresses regarding the impact that the proposal would have upon the existing local communities in the area. The announcement of short listed sites by government is now expected in mid March, and the Council's Executive have considered what action the Council would need to take if this proposal is short listed. To this end the Executive at its meeting on 11 February resolved: 'That, subject to Long Marston being short-listed as a potential Eco-town site, a Joint Working Group be established with Wychavon and Cotswold Districts and Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Gloucestershire County Councils, to consider the infrastructure impacts and requirements associated with the Eco-town proposal.' I am sure that as part of its remit this Working Group will seek to invite and secure effective input from representatives of the local communities affected by the proposal, not only in this district, but in neighbouring ones as well. The detail of how this will be done will be a matter for the Working Group to resolve, but I am sure it will welcome input from Parish Councils such as Quinton. (2) The following question was asked by Malcolm Crump, Chairman of Welford on Avon Parish Council: ‘We have registered our objection against the proposed Eco-town development at Middle Quinton, with the Secretary State and our local MP. We are supportive of the comments already made by Councillor Roger Harrison, chairman of Quinton Parish Council, and have further concerns as follows: The West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy Draft Phase Two Revision was published in December 2007. In this document, the Regional Assembly recommend that development in Stratford-on-Avon District be planned and controlled to ensure that growth in the area be limited to local needs. Whilst it is not yet clear whether the district council will be fully consulted on this matter and therefore the extent to which it will be able to influence events is not known, can the Council non the less provide assurance that it will use its best endeavours to ensure that a new town at Long Marston be limited to meeting local needs?’ The Planning Services Portfolio-holder, Councillor Stephen Thirlwell replied as follows: I thank the Chairman of Welford-on-Avon Parish Council for his question regarding the Middle Quinton Eco-Town Proposal and would refer him to the response already given to the Chairman of Quinton Parish Council in this respect. It is currently our understanding that should the Eco-town progress, then any dwellings brought forward would not count towards our Regional Spatial Strategy(RSS) housing target. The implication of this is that the needs that would be met by any eco-town would go beyond those which could be classed as the local needs envisaged by the RSS. This is one of the concerns that we have already raised with the Department of Communities and Local Government in a joint letter sent on behalf of Stratford and Wychavon District Councils and Worcestershire and Warwickshire County Councils. Should the eco-town proceed I think it unlikely that development could be restricted to that which would solely meet local needs. I am sure however that the Council would use its best endeavours to ensure that any development made a significant contribution to meeting local needs, particularly those for affordable housing. 877. Members' Allowances Consideration was given to the recommendations contained within the Independent Remuneration Panel’s (IRP) report into the allowances to be paid to Councillors from 2008. Under this matter, it was proposed by Councillor Moorse and seconded by Councillor H Wright that Council notes the high overall level of allowances received from the public purse by some Councillors who serve on multiple public bodies; and Council further notes that service on these bodies is entirely voluntary. It considers that claims that in total exceed the median wage for Warwickshire are excessive and therefore urges restraint on members when claiming allowances. On being put to the vote, the motion was declared lost, 9 Councillors voting in favour and a greater number against.