South Cambridgeshire District Council Councillors’ Bulletin – Issue Date 4Th December 2002
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SOUTH CAMBRIDGESHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL COUNCILLORS’ BULLETIN – ISSUE DATE 4TH DECEMBER 2002 CONTENTS IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR COUNCILLORS 1. Councillor Required to Serve on Management Committee of SOFA 2. Committee Meetings for the Forthcoming Week CABINET MINUTES 28TH NOVEMBER 2002 Recommendations to Council: 5. Members’ Allowances 6. Bourn And Linton Funding For Pre-Feasibility Studies Decisions By Cabinet: 7. Cambridge Airport Study 8. South East Regional Airport Strategy (SERAS) 9. Consultation On Options For Regional Planning Guidance 14 For The East Of England To 2021 10. Risk Management Policy 11. Housing Repairs And Maintenance Contracts 12. Housing Capital Programme 13. Community Safety Best Value Review 14. Arts Capital Grant Aid 2002-2003 CONSERVATION ADVISORY GROUP MINUTES 27TH NOVEMBER 2002 DECISIONS MADE BY PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR HOUSING 1. To approve the purchasing of Council Land at Litlington to secure off-street parking 2. To refuse the sale of Council Land at Whittlesford 3. Provision of Tied Accommodation for a Member of Staff at Milton Country Park 4. Grants awarded to Papworth Housing Advice Service, Cambridge Women's Aid, Cambridge Women and Homelessness Group, Cambridge SOFA and Cambridge Crenians 5. Housing Allocation Appeals and Management Transfers DECISIONS MADE BY PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR CONSERVATION 1. To award a Historic Building Grant of £6,985 (50%) for re-roofing Cottage at Carlton INFORMATION ITEMS 1. Decisions Made By Community Development Partnerships Manager • The awarding of £210 for the Sawston Arts Festival • The awarding of £500 to a Talented Young Footballer 2. Historic Building Grants Authorised by Conservation Manager • £3,400 Lotfield Street, Orwell • £440 High Street, Fen Ditton • £985 45 North Road, Whittlesford • £900 1 High Street, Hildersham • £250 31 High Street, Hinxton 3. Buildings Added to the Statutory List Following the Serving of Building Preservation Notices or as a Result of Spot-Listing Requests 4. Traffic Proposals Made by Cambridgeshire County Council at Meldreth 5. Call-in Arrangements IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR COUNCILLORS Councillor Required to Serve on Management Committee of SOFA Cambridge SOFA (Shifting Offered Furniture Around) SOFA is an organisation that offers affordable furniture, household goods, electrical goods and paint for anyone who receives benefits or a low income. They have asked South Cambridgeshire District Council to appoint a Member or officer to serve on its Management Committee. The Portfolio Holder for Housing and the Director of Housing and Community Services feel that it would be more appropriate for the representative to be an elected Member interested in housing issues. Any expressions of interest in representing the Council on SOFA should be sent to Ian Senior in the Committee Section at South Cambridgeshire District Council, 9-11 Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 1PB (Tel: 01223 443028, e-mail: [email protected]) by 18th December 2002. More details about SOFA can be found on the Directions Plus web site: www.directions-plus.org.uk/az/shift_off_furn_around_sofa.html COMMITTEE MEETINGS FOR THE WEEK OF 9th – 13th DECEMBER 2002 THURSDAY 12TH AT 10:00AM CABINET COUNCIL DECEMBER (Contact Officer Susan May) CHAMBER 2002 AT 2:00PM AUDIT PANEL COM. ROOM 1 (Contact Officer Patrick Adams) AT 2PM CAMBOURNE DEG CAMBOURNE (Contact Officer Holly McKenzie) FRIDAY 13TH AT 9:30AM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ROOM 317 DECEMBER PORTFOLIO HOLDERS’ 2002 MEETING (Contact Officer Ian Senior) CONSERVATION ADVISORY GROUP At a meeting of the Committee held on 27th November 2002 at 2.00pm PRESENT: Councillor SJ Agnew - Chairman Councillor NN Cathcart – Vice-Chairman Councillors: Councillor RF Collinson Councillor Dr JPR Orme Councillor Dr JA Heap Councillor AW Wyatt Co-opted Member: Councillor Mrs MP Course Councillors Mrs JA Muncey and Mrs DSK Spink (Portfolio Holder for Conservation) attended the meeting by invitation. Councillors Mrs JM Healey (Chairman, Development and Conservation Control Committee), RGR Smith and JH Stewart (Vice-Chairman, Development and Conservation Control Committee) sent their apologies for absence. 1. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST There were no declarations of interest. 2. MINUTES The Group authorised the Chairman to sign, as a correct record, the Minutes of the meeting held on 16th October 2002. At the request of the Chairman, the Ecology Officer briefly updated the Group on the Willingham Watercourse (Minute no. 7) and the Willow Pollarding Project (Minute no. 8). 3. PROPOSED CRITERIA FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF KEY LISTED BUILDING AND PLANNING APPLICATIONS The Advisory Group considered proposed criteria for its consideration of key listed building and planning applications and a proposed reporting mechanism in line with the Council’s corporate and conservation objectives. The Chairman commented that, while the Advisory Group had an important role to play, this should not be at the expense of the prompt resolution of relevant applications The Conservation Manager highlighted paragraph 2.1 of the report, which listed the kind of substantial and significant applications, which the Advisory Group might wish to consider. Members concluded that the question as to whether or not an issue was substantial and significant was one of judgement. The Advisory Group discussed the value of attending relevant site visits, either as a Group or as part of a pre-arranged visit by the Development and Conservation Control Committee. Members identified the criteria for requesting site visits, and noted that local Members requiring such a visit as part of the proposed process under discussion, could request one via the Portfolio Holder for Conservation or Conservation Manager. AGREED that substantial and significant Listed Building and Planning applications be considered either as part of regular Conservation Advisory Group meetings or, in urgent cases, by the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Group in consultation with the Conservation Manager and Portfolio Holder for Conservation, preferably at least two weeks before the Development and Conservation Control Committee meeting, and that an appropriate response be then submitted for inclusion in the Planning Director's report to the Development and Conservation Control Committee. 4. REVIEW OF THE OPERATIONAL PLAN FOR THE CONSERVATION SECTION Further to the Advisory Group’s meeting on 16th October 2002 (Minute no. 5 refers), the Conservation Manager gave a PowerPoint presentation, focusing on current departmental workload, work parameters, priorities, timescale and broad objectives. The Portfolio Holder endorsed the idea of publicising widely the efforts being made by the Council in terms of conservation. In connection with the grant scheme however, she reminded Members that there was currently pressure to re-examine levels of such expenditure right across the Council. Members asked that the final document be bound and produced to a high standard. RECOMMENDS that the Cabinet endorses publication of the Operational Plan for the Conservation Section for the period up to April 2004, and confirms it as the basis for the Continuous Improvement Plan. 5. DESIGN GUIDE The Conservation Areas and Design Officer gave a PowerPoint presentation, focusing on the Design Guide’s role in helping to improve the ‘Quality of Life’ in South Cambridgeshire, and its importance as a key target in the Best Value Performance Plan for 2002-2003. The intention was that the Design Guide, ultimately, should be adopted as Supplementary Planning Guidance. The Conservation Areas and Design Officer highlighted the following aspects of the Design Guide: • its significance in helping to develop a vision for the future • its role in ensuring greater efficiency • the opportunity to stimulate debate • encouragement of partnership working • holistic thinking • the definition of diversity within the District • the identification of design principles The Portfolio Holder for Conservation drew Members’ attention to the experience gained with the Cambourne Design Guide, and raised the issue of funding, possibly jointly with outside organisations. Councillor RF Collinson highlighted the importance of promoting the benefits of a district-wide Design Guide in the face of possible scepticism as to its value. For example, it related well to village appraisals, and would be less expensive than developing individual design guides on a village-by-village basis. Councillor Dr JA Heap said that the Council should encourage Developers to bring forward proposals that reflected those ‘ground rules’ and priorities it had identified in the Design Guide. Members discussed the value of examining design issues in Europe and elsewhere in the UK as a way of expanding the horizon and investigating good examples of new mixed housing areas. They were conscious though of the negative impact on design guide matters that could result from external pressure, such as that from central Government in connection with densities. On that point, the Vice-Chairman hinted that villages might have to expand should the Council decide on ecologically-based design principles in the countryside and still fulfil its duty to provide a specific increased level of housing. RECOMMENDS to the Portfolio Holder for Conservation that the development of a Design Guide be endorsed, and that appropriate measures be taken to (1) raise awareness of the importance of good new design by training, information and debate. (2) consult and liaise with key team players such as developers, architects and designers in the