COUNCIL

Minutes of the Meeting of the PLANNING AND GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE held on 20 APRIL 2010

PRESENT: Chair: Councillor Sue Stevens Vice-Chair: Councillor Billy Mullin

Councillors: As per the Council Meeting

Officers: R N Barnes, Clerk & Financial Officer

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Linda Butler, Tim Hawes, Tony Hughes, Mike Lowe and Laura Virgo.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST:

There were no declarations of interest made by Members.

MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING:

IT WAS RESOLVED: that the Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee held on 16 March 2010 be received as a true record and signed by the Chair.

MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES:

Flintshire County Council’s Waste Strategy and Street Scene Service

The Clerk referred Members to the reply which had been received from County Council advising that together with the four other North Authorities Flintshire was working to deliver a technological solution to treat residual i.e. black sack waste. It was hoped that the outcome would be the ability to create energy from the waste facility via heat recovery.

The reply also referred to the authorisation by the County Council of Police Community Support Officers to undertake enforcement action in connection with breaches of Dog Control Orders. Members, particularly those who were also County Councillors expressed their surprise that this now formed part of Flintshire County Council’s policy with regards to enforcement and questioned whether it was an efficient use of PCSO’s.

The Clerk was asked to seek clarification from Flintshire County Council in connection with the authorisation of PCSO’s carrying out enforcement action on behalf of the County Council.

- 106 - Chair’s Signature______POLICE MATTERS:

The Chair welcomed PC Phil Mather to the meeting and invited the him to present a verbal report on relevant matters.

PC Mather advised that over the past month Police Officers based at the Police Station had dealt with 578 incidents of which 34 were formal crime reports relating to Broughton. He said that these covered a range of offences including drugs, burglary other that dwellings, public disorder and thefts.

PC Mather said that the underage drinking of alcohol in garages of Westminster Road which he had referred to at the last meeting had now ceased as the garages had been closed up.

Finally PC Mather advised that the next Broughton and Bretton Neighbourhood Policing Panel was taking place at the Community Centre at 6.30pm on Thursday 22 April. He said that this was likely to be the last one in its present format and that in future they would be more informal events possibly on the line of the coffee morning surgeries which PCSO Knowles held.

The Chair invited Members to raise any relevant matters.

Councillor Mullin raised the following matters:

• He sought PC Mather’s view on the enforcement of Dog Control Orders. PC Mather said that if an Officer saw anyone allowing a dog to foul then they would act but they would not be actively seeking to enforce the Order.

• He referred to a request received for a sign in connection with ‘no ball games’ on open space at Broadoak Avenue due to antisocial behaviour by youngsters. PC Mather said that the Saltney Police Station had received very few calls about this issue recently but he would ask PCSO Knowles to monitor this on his routine patrols.

• He said a request had been received from a resident living adjacent to the link footpath from Main Road to the Lansdown Road garage site for its closure due to antisocial behaviour. Councillor Mullin said that he considered this to be an important link path and would be opposed to its closure. He said that he was seeking clarification from Flintshire County Council in connection with ownership of the footpath. Councillor Butler said that he believed that the footpath had originally been in the ownership of Alyn & District Council and had been provided as an access for residents of Main Road to access the Council garage site. PC Mather said that he was aware that the resident had raised the issue of antisocial behaviour taking place in the link footpath but he had found no evidence to support this and therefore he did not consider that there was a problem of antisocial behaviour at this location.

- 107 - Chair’s Signature______• He referred to vandalism of the old Broughton Methodist Chapel. He said that he had spoken to the Methodist Minister responsible for the building who had advised that they were in dispute with Flintshire County Council concerning a proposed change of use for the building. PC Mather noted the issue.

The Chair thanked PC Mather for his attendance at the meeting.

PLANNING APPLICATIONS:

IT WAS RESOLVED:-

(a) to formally note that the participation of those Councillors who were also Members of the County Council, in both the debate and subsequent vote, was on the basis that the views expressed were preliminary views taking account of the information presently made available to the Community Council. The County Councillors reserved their final views on the applications until they were in full possession of all relevant arguments for and against.

(b) that the County Planning Authority be advised that this Council’s observations on the planning applications submitted to it were as per the ` attached schedule.

PLANNING DECISIONS:

IT WAS RESOLVED: that the decisions taken by the County Planning Authority be noted.

TOWN & COMMUNITY COUNCIL PLANNING FOCUS GROUP:

The Clerk advised that he had accompanied the Chair of Committee Councillor Sue Stevens to the Focus Group which had taken place at County Hall on 13 April.

The Clerk advised that this was the second meeting of the Focus Group and that it considered four matters:

• Third party representations at Committee – Flintshire County Council considered that this was proving useful and enabling individuals to put forward their views to the Planning Committee directly. At present the Planning Committee was being held in the Alyn & Deeside room but this arrangement was being kept under review as there were issues concerning the seating arrangement and facilities for members of the public.

• Community Planning – Presentations were made by Gwernyrmynydd Community Council and Saltney Town Council in connection with the ongoing production of Community plans for their respective areas. Both Councils had set up steering groups to liaise with residents to identify how they would like their respective Communities to develop. The results of this exercise would be shared with Flintshire County Council and would be taken into account in its Local Development Plan Exercise.

- 108 - Chair’s Signature______• Update on the Unitary Development Plan – It had been confirmed that the Unitary Development Plan had been largely accepted with the exception of a small number of sites including the Broughton Retail Park Compound Site. Final decisions on these sites would be made at the end of May when further representations by local Members had been received and assessed.

• Use of the Planning Portal – A presentation had been given by a consultant working on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government in connection with the development of the National Planning Portal, to which Flintshire County Council had subscribed. It was apparent that in a relatively short space of time it was hoped that planning applications would be dealt with on a paperless basis including consultation with statutory consultees such as Community Councils.

It had been hoped to provide an update on the planning enforcement role of Flintshire County Council but time had not allowed that. It had however been confirmed that Flintshire’s Planning Enforcement Team was now up to strength with five Officers dealing with potential breaches of planning regulations.

Councillor Derek Butler commented on the issue of third party representation and said that he favoured the Planning Committee returning to the Council Chamber where it was less intimidating for members of the public to speak as they addressed the Committee from the side rather than face to face.

Councillor Mullin said that he supported the introduction of third party representation at the Planning Committee but that he too would support it returning to the Council Chamber because of logistical problems in the Alyn & Deeside room.

IT WAS RESOLVED: that the report be received and that the Chair of Committee and Clerk be thanked for their attendance at the Forum.

LESTERS LANE:

The Chair referred the Committee to a letter received from Flintshire County Council advising of a request received from Higher Kinnerton Community Council for the permanent closure of Lesters Lane. Flintshire County Council was seeking the views of Broughton and Bretton Community Council on this matter.

Councillor Butler said that he was vehemently opposed to the proposal as it would have the effect of dispersing traffic on to other roads including Bretton Lane and Kinnerton Road. He said that no such consideration had been given to residents of Broughton in connection with the many developments which had taken place and felt that it would be unfair to have this burden increased simply to benefit residents of Kinnerton. He said that a similar case could be made for the closure of Bretton Lane due to the volume of Airbus traffic using the Lane.

IT WAS RESOLVED: that Flintshire County Council be advised that Broughton and Bretton Community Council opposed the permanent closure of Lesters Lane.

- 109 - Chair’s Signature______COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS’ REPORT:

Councillors Billy Mullin and Dave McFarlane jointly reported on the proposal by Flintshire County Council to site a pedestrian refuge across the B5104 in the vicinity of the Broadoak/Mold Road junction There was a suggestion that a puffin or pelican type crossing would be constructed there eventually as Flintshire County Council intended to lay the conduit and cable at this stage.

Councillor Butler said that a proper crossing was supposed to have been provided at this location as one of the traffic measures emanating from the development of the Warren Hall Business Park.

IT WAS RESOLVED: to receive the report and to seek clarification from Flintshire County Council in connection with the provision of a pedestrian crossing at this location.

CLERK’S REPORT:

The Clerk advised that there were no matters which he wished to draw to the Committee’s attention.

MEMBERS INFORMATION ITEMS:

Councillors Billy Mullin and Sue Stevens jointly reported on a request by residents for the provision of an Advisory Drop in Centre, possibly at the Community Centre where residents could go to receive advice on a range of topics. It was noted that the CAB visited the Doctors Practice each Wednesday and that the Flintshire County Council Mobile Office visited once per month. However the coordination of these services together with the introduction of others for matters such as drug and alcohol would be beneficial for residents.

The Clerk undertook to establish precisely what advisory services were available in Broughton at present to enable the Committee to consider their possible coordination and the introduction to the Community of additional advisory services.

Councillor Ray Gregory said that the letters sent by the Council to serving members of the Armed Forces in Afghanistan had been well received by the individuals.

Councillor Mullin referred to the practice of vehicles parking on the verge on Mold Road which he said was both a nuisance and unsightly. Councillor Ros Griffiths said that she was aware that residents had been trying to gain approval from Flintshire County Council to access their properties via the verge area but had been unable to progress the matter with the Authority. Councillor Mullin indicated that he would pursue this matter with Flintshire County Council.

Councillor Ray Gregory referred to the ongoing practice of cars being sold at the garage opposite the main Airbus entrance parking in the bus layby.

- 110 - Chair’s Signature______