5Th October 2000

Civic Centre, Crook, County Durham. DL15 9ES Tel: 01388 765555 Fax: 01388 766660 Minicom: 01388 761515 e-mail: [email protected] Iain Phillips Chief Executive 6th February 2007 Dear Councillor, You are hereby summoned to attend a MEETING of the WEAR VALLEY DISTRICT COUNCIL which will be held in the COUNCIL CHAMBER, CIVIC CENTRE, CROOK on WEDNESDAY, 14th FEBRUARY 2007 at 6.00 P.M. for the purpose of transacting the business set out in the Agenda hereunder. Yours faithfully Chief Executive AGENDA Page No. 1. Apologies for absence. 2. To confirm the Minutes of the meeting of the Council held 6th 1 – 12 December 2006 as a true record. 3. To confirm the Minutes of the special meeting of the Council held on 13 – 14 19th January 2007. 4. To receive any announcements by the Chair of the Council. 5. To receive any announcements by the Leader of the Council. 6. To receive, in the order listed below, oral reports by the Chairs of Policy Committees, and, if approved, to adopt as is necessary the Reports and recommendations of the following Committees, as printed and circulated:- (a) Housing Services 13.12.06 15 – 18 (b) Regeneration 10.01.07 19 – 25 (c) Community Services 17.01.07 26 – 28 (d) Special Central Resources 15.12.06 29 – 30 (e) Central Resources 24.01.07 31 – 36 (f) Policy and Strategic Development 31.01.07 37 – 39 7. To receive, and if approved, to adopt as is necessary the Reports and recommendations of the following regulatory Committees, as printed and circulated:- (a) Licensing 14.12.06 40 – 42 (b) Development Control 07.12.06 43 – 51 (c) Development Control 04.01.07 52 – 59 (d) Development Control 01.02.07 to follow TO: All Members of the Council Management Team COUNCIL MEETING 6th DECEMBER 2006 PRESENT Councillor Murphy (Chair) Councillor Mrs Jones (Deputy Chair) Councillors Anderson, Bailey, Mrs Brown, Mrs Burn, Dobinson, Mrs Douthwaite, Ferguson, Gale, Grogan, Harker, Harrison, Hayton, Jago, Kay, Kingston, Laurie, McKeller, Mowbray, Nevins, Perkins, Mrs Pinkney, Seabury, V Shuttleworth, Sinclair, Stonehouse, Strongman, Taylor, Mts Todd, Townsend, David Wilson, Des Wilson and Zair ADVISERS I Phillips, Chief Executive; M Laing, Strategic Director for Community; J Docherty, Chief Officer, Corporate Development; D Townsend, Head of Development and Building Control and Miss S Spence, Head of Committee and Democratic Service. APOLOGIES Councillors Foote Wood, Moody and Mrs Lee. 346. MINUTES The Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 18th October 2006, as printed and circulated were taken as read, confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chair. 347. CHAIR’S ANNOUNCEMENTS Adam Zair The Chair was pleased to announce that Adam Zair, son of Councillor Sam Zair, had been declared one of the top three young organists in the country. Adam, 16, had finished third in the Young Theatre Organist of the Year competition. It had been the first time Adam, who had been playing the organ since he was seven, had showcased his skills in a competition. On behalf of the Council the Chair congratulated Adam on his achievement. Neil Murphy The Chair was also very proud to announce that his son Neil had that month, won a Regional Award for Administration and Training. 1 100th Birthday The Chair had had the pleasure of presenting a lady 100 years young with a bouquet of flowers. He had wished her many more happy birthdays to come. Signpost, Crook The Chair was pleased to note that Signpost, Crook was referred to in Committee Minutes being considered that evening. He had recently resigned from Signpost on doctor’s orders; he had done so prior to Signpost’s approach to the Council. He, along with his Crook Councillors, in particular Councillor Mowbray, had long believed that Signpost was of utmost importance to the people of Crook and the Town’s surrounding areas. As a past trustee and former Chair and Vice-Chair of the Board, he believed he was qualified to comment on the need of the service to Crook and its surrounding areas. When he had first joined the Board only a handful of ‘customers’ had crossed the doorstep. Now thousands per year used the service. Therefore, in his opinion Signpost was worthy of support to enable them time to secure their own future. functions attended by the chair of the council Charity Evening, Chilton Town Council Darlington’s Civic Ball Durham County Civic Ball Sedgefield Charity Bond Evening Wear Valley District Council Bonfire Night Peterlee Mayor’s Charity Ball Switch Lights on at ASDA Bishop Auckland Charity Evening, Seaham Town Council Sunderland Civic Ball Willington Annual Chrysanthemum Show Crook and Bishop Auckland Remembrance Service Bishop Auckland Licensed Traders Association Annual Dinner Showman’s Guild Annual Luncheon Exclusive tour of Durham Cathedral Youth Forum Presentation Gateshead Civic Dinner Sid Chaplin Short Story Competition, Shildon Town Council Switching on of Xmas Lights, Seaham Town Council Switching on of Xmas Lights, Willington Wonderland St John Ambulance Charity Curry/Buffet Lunch Bad Oeynhausen Twinning Visit functions attended by the deputy chair of the council Durham City Charity Fashion Show Charity Evening, Chilton Town Council 2 Spennymoor Town Council Civic Dinner Durham County Civic Carol Service Charity Coffee Morning, Sedgefield Borough chair’s appeal fund The Chair’s Charity Appeal Fund currently stood at £3423.57 348. ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE LEADER OF THE COUNCIL The Leader of the Council referred to the last meeting of the Council when he had referred to a meeting with Durham MPs, which had taken place in the House of Commons on 22nd November, to raise concerns about the present draft of the Regional Spatial Strategy. The meeting had been attended by three MPs and Lord Foster of Auckland. All Districts and the County Council had been represented. The MPs and Lord Foster were fully behind the Councils position and offered all the support they could, including lobbying Ministers. One idea floated at the meeting had been to develop a press launch around a campaign of pledges for Durham i.e. things that the Councils would like to see for the county (maybe up to ten) and have prominent county figures from all sectors endorsing the pledges. Wear Valley represented by the Director of Environment and Regeneration had been leading on this and he understood the work was well advanced and a launch date before Christmas was envisaged. On Local Government review, as Members would be aware, the previous Wednesday the County Labour Group overwhelmingly endorsed the decision to put in a bid for a County Unitary under the proposals in the new White Paper. District Leaders had met on the previous Friday to discuss their position and the consensus from that meeting was (a) unanimous opposition to the County bid and (b) that the Districts should submit a pathfinder enhanced two tier bid. There was some disagreement from this Authority and Chester-le-Street as to whether it was possible to submit such a bid without the support of the County. Written clarification was being sought to clarify this point. He believed that the Council should endorse the position of the other districts to sustain unanimity but that it should continue to pursue the case within the districts’ forum for a South Durham Unitary, particularly as the Districts may need to reconsider their present position in the light of further clarification from GONE or DCLG. The Council should vigorously oppose the County bid because it would not benefit the people of Wear Valley. At the end of the day this was not about sustaining Councils or careers but about getting the best vision, the best governance and the best service provision for the people of Wear Valley and no Unitary County could provide that. In 2000 this Council, demonstrating its community leadership role, became the first local authority to add the name of a soldier shot at dawn to the local war memorial. Sgt. Will Stones was now duly remembered with his 3 other comrades. The Council also asked the Government to grant a Millennium Pardon to all those others shot for similar offences. The Government were not minded to at that time, but, following dogged persistence from such campaigners as John Hipkin and Andrew Mackinley MP the Government relented and granted pardons to these men earlier this year. He was delighted at this and he was very proud of this Council’s action because he knew how much it meant to the Stones family. He was aware that a number of Councils had followed Wear Valley’s lead, but it had not been universal. He suggested that that be pointed out to the LGA, in the light of the Governments decision, as it is appropriate for all councils to consider adding the names of these men to the proper memorials. It cost very little but would mean so very much. This course of action was AGREED. 349. REGENERATION COMMITTEE: 1st NOVEMBER 2006 Consideration was given to the Minutes of the above meeting. The Chair of the Regeneration Committee stated that, in light of the comments by the Leader of the Council regarding Local Government Review and whatever the outcome, this Authority would continue to plan for the future for the benefit of residents of the area. The Strategic Director of Environment and Regeneration had given a further update to the Committee on the Regional Spatial Strategy. The Committee had endorsed the action identified to raise awareness of the issues. He had highlighted progress made in the areas of building control, economic regeneration and private sector housing. All targets had been hit from July in respect of planning applications in order to assess the maximum planning delivery grant.

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