Huntingdonshire District Council - Edition 34

This is your monthly summary of the decisions taken at meetings of the Council, Cabinet, Overview and Scrutiny and other Panels, for the period 27th May to 20th June 2003.

Further information on any of the items contained in the Digest can be obtained by contacting the Democratic Services Section - (01480) 388007.

Payment of Professional Fees

The Employment Panel has looked at the question of membership of professional associations by Council employees, the value to the Council from membership of such associations and the likely cost involved if the Council were to fund such memberships. The Panel has noted that the Council currently pays fees when -

♦ an employee is required to be in membership in order to practice;

♦ an employee is in a post currently designated by the Council for the payment of fees;

♦ an employee is a student member of the Association for which membership is essential in order to study for the examinations of the Association; and

♦ the Council holds the membership and the employee is the Councils representative.

It was decided that the existing Council policy for the payment of Professional Fees be retained unchanged.

Huntingdonshire District Council - Edition 34

Regional Employer’s Panel East of England Local Government Conference

Councillor J W Davies has been appointed by the Employment Panel to serve as the District Council’s representative on the Regional Employer’s Panel: East of England Local Government Conference for the ensuing Municipal Year.

Stonely Conservation Area Character Statement

The Cabinet approved the Area Character Statement for Stonely as Supplementary Planning Guidance. The Statement is one of sixty-three to be produced by the District Council for each of its Conservation Areas.

St Ives Vision

A vision report for St Ives Town Centre produced by the Civic Trust Regeneration Unit has been adopted Cabinet as Informal Planning Guidance by the Cabinet. The document will provide a framework for decision making in the town centre over the next ten years.

Huntingdon and Godmanchester Market Towns Transport Strategy – Consultation Outcomes

The Cabinet has approved the content of the Huntingdon and Godmanchester Transport Strategy which links into the Local Transport Plan.

The Strategy provides a programme of integrated transport initiatives up until 2011 based on three fundamental objectives – namely to make travel safer, promote integrated and sustainable transport and manage effective transport networks. In addressing these issues the Strategy aims to maintain and enhance the economic vitality and viability of the towns.

Huntingdonshire District Council - Edition 34

Treasury Management Annual Report 2002/03

The outcome of the Council’s Treasury Management Strategy in 2002/03 has been noted by the Cabinet

Offord Cluny Conservation Area Character Statement

The Cabinet has approved the Offord Cluny Conservation Area Character Statement for public consultation.

Representation on Organisations The Cabinet has appointed representatives on behalf of the District Council on a variety of organisations, details of which will shortly be circulated separately, in schedule form by the Democratic Services Section.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Structure Plan – Responses to the Examination in Public Panel – Recommendations and Proposed Modifications to the Structure Plan.

Modifications to the draft Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Structure Plan following an Examination in Public have been reported to the Cabinet. Members were informed that the Panel had supported the District Council’s representations in relation to the balance of housing provision for the District and the needs of rural areas in terms of economic and social regeneration. However, the Panel rejected the Council’s recommendation that RAF Alconbury should be removed from the list of strategic employment sites in the area. In accepting the changes, the Cabinet reiterated the need to address the provision of infrastructure as part of any proposed development in the District.

Huntingdonshire District Council - Edition 34

Customer Services Strategy

The Corporate Director, Commerce and Technology has addressed both Overview and Scrutiny Panels on proposals to improve customer access to services which include options for developing a contact centre to enhance access for the large percentage of customers who contact the Council by telephone and for improved face-to-face communication with customers.

The Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Planning and Finance) have commented on the importance of addressing the needs of all customers who receive services, including those who are disabled in any way and indicated their support for the implementation of a contact centre owned and operated by the District Council using the technology/infrastructure of the County Council’s Cambridgeshire Direct service. The Panel also have supported suggestions for improved face-to-face service provision in terms of one customer service centre initially in Huntingdon.

In similarly supporting the provision of a contact centre owned and operated by the District Council, the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Service Delivery and Resources) has requested that the feasibility of establishing a mobile customer service facility also be investigated.

Implementing IEG Statement

The Corporate Director, Commerce and Technology has reported on implementing the IEG Statement to the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Planning and Finance). Officers are currently in the process of preparing the third statement which will be submitted for consideration by the Panel in September.

Huntingdonshire District Council - Edition 34

Best Value Performance Plan 2002/03

The Draft Best Value Performance Plan for 2002/03 has been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Panels. The Panels have noted that the Draft is to be submitted to the Cabinet meeting on 26th June 2003 in order to meet the Government deadlines for publication.

The Panels have recognised that the completed Plan would be a useful tool in assisting the identification of areas of concern and therefore the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Planning and Finance) has requested that the Plan be included on the Agenda for their next meeting.

Best Value Review Programme

The Overview and Scrutiny Panels have considered the Best Value Review Programme. The ongoing reviews relating to Access to Services and housing to meet external and local need/demand will continue to their conclusion with membership of the existing Working Groups overseeing these Reviews remaining unchanged.

However, since the original Best Value Programme was compiled guidance has been received which aims to reconcile it with the new Comprehensive Performance Assessment regime. As a result it has been agreed to commence one Best Value Review in 2003/04.

Councillors M G Baker, D Dew and B F C Wallis have been appointed by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Planning and Finance) to the Reducing Pollution Best Value Review Working Party. Because of the difficulty in appointing six members to the Working Party, the Panel have requested other Members of the Council to consider participating in the Best Value Review.

Huntingdonshire District Council - Edition 34

St. Ives and Huntingdon Town Centre Environmental Improvements Advisory Groups

The Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Planning and Finance) has appointed two Members to each of the Huntingdon and St. Ives Town Centre Environmental Improvements Phase II Advisory Groups. The Groups have been established to consider the design and concept of the two schemes.

Overview and Scrutiny – Future Items

In relation to ideas for future study areas, the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Planning and Finance) have decided to consider the Development Control Service and housing mix at their future meetings, the latter subject prior to its consideration by Cabinet.

Developing A Community Strategy for Huntingdonshire

Consideration has been given by the Overview and Scrutiny Panels to the information produced to date as part of the process of developing a draft Community Strategy for Huntingdonshire. The Panels have discussed the strategic objectives which had been identified for inclusion within the draft strategy and the priorities set by the Partnership Executive.

The Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Service Delivery and Resources) was of the opinion that the priority relating to increasing the number of local people with appropriate skills for life and work should include specific references to creating the best place for education, life long learning and schools development, including:-

♦ giving equal emphasis to academic and vocational qualifications;

♦ creating training places for a skilled workforce;

♦ creating apprenticeship places in local businesses for school leavers; and

Huntingdonshire District Council - Edition 34

♦ providing special training leading to career opportunities for young people gifted in sport, the arts or music.

The Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Service Delivery and Resources) also was of the opinion that greater weighting should be given to reducing the fear of crime in the current order of priorities.

The Overview and Security Panel (Planning and Finance) similarly commented on the priority relating to increasing the number of local people with appropriate skills for life and work and the need for vocational training and employment opportunities to be available in the District. The Panel have also discussed the need to improve and develop a community spirit and to encourage citizenship amongst the younger members of the community.

In considering the local economy, the Panel recognised the economic imbalance in areas in the north/east of the District which ought to be recognised and supported. In relation to health and well being, it was suggested that the provision of advice and information ought to be reflected as a priority in this area.

Electoral Matters

The Chief Executive has addressed the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Service Delivery and Resources) on electoral matters. He began by outlining the findings of research on election turnouts and voting patterns which had revealed marked differences between different social groups. Those who make up the higher socio economic groups and those who are older are more likely to vote than those from black and ethnic minority groups and those who are in receipt of welfare benefits.

He also referred to reasons given by the public for not voting. These included inconvenience and absence on election day. It was the view of the Chief Executive that the failure of national political parties to engage with the electorate and a general trend

Huntingdonshire District Council - Edition 34

towards voting on local topical issues also contributed to a lack of interest in voting.

The presentation concluded with suggestions for future initiatives designed to improve election turnout. These included increasing the availability of postal voting, electronic voting, mobile polling stations and text messaging.

The Panel also discussed religious barriers to voting, spoilt ballot papers and the potential for undue influence to be exerted on those voting by post.

NHS Complaints Procedure

The Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Service Delivery and Resources) has been informed of the Government’s proposals for a new NHS complaints procedure. The former Overview and Scrutiny Panel (External) previously had commented in response to an earlier consultation exercise on improving the procedure. The new arrangements are set out in the Department of Health publication NHS Complaints Reform – Making things right, which are likely to come into force in April 2003, once the required primary legislation has been enacted.

Huntingdonshire Health and Social Care Panel

The Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Service Delivery and Resources) is monitoring the work of the Huntingdonshire Health and Social Care Panel and have received the Minutes of its meeting held on 15th April 2003.

Huntingdonshire District Council - Edition 34

Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Service Delivery and Resources) – Studies

The Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Service Delivery and Resources) has added the Council’s complaints procedure and the rural economy and services to its programme of studies.

A Vision For St Ives

The Civic Trust Regeneration Unit was commissioned by the District Council to prepare a strategy for St Ives to guide and stimulate investment and to identify the environmental and development opportunities of the town particularly having regard to any future transport link to Cambridge. A Vision for St Ives has now been published and been presented to the Development Control Panel. The Panel has acknowledged that the Vision is aspirational and represents informal planning guidance which will provide a framework for decision making in St Ives town centre over the next ten years on matters relating to land use, environmental improvements and service delivery.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Structure Plan – Examination in Public Panel

The Development Control Panel has been apprised of the main conclusions of the Examination in Public Panel and proposed modifications to the draft Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Structure Plan. Generally, the draft Structure Plan has supported the District Councils position on development in the sub-region and the need to readdress an imbalance of growth which has occurred as a result of restrictions linked to the policies designed to protect the green belt. However, the Panel were disappointed that land at Alconbury will still be designated as a strategic employment site although recognition of the need to address economic and social regeneration of Ramsey was welcomed.

Huntingdonshire District Council - Edition 34

Tree Preservation Order

The Development Control Panel has confirmed a tree preservation order to protect a Yew tree in the front garden of a domestic property in Spaldwck.

Development Applications

Nineteen applications were considered by the Development Control Panel in June and of these fifteen were approved, three refused and one delegated to the Head of Planning Services providing the development was varied in accordance with the Panel’s wishes.

One of the applications considered will require to be submitted to full Council, who will in turn, be required to seek confirmation of its approval from the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions. This is because the development of the warehouse, storage and distribution facility proposed on land adjacent to and including Black Horse Farm, Old Great North Road, Sawtry is of a different form, scale and character to that originally envisaged for the site in the Huntingdonshire Local Plan, 1995 and is in a different use class. In recommending approval, the Panel was also aware that the development at Sawtry would release present storage space in St Peters Road, Huntingdon to enable occupants of that site to expand their manufacturing operation. This undertaking will be secured by a Section 106 Agreement with the applicants.

Public Entertainment Licensing: The Territorial Tavern, Huntingdon

The Licensing and Protection Applications Sub-Group has agreed to vary The Territorial Tavern’s Public Entertainment Licence. An application had been received to extend the hours of operation to 12 midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. However, given the later closing time the Panel accepted the Police’s recommendations that additional conditions be appended to the licence, which included the installation of CCTV, restrictions on admission and the employment of door supervisors.