Bishop’s Stortford Town Council The Old Monastery, Windhill Bishop’s Stortford, Herts, CM23 2ND LOCALISM AND STRATEGY COMMITTEE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a meeting of the Localism and Strategy Committee will be held in the Council Chamber, The Old Monastery, Windhill, Bishop’s Stortford on Monday 5 March 2018, at 7.30 pm, for the purpose of transacting the business set out in the Agenda below and Committee members are hereby summoned to attend. J Parker Chief Executive Officer 26 February 2018 Members of the Press and Public are invited to attend this meeting MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE Cllr Mrs Baptista, Cllr Jones, Cllr Page, Cllr Stainsby, Cllr Ward-Booth (Chairman), Cllr Woodward (ex-officio) A G E N D A 1. RECORDING OF MEETING To establish whether it is the intention of any person present to record the meeting. 2. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE To receive Members’ apologies for absence 3. DECLARATIONS OF DISCLOSABLE PECUNIARY INTEREST To receive Members’ Declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests (as defined by the Relevant Authorities (Disclosable Pecuniary Interests) Regulations 2012) where those interests a. have not already been entered into the register and b. relate to a matter to be considered To NOTE that interests so declared must be formally notified to The Chief Executive Officer of Bishop’s Stortford Town Council and the monitoring officer at East Hertfordshire District Council within 28 days. 4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION To receive representation from members of the public concerning items included on the Agenda 5. MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 11 SEPTEMBER 2017 To receive the Minutes of the meeting held on 11 September 2017 6. UP-DATE ON ACTIONS FROM PREVIOUS MEETING – APPENDIX 1 See Appendix 1 7. VISITOR ECONOMY – BRANDING – APPENDIX 2 To NOTE and if desired comment on the material attached To endorse and adopt the proposed logo and guidelines 8. BISHOP’S STORTFORD WALKING AND CYCLING STRATEGY – APPENDIX 3 To NOTE the final report on the walking and cycling strategy attached. Further to NOTE that elements of the cycle strategy have been incorporated into a transport strategy for Bishop’s Stortford created by the Shaping Stortford group, under the overall stewardship of East Herts District Council. To considering endorsing/adopting the document and formulate a recommendation to Council. 9. OUTSTANDING SECTION 106 AGREEMENTS - APPENDIX 4 To NOTE the list of S106 agreements held by HCC for Bishop’s Stortford together with the summary and recommendations provided by the Chief Executive Officer. To adopt/amend recommendations as seen fit. To NOTE that no revision to the of S106 agreements held by EHDC for Bishop’s Stortford has been received since the previous meeting. 10. NEW HOMES BONUS – SUMMARY TO DATE – APPENDIX 5 To consider the attached briefing in respect of the New Homes Bonus and next steps. 11. UPDATE ON COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE REVIEW – APPENDIX 6 To NOTE the terms of reference for the Governance review to be carried out by East Herts District Council at the request of Bishop’s Stortford Town Council. To NOTE the submission from Bishop’s Stortford Town Council which triggered the review and which will be considered as part of the review. If desired, to make any further comments deemed necessary at the current time 12. ITEMS FOR FUTURE AGENDA To note items for future Agenda MINUTES OF THE LOCALISM AND STRATEGY COMMITTEE HELD ON 11 SEPTEMBER 2017 AT 7.30PM *Cllr Mrs Baptista *Cllr Stainsby Cllr Jones *Cllr Ward-Booth (Chairman) *Cllr Page *Cllr Woodward (ex-officio) In attendance: James Parker, Chief Executive Officer and one member of the public * denotes attendance ** denotes attendance part time LS13. RECORDING OF MEETING It was established that no one present intended to record the meeting. LS14. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Cllr Jones (personal reasons) LS15. DECLARATION OF DISCLOSABLE PECUNIARY INTERESTS Cllr Page declared that he is a member of East Herts Development Management Committee and reserves the right to change his opinion on Development Management related matters based on evidence available at subsequent meetings. LS16. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION None LS17. MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 10 JULY 2017 It was RESOLVED to accept these as a correct record of the meeting. LS18. UPDATE ON ACTIONS FROM PREVIOUS MEETING – APPENDIX 1 The open actions were briefly discussed. It was RESOLVED to close item 927. Regarding item 931 it was agreed to request EHDC to explain their policy of allocating S106 money for affordable housing raised in the Town anywhere in the District, given that there is a proven need in the Town and to clarify when the current policy on the application of S106 money for affordable housing was agreed by EHDC. It was further AGREED to encourage EHDC to consider alternative solutions eg. using the relatively small pots of funds for Affordable Housing generated from minor developments to subsidise additional units on major developments (thereby overcoming the reluctance of housing associations to purchase in areas where there are only one or two units available), or the mooted creating of a housing corporation owned by the District Council. LS19. TRANSFER OF MARKET RIGHTS – APPENDIX 2 The Chief Executive Officer Request explained that EHDC have now proposed that market rights be transferred to Town Councils (including BSTC) possibly with effect 1st April 2018, effectively resulting in EHDC exiting market LS5 provision altogether. This would include the right the right to charge a licence fee to other markets within 6.66 miles. The matter was discussed. Members noted that this was exactly what had been requested by BSTC (and declined by EHDC) in 2013 and welcomed the move. It was agreed to RECOMMEND to Council that BSTC confirms that it wishes to acquire the market rights and all responsibilityfor market operation in its area from EHDC including the responsibility for licencing other markets within 6.66 miles and will proactively cooperate to seek a mutually agreed transition Agreement to the transfer would be subject to satisfactory transition arrangements and to the resolution of any transition detail arising including but not limited to the known issue related to TROs, continued car park concessions for market traders and asset transfer BSTC confirms that, subject to satisfactory agreement on the above, it would be willing voluntarily to terminate the current contract with EHDC to operate the market, at a mutually agreed date The CEO be authorised to negotiate the transfer and, subject to the financial position following transfer being broadly break-even, to conclude it if he is satisfied that the conditions above are met It was further AGREED that the Chief Executive Officer would seek the return of the historic market charter. LS20. OUTSTANDING SECTION 106 AGREEMENTS The outstanding agreements from HCC were reviewed. It was NOTED that the list includes a considerable number of relatively small sums for sustainable transport the use of which might be better determined locally. It was AGREED that the CEO would review the list from County and identify opportunities to use the money particularly for projects with elements of sustainable transport in which the Town Council is involved. LS21. ITEMS FOR FUTURE AGENDA None There being no further business the meeting closed at 7.55 pm approximately. LS6 ACTIONS FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS APPENDIX 1 Committee Date Raised Item Assigned To Action required Action taken/response Status Policy and position on the allocation of money for Affordable housing is set out in the resonse from Jonathon Geall/Adele Taylor attached to meeting of 11/9/2017. AGREED to request EHDC to explain their policy of allocating S106 money for affordable housing raised in the Town anywhere in the District, given that there is a proven need in the Town and to clarify when the current policy on the application of S106 money for affordable housing was agreed by EHDC. It was further AGREED to encourage EHDC to consider alternative solutions eg. using the relatively small pots of funds for Affordable Housing generated from minor developments to subsidise additional units on major developments (thereby overcoming the reluctance of housing associations to purchase in areas where there are only one or two units available), or the mooted creating of a housing corporation owned L&S 21/03/2016 S106 agreements (65) CEO by the District Council. Email sent, response awaited Open L&S 21/03/2016 S106 agreements CEO Seek further clarity on the ‘annual draw down’ of CCTV monies Open Adele Taylor advises that she is still seeking clarity on where /to whom this has been assigned L&S 11/09/2017 Market Rights CEO Seek return of market charter Discussion underway with EHDC about transfer of market rights. Open Review the list from County and identify opportunities to use the money particularly for projects with elements of sustainable transport in which the L&S 11/09/2017 S106 agreements CEO Town Council is involved. Presented to meeting of 5/3/2018 Propose Closure Blank Page Visitor Economy – update • Visitor economy (Item 5 of the Strategic Plan) - Branding and Website Improvements – Following the report on the visitor economy (Nov 2016) and subsequent consultation, a logo/branding guidelines for the town as a visitor location has been produced • to be adopted on all visitor literature going forward, new gateway signs other material – Does not displace Council Crest which will continue to be used on official documents – Complements Waterside Stortford Logo (which is already adopted) – Redesign of website look and feel to make it more visitor friendly now commenced • Recommendation – That the logo and branding guidelines be adopted – That, whilst it remains ©Bishop’s Stortford Town Council, the loco be made available for any individual or organisation to use free of charge subject to the condition that the branding guidelines are followed © Bishop’s Stortford Town Council Town and Waterside Stortford Logos © Bishop’s Stortford Town Council BISHOP’S STORTFORD A guide to using our corporate brand Visual guidelines The corporate identity of Bishop’s Stortford is vital to its success… and first impressions count.