Public Document Pack Cabinet Members of the Cabinet of Gravesham Borough Council are summoned to attend a meeting to be held at the Civic Centre, Windmill Street, Gravesend, Kent on Monday, 14 September 2009 at 7.00 pm when the business specified in the following agenda is proposed to be transacted. S Kilkie Assistant Director (Communities) Agenda Part A Items likely to be considered in Public 1. Apologies for absence 2. To sign the minutes of the previous meeting (Pages 1 - 10) 3. To declare any interest members may have in the items contained on this agenda. When declaring an interest a member must state what their interest is. 4. To consider whether any items in Part A of the agenda should be considered in private or any items in Part B in public 5. Delegated Decisions - Cabinet Members (Pages 11 - 12) To report any decisions made by Cabinet Members under their delegated powers. Corporate Plan Priority – Environment (Safe, Clean and Green) 6. Local Air Quality Management - report herewith. (Pages 13 - 20) 7. Update on Environment Work - report herewith. (Pages 21 - 44) Corporate Plan Priority – Communities 8. Youth Portfolio - report herewith. (Pages 45 - 94) 9. The London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics Games - report herewith. (Pages 95 - 110) Civic Centre, Windmill Street, Gravesend Kent DA12 1AU 10. Draft Protocol for the referral of "Councillor Call for Action" to the Overview (Pages 111 - Scrutiny Committee - report herewith. 116) 11. Review of format for Council meetings - report herewith. (Pages 117 - 120) 12. Draft Tourism Strategy - report to follow. Corporate Plan Priority – Housing 13. Development of Family Houses at Kings Drive and Trafalgar Road - report (Pages 121 - herewith. 124) 14. Private Sector Housing Renewal Strategy 2009-13 - report herewith. (Pages 125 - 186) 15. Government Announcement on Charges to 2009-10 Rent Increases - (Pages 187 - report herewith. 192) Corporate Plan Priority – Regeneration 16. Cruise Liner Terminal Provision - report herewith. (Pages 193 - 194) Corporate Plan Priority - Transformation 17. Benefits Policies - report herewith. (Pages 195 - 242) 18. Quarter 1 Performance 2009-10 (April to June 2009) - report herewith. (Pages 243 - 268) 19. Budget Monitoring Report 2009-10 - report herewith. (Pages 269 - 296) 20. Finance Improvement Plan - report herewith. (Pages 297 - 314) 21. Budget 2010/11-priorities - report herewith. (Pages 315 - 322) 22. Council Improvement Plan - report herewith. (Pages 323 - 328) 23. Any other business which by reason of special circumstances the Chairman is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency. 24. Exclusion To move, if required, that pursuant to Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 that the public be excluded from any items included in Part B of the agenda because it is likely in view of the nature of business to be transacted that if members of the public are present during those items, there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act. Part B Items likely to be considered in Private Corporate Plan Priority – Regeneration 25. Town Pier Pontoon - report herewith. (Pages 329 - 362) 26. Any other business which by reason of special circumstances the Chairman is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency. Members Cllr Michael Snelling (Chairman) Cllr David Turner (Vice-Chairman) Councillors: John Cubitt Laura Hryniewicz Anthony Pritchard Adrian Warburton This page is intentionally left blank Page 1 Agenda Item 2 Cabinet Monday, 6 July 2009 7.00pm Present: Cllr Michael Snelling (Chairman) Cllrs: John Cubitt Laura Hryniewicz Anthony Pritchard Adrian Warburton Note: Cllrs John Burden, John Caller, Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi and Andrea Webb were also in attendance Glyn Thomson Chief Executive Nick Brown Director (Transformation & Finance) Kevin Burbidge Director (Business) Andy Chequers Assistant Director (Housing & Environment) Julie Gibbs Service Manager, Finance Sarah Parfitt Service Manager, Audit & Performance Stuart Bobby Principal Accountant Sue Hill Committee & Elections Manager 22. Apologies An apology for absence was received from Cllr David Turner. 23. Minutes The minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 1 June 2009 were signed by the Chairman. 24. Declarations of Interest No declarations were made. 25. Delegated Decisions - Cabinet Members The following decisions had been taken by the Leader of the Executive and the Lead Member for Housing on 8 June 2009, 16 June 2009 and 17 June 2009 respectively. (1) That land adjoining 1 and 3 St Alban's Gardens be declared surplus to requirements and authorised the Director (Business) in association with the Assistant Director (Business & Law) to formally dispose of the property. 1 Page 2 Cabinet 6.07.2009 (2) That Land occupied by the Sailing Club at the Canal Basin be declared surplus to requirements and that the Sailing Club be granted a long lease of the land with an option for them to purchase the Council's freehold interest should the Council wish to sell. (3) The Kent Local Housing Authorities and Kent & Medway Fire & Rescue Protocol was signed by the Lead Member for Housing in order to improve partnership working across Kent and improve consistency in application of standards of fire safety in dwellings between authorities in Kent. 26. Public consultation on the Partial Review of the South-East Plan on new pitch provision for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Show People The Cabinet was advised on the current public consultation exercise being carried out by the Government Office for the South East (GOSE) on the partial review of the South East Plan in respect of the preferred distribution and policy option for new pitch provision for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Show People. At the issues and options stage Members supported distribution Option D which gave Gravesham a requirement to provide 11 new pitches. This had now been increased to 12 as a result of updated data rather than a fundamental change in approach. In addition to Option D, Members also gave their general support to Option E. This uses a distribution based on Option A (need where it arises) and adds the proportion of new pitches allocated to Kent under Option C and redistributes it between the districts on the basis of Option B (taking account of planning and environmental considerations). Option E provides Kent as a whole with a reduced proportion of the total regional requirement (23 per cent as opposed to 27 per cent under Option D). Kent currently accommodates 27 per cent of the regional total number of pitches and Option D while purporting to provide for redistribution, does not change this total. A joint Member Steering Group meeting is to be held on 13 July where Member representatives from all Kent councils will consider the implications of the Partial Review Preferred Option on Kent and other distribution options for consideration at the Examination in Public in February 2010. In respect of new pitch provision for Travelling Show People, Members supported distribution Option A at the Issues and Option stage (provision where need arises). Under this option Gravesham would not be required to make any provision for Travelling Show People. The Preferred Option D adopts a more redistributive approach and requires Gravesham to provide one new pitch in the period 2006/16. While Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Show People have different site requirements, it is difficult to justify adopting one approach for Travelling Show People and another for Gypsies and Travellers. On this basis it is not considered that pursuing such an objection just on the basis of Travelling Show People would be successful. The draft Policy H7 acknowledges that the evidence of need is not robust enough to provide a district level figure of need for transit pitches. Table H7b of the draft policy provides an indication of need on a county-wide basis based either on submitted evidence from county groups or from Caravan Count data where more robust evidence was not available. The provision for Kent is for seven sites/stopping places and in Gravesham for four pitches. 2 Page 3 Cabinet 6.07.2009 A Regional study of transit need is expected in the autumn, but this will not deliver district level distribution. Officers are currently working on the issue with county colleagues and the other Districts/Medway so that we may respond to GOSE in due course. Members noted that a pre-examination meeting is scheduled for 16 October 2009 with the Examination in Public (EiP) following in 2 - 5 February 2010. Adoption is proposed in late 2010. Resolved that (1) in the light of the timing of the Joint Members' meeting and the closing date for responses to the Preferred Options consultation, the response to GOSE on the Preferred Option be delegated to the Director (Business) and agreed by the Lead Cabinet Member providing the pitch requirements for the Borough do not increase above that proposed in option D; (2) in view of the low response rate to the Travelling Show People’s Accommodation Assessment, the consultation responses to the issues and options stage and the Report of the East of England Panel on pitch provision for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Show People, no objection is raised to the proposed distribution option for Travelling Show People. (3) Members are kept updated of the position in respect of the need for Transit provision in the Borough. (4) provision is made in the budget to support representation at the forthcoming EiP if considered necessary. 27. Allocations Policy The Cabinet was reminded that the revised Allocations Policy had been adopted by the Council in March 2009. Since this time additional research has been undertaken which had identified better practice in relation to the way the homeless householders are treated under Choice Based Lettings Scheme. The amendments proposed would change the six month time limit for applicants to bid for their preferred property types and area to 12 weeks.