Agenda and minutes

Minutes of the Meeting held on 9^th September, 2015 (previously circulated). 

The Minutes of the meeting held on 9^th September 2015 were signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

There were no items of urgent business.

Councillor June Ashworth declared an interest in respect of agenda item 5 – Discussions with Councillor Margaret Pattison as she was a Board Member of the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Councillor David Whittaker declared an interest in respect of the agenda item 5 – Discussions with Councillor Margaret Pattison as he was a City Council appointed Board Member of the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Cabinet Member with responsibility for:

·         Markets

·         Voluntary Sector

·         Older People

·         ICT

Councillor Pattison has been invited to the meeting. 

The Chairman welcomed Councillor Margaret Pattison, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Markets, Voluntary Sector, Older People and ICT, the Chief Officer (Resources) and the ICT Manager to the meeting.

Councillor Pattison gave the Committee an overview of her portfolio.

With regard to markets, Councillor Pattison reported on the differing nature of markets in the Lancaster and Morecambe district and what was being done to tackle occupancy levels and empty stalls, particularly in the Festival Market. Councillor Pattison also reported that the average price of a stall was £1.50 per m² with a 6 month charge free period which was felt to represent good value.

With regard to the Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector (VCFS) Councillor Pattison reported that, at the Cabinet meeting on the 6^th October 2015, Cabinet Members had approved investment in the delivery of key services by the VCFS through a one year extension to the existing commissioning contracts to 31st March 2017, subject to budget requirements.

Councillor Pattison reported on the work she was undertaking on behalf of older people in the district and the various community groups she was involved with.

With regard to ICT, Councillor Pattison advised Members of updates to the website and telephone systems, as well as working with the University to provide Wi-Fi Hotspots and collaboration on the I-Lancaster app.

Members requested that Councillor Pattison provide additional information on small grants, the price per square foot of markets in Lancaster and Morecambe, information on best practice regarding older peoples’ issues based at Garstang and an update on the work with Lancaster University and Wi-Fi provision. Regarding ICT, Members suggested that they would provide a list of anything they came across that did not work as expected.

A number of questions were asked relating to Councillor Pattison’s portfolio.

Resolved:-

That Councillor Pattison be thanked for her attendance at the meeting.

The Chief Officer (Resources) and the ICT Manager left the meeting after this item.

Report of Chief Officer (Regeneration and Planning).

All Members of the Council had been invited to attend for this item.

The Chairman welcomed the Chief Officer (Regeneration and Planning), the Planning and Housing Policy Manager, the Planning Officer and Mr John Baker from the Planning Advisory Service.

The Planning Officer presented a report and provided a presentation on the Five Year Land Supply.

Members were advised that, as a result of a motion to Council on the 15^th July 2015, Officers had been asked to provide advice to the Committee on the calculation of the Council’s five year housing land supply position, information on the methodology, and the judgements made in calculating this figure.

It was reported that the Council’s current five year housing land supply position was described in the ‘Five Year Housing Land Supply Position Statement’ (September 2015) a copy of which was attached to the report.

Members were advised that the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) required local authorities to plan for, and identify a continuous supply of housing. The current housing requirement was set by the 2008 Core Strategy. This set a requirement for the period 2003-2021 of 7,200 dwellings, equivalent to 400 dwellings per annum and 2,000 dwellings over a 5 year period.

Members were advised that, in line with the NPPF, a 5% buffer was additionally applied to the 400 housing requirement (moved forward from later in the plan period). This 5% figure was the lower of the two buffer figures which the NPPF directed must be applied. In circumstances where there had been persistent under delivery the NPPF directed that the buffer added should be 20% of the five-year requirement.  The council had achieved lower than the annualised requirement in every year between 2003/04-2013/14, however, because last year’s delivery exceeded the annualised requirement (that was 473 dwellings were completed) Council officers had taken the view that the condition of “persistence” no longer applied. Therefore, the lower of the NPPF buffer directions (i.e. 5%) had being applied by officers to the 2,000 dwelling five-year requirement. The current rate of under-delivery stood at 1,622 dwellings.  Taking these factors into account the five-year dwelling requirement was 2,100 plus the 1,622 under delivery.  At a total of 3,722 dwellings, this meant that in order to demonstrate a five-year land supply the council would need to evidence how it intended to see an average of 744 dwellings delivered over eachof the next five years.

Members were advised that the Council could currently identify a five year supply of 2,507 dwellings. This included sites with planning permission and additional sites identified though the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) process.

It was reported to the Committee that student and other institutional housing completions were included within completion figures for the district but that the inclusion of student and institutional equivalent completions against the overall requirement did need to be treated with caution. Student and institutional needs were not included in the calculation which established the 400 per annum housing requirement. Members were therefore advised  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30.

It was noted that there had not been any requests for items to be considered in accordance with the Councillor Call for Action process.

It was noted that there had not been any requests for items to be considered in accordance with the Consideration of Petitions process.

It was noted that there was no update on locality working.

The Principal Democratic Services Officer advised that Councillor Phillippa Williamson had requested to be nominated for the vacant position on the Museum Partnership Advisory Panel.

It was proposed by Councillor Roger Mace and seconded by Councillor Brett Cooper and unanimously agreed:-

“That Councillor Phillippa Williamson be appointed to the Museum Partnership Advisory Panel for the remainder of the Municipal Year.”

Resolved:-

That Councillor Phillippa Williamson be appointed to the Museum Partnership Advisory Panel for the remainder of the Municipal Year.

Report of Chief Officer (Governance). 

Members were requested to consider the Committee’s updated Work Programme.

The Committee had requested a report on the experiences of other Local Authorities in England who had changed from a Cabinet to a Committee governance system. Following consultation with the Chairman it had been recommended that a site visit to Fylde Borough Council be arranged to meet with Councillors from Fylde, who had changed from a Cabinet to a Committee model of governance in May 2015. Members agreed that this should take place in approximately 6 months’ time to allow the new system to ‘bed in’.

Members were advised that Officers had contacted the Chairman of Morecambe Town Team who had agreed to attend the December 2015 meeting of the Committee to provide an update on the Portas Project.

Members were informed that a briefing note on the volume of usage of private vehicles for Council business had been circulated to Members prior to the meeting. In view of the timescales involved in the circulation of the note it was agreed to consider this at the next meeting and whether a further, detailed officer report would be required on this issue.

Resolved:-

(1)       That the actions agreed above be note and added to the Committee’s Work Programme.