Agenda item

Report of the head of governance and the head of health & housing.

The senior environmental health officer presented a report to enable the committee to make a minor amendment to the scheme of delegation in order to streamline the issuing of caravan site licences. Members were advised that the issuing of licences for caravan sites fell within the terms of reference of the committee.

It was advised that the current arrangements were that Environmental Health (in Health & Housing Services) performed all caravan site licensing administration, inspection and enforcement with one exception:  the Licensing service provided the authorised signature when granting, transferring or renewing caravan site licences. This meant that although Environmental Health had received each application, prepared each licence together with terms and conditions, and provided all technical, inspection and enforcement input, it could not finalise and issue licences without involving another service. This had inevitably led to an avoidable delay in issuing licences and unnecessarily involved two separate services in granting one licence.

Discussions had taken place between the two services, and it had been felt that the system could be improved by transferring the final element of responsibility - signing new, renewed and transferred licences - to Health and Housing Services, this would make the issuing of licences more streamlined.

It was advised that this would require an amendment to the scheme of delegation to authorise the head of health and housing and officers they designate in writing to issue licences under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960. The current delegation was to the head of governance.

It was proposed that the responsibility for issuing the licences would pass to Health and Housing from 1 March 2012.  Health and Housing were already responsible for all other aspects of the licences. As such, an amendment to the scheme of delegation was required to authorise the head of health and housing and officers designated in writing to issue licences under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960. The current designation was to the head of governance.

The committee was advised that discussions had taken place between Health and Housing services, and Legal and Licensing services. Both had considered the proposal desirable from an operational point of view. The decision was considered to be a simple administrative issue and there had been no need for any other consultation.

The amendment of the scheme of delegation was required to formalise the proposed operational arrangements.

It was proposed by Councillor Burns and seconded by Councillor Redfern:-

“(1)      That the current and proposed operational arrangements for issuing caravan site licences be noted.

 (2)       That the scheme of delegation be amended to authorise the head of health and housing and any officer designated in writing by her to grant, transfer or renew any licence under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960, except where any objection or adverse comment has been received or a member of the committee has requested that the matter be referred to committee.”

Upon being put to the vote members voted unanimously in favour of the proposition, whereupon the chairman declared the proposition to be carried.

Resolved:

(1)        That the current and proposed operational arrangements for issuing caravan site licences be noted.

(2)        That the scheme of delegation be amended to authorise the head of health and housing and any officer designated in writing by her to grant, transfer or renew any licence under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960, except where any objection or adverse comment has been received or a member of the committee has requested that the matter be referred to committee.