Contact your Parish Council


Agenda item

Question and Answer Session for Members of the Public

Minutes:

Question from Mr Stuart Jeffery to the Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee

 

Following the update to the Policy and Resources Committee on the Borough’s climate action plan last month, can you tell me how much the carbon emissions across the Borough will fall by, and by when, as a result of the actions specified in the plan, i.e., what is the trajectory for carbon reduction?

 

The Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee responded to the question.

 

Mr Jeffery asked the following supplementary question of the Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee:

 

Given that the figures are not included in the plan that was published in the papers, will you be publishing the calculations alongside each of the items in that plan so that we can see exactly how you have derived the figures and where the pressures and the bonuses are?

 

The Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee responded to the question.

 

Question from Headcorn Parish Council to the Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee

 

The Mayor said that Headcorn Parish Council was unable to send a representative to the meeting as it had its own Council meeting that evening.  In accordance with paragraph 14.7 of Part 3.1 of the Constitution, she had agreed to ask the question on the Parish Council’s behalf:

 

Why has Maidstone Borough Council refused Community Asset status on a Church and its meeting Hall, when clearly there is a requirement for this facility in the centre of the village, as stated in The Heart of Headcorn’s letter to our Ward Councillors Martin Round and Ziggy Trzebinski?

 

The Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee responded to the question.

 

The Mayor said that she would ensure that a written response was provided for the Parish Council.

 

There was no supplementary question.

 

Question from Mr Tim Thomas to the Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee

 

Has Maidstone Borough Council had the chance to review the Officer's decision to refuse to list the former Methodist Church in Headcorn as a Community Asset and can the Council confirm that we may submit a fresh application for the same building from our community group if necessary?

 

We believe that the Officer may not have been fully informed of the extent and nature of the community usage both recorded and proposed by the Heart of Headcorn community organisation.  This is far from ‘ancillary’. We believe that the Council may not be aware of the strength of local feeling for this community asset (as evidenced by the thousands of pounds raised by residents citing its role in their social well-being and interests) and its relevance to Policy SP18 Historic Environment in the Maidstone Borough Local Plan 2011-2031, specifically the Borough’s commitment to the protection of locally important and distinctive heritage sites.

 

The Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee responded to the question.

 

Mr Thomas asked the following supplementary question of the Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee:

 

Will you also give us every support in this application or a new application?  We have a dossier of additional information including previous successful applications involving churches which we would like to share with you.  This is a complex case and requires additional investigation following our new application.

 

The Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee responded to the question.

 

To listen to the answers to these questions, please follow this link:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbd6BslS_bk&t=2690s