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MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL
CABINET
Minutes of the meeting held on
Wednesday 10 August 2011
Present: |
Councillor Garland (Chairman), and Councillors Greer, Mrs Ring and J.A. Wilson |
Also Present: |
Councillors Burton, English, FitzGerald, Paine and Robertson |
|
43. Apologies for Absence
An apology for absence was received from Councillor Hotson.
44. Urgent Items
The Leader of the Council agreed to take as urgent the report of the Director of Change, Planning and the Environment because the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) had been published for a standard twelve week consultation process; however, guidance published by the Planning Inspectorate for Inspectors had stated that it could be considered to be a material consideration and a decision needed to be taken to determine how much weight, if any, to attach to the draft for the purposes of development plan making and for determining applications for development.
45. Notification of Visiting Members
Councillor David Burton indicated his wish to speak on Agenda item 10 – Core Strategy 2006-2026: Public Participation Draft.
Councillor Clive English indicated his wish to speak on Agenda item 10 - Core Strategy 2006-2026: Public Participation Draft and Agenda item 15 - Urgent Consultation on the draft National Planning Policy Framework
Councillor Mike Fitzgerald indicated his wish to speak on Agenda item 10 - Core Strategy 2006-2026: Public Participation Draft and Agenda item 15 - Urgent Consultation on the draft National Planning Policy Framework
Councillor Stephen Paine indicated his wish to speak on Agenda item 8 – Communications and Engagement Strategy and Agenda item 10 - Core Strategy 2006-2026: Public Participation Draft
Councillor Malcolm Robertson indicated his wish to speak on item 10 - Core Strategy 2006-2026: Public Participation Draft
46. Disclosures by Members and Officers
There were no Disclosures by Members and Officers.
47. Disclosures of lobbying
There were no Disclosures of lobbying.
48. EXEMPT ITEMS
RESOLVED: That the items on the Agenda be taken in public as proposed.
49. MINUTES
RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the Meeting held on 13 July 2011 be approved as a correct record and signed.
50. Communications and Engagement Strategy
DECISION MADE: That the draft Communications and Engagement Strategy 2011-2014, attached at Appendix 1 to the report of the Head of Communications, for consultation with Councillors, staff, and appropriate partners and stakeholders be adopted.
To view full details of this decision, please click here:-
http://meetings.maidstone.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=471
51. Complaints Policy
DECISION MADE:
1. That the Complaints Policy, as set out at Appendix A of the report of the head of Change and Scrutiny, be approved subject to recommendations from the Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
2. That the responses to the Scrutiny Committee Recommendation Action and Implementation Plan (SCRAIP), as attached at Appendix A, be agreed.
To view full details of this decision, please click here:-
http://meetings.maidstone.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=472
52. Core Strategy 2006-2026: Public Participation Draft
DECISION MADE:
1. That the draft Core Strategy for public consultation under Regulation 25 of the Planning Regulations (included as Appendix A to the report of the Director of Change, Planning and the Environment) be approved.
2. That delegated authority be given to the Director of Change, Planning and the Environment, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to make any necessary changes to the Draft Core Strategy to ensure that it is fit for purpose as a consultation draft prior to publication.
3. That delegated authority be given to the Director of Change, Planning and the Environment, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to agree the Appendices to the Core Strategy, and that they be published alongside the Core Strategy Regulation 25 consultation draft.
4. That a methodology of document changes be developed and made available to the public, keeping the current version on the website updated at all times.
5. That the responses to the Scrutiny Committee Recommendation Action and Implementation Plan (SCRAIP), as attached at Appendix B, be agreed.
To view full details of this decision, please click here:-
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53. Quarter 1 Performance Report
The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Change and Scrutiny – Quarter 1 KPI Report 2011/12.
RESOLVED: That the report be noted.
54. First Quarter Revenue & Capital Monitoring
DECISION MADE:
1. That the satisfactory revenue position at the end of the first quarter 2011/12 be noted.
2. That the proposal at paragraph 1.4.8 a) of the report of the Head of Finance and Customer Service, to utilise £0.1m of the pensions back-funding budget to finance further redundancy payments, be approved.
3. That the proposals for slippage in the capital programme to 2012/13 be agreed;
4. That the details regarding treasury management activity, as set out in the report of the Head of Finance and Customer Services, be noted.
To view full details of this decision, please click here:-
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55. Response to Vision for Kent Consultation
DECISION MADE: That the response to the Vision for Kent Consultation set out at Appendix A to the joint report of the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive be approved.
To view full details of this decision, please click here:-
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56. FORWARD PLAN
The Cabinet considered the report of the Leader of the Council regarding the Forward Plan 01 September to 31 December 2011.
RESOLVED: That the Forward Plan for the period 01 September to 31 December 2011 be noted, subject to the following amendments:
1. The Budget Strategy 2012-13 Onwards report |
now for the Cabinet Meeting on 14 September 2011 |
2. The Tendering Strategy – Waste and Recycling Contract from 2013 report |
now for the Cabinet Meeting on 12 October 2011 |
3. The Parish Services Scheme report (new) |
Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services for October 2011 |
57. Urgent Consultation on the draft National Planning Policy Framework
DECISION MADE: That little weight be attached to the draft National Planning Policy Framework as a material consideration in both plan making and the determination of planning applications.
To view full details of this decision, please click here:-
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DURATION OF MEETING
6.30pm to 8.06pm
APPENDIX A
SCRUTINY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION ACTION AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN (SCRAIP)
Committee: Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny
Meeting Date: 2 August 2011
Minute №: 44
Topic: Complaints Policy
Recommendation[i] |
Cabinet Member[ii] |
Response[iii]
|
Timetable[iv] |
Lead Officer[v] |
a) MEPs should be added to section 7. of the Complaints Policy to read ‘Complaints from Councillors, MPs and MEPs’;
|
Corporate Services |
Agreed – policy will be amended |
Cabinet – 10 August 2011 |
Angela Woodhouse |
b) Staff Training should be extended to include long serving Officers as well as front-line customer services; |
Corporate Services |
Agreed- Heads of Service and Unit Managers will be requested to nominate appropriate members of staff to attend the training this should include long serving officers. |
|
Ellie Kershaw |
c) Members should be advised by email when the updates were made to the website and the leaflet being designed for customers would be circulated electronically; and |
Corporate Services |
Agreed |
|
Ellie Kershaw |
d) That the Committee should be updated on the implementation of the Complaints Policy in 6 months time. Corporate Services |
Corporate Services |
Agreed |
|
Ellie Kershaw |
Notes on the completion of SCRAIP
[i] Report recommendations are listed as found in the report.
[ii] Insert in this box the Cabinet Member whose portfolio the recommendation falls within.
[iii] The Officer/Cabinet Member responsible for responding to the recommendation should indicate in this box either the acceptance or rejection of the recommendation.
If the recommendation is rejected an explanation for its rejection should be provided. The ‘timetable’ and ‘lead officer’ boxes can be left blank
If the recommendation is accepted an explanation of the action to be taken to implement the recommendation should be recorded in this box. Please also complete the ‘timetable’ and ‘lead officer’ boxes.
[iv] The Officer/Cabinet Member responsible for responding to the recommendation should indicate in this box when the action in indicated in the previous box will be implemented.
[v] The Officer/Cabinet Member responsible for responding to the recommendation should indicate in this box the Officer responsible for the implementation of the action highlighted in the ‘response’ box.
Appendix B
SCRUTINY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION ACTION AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN (SCRAIP)
Committee: LDD Task & Finish Scrutiny Panel
Meeting Date: 3 August 2011
Minute №: 18
Topic: URGENT ITEM: Core Strategy Regulation 25 Consultation.
Recommendation[v] |
Chief Officer /Cabinet Member[v] |
Response[v]
|
Timetable[v] |
Lead Officer[v] |
The core strategy and its appendices are fit for public consultation; |
|
Noted. |
|
|
the following grammatical errors are corrected; i. Page 7 of the Core Strategy 1.3 ‘and the Council resolved to reject the representation’; ii. Page 22, 4.3 be re-phrased; iii. Page 45, 6.21 ends the paragraph with the word ‘the’; and iv. Page 45, 6.22 ‘if the rural economy is to continue to make’. |
Cabinet |
(i) Agreed. (ii) Not Agreed. This will be considered in response to any representations made during the consultation process. (iii) Agreed. Should read “the Economic Development Strategy”. (iv) Agreed. |
August 2011 |
Flo Churchill |
the methodology of document changes be developed and made available to the public, keeping the current version on the website updated at all times;
|
Cabinet |
Any document changes between the version of the core strategy presented tonight and the consultation document will be listed and agreed with the Leader of the Council. The consultation version will then be available on the Website from the 2nd September.
|
September 2011 |
Flo Churchill |
the simplified leaflet for mass publication be presented to the Scrutiny Panel at the next meeting;
|
Cabinet |
Agreed. Draft to be produced to highlight key issues and signpost people to the further information and ways of responding. Cabinet is requested to give Director of Change Planning and environment delegated authority to approve the leaflet having regard to any comments made by the scrutiny panel. |
August 2011 |
Flo Churchill |
wording within policy CS7 –Sustainable Transport use the phrase ‘across the borough’ rather than ‘urban areas’; and
|
Cabinet |
Not agreed. This will be considered in response to any representations made during the consultation process. |
August 2011 |
Flo Churchill |
the full Council should be involved in the process for responding to the consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework;
|
Cabinet |
This point related to the National Planning Policy Framework paper that appears elsewhere on the agenda. A member workshop has been proposed to discuss this in further detail prior to a Council response by the deadline of 17 October. The Leader will consider requesting Scrutiny to advise him on the response before he agrees it. Scrutiny may also refer the issue to full Council for discussion before the Leader makes his decision. |
August 2011 |
Flo Churchill |
Notes on the completion of SCRAIP
[v] Report recommendations are listed as found in the report.
[v] Insert in this box the Cabinet Member whose portfolio the recommendation falls within.
[v] The Officer/Cabinet Member responsible for responding to the recommendation should indicate in this box either the acceptance or rejection of the recommendation.
If the recommendation is rejected an explanation for its rejection should be provided. The ‘timetable’ and ‘lead officer’ boxes can be left blank
If the recommendation is accepted an explanation of the action to be taken to implement the recommendation should be recorded in this box. Please also complete the ‘timetable’ and ‘lead officer’ boxes.
[v] The Officer/Cabinet Member responsible for responding to the recommendation should indicate in this box when the action in indicated in the previous box will be implemented.
[v] The Officer/Cabinet Member responsible for responding to the recommendation should indicate in this box the Officer responsible for the implementation of the action highlighted in the ‘response’ box.