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MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL

ENVIRONMENT AND TRANSPORTATION OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

17 AUGUST 2010

REPORT OF HEAD OF CHANGE AND SCRUTINY

Report prepared by Les Smith 

1.           TRANSITION TOWNS

1.1        Issue for Consideration

1.1.1   To consider whether to include Transition Towns in the work programme for 2010-11.

1.2        Recommendation of Head of Change and Scrutiny

That the Committee considers the scoping document at Appendix A and decides whether to include Transition Towns in its work programme for 2010-11.

1.3        Reasons for Recommendation

1.3.1   At its meeting of 15 June 2010, the Committee discussed including Transition Towns in its work programme for 2010-11 but concluded this should be referred to the Leisure and Prosperity Overview and Scrutiny Committee for inclusion in its work programme. The relevant extract from Minute 9 is below:

“9.         2010-11 Work Programme Workshop

Working in small groups, Members spoke to Officers about the work areas covered by the terms of reference of the Committee. Members then discussed the topics for review that had been proposed as follows:

The Committee heard that Transition Towns were a community-led response to the pressures of climate change, fossil fuel depletion and economic contraction. The objective would be to deliver a local economy that was less dependent on energy by focussing on energy conservation and developing a more localised economy. Members discussed:

·       Whether the subject should be addressed on a village by village basis, or as the entire Borough;

·       Whether there was a national policy that could provide guidance on how best to approach the subject; and

·       Members felt that the focus of the review would be linked with planning policy and therefore agreed that the matter should be referred to the Leisure and Prosperity Overview and Scrutiny Committee for consideration in its work programme.”

1.3.2   The Committee resolved that:

·                    “Transition Towns should be referred to the Leisure and Prosperity Overview and Scrutiny Committee for consideration in their work programme;”

1.3.3   The Leisure and Prosperity Overview and Scrutiny Committee decided in its meeting of 27 July not to include this item in its work programme, so the Committee should now consider whether Transition Towns should be included in this Committee’s work programme for 2010-11.

1.4        Alternative Action and Why Not Recommended

1.4.1   The Committee could choose not to consider including Transition Towns in its work programme for 2010-11, however that would leave the question of whether this topic should be reviewed unresolved.

1.5        Impact on Corporate Objectives

1.5.1  Considering whether to include transition Towns in its work programme for 2010-11should help deliver the Councils objective for the Borough to be ‘A place that is clean and green’.

1.6        Risk Management

1.5.1 There are no risks involved in determining the whether to include Transition Towns in the Committee’s work programme for 2010-11.

1.7        Other Implications

1.7.1    

1.8        Relevant Documents

1.8.1 The draft scoping document for Transition Towns is at Appendix A.