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Issue - meetings

Question and Answer Session for Members of the Public

Meeting: 30/09/2020 - Council (Item 157)

Question and Answer Session for Members of the Public

Minutes:

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

 

It is now almost 18 months since the Council declared a climate and ecological emergency and 15 months since the Council agreed to develop an action plan.  The plan was due to be presented at April’s Policy and Resources Committee but was understandably deferred until June.  There have been three Policy and Resources Committees since June and still no sign of a plan.  Given that the climate and ecological emergencies dwarf the Covid pandemic why is the Council not giving it its full attention?

 

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:

 

What will you tell your grandchildren when they ask why you didn’t do everything enough quickly enough and why you didn’t do everything possible to stop the climate ecological catastrophe?

 

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

 

Question to the Chairman of the Democracy and General Purposes Committee from Ms Geraldine Brown

 

Will the Democracy and General Purposes Committee work with Group Leaders to ensure that next year’s election arrangements, particularly so-called “purdah”, and, as necessary, the Constitution are revised to ensure that the Local Development Scheme suffers minimal inconvenience and lost time arising from the election period?

 

The Chairman of the Democracy and General Purposes Committee responded to the question.

 

Ms Brown asked the following supplementary question of the Chairman of the Democracy and General Purposes Committee:

 

With Officers trying to pull out all the stops to achieve early Regulation 19 consultation, do you not think that Members, particularly Group Leaders, should try as hard as they can to find a solution and remove the possible impediment for the benefit of residents?

 

The Chairman of the Democracy and General Purposes Committee responded to the question.

 

Question to the Chairman of the Strategic Planning and Infrastructure Committee from Mr Peter Coulling

 

In your view, do you think this Council is assured that our Borough will not have to absorb 5,000 extra dwellings in the period up to 2037, if a new algorithm comes into force?

 

The Chairman of the Strategic Planning and Infrastructure Committee responded to the question.

 

Mr Coulling asked the following supplementary question of the Chairman of the Strategic Planning and Infrastructure Committee:

 

Does that mean when we get to agenda item 15 (Oral Report of the Strategic Planning and Infrastructure Committee held on 22 September 2020 – Local Development Scheme 2020-2022 (September 2020 Edition) and Maidstone Statement of Community Involvement September 2020), you will really express your concerns that the proposed Local Development Scheme leaves us very exposed as a Borough in January, February and probably a good part of March if the algorithm changes and that the Local Development Scheme is just not quick enough/agile enough and is not really covering our risk?

 

The Chairman of the Strategic Planning and Infrastructure Committee responded to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 157