Members agreed that they did not wish to discuss the exempt information in Agenda Item 15, ‘Exempt Appendix to the Report of the Assistant Director of Environmental Services’ and that all items on the agenda would therefore be webcast.

Resolved:  That all items on the agenda be webcast.

There were no substitute Members.

It was noted that Councillors Chittenden and Vizzard were visiting Members with interests in Agenda Item 8, Call-In Park and Ride Establishment and Agenda Item 14, Call-In Park and Ride CCTV and that Councillor Chittenden wished to speak on these items.

a)  Disclosures of interest.

b)  Disclosures of lobbying.

c)  Disclosures of whipping.

Councillor Beerling declared a personal interest in Agenda Item 10, ‘Cabinet Member for Regeneration Progress During 2008/09’ by virtue of his position as a Director of Maidstone Housing Trust.

The Committee agreed that it did not wish to discuss the exempt information contained in Agenda Item 15, ‘Exempt Appendix to the Report of the Assistant Director of Environmental Services’.

Resolved:  That all items on the agenda be taken in public

The Chairman proposed the following:

·  Agenda Items 9, ‘Cabinet Member for Environment Progress During 2008/09’ and 10 ‘Cabinet Member for Regeneration Progress During 2008/09’ be deferred to the meeting of the Committee on 30 June 2009;

·  Agenda Item 12,’Road Safety Report’ be deferred to the meeting of the Committee on 23 April 2009 to allow more time for discussion; and

·  Agenda Items 8, ‘Call-In: Park and Ride Establishment’, 14, ‘Call-In: Park and Ride CCTV’ and 15, ‘Exempt Appendix to the Report of the Assistant Director of Environmental Services’, be taken together.

The Committee agreed to these proposals.

Resolved:   That

a)  Agenda Items 9, ‘Cabinet Member for Environment Progress During 2008/09’ and 10 ‘Cabinet Member for Regeneration Progress During 2008/09’ be deferred to the meeting of the Committee on 30 June 2009;

b)  Agenda Item 12,’Road Safety Report’ be deferred to the meeting of the Committee on 23 April 2009; and

c)  Agenda Items 8, ‘Call-In: Park and Ride Establishment’, 14, ‘Call-In: Park and Ride CCTV’ and 15, ‘Exempt Appendix to the Report of the Assistant Director of Environmental Services’, be taken together.

Resolved:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 10 February 2009 be agreed as a correct record and duly signed by the Chairman.

Interview with:

·  The Cabinet Member for Environment, Councillor Mark Wooding; and

·  The Parking Services Manager, Mr Jeff Kitson

The Chairman invited Councillors Daley and Robertson to explain their reasons for calling in the decision of the Cabinet Member for Environment with regard to Park and Ride Establishment and Park and Ride CCTV.

Councillors Daley and Robertson felt that a substantial loss in the quality of the Park and Ride service would ensue if the seven Park and Ride attendants were replaced by two mobile attendants and CCTV.  They considered that the role of the existing Park and Ride attendants was valuable, noting that it included duties such as meet and greet, customer information, security and service time monitoring.  They therefore felt that CCTV was an insufficient replacement and should only be used to compliment the existing service.  Councillors Daley and Robertson considered that the Willington Street Park and Ride Site would be significantly compromised by the removal of permanent attendants as it was enclosed by trees that could potentially be used as camouflage by vandals or car thieves.  They were also concerned by the quality of CCTV coverage at night.  Councillor Robertson highlighted that Park and Ride Officers from Cambridge, Canterbury, Salisbury, Oxfordshire and Derby Councils considered CCTV to be inadequate on its own and noted that Cambridge City Council had proposed to increase the number of attendants at its Park and Ride sites from 15 to 17.

The Chairman invited the Cabinet Member for Environment, Councillor Mark Wooding, the Leader of the Council, Councillor Chris Garland, the Parking Services Manager, Mr Jeff Kitson, and the Surveillance Controller, Mr Chris Stewart, to respond to the reasons given for the call-in.  Councillor Wooding began by stating that any decision that impacted upon the jobs and livlihood of individuals employed by the Council were not taken.  He advised the Committee that it was a financial decision, as it was unsustainable to continue subsidising £429,000 to the Park and Ride Service.  He highlighted to the Committee that an academic study had found that supervision at Park and Ride sites was considered one of the most important attributes by the customer.  Attractiveness of the service had increased significantly with the use of cameras, whilst the additional presence of attendants also increased attractiveness, albeit to a much smaller extent.  Councillor Wooding concluded that the report showed that CCTV was far more beneficial in providing supervision than attendants on site. 

Councillor Wooding agreed that meet and greet was important, but noted that not all customers were currently greeted by the attendant due to the other tasks they undertook.  He also highlighted that the bus driver was able to meet and greet customers.  A member of the public advised the Committee that she felt that attendants were valuable as they were able to notify customers of delays or accidents, in addition to enhancing the security of the site.  Councillor Wooding assured the Committee, and the member of public, that the mobile attendant would be able to attend a site to provide customer information if a particular issue arose, and noted that the bus driver, who  ...  view the full minutes text for item 142.

Report to Follow.

Members considered the Enforcement of Planning Conditions and Compliance with Section 106 Agreements Report and agreed that the report should be submitted to the Cabinet Member for Regeneration subject to the following amendments:

·  That the report be amended to include a statement regarding Section 278 of the Highways Act; 

·  Section 5.3 be amended to ‘Planning breaches are not criminal acts with the exception of unauthorised advertisements or works to listed buildings or in areas of conservation’; and

·  Section 8.4 be amended to include the following recommendation ‘That the Committee supports the commitment and development of enabling committees’.

Resolved:  That the Enforcement of Planning Conditions and Compliance with Section 106 Agreements Report be submitted to the Cabinet Member for Regeneration subject to the following amendments:

a)  That the report be amended to include a statement regarding Section 278 of the Highways Act; 

b)  Section 5.3 be amended to ‘Planning breaches are not criminal acts with the exception of unauthorised advertisements or works to listed buildings or in areas of conservation’; and

c)  Section 8.4 be amended to include the following recommendation ‘That the Committee supports the commitment and development of enabling committees’.

The Chairman highlighted the forthcoming work programming workshop on 27 May 2009 to the Committee and it was agreed that Members would contact the Overview and Scrutiny team with further work programme suggestions.  A Councillor suggested that a Social Housing review should be considered as a topic at the workshop.

Resolved:   That

a)  The Committee contact the Overview and Scrutiny Team with work programme suggestions for the work programming workshop on 27 May 2009; and

b)  A Social Housing Review be considered as part of the 2009/10 Work programming workshop. 

6.30 p.m. to 9.10 p.m.