Agenda item

(a)  The Leader of the Council

(b)  Lead Members

(c)  The Chairmen of Decision-Making Committees

Question from Councillor Jeffery to the Leader of the Council in the Absence of the Lead Member for Housing and Health

What proportion of homes in the Borough are well insulated and energy efficient, e.g., have an EPC of C or above, how has this changed over the past five years and how many homes has this Council helped become better insulated since 2017?

In the absence of the Lead Member for Housing and Health, the Leader of the Council responded to the question.

Councillor Jeffery asked the following supplementary question of the Leader of the Council in the absence of the Lead Member for Housing and Health:

Given that the likelihood is that many homes across the Borough are energy inefficient and despite the promise by the Government of£130 billion additional profit to energy companies, borrowed from banks and added to the national debt, fuel bills will be twice as high as this time last year with the average household needing about £1,000 extra, can the Leader explain why he is not considering revising priorities, plans and budgets so that we can improve homes around the Borough; for example, using the Lewis Model to create a local stable workforce for insulation so that as many houses as possible can be insulated?

The Leader of the Council responded to the question.

Question from Councillor J Sams to the Lead Member for Planning and Infrastructure

With regard to the Local Plan there have been significant costs incurred by a number of Parish Councils to date namely Bredhurst and Lenham collectively spending nearly £70K between them.  Those Parishes so badly affected by the proposals from this Council will undoubtedly have to re-instruct their legal representation at significant additional cost.

How do you feel residents from those areas will view the Council placing additional material in such a way to make it impossible for their representatives to respond at that point?

The Lead Member for Planning and Infrastructure responded to the question.

Councillor J Sams asked the following supplementary question of the Lead Member for Planning and Infrastructure:

How do you intend to work with those Parishes involved to make sure they have access to any additional new information that may not already be on the web and answers to their questions in a timely fashion in the run up until the hearing in November?

The Lead Member for Planning and Infrastructure responded to the question.

Question from Councillor T Sams to the Lead Member for Planning and Infrastructure

At the Local Plan inquiry on day 3, the Inspector clearly was unhappy that he and others could not read the material submitted during the inquiry. He stated about the late presentation of evidence “I’m beginning to now feel compromised about my preparedness, and readiness to discuss Heathlands in detail against a backdrop of yet more information, if it's going to be submitted, and I expect others may feel similarly.”

How do you feel those attending this session felt, including the Inspector, and representatives from both Lidsing and Lenham to receive information in such a manner?

The Lead Member for Planning and Infrastructure responded to the question.

Councillor T Sams asked the following supplementary question of the Lead Member for Planning and Infrastructure:

At the same session, a Maidstone Borough Council Officer said to the Inspector about the unseen documents “Some of these documents are updates of positions.”  The Officer carried on “I took the view we could still look at the strategic matters without referring to them.”  She added “We know these documents exist without actually referring to the material in them” and continued “You could discuss without knowing the detail of these.  You have got the basics; you know what the schemes are about.”

How do you think representatives from Lidsing and Lenham would see this as being fair and transparent?

The Lead Member for Planning and Infrastructure responded to the question.

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPwcDd30cjw&t=6146s

Note:  Councillor Cleator entered the meeting during Questions from Members (6.50 p.m.).