Agenda item

Questions to the Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services

Councillor Martin Pepper, the Chairman of Boxley Parish Council, asked the following question of the Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services:-

Pressures are on for housing and I notice that MBC has an empty homes policy dated 2007.  I am aware of pressure in the media to press HMG and Councils to do better at returning these homes to a habitable state for those on waiting lists.  How has MBC performed in the context of their strategy and do they support the initiative with performance targets/achievements reportable to the MBC community?

The Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services responded to the question.

Councillor Mrs Wilson, the Leader of the Opposition, and Councillor FitzGerald, the Leader of the Independent Group, then responded to the question.

Councillor Pepper asked the following supplementary question of the Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services:-

The Council should be congratulated on its work in relation to empty homes, but clearly there are anomalies.  Can the Cabinet Member give an assurance that the Council will continue in its efforts to bring back long term empty homes into use such as one in Downs View Road, which has been empty since 1978, causing concern to local residents and detriment to the character and appearance of the area?

The Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services responded to the question.

Councillor Mrs Wilson, the Leader of the Opposition, and Councillor FitzGerald, the Leader of the Independent Group, then responded to the question.

Questions to the Leader of the Council

Dr Mike Speight asked the following question of the Leader of the Council:-

According to the Council’s website, the provisional venue for two of the next three meetings of the Maidstone Locality Board is County Hall.  The last meeting on 28 March was also at County Hall.  The Maidstone Locality Board provides governance for the production, revision and delivery of the Sustainable Community Strategy for Maidstone Borough.  As a key local document, the Sustainable Community Strategy sets out Maidstone Borough Council's overall direction and long-term vision for the social, environmental and economic well-being of Maidstone Borough, and as such it has been fundamental in shaping the Local DevelopmentFramework Core Strategy.  In light of the distinctly local nature of such considerations, would the Leader of the Council (currently also enjoying the roleof Chair of the Maidstone Locality Board) not think it in the interests of local democracy to hold all meetings of this body in this Chamber, where familiar surroundings and easy physical access, as well as the readily available facility of webcasting, would lend themselves to a truly local engagement with residents of the Borough?

The Leader of the Council responded to the question.

Councillor Mrs Wilson, the Leader of the Opposition, and Councillor FitzGerald, the Leader of the Independent Group, then responded to the question.

Dr Speight asked the following supplementary question of the Leader of the Council:-

Can the Leader of the Council give an assurance that deliberation by the Locality Board on the local issue of the revision of the Sustainable Community Strategy will be undertaken soon and in surroundings which serve to maximise encouragement of participation in the process by residents of the Borough of Maidstone?

The Leader of the Council responded to the question.

Councillor Mrs Wilson, the Leader of the Opposition, and Councillor FitzGerald, the Leader of the Independent Group, then responded to the question.

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

http://clients.westminster-digital.co.uk/maidstone/mg_proxy.aspx?mg_a_id=9397