Agenda, decisions and minutes

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Ring.

There were no urgent items.

Councillor Burton indicated his wish to speak on Agenda Item 16 – Traffic Congestion Review, Councillor Gooch indicated her wish to speak on Agenda Item 15 – The Council as a Business Review? Report and Councillor D Mortimer indicated his wish to speak on Agenda Item 13 – Neighbourhood Action Planning Review and Agenda Item 14 – Making Waste Work for Maidstone Review.

Councillor Munford was in attendance.

Councillor Paine declared a personal interest in Agenda Item 15 – The Council as a Business Review? Report as he was a Member of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at the time the review was compiled.

There were no disclosures of lobbying.

RESOLVED: That the Items on the Agenda be taken in public as proposed.

RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the Meeting held on Wednesday 16 May 2012 be approved as a correct record and signed.

1.  That the Annual Governance Statement, as attached at Appendix A to the report of the Chief Executive, be agreed.

2.  That the following addition be made to the table at Section 5.2 of the Annual Governance Statement:-

DECISION MADE:

1.  That the Annual Governance Statement, as attached at Appendix A to the report of the Chief Executive, be agreed.

2.  That the following addition be made to the table at Section 5.2 of the Annual Governance Statement:-

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1.  That the  decision making arrangements, including delegations to officers, as set out below be agreed:-

2.  That the decision making criteria for the designation of a neighbourhood area as set out below be agreed:-

a)   Does the proposed plan area follow existing, established administrative or planning boundaries?

b)  Does it exclude areas which in planning terms it would be more appropriate to include (for example where planning designation or development location straddles a parish boundary)

c)  Does it overlap with another approved neighbourhood area (this is not permitted)

3.  That the additional criterion for the designation of a neighbourhood forum, as set out below, be agreed:-  

a)  that the forum has secured, or taken reasonable steps to secure, that its membership is broadly representative of the local neighbourhood.

4.  That the arrangements to support neighbourhood planning, as set out in paragraphs 1.3.38  to 1.3.40 of the report of the Director of Change, Planning and the Environment, be agreed.

5.  That £40k be allocated from the 2011/12 New Homes Bonus allocation for direct funding support for groups undertaking neighbourhood planning and that the Head of Planning, in conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and Development, draw up the criteria for the allocation of the £40k by the end of June 2012.

6.  The £60k be allocated from the Housing & Planning Delivery Grant to cover the Council’s costs arising from the obligations in the neighbourhood planning Regulations and its duty to support neighbourhood planning.

DECISION MADE:

1.  That the decision making arrangements, including delegations to officers, as set out below be agreed:-

2.  That the decision making criteria for the designation of a neighbourhood area as set out below be agreed:-

a)   Does the proposed plan area follow existing, established administrative or planning boundaries?

b)  Does it exclude areas which in planning terms it would be more appropriate to include (for example where planning designation or development location straddles a parish boundary)

c)  Does it overlap with another approved neighbourhood area (this is not permitted)

3.  That the additional criterion for the designation of a neighbourhood forum, as set out below, be agreed:-  

a)  that the forum has secured, or taken reasonable steps to secure, that its membership is broadly representative of the local neighbourhood.

4.  That the arrangements to support neighbourhood planning, as set out in paragraphs 1.3.38 to 1.3.40 of the report of the Director of Change, Planning and the Environment, be agreed.

5.  That £40k be allocated from the 2011/12 New Homes Bonus allocation for direct funding support for groups undertaking neighbourhood planning and that the Head of Planning, in conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and Development, draw up the criteria for the allocation of the £40k by the end of June 2012.

6.  The £60k be allocated from the Housing & Planning Delivery Grant to cover the Council’s costs arising from the obligations in the neighbourhood planning Regulations and its duty to support neighbourhood planning.

To view the full details of this decision, please click here:-

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That the Information Strategy 2012 – 2015, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report of the Head of ICT Services, and the associated capital investment allocation schedule, as set out in Appendix 2 to the report of the Head of ICT Services, be agreed.

DECISION MADE:  That the Information Strategy 2012 – 2015, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report of the Head of ICT Services, and the associated capital investment allocation schedule, as set out in Appendix 2 to the report of the Head of ICT Services, be agreed.

To view the full details of this decision, please click here:-

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The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Change and Scrutiny regarding the draft out-turns for the 2011/12 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

RESOLVED: That the Performance Out-turns for 2011-15, as set out in Appendix A to the report of the Head of Change and Scrutiny, be noted.

1.  That the targets for the Key Performance Indicators for 2012-15, as set out in Appendix A to the report of the Head of Change and Scrutiny, be agreed.

2.  That the indicators that have been removed from the Key Performance Indicator, as set out in Appendix B to the report of the Head of Change and Scrutiny, and the indicator explanations for the Key Performance Indicator 2012-15, as set out in Appendix C to the report of the Head of Change and Scrutiny, be agreed.

DECISION MADE:

1.  That the targets for the Key Performance Indicators for 2012-15, as set out in Appendix A to the report of the Head of Change and Scrutiny, be agreed.

2.  That the indicators that have been removed from the Key Performance Indicator, as set out in Appendix B to the report of the Head of Change and Scrutiny, and the indicator explanations for the Key Performance Indicator 2012-15, as set out in Appendix C to the report of the Head of Change and Scrutiny, be agreed.

To view the full details of this decision, please click here:-

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The Cabinet considered the report of the Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee regarding the recommendations within the ‘Neighbourhood Action Planning’ review.

RESOLVED: That the recommendations be sent to the Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services for consideration and response within the 28 day period.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee regarding the recommendations within the ‘Making Waste Work for Maidstone’ review.

RESOLVED: That the recommendations be sent to the Cabinet Member for Environment for consideration and response within the 28 day period.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee regarding the recommendations within ’The Council as a Business? Report’ review.

RESOLVED: That the recommendations be sent to the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services for consideration and response within the 28 day period.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Regeneration and Economic Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee regarding the recommendations within the ‘Making Waste Work for Maidstone’ review.

RESOLVED: That the recommendations be sent to the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and Development for consideration and response within the 28 day period.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Democratic Services regarding the best means of providing all party involvement in giving advice to the Cabinet and Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and Development on decisions required in respect of the Spatial Planning Strategy.

RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL: 

1.  That a new body named the “Spatial Planning Strategy Advisory Group” be created with the following Terms of Reference;

“To advise the Cabinet and the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and Development on the Spatial Planning Strategy including the Local Development Framework and other Spatial Planning documents including Development Plan documents, Development Management Policies and Development Briefs”.

2.  That the new Spatial Planning Strategy Advisory Group be comprised of six Members and Substitute Members.

3.  The Spatial Planning Strategy Advisory Group be appointed by the Leader of the Council on the nomination of Group Leaders with a membership of:-

3 Conservatives

2 Liberal Democrats

1 Independent

4.  That the Constitution be amended accordingly.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Leader of the Council regarding the Forward Plan for the period 1 July 2012 – 31 October 2012.

RESOLVED: That the proposed Forward Plan for the period 1 July 2012 – 31 October 2012, subject to the following amendments, be noted:-

Additions

Draft Joint Integrated Transport Strategy  Cabinet  25 July 2012

Phase 2 High Street Improvement Project  Cabinet  25 July 2012

Capital Programme 2012 to 2016  Cabinet  25 July 2012

Moved

Budget Strategy 2013-14 Onwards  Cabinet  from 11 July to 25 July 2012

6.30 p.m. to 8.05 p.m.