Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED: That all items on the agenda be webcast.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Munford and Councillor Yates.

It was noted that Councillor McLoughlin was in attendance as a substitute for Councillor Yates and that Councillor Gooch was in attendance as a substitute for Councillor Munford.

Councillor John A Wilson, Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services was in attendance as a witness for Item 8 – Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services and Cabinet Member for Environment Review of Priorities for Municipal Year 2013-14.

Councillor Marion Ring, Cabinet Member for Environment was in attendance as a witness for Item 8 – Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services and Cabinet Member for Environment Review of Priorities for Municipal Year 2013-14.

John Littlemore, Head of Housing and Community Services, was in attendance for Item 8 – Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services and Cabinet Member for Environment Review of Priorities for Municipal Year 2013-14.

There were no disclosures.

RESOLVED: That all items on the agenda be taken in public as proposed.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 11 March 2014 be received and approved and the Chairman be authorised to sign them.

Councillor John A. Wilson, Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services and Councillor Marion Ring, Cabinet Member for the Environment to give an update on the outcomes of their priorities for the Municipal Year 2013-14

The Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services and the Cabinet Member for Environment provided the Committee with an end of year update on their priorities for the 2013-14 municipal year.

The Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services highlighted the following areas within his portfolio:

-  Young People

-  Road Safety

-  Health Inequalities

-  Housing Services

-  Parks and Leisure Services

The following issues were discussed:

-  The powers and duties of the West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)

-  The work carried out by the Safer Maidstone Partnership

-  Youth participation and engagement activities

-  Arriva bus driver behaviour in pedestrianised areas

-  Bus driver education workshops

-  Statistics (from 2009) in relation to road safety including those killed or seriously injured

-  The number of 16-18 year olds not in education, employment or training and unemployment figures for under 24 year olds

-  Ways to maximise capacity in the private rented sector including schemes that would provide incentives to private landlords

-  The different types of affordable housing

-  Bringing empty homes back into use 

-  The aim and purpose of the Borough Update and the Communities Newsletter

-  Road Safety messages

-  Building relationships with Parish Councils across the borough

-  The Parish Charter

-  The Active Maidstone Awards and the re-profiling of budgets in order to develop a targeted programme to increase physical activity / reduce obesity

The importance of building relationships between Overview and Scrutiny and Cabinet was discussed. It was explained that the Scrutiny Coordinating Committee had asked the Centre for Public Scrutiny to facilitate a briefing session which would have a clear focus on building relationships between Cabinet and Overview and Scrutiny.

Following the positive contribution made by the Committee during the development of the Play Areas Strategy, the Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services stated he would welcome the opportunity to develop the relationship between Cabinet and Overview and Scrutiny and would take part in the Centre for Public Scrutiny activity.

The Cabinet Member for Environment highlighted the following successes: 

-  The Waste Management Strategy

-  Recycling

-  Savings in relation to the waste and recycling contract

-  Partnership working

-  Improved street cleansing litter scores

-  Commercial waste

-  Developments at the crematorium 

In addition the Cabinet Member for Environment tabled the following documents (attached at Appendix A, Appendix B and Appendix C):

-  Environment Portfolio Priorities Review of 2013/14 (Appendix A)

-  A finalised proposal from the National Flood Forum for the Maidstone Community Engagement and Support Programme (Appendix B)

-  Green Travel Champion Activity Pack (Appendix C) 

The following issues were discussed:

-  Litter penalties

-  Dog watch / Irresponsible dog owners

-  The crematorium – including costs, customer service and the customer range

-  The Maidstone Safety Advisory Group

-  Cigarette litter

-  Waste management

-  Street cleansing area-based working

-  Signs to prevent litter

-  The Air Quality Management Area Action Plan

-  Flooding – including roles and responsibilities of different organisations

-  The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 121.

Report attached together with draft Future Work Programme, SCRAIP responses and List of Forthcoming Decisions for consideration.

RESOLVED:

That:

(a)  The Committee’s future work programme and SCRAIP responses be noted;

(b)  Outstanding SCARIP responses (from 2013/14) be circulated to Members of the Committee (via email) before the end of the Municipal Year and included in the Future Work Programme Report in June 2014;

(c)  The Communities, Leisure Services and Environment OSC meeting on 13 May 2014 be cancelled due to a lack of business.

18:30 – 21:05