Agenda, decisions and minutes
Venue: Town Hall, High Street, Maidstone
Contact: Caroline Matthews 01622 602743
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Apologies for Absence Minutes: There were no apologies for absence.
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Notification of Substitute Members Minutes: There were no Substitute Members.
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Urgent Items Minutes: There were no urgent items.
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Change of Order of Business Minutes: The Chairman advised that she intended to take Agenda Item 13 – Oral Update on the Housing White Paper as the last item.
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Notification of Visiting Members Minutes: Councillor Mrs Springett was in attendance as a Visiting Member and indicated her wish to speak on Agenda Item 15 – Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour relating to dogs: Updating our enforcement tools.
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Disclosures by Members and Officers Minutes: There were no disclosures by Members and Officers.
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Disclosures of Lobbying Minutes: Councillor M Burton indicated that he had been lobbied on Agenda Item 15 – Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour relating to dogs: Updating our enforcement tools.
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Exempt Items Minutes: RESOLVED: That all items on the agenda be taken in public as proposed.
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Minutes of the Meeting Held on 21 March 2017 PDF 34 KB Minutes: RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 21 March 2017 be approved as a correct record and signed.
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Presentation of Petitions Minutes: There were no petitions.
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Questions and answer session for members of the public Minutes: There were no questions from members of the public.
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Committee Work Programme PDF 25 KB Minutes: Members asked for the following items to be put on the work programme for the next municipal year:-
·
Enforcement action against litter thrown from cars – It was
noted that a report would come forward to the Committee once the
new legislation was in place. · MBC Lottery – It was noted that a report would come forward to the Committee in June.
RESOLVED: That the Committee Work Programme be noted.
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Oral Update - Brunswick Street and Union Street Developments Minutes: The Economic Development and Regeneration Manager gave a verbal update on the progress of both Brunswick Street and Union Street developments.
Brunswick Street
Members noted that a number of designs had been looked at and currently there was provision for 12 market sales, 24 market rents and 16 affordable homes, together with 33 parking spaces.
The Economic Development and Regeneration Manager advised that some pre-app discussions had been held with Ward Members which would result in some design changes and a consultation would be going out to local residents mid to late May with an intention to submit a planning application in June or July.
Union Street
Members were advised that similar progress had been made with this development and by the end of May the public consultation would have been completed.
It was noted that a tendering process would be carried out for a contractor using an OJEU compliant framework with the expectation that building work would commence by March next year.
In response to
comments from Members, the Economic Development and Regeneration
Manager advised that the current car parking provision would be
re-sited and the latest design would provide 19 market sales and 30
market rents. However, it had been
difficult to come up with an affordable rent scheme but as further
design work would be undertaken the situation could
change. RESOLVED: That the update be noted.
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Additional documents: Decision: That the following Strategic Plan Key Performance Indicators be agreed for the Communities, Housing and Environment Committee for 2017-18:-
Providing a Clean and Safe Environment
·
The percentage of relevant land and highways that is assessed as
having deposits of litter at an acceptable level (provide photos of
the standards for information) – Target 94%
·
The percentage of relevant land and highways that is assessed as
having acceptable levels of detritus (provide photos of the
standards for information) – Target 84%
·
Number of fly tips assessed within 2 working days – Target
88%
·
Percentage of fly tips with evidential value which result in
enforcement action – Target 20%
·
Number of reports of litter attended to – Target –
(TBC)
·
Percentage of household waste sent for reuse, recycling and
composting (NI 192) – Target – 52.5%
·
SMP Information (Contextual)
Encouraging Good Health and Wellbeing
·
Percentage spend of disabled facilities grant – Target
(TBC)
·
Number of completed home hazards grants – Target
(TBC) · Number of completed housing assistances – Target (TBC)
A Home for Everyone
·
Number of affordable homes delivered (gross) – Target
200
·
Number of households prevented from becoming homeless through the
intervention of housing advice – Target 300
·
Number of households housed through housing register – Target
600 · Number of households in temporary accommodation – Target (TBC) Minutes: The Head of Policy and Communications presented a report on the current and proposed performance indicators for the Committee following a Member workshop in March.
Providing a Clean and Safe Environment
No changes to be made
Encouraging Good Health and Wellbeing
Change ‘Number of completed disabled facilities grants’ to ‘Percentage spend of disabled facilities grant’.
Add ‘Number of
completed home hazards grants’ and ‘Number of housing
assistances’.
A Home for Everyone
That the three KPIs related to planning applications would be reported to Strategic Planning, Sustainability and Transportation Committee.
Add ‘Number of households in temporary accommodation’
Providing a Clean and Safe Environment
·
The percentage of relevant land and highways that is assessed as
having deposits of litter at an acceptable level (provide photos of
the standards for information) – Target 94%
·
The percentage of relevant land and highways that is assessed as
having acceptable levels of detritus (provide photos of the
standards for information) – Target 84%
·
Number of fly tips assessed within 2 working days – Target
88%
·
Percentage of fly tips with evidential value which result in
enforcement action – Target 20%
·
Number of reports of litter attended to – Target –
(TBC)
·
Percentage of household waste sent for reuse, recycling and
composting (NI 192) – Target – 52.5%
·
SMP Information (Contextual)
Encouraging Good Health and Wellbeing
·
Percentage spend of disabled facilities grant – Target
(TBC)
·
Number of completed home hazards grants – Target
(TBC) · Number of completed housing assistances – Target (TBC)
A Home for Everyone
·
Number of affordable homes delivered (gross) – Target
200
·
Number of households prevented from becoming homeless through the
intervention of housing advice – Target 300
·
Number of households housed through housing register – Target
600
·
Number of households in temporary accommodation – Target
(TBC) Voting: For: 9 Against: 0 Abstentions: 0
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Additional documents:
Decision:
1.
That a formal consultation be undertaken for a 1 month period on
the introduction of 3 Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) to
update and improve the enforcement tools available to officers when
dealing with irresponsible dog owners;
2.
That the fixed penalty notice available for each PSPO be set at
£100 in line with other PSPOs; and 3. That representations made in the public consultation be considered by the Head of Environment and Public Realm as detailed in Section 6 before the Head of Housing and Community Services makes the PSPOs unless there are significant relevant objections when there would be a report back to Committee. Minutes: The Environmental Enforcement Manager presented a report on the formal process of replacing the existing Dog Control Orders with updated enforcement measures.
The Committee was
informed that a consultation had been undertaken with residents and
visitors to Maidstone in relation to controls for dogs in the
borough. The survey was conducted to
establish awareness levels around the removal of specific bins for
dog waste and the success of the accompanying campaign about how
dog waste could be disposed of in the regular litter bins. The Environmental Enforcement Manager advised that he had reviewed the current Dog Control Orders and considered that the fixed penalty level should be more in line with other offences and that provision should be made to extend the current orders to other areas that should be protected. The proposed measures for the PSPOs would be subject to a public consultation to be run in the Spring and was as follows:-
1.
To increase the current fixed penalty notice for dog fouling from
£75 to £100. The maximum
fine through prosecution would remain at £1000.
2.
To extend the current order which applied to enclosed
children’s play areas to open plan play areas. 3. To make it an offence for a dog to be in the cemetery grounds without being on a lead.
In response to questions from Members, the Environmental Enforcement Manager advised that:-
·
The fixed penalty notice for dog fouling could not be increased
above £100 due to legislation.
·
That covert work was being carried out in local parks where
particular problems had arisen.
·
That a policy of more dogs on leads would reduce the level of
fouling and the amount of anti-social behaviour of some
dogs.
·
The Dog Watch campaign encouraged people to inform on others who
had not picked up their dog waste and disposed of it
appropriately.
·
The Cemetery had experienced problems of dogs being allowed to run
loose and this had been considered anti-social.
RESOLVED:
1.
That a formal consultation be undertaken for a 1 month period on
the introduction of 3 Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) to
update and improve the enforcement tools available to officers when
dealing with irresponsible dog owners;
2.
That the fixed penalty notice available for each PSPO be set at
£100 in line with other PSPOs; and
3.
That representations made in the public consultation be considered
by the Head of Environment and Public Realm as detailed in Section
6 before the Head of Housing and Community Services makes the PSPOs
unless there are significant relevant objections when there would
be a report back to Committee. |
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Oral Update - Housing White Paper The Housing White Paper can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment data/file/590464/Fixing our broken housing market – print ready version.pdf Minutes: The Director of Regeneration and Place gave an update on the consultation document for the Housing White Paper.
The Committee was informed that the deadline for a response was early May and that Members of Strategic Planning, Sustainability and Transport Committee had already been briefed.
The Director of Regeneration and Place appraised the Committee on the issues arising out of the Housing White Paper which included:-
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Encouraging Local Authorities to build their own homes
·
Right to Buy/Help to Buy
·
Planning for the right homes and in the right places · Higher Planning Fees
The Committee noted that the Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of both this Committee and the Strategic Planning, Sustainability and Transport Committee would be consulted before the response was sent.
RESOLVED: That the update be noted.
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Duration of Meeting Minutes: 6.30 p.m. to 8.05 p.m.
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