To receive from Members any declarations of interest and of any political whip in relation to any agenda item.

None.

To receive any announcements from the Chairman and any matters of communication.

The Chairman informed the Committee that Councillor Barker would be replacing Councillor Maudlin as a Member of the Committee.

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 26 September 2016 and to note actions taken since that meeting.

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting of the Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 26 September 2016 be confirmed and signed by the Chairman as a correct record, subject to amending Councillor Barker’s title, incorrectly listed as Chairman of the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

To receive petitions from members of the public in accordance with the Public Participation Procedure as set out in Annex 2 of Part A4 of the Constitution.

None.

To receive any questions, statements or deputations from members of the public in accordance with the Public Participation Procedure as set out in Annex 1 of part A4 of the Constitution.

None.

To consider any decision of the Executive referred to this Committee for review in accordance with Procedure Rule 10.10 of Part D2.

None.

To consider any items referred to the Committee at the request of a Member under Procedure Rule 3.1 of Part D2 of the Constitution.

This to include a requested item on water efficiency whereby the Committee will receive a verbal update further to a previous request from the Committee to provide clarification in relation to the Council’s future approach to water efficiency in Central Bedfordshire in light of the growth of the area.  Members will receive a verbal update to inform a later discussion on the Local Plan.

The Environmental Policy Manager delivered a verbal update regarding the Council’s future approach to water efficiency in Central Bedfordshire in light of growth in the area. The Committee were informed of a water cycle study for the region and that policies covering all aspects of water efficiency were currently being drafted and would form part of the Local Plan.

In light of the update Members discussed the following:-

·           The need to encourage water saving initiatives both on small and larger scales and to work closely with strategic partners, specifically the Water Board to continue recent improvements in communication.

·           The need for all three regional Water Boards to be included as statutory consultees on planning applications and whether a motion to Council to change the current policy would be appropriate.

RECOMMENDED that a full report be brought at a later date.

To receive a brief verbal update from the Executive Member for Community Services and the Executive Member for Regeneration.

The Executive Member for Community Services congratulated the emergency planning team regarding their response to a recent gas supply problem locally. A Gypsy and Traveler liaison officer had recently been appointed, tasked with tackling illegal encampments. The Committee were also informed the Woodside Link would be completed in January 2017.

The Deputy Executive Member for Community Services provided details of the calendar of works scheduled for the Household Waste Recycling Centers within Central Bedfordshire.

The Executive Member for Regeneration highlighted the benefits of speculative building works and the strong position in relation to local employment figures.

To receive a report relating to the outcomes of the previous Planning Enforcement Enquiry and scrutinise plans to implement the recommendations of the enquiry.

The Head of Development and Regulation delivered a presentation which outlined progress regards changes to the Planning Enforcement Service, taking into account previous Committee recommendations, several of which had been implemented.

In light of the presentation Members discussed the following:-

·           The benefits of a full time team leader position.

·           Improvements in communication with Town and Parish Councils and Ward Members.

·           The possible budget pressure resulting from the re-introduction of a dedicated out of hours service, due to the low volumes of reported breaches.

·           Concerns that all reported cases were considered breaches until a full investigation had been carried out and that information was placed into the public domain immediately.

·           That the Council should seek to take far more robust measures in relation to planning breaches and using injunctive measures where enforcement powers were not sufficiently rapid.

RECOMMENDED that the changes identified within the updated Planning Enforcement Plan be agreed by the Executive, ensuring the appropriate input via the legal and finance departments and any noted recommendations from the sub group delegated to review the service be taken into consideration prior to an ultimate Executive decision.

To receive a presentation relating to economic insight in Central Bedfordshire for 2016.

The Economic Policy Manager delivered a presentation which outlined economic growth within Central Bedfordshire, highlighting the impact of the recent EU referendum, unemployment, the barriers to the labour market and those groups struggling to gain employment and the possible future impact of the introduction of Universal Credit. Concerns were raised with regards to the loss of business and revenue to areas outside of the region and figures were falling in relation to entrepreneurial business rates.

In light of the presentation Members discussed the following:-

·           The need to ensure a strong work/life balance for residents and to maximise connectivity.

·           The importance of effective Broadband connections for those business and individuals working within Central Bedfordshire.

·           The link with the All Age Skills Strategy and the need for young people to be work ready including appropriate support for the growth of apprenticeships.

·           That the visitor economy and leisure would grow in the near future with the current position for hotels and conferencing strong.

·           The barriers for some business to do business with Central Bedfordshire, which were rents, rates, parking, public transport and connectivity.

NOTED progress to date and the strong economic position of Central Bedfordshire.

To scrutinise the aspects of the Q1 budget monitoring report submitted to the Executive in October 2016 relevant to the remit of the Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The Directors for Community Services and Regeneration outlined the financial position for their directorates at Quarter 1, detailing areas of underspend and overspend.

NOTED the forecast revenue outturn position and recommend to the Executive that officers continue to look for compensatory savings in order to deliver a balanced budget.

To consider the current draft SCOSC work programme and Executive Forward Plan incorporating a list of suggested items for future meetings.

RECOMMENDED that the Work Programme be agreed subject to the following amendments:-

·           Schools Parking Task Force report – 12 January 2017

·           Local Plan – 12 January 2017