Agenda, decisions and minutes
PDF 70 KBVenue: Alfold Hall, Dunsfold Road, Alfold GU6 8JB
Contact: David North, Community Partnership & Committee Officer Godalming Social Services Centre, Bridge Street, Godalming, GU7 1LA
Note: The meeting will be preceded by an informal question time from 1.30pm
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APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND SUBSTITUTIONS
To receive any apologies for absence and notices of substitutions from Borough Council members under Standing Order 40(e). Minutes: Apologies were received from Dr A Povey, Mr R Knowles and Ms J Potts; Mrs E Cable and Mr M Byham were present as substitutes for Mr Knowles and Ms Potts respectively. |
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MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
To approve the Minutes of the previous meeting as a correct record. Minutes: The minutes of the meeting held on 24 January 2013 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman. |
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DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests from Members in respect of any item to be considered at the meeting.
Notes: · In line with the Relevant Authorities (Disclosable Pecuniary Interests) Regulations 2012, declarations may relate to the interest of the member, or the member’s spouse or civil partner, or a person with whom the member is living as husband or wife, or a person with whom the member is living as if they were civil partners and the member is aware they have the interest.
· Members need only disclose interests not currently listed on the Register of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests.
· Members must notify the Monitoring Officer of any interests disclosed at the meeting so they may be added to the Register.
· Members are reminded that they must not participate in any item where they have a disclosable pecuniary interest.
Minutes: Mrs Frost and Mrs Cockburn declared non-pecuniary interests in Item 10 and Items 10 and 13 respectively on the grounds of their membership of Farnham Town Council.
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PETITIONS
To receive any petitions in accordance with Standing Order 65. Minutes: There were no petitions. |
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FORMAL PUBLIC QUESTIONS
To receive any questions from Surrey County Council electors within the area in accordance with Standing Order 66. Minutes: The text and responses of formal public questions are contained in Annex 1.
As a supplementary comment to Question 1 Mr Thomas challenged the Committee on members’ assessment of the representations which led to their rejection of the officers’ recommendations on parking in Courts Hill Road at the 24 January 2013 meeting. The Chairman ruled that the question was inappropriate.
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To receive any written questions from Members under Standing Order 47. Minutes: The text and response to the member’s question is contained in Annex 2.
Mr Munro thanked officers for their response and provision of the drawings. Officers will provide details of the estimated cost of the work.
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To decide whether to approve the publication of a Notice of Intention to make a Traffic Regulation Order. Additional documents: Decision: Resolved that the grounds for making a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) as outlined are met, and a Notice of Intention to make an Order should be published for Byway Open to All Traffic 278 (Bramley) to prevent damage to the road and to preserve and protect the endangered species found therein as shown on Drawing Number 3/1/2/H16 (Annex 1of the report). The results of the consultation and any required repair mitigation will be reported back to a future meeting of the committee for a decision.
Reason
Officers do not have delegated powers to make or advertise TROs. Officers support the decision to make a TRO because it would meet Surrey County Council Policy and would protect the durability of the byway by preventing damage to the road. It would also help us to meet the requirements placed upon us to have regard to the ecology and nature conservation of the two protected species found along it.
Minutes: The attention of members was drawn to two corrections to the published report (section 4):
· The final paragraph of section 4 of this table should read: “Repair of this BOAT would be expensive at any time and impossible in the winter. The presence of protected species would in any case make extensive renovation undesirable in the vicinity of where they have been located.” · The ninth entry referring to Mr Brian Cohen should not state that he is speaking on behalf of the Surrey Countryside Access Forum. His comments were made as a private individual. Apologies were extended to Mr Cohen for this error.
Members raised the matter of disabled access and felt that efforts should be made to improve accessibility: officers will give attention to this during the forthcoming consultation stage. An enquiry was made as to whether this proposal represented a precedent for all BOATs in Surrey which have been subject to vehicular damage. The officer replied that all BOATs are subject to ongoing inspection – there is no change in approach and examination depends on the level of need.
Resolved that the grounds for making a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) as outlined are met, and a Notice of Intention to make an Order should be published for Byway Open to All Traffic 278 (Bramley) to prevent damage to the road and to preserve and protect the endangered species found therein as shown on Drawing Number 3/1/2/H16 (Annex 1of the report). The results of the consultation and any required repair mitigation will be reported back to a future meeting of the committee for a decision.
Reason
Officers do not have delegated powers to make or advertise TROs. Officers support the decision to make a TRO because it would meet Surrey County Council Policy and would protect the durability of the byway by preventing damage to the road. It would also help us to meet the requirements placed upon us to have regard to the ecology and nature conservation of the two protected species found along it.
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RESPONSE TO PETITION: TOWER ROAD, HINDHEAD
To agree a response. Decision: Resolvedto agree the response set out in the report.
Reason
The Committee is required to respond to petitions.
Minutes: It was reported that the petitioners were content with the response. Implementation of the white lines had been delayed by snow, but this would take place as soon as weather conditions allow.
Resolvedto agree the response set out in the report.
Reason
The Committee is required to respond to petitions.
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HIGHWAYS UPDATE REPORT
To note progress made in delivering the programme of schemes. Additional documents: Decision: Resolved to:
(i) Note progress on the programme of highway schemes.
(ii) Delegate authority to the Area Manager, in consultation with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Committee and locally affected Members, to amend budgets throughout the year if required to ensure the budget is allocated in a timely manner.
Reason
The Committee wishes to receive regular updates on the progress of its programme and to ensure that its budgets are allocated in a timely manner.
Minutes: The Chairman noted that the Committee had spent its budget for 2012-13 in its entirety, confirming that projects deferred would be priorities in the new year. Noteworthy achievements had been the A325 pedestrian crossing and the A31 crossing at Coxbridge which is nearing completion. The Area Highways Manager reported that detailed designs for the Jewson’s cycleway had now been received: it was again noted that the Waverley Cycle Forum had prioritised this project. It was recognised that some early failures of local resurfacing schemes had been experienced and remedial action (at no expense to the County Council) is being discussed with the contractor: members would be informed as to timing. It was noted that the adjustment of parking restrictions as a consequence of the completion of the lay-by adjacent to Holy Trinity Church, Bramley would need to be included in the forthcoming parking review.
Resolved to:
(i) Note progress on the programme of highway schemes.
(ii) Delegate authority to the Area Manager, in consultation with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Committee and locally affected Members, to amend budgets throughout the year if required to ensure the budget is allocated in a timely manner.
Reason
The Committee wishes to receive regular updates on the progress of its programme and to ensure that its budgets are allocated in a timely manner.
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LOCALISM IN HIGHWAYS: AN UPDATE ON DEVOLVED HIGHWAYS DELIVERY
To consider the Committee’s response and agree next steps. Decision: Resolved that:
(i) The Highways Localism initiative is supported in principle in Waverley Borough.
(ii) Current proposals for delivering these services in Appendix 1 are noted.
(iii) Officers be requested to obtain responses from all Town and Parish Councils in Waverley and bring a report to the next meeting of the Committee, where a decision on the allocation of funding will be made.
Reason
Service providers and public bodies are exploring ways of involving local organisations and communities in continuing to improve the relevance, quality and effectiveness of services in their neighbourhoods. In this drive to greater ‘localism’, Surrey County Council is working with parish and town councils and other community organisations to establish locally-managed quality highway service delivery, and the recommendations support this focus.
Minutes: The Committee welcomed the proposal in principle and recognised that, especially in Farnham, the opportunity to better co-ordinate Town and County Council activities would add significant value. However, concerns were expressed that some local councils may not have been fully engaged – or may have felt that priorities lay elsewhere in the county – and that expectations need to be clearly defined. The officer recognised that contacts had not been pursued with all local councils; he explained that the model now being developed would establish a client-contractor relationship with local councils, rather than the full devolution of powers to them by the County Council. In general the approach taken had been to work with a small group of councils and to establish good practice which could be extended more widely.
The Chairman proposed, seconded by the Vice-Chairman, the deletion of officer recommendation (iii) with:
“Officers be requested to obtain responses from all Town and Parish Councils in Waverley and bring a report to the next meeting of the Committee, where a decision on the allocation of funding will be made.”
While some members welcomed the increased opportunity for equitable treatment of local councils that this would offer, others felt that undue pressure may then be placed on the £20,000 budget allocated to this initiative. When put to the vote the amendment was agreed by 14 votes to one with two abstentions. The recommendations, as now amended, were put to the Committee and agreed as follows.
Resolved that:
(i) The Highways Localism initiative is supported in principle in Waverley Borough.
(ii) Current proposals for delivering these services in Appendix 1 are noted.
(iii) Officers be requested to obtain responses from all Town and Parish Councils in Waverley and bring a report to the next meeting of the Committee, where a decision on the allocation of funding will be made.
Reason
Service providers and public bodies are exploring ways of involving local organisations and communities in continuing to improve the relevance, quality and effectiveness of services in their neighbourhoods. In this drive to greater ‘localism’, Surrey County Council is working with parish and town councils and other community organisations to establish locally-managed quality highway service delivery, and the recommendations support this focus.
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OPERATION HORIZON: WAVERLEY
To endorse the proposed five-year resurfacing programme. Additional documents: Decision: Resolvedto formally endorse the £13m Operation Horizon investment programme for Waverley and, subject to Cabinet confirmation, agree that 90km of road, across the defined scheme list detailed in Annex 1 of the report, be resurfaced between 2013 and 2018.
Reason
The operation will replace 90km of the Waverley road network and realise £16m to £20m in savings over five years, all of which will be fully re-invested in the highway network. Minutes: Members welcomed the programme submitted and expressed their thanks to officers, noting the extent to which savings in procurement had been reinvested and the new focus on residential roads as part of a major improvement in the County Council’s approach to highways. Officers noted corrections to the detail of the plan and undertook to re-assess Shepherd’s Hill, Haslemere. Resolvedto formally endorse the £13m Operation Horizon investment programme for Waverley and, subject to Cabinet confirmation, agree that 90km of road, across the defined scheme list detailed in Annex 1 of the report, be resurfaced between 2013 and 2018.
Reason
The operation will replace 90km of the Waverley road network and realise £16m to £20m in savings over five years, all of which will be fully re-invested in the highway network.
[Mr B Vorley left the meeting during this item.]
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TACKLING TRAFFIC CONGESTION -- INTRODUCTION OF A ROAD WORKS PERMIT SCHEME
To note the proposed introduction by the County Council of a road works permit scheme.
Additional documents: Decision: Resolved to note the work of the Utilities Task Group and the proposed introduction of a road works permit scheme.
Reason
The report was presented for information.
Minutes: The timetable for implementation of the permit scheme was explained: subject to approval by the Department for Transport, drafting of the necessary statutory instrument and issue of notice to interested parties, it is estimated that the scheme could be operational by December 2013.
Members welcomed the proposal and thanked the task group for its work and were reassured that additional staff would be in place to monitor activity and handle applications efficiently. It was confirmed that County Council work would be subject to the same conditions as utility companies and that closer scrutiny of the time that contractors spend on the highway would be possible. There would be no change to the current prohibition of planned maintenance by utilities for five years after resurfacing, but emergency work and new connections must continue during this period. All work by utilities is subject to a two-year guarantee, after which the County Council assumes responsibility for remedial works. There was some interest in moving to a “lane rental” scheme, but this is not currently possible: trials are under way elsewhere. Resolved to note the work of the Utilities Task Group and the proposed introduction of a road works permit scheme.
Reason
The report was presented for information.
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AIR QUALITY: FARNHAM TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT AND LOW EMISSION FEASIBILITY STUDY REPORT
To receive for information a report on the recent study. Additional documents: Decision: Resolved to note the report.
Reason
The report was presented for information.
Minutes: The Committee welcomed the report and noted in particular the level of productive collaboration between the County and Borough Councils; the involvement of Farnham Town Council, including its proposal to lead on awareness-raising activity, was also valued. It was felt that the Committee’s ongoing work to control loading/unloading and investigate the management of HGVs in the town were complementary to the outcome of the study.
Resolved to note the report.
Reason
The report was presented for information.
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DATA OVERVIEW OF ACADEMIC PROGRESS WITHIN THE BOROUGH OF WAVERLEY
To note the report. Decision: Resolved to note the content within the report for information only purposes.
Reason
The report was presented for information.
Minutes: The Committee expressed its satisfaction with the high standards achieved by most schools but noted, however, the need to improve progress in certain cases, especially for the most disadvantaged pupils. There was some concern about the heavy pressure on secondary schools in Farnham, a significant element of which relates to Hampshire students: cross- border liaison takes place and expansion programmes at Heath End and Weydon are under way, but there are currently no plans for an additional school in the area. Members noted the improved level of inter-departmental co-operation on school places, including consideration of the highways implications, and the extent to which maintained schools collaborate effectively, irrespective of their status. Resolvedto note the content within the report for information purposes only.
Reason
The report was presented for information.
[Mr B Ellis, Mr S Thornton and Mr K Webster left the meeting after this item; Mr A Young left temporarily.]
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SERVICES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE: LOCAL PREVENTION COMMISSIONING 2013-15
To agree the local specification for Waverley. Additional documents: Decision: Resolved to:
(i) Approve the allocation of £15,000 to Personalised Prevention Budgets
(ii) Approve the local needs specification (Annexe A of the report) to be considered by providers focusing on the identified needs of Waverley and the geographical neighbourhoods prioritised by the Youth Task Group.
Reason
The decisions will support the council’s priority to achieve 100 % participation for young people aged 16 to 19 in education, training or employment; increase the delivery of youth work locally; increase the access of the Local Prevention Framework to small voluntary organisations; speed up the process for awarding Local Prevention Grants (Small Grants); increase the access of the Local Prevention Framework through the use of a grants based commissioning process.
Minutes: Mr D Munro confirmed the Youth Task Group’s endorsement of the recommendations contained in the report and expressed its satisfaction at the introduction of Personalised Prevention Budgets, which had been advocated locally. The Committee was reassured that the processing of grants would be accelerated under the revised arrangements.
Resolved to:
(i) Approve the allocation of £15,000 to Personalised Prevention Budgets
(ii) Approve the local needs specification (Annex A of the report) to be considered by providers focusing on the identified needs of Waverley and the geographical neighbourhoods prioritised by the Youth Task Group.
Reason
The decisions will support the council’s priority to achieve 100 % participation for young people aged 16 to 19 in education, training or employment; increase the delivery of youth work locally; increase the access of the Local Prevention Framework to small voluntary organisations; speed up the process for awarding Local Prevention Grants (Small Grants); increase the access of the Local Prevention Framework through the use of a grants based commissioning process.
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APPROVAL OF YOUTH SMALL GRANT APPLICATIONS
To consider the applications presented for approval. Additional documents: Decision: Resolved to approve the Task Group’s recommendations on the award of funding as set out in the report.
Reason
The Committee is required to ensure the effective deployment of its Youth Small Grants budget.
Minutes: Mr Munro again confirmed the Task Group’s endorsement of the recommendations.
Resolved to approve the Task Group’s recommendations on the award of funding as set out in the report.
Reason
The Committee is required to ensure the effective deployment of its Youth Small Grants budget.
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SURREY FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE UPDATE
To consider the Public Safety Plan Action Plan. Decision: Resolved to: (i) Note the progress to date on items in the Action Plan for 2011-13 (ii) Request that its feedback on the proposed Action Plan for 2013-16 be noted. (iii) To consider those items that will be the subject of further public consultation at the appropriate time.
Reason
The Committee receives periodic reports on the progress of the Public Safety Plan.
Minutes: The Committee noted the forthcoming changes which would achieve more consistent availability of appliances in the borough. It was envisaged that the new facilities at Woking and Guildford would offer improved training opportunities, especially for retained fire-fighters. Recognising that response standards are maintained in Waverley, members nevertheless drew attention to the needs of rural areas and to the benefits which could be obtained if the opportunity were to emerge to develop a combined emergency services facility in the Milford/A3 area.
Resolved to: (i) Note the progress to date on items in the Action Plan for 2011-13 (ii) Request that its feedback on the proposed Action Plan for 2013-16 be noted. (iii) To consider those items that will be the subject of further public consultation at the appropriate time.
Reason
The Committee receives periodic reports on the progress of the Public Safety Plan.
[Mr A Young rejoined the meeting during this item.]
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LOCAL COMMITTEE BUDGETS
To consider applications for funding presented to the Committee for approval. Additional documents: Decision: Resolved to:
(i) Agree the items presented for funding from the Local Committee’s 2012/13 revenue and capital funding as set out in the report and presentedin Annexes A, B, C, D, E, F,G,H,I and J and also in the additional Annexes L and M tabled at the meeting.
(ii) Note the expenditure approved since the last Committee meeting by the Community Partnerships Manager and the Community Partnerships Team Leader under delegated powers, as set out in paragraph 3.
Reason
The Committee was asked to decide on the applications presented so that the Community Partnerships Team can process them in line with the wishes of the Committee.
Minutes: Resolved to:
(i) Agree the items presented for funding from the Local Committee’s 2012/13 revenue and capital funding as set out in the report and presentedin Annexes A, B, C, D, E, F,G,H,I and J and also in the additional Annexes L and M tabled at the meeting (and annexed to the minutes).
(ii) Note the expenditure approved since the last Committee meeting by the Community Partnerships Manager and the Community Partnerships Team Leader under delegated powers, as set out in paragraph 3.
Reason
The Committee was asked to decide on the applications presented so that the Community Partnerships Team can process them in line with the wishes of the Committee.
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LOCAL COMMITTEE FORWARD PROGRAMME
To note the proposed programme of reports for 2013. Decision: Resolved to note the proposed contents of the Forward Programme.
Reason
The Committee wishes to plan its business effectively.
Minutes: Resolved to note the proposed contents of the Forward Programme.
Reason
The Committee wishes to plan its business effectively.
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Minutes Ann 3 Informal Questions INFORMAL PUBLIC QUESTION TIME
The meeting was preceded by an informal public question time. Details of the matters raised are attached as Annex 3. The summary does not form part of the formal minutes of the meeting. |