Councillors and committees

Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Surrey History Centre, 130 Goldsworth Road, Woking, GU21 6ND

Contact: Nikkie Thornton-Bryar, Partnership Committee Officer 

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Items
No. Item

OPEN FORUM pdf icon PDF 85 KB

Public questions were invited.  12 public questions were asked as follows:-

·         Community Infrastruture Levy process – 10 questions

·         Safe to Play petition for a crossing point at Sopwith Drive

·         Surrey Half Marathon – alternative routes / resurfacing at Westfield Avenue

 

The full questions and answers given are recorded in Annex A.

 

Additional documents:

53/18

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

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    To receive any apologies for absence.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    There were no apologies for absence.

54/18

MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING pdf icon PDF 66 KB

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    To approve the minutes of the previous meeting as a correct record and agree that the Chairman signs the minutes.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    The minutes of the previous meeting were agreed as a true record and signed by the Chairman.

     

55/18

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

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    All Members present are required to declare, at this point in the meeting or as soon as possible thereafter:

          i.        Any disclosable pecuniary interests and / or

         ii.        Other interests arising under the Code of Conduct in respect of any item(s) of business being considered at this meeting

     

    NOTES:

     

    ·         Members are bound by the Code of Conduct of the authority which appointed them to the Woking Joint Committee.

    ·         Members are reminded that they must not participate in any item where they have a disclosable pecuniary interest

    ·         As well as an interest of the Member, this includes any interest, of which the Member is aware, that relates to the Member’s spouse or civil partner (or any person with whom the Member is living as a spouse or civil partner)

    ·         Members with a significant personal interest may participate in the discussion and vote on that matter unless that interest could be reasonably regarded as prejudicial.

    ·         SCC Members must notify SCC’s Monitoring Officer of any interests disclosed at the meeting which are not already recorded in the Register of Members’ Interests. WBC Members must notify WBC’s Monitoring Officer of any interests disclosed at the meeting which are not already recorded in the Register of Members’ Interests.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    There were no declarations of interest.

56/18

PETITIONS

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    To receive any petitions in accordance with Standing Order 14.1.  Notice should be given in writing or by email to the Community Partnership and Committee Officer at least 14 days before the meeting.  Alternatively, the petition can be submitted on-line through Surrey County Council or Woking Borough Council’s e-petitions website as long as the minimum number of signatures (30) has been reached 14 days before the meeting.

     

    Petitions received: None to date

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    There were no petitions received.

57/18

WRITTEN PUBLIC QUESTIONS

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    To answer any questions from residents or businesses within the Woking Borough area in accordance with Standing Order 14.2. Notice should be given in writing or email to the Community Partnership and Committee Officer by 12 noon four working days before the meeting.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Three written questions were received as follows:-

    ·         VAS signage outside Pyrford Prrimary school

    ·         Damage to street furniture (railings)

    ·         Pavement parking in Knaphill

     

    The full written questions and answers given are attached as Annex 1.

     

    One supplementary question was asked and the response given recorded in the annex.

     

WRITTEN PUBLIC QUESTIONS pdf icon PDF 122 KB

Additional documents:

58/18

Written Public Questions pdf icon PDF 121 KB

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    Additional documents:

59/18

WRITTEN MEMBER QUESTIONS

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    To receive any written questions from members under Standing Order 13.  The deadline for member questions is 12 noon four working days before the meeting.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    There were no written member questions.

60/18

WOMENS SUPPORT CENTRE - A PRESENTATION

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    To receive a presentation from Kate Paradine of the Womens Support Centre.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    The Committee received a presentation from Kate Paradine, Chief Executive of Women in Prison and Carol Appleby, Manager of the Womens Support Centre. 

     

    The presentation reviewed the issues experienced by women in prison and highlighted the national good practice example of the Woking Womens Support Centre in the High Street.  The centre provides help with tackling a range of issues, including counselling, anger management and parenting support.  The following points were noted:

     

    ·         A third of all women in prison have been in care

    ·         Prison is an expensive way of making problems worse

    ·         It costs approx. £40,000 p.a. for each woman in prison

    ·         For every £1 spent, £4.68 is saved

    ·         Women can be diverted to the Support Centre instead of custody for minor offences

    ·         The introduction of the Support Centre has seen a 36% reduction of Women in prison locally, set against a national increase

    ·         Referrals are via a variety of routes (Police, Childrens Services, Family support), including self referrals (Domestic Abuse can mean that women are forced to shoplift)

     

    The Centre would like to see more facilities available Surrey wide and now are awareness raising to attract external funding and to encourage more Districts and Boroughs to fund and / or provide similar central and accessible services.

61/18

HIGHWAYS UPDATE (EXECUTIVE FUNCTION - FOR DECISION) pdf icon PDF 100 KB

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    To report progress made with the delivery of proposed highways schemes, developer funded schemes, and revenue funded works for the 2017/18 financial year.

    To provide an update on the latest budgetary position for highway schemes and revenue maintenance.

    To report on relevant topical highways matters.

    Additional documents:

    Decision:

    The Local Committee agreed to:

          i.        Note the progress with the ITS highways and developer funded schemes, and revenue funded works for the 2018/19 financial year.           

         ii.        Note the budgetary position.

        iii.        Agree the proposed capital works programme for 2019/20 shown in table 2 at section 2.3

       iv.        Note that a further Highways Update will be brought to the next meeting of this Committee.

     

    Reasons for Decision:

     

    The above recommendations are made to enable progression of all highway related schemes and works.

    Minutes:

    Declarations of Interest:      None

    Officers attending:  Andrew Milne, Area Highways Manager, SCC

    Petitions, Public Questions, Statements:  None

    The Area Highways Manger (AHM) presented a report which gave an updated position on current schemes and proposed a priority list of Capital Budget schemes for 2019/20.  Members noted that there would be no revenue budget for the year and that the AHM encouraged them to use their allocations for this.  The Committee also discussed the proposed traffic calming scheme at Westfield Road and noted that a good scheme should not increase pollution levels. 

    The Local Committee agreed to:

          i.        Note the progress with the ITS highways and developer funded schemes, and revenue funded works for the 2018/19 financial year.

         ii.        Note the budgetary position.

        iii.        Agree the proposed capital works programme for 2019/20 shown in table 2 at section 2.3

       iv.        Note that a further Highways Update will be brought to the next meeting of this Committee.

     

    Reasons for Decision:

     

    The above recommendations are made to enable progression of all highway related schemes and works.

62/18

HIGHWAYS BRIEFING - CABINET MEMBER

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    Cllr Matt Furness, Cabinet Member for Highways at SCC to give a verbal briefing.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    The Committee welcomed County Councillor Matt Furniss, Cabinet member for Highways to the meeting.  Cllr Furniss introduced himself and highlighted that the County Council were working on the future highways contract for 2021.  He noted the budget constraints highlighted in the Highways Report and encouraged Members to use their allocations for revenue maintenance when possible.

63/18

COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE LEVY - ARRANGEMENT ON MANAGING THE PROPORTION OF THE CIL INCOME EARMARKED FOR LOCAL COMMUNITY PROJECTS (EXECUTIVE FUNCTION - FOR DECISION) pdf icon PDF 133 KB

    To receive a report and process to enable the effective and efficient management of the proportion of the CIL receipts that is earmarked for local community projects.

     

    Additional documents:

    Decision:

    The Committee received a report on Community Infrastructure Levy community receipts.  Members noted the comments made by the various Neighbourhood Forum representatives during the public forum, especially the concerns over the project management of agreed schemes. As a result, it was proposed that the process should be reviewed in 12 months time and that the recommendations be amended to include this (proposed by Cllr Bittlestone and seconded by Cllr Carasco). 

     

    The Woking Joint Committee agreed that :

     

    (i)    The arrangement for managing the proportion of the CIL receipts earmarked for local community projects as set out in Section 2 of the report be noted and approved;

    (ii)   Local Ward Borough Councillors in conjunction with County Divisional Councillors take the leading role in identifying local community infrastructure projects that CIL receipts could be used, and in doing so should work in partnership with designated Neighbourhood Forums and other recognised stakeholders within the Ward or Neighbourhood Area.

    (iii)That the process be subject to review in one years’ time.

    Reason for decision:

    To enable the effective and efficient management of the proportion of the CIL receipts that is earmarked for local community projects.

     

     

    Minutes:

    The Committee received a report on Community Infrastructure Levy community receipts.  Members noted the comments made by the various Neighbourhood Forum representatives during the public forum, especially the concerns over the project management of agreed schemes. As a result, it was proposed and agreed  that the process be implemented as recommended, and be carefully monitored and be reviewed in 12 months time. The recommendations of the report have been amended to include this agreement (proposed by Cllr Bittleston and seconded by Cllr Carasco). 

     

    Members also noted the following points:

    ·         The consultation on the draft report could have been wider, to include all Members and the Forums – although it was noted that every Councillor would be included in the training.

    ·         The Planning Policy Manager and his team had been working closely with the Neighbourhood Forums and had also studied how  other local authority are managing the use of their CIL income. The report takes into account lessons learnt from these other authorities.

    ·         Although Councillors  are being asked to manage the delivery of the identified community projects, in practice, it is likely that there would be significant Officers input by way of providing advice and some help. The nature of the assistance can only be determined on a case by case basis depending on the nature, scale and type of community project. The Joint Committee will monitor the situation and make any changes to the process in due course if it is deemed necessary.,

    ·         The process has been designed to be local, open and transparent. In this regard, Officers will provide monthly updates on money received and how much has been earmarked for each Ward/Neighbourhood Area. Each Councillor will receive the update from end of April and thereafter at the end of each month.

    ·         It was clarified that the use of the 75%/85% that went to the Borough Council is the sole responsibility of the Council through the Joint Committee., The Council has published a Regulation  123 priority list (that was widely consulted on) of schemes that it wishes to the use CIL income on.

     

    The Woking Joint Committee agreed that :

     

    (i)    The arrangement for managing the proportion of the CIL receipts earmarked for local community projects as set out in Section 2 of the report be noted and approved;

    (ii)   Local Ward Borough Councillors in conjunction with County Divisional Councillors take the leading role in identifying local community infrastructure projects that CIL receipts could be used, and in doing so should work in partnership with designated Neighbourhood Forums and other recognised stakeholders within the Ward or Neighbourhood Area.

    (iii)That the process be subject to review in one years’ time.

    Reason for decision:

    To enable the effective and efficient management of the proportion of the CIL receipts that is earmarked for local community projects.

     

     

64/18

DECISION TRACKER (FOR INFORMATION) pdf icon PDF 272 KB

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    To review the decision tracker.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Declarations of Interest:      None

     

    Officers attending: Nicola Thornton-Bryar, Partnership Committee Officer, SCC

     

    Petitions, Public Questions, Statements:None

     

    The Woking Joint Committee noted the decision tracker.

     

65/18

FORWARD PLAN (FOR INFORMATION) pdf icon PDF 55 KB

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    To review the forward plan and to comment on items anticipated to be received at the Woking Joint Committee in 2019.

     

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Declarations of Interest:      None

     

    Officers attending:   Nicola Thornton-Bryar, Partnership Committee Officer, SCC

     

    Petitions, Public Questions, Statements:  None

     

    The Woking Joint Committee noted the forward plan of items expected to be received in 2019.