Agenda and minutes
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Contact: Mark Durnford 01225 394458
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WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS Minutes: The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.
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EMERGENCY EVACUATION PROCEDURE The Chair will draw attention to the emergency evacuation procedure as set out under Note 6.
Minutes: The Chairman drew attention to the emergency evacuation procedure.
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APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND SUBSTITUTIONS Minutes: There were none. |
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DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST UNDER THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972 Members who have an interest to declare are asked to:
a) State the Item Number in which they have the interest b) The nature of the interest c) Whether the interest is personal, or personal and prejudicial
Any Member who is unsure about the above should seek advice from the Monitoring Officer prior to the meeting in order to expedite matters at the meeting itself.
Minutes: There were none. |
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TO ANNOUNCE ANY URGENT BUSINESS AGREED BY THE CHAIRMAN Minutes: There was none. |
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ITEMS FROM THE PUBLIC OR COUNCILLORS - TO RECEIVE DEPUTATIONS, STATEMENTS, PETITIONS OR QUESTIONS RELATING TO THE BUSINESS OF THIS MEETING At the time of publication no notifications had been received.
Minutes: There were none. |
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MINUTES - 13th September 2011 Minutes: The Panel confirmed the minutes of the previous meeting as a true record and they were duly signed by the Chairman. |
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Cabinet Member Update This item gives the Panel an opportunity to ask questions to the Cabinet Members and for them to update the Panel on any current issues.
Minutes: Councillor Tim Ball, Cabinet Member for Homes and Planning was present and said that he was willing to answer questions from the Panel. Councillor Roger Symonds, Cabinet Member for Transport was also present and had provided the Panel with a brief report on some of his recent actions.
Councillor Neil Butters asked for clarification on the consultation of Parish Councils in the build up to the Core Strategy debate at Full Council on September 15th 2011. He asked that it be noted that the summary report considering the potential contingency locations presented at the meeting contained a number of inaccuracies and omissions, which may have given an unbalanced impression of the Officers’ recommendations. He asked the Cabinet Member to set out the sequence of events relating to Parish Council consultation.
Councillor Malcolm Hanney asked that any response from the Cabinet Member be sent to all Councillors.
Councillor Tim Ball replied that he was happy to do this. |
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Community Infrastructure Levy Update The Policy & Environment Manager will give the Panel a verbal update in relation to this item. Minutes: The Divisional Director for Planning & Transport introduced this item to the Panel. He informed them that a consultant had now been procured and that a developer workshop had been held. He added that the previously stated milestones remained in place.
February 2012 – Draft Charging Schedule to Full Council March / April 2012 – Consultation to take place on the Draft Charging Schedule March 2013 – Report to the Planning Inspector September 2013 – Implementation |
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The Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople Site Allocations Development Plan Document (DPD) is a formal planning document prepared by the Council which allocates land for the development of authorised Gypsy and Traveller pitches across the District. The Issues and Options paper seeks public comment on how sites should be allocated for development as Gypsy and Traveller pitches or Travelling Showpeople yards. The Call for Sites seeks information on potential land for allocation. Minutes: The Divisional Director for Planning & Transport introduced this item to the Panel.
Councillor Geoff Ward asked what were the Council’s legal requirements with regard to accommodating the travelling community.
The Divisional Director for Planning & Transport replied that the Council has responsibilities under both housing and equalities legislation towards Gypsies & Travellers.
Councillor Geoff Ward commented that he believed the Council had legal requirement to identify sites but were under no obligation to provide them.
The Divisional Director for Planning & Transport replied that he believed that to be true and added that the private sector could be asked to play a part in the process.
Councillor Caroline Roberts commented that she was glad to see that the issue had finally been raised to this current level of discussion. She also asked if the sites were likely to be inside or outside of the Green Belt.
The Divisional Director for Planning & Transport replied that sites within the Green Belt would be considered, but that sites outside of it would have priority.
Councillor Caroline Roberts commented that she was pleased to see that the travelling community will be consulted as part of this process and hoped that a positive relationship could be established. She asked if the Council was looking at the work of any other Local Authorities with regard to this subject area.
The Divisional Director for Planning & Transport acknowledged that B&NES had been slow in bringing these proposals forward and that other LAs such as South Gloucestershire were currently ahead of us in the process, but added that each Local Authority must bring their own sites forward.
Councillor Malcolm Hanney asked that the legal context of site provision be made clear during the consultation process and spoke of the need for Parish Councils to be advised at the earliest possible opportunity.
The Divisional Director for Planning & Transport replied that the site requirements are now included within the Core Strategy and agreed that Parishes should be addressed at the earliest appropriate opportunity.
Councillor Douglas Nicol asked if the term ‘Yard’ was supposed to be used in the context of people or equipment.
The Divisional Director for Planning & Transport replied that the term was used for a site occupied by Travelling Showpeople and that Gypsies and Travellers used the term pitch for a small site or accommodation with land that can accommodate trailers.
Councillor David Martin asked for clarity on the difference between a pitch and a site.
The Divisional Director for Planning & Transport referred him to the Glossary of Terms within the report.
Councillor David Martin asked would there be a need to review the provision in 2016 if the adoption of the process had only concluded in December 2013.
The Divisional Director for Planning & Transport replied that an early review would be necessary to assess if the correct level of provision was in place.
The Chairman asked for clarification as to whether the Council was legally required to provide sites and if the general size of a pitch could be ... view the full minutes text for item 38. |
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Local Sustainable Transport Fund The Transportation Planning Manager will give a presentation on this item to the Panel. Minutes: The Group Manager for Planning Policy & Transport and the Transportation Planning Manager gave a presentation to the Panel regarding this item. A full copy of the presentation can be found on the Panel’s Minute Book, a summary is set out below.
What is the Local Sustainable Transport Fund?
· Announced January 2011 · To build strong local economies and address the urgent challenges of climate change · £560m over four years to 14/15 - £350m revenue & £210m capital · Aims to fund lots of Local Authorities and fund projects that work
Themes & Projects
Low Carbon Commuting · Area Travel Plans · Business Travel · Key Commuter Routes
Active & Sustainable Communities · Vibrant Streets · Rural Hubs & Links · Key Centres
Transitions to Low Carbon Lifestyles · Moving to Secondary School · Preparing for Adulthood · University · New Developments
Key Component · Focused on distinct elements within Key Commuter Routes project · Delivered largely in 2011/12 – 12/13 · £5m funding approved - £750,000 for B&NES
Major Bid · Department for Transport (DfT) has shortlisted the West of England to submit a major bid · Another £25m for the West of England ~ £3.5m for B&NES
The Transportation Planning Manager then led the Panel through some more detailed slides relating to the three themes.
Low Carbon Commuting
· 89% of West of England residents also work in the area. · It is an opportunity to embed sustainable travel as a way of life. · Investment has already been made in projects such as the Greater Bristol Bus Network (GBBN) · The West of England Sustainable Transport (WEST) project will allow us to ‘lock in’ the benefits through stepping up the extent and pace of change towards sustainable travel.
Active & Sustainable Communities · Rebalancing communities so they are healthier with stronger local economies · Removing both physical and psychological barriers to movement. · Increasing the sense of place, stimulate confidence in moving safely around local areas by sustainable means.
Transitions to Low Carbon Lifestyles · When people have to consciously consider their travel options they are more amenable to change than when habit is entrenched. · A focus on these transition events is consistent throughout WEST but additionally we have identified four ‘life points’ that we believe each merit a specific project of their own.
The Chairman asked if there was a timeline for the Major Bid.
The Group Manager for Planning Policy & Transport replied that the bid was due to be delivered in mid-December and that a decision was expected from the DfT in June 2012.
The Chairman asked if the Council had contacted any local employers in relation to ‘Low Carbon Lifestyles’.
The Group Manager for Planning Policy & Transport replied that it had been pro-active in the recent work of the Royal United Hospital and was in current discussions with Rotork to help them find some solutions.
Councillor Geoff Ward commented that he felt that some of the current highway restrictions in place meant that traffic was simply queueing to get in and out of the City. He also asked if any study had been carried out to assess if the restrictions were ... view the full minutes text for item 39. |
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This report presents the latest workplan for the Panel (Appendix 1).
Additional documents: Minutes: The Chairman introduced this item to the Panel. She thanked them all for agreeing to attend the extra meeting in December to discuss the Medium Term Service and Resource Plan.
Councillor David Martin asked if the Panel should consider the issue of fracking at one of its future meetings.
The Chairman replied that she would raise the issue at her next agenda planning meeting with the Strategic Director.
Councillor Malcolm Hanney suggested the Panel should hold a Single Day Inquiry and proposed that the Chairman and Vice-Chair meet with Cabinet Member(s) to see if an appropriate subject can be brought forward.
The Chairman replied that she would be happy to carry out this proposal.
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