Agenda item

Cabinet Member Update

The Cabinet Member(s) will update the Panel on any relevant issues. Panel members may ask questions on the update(s) provided.

 

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Councillor Patrick Anketell-Jones addressed the Panel, a summary is set out below.

 

Arts Funding: He said that he had had a good meeting recently with the Bath Cultural Forum and that they understood that the Council could not supply funding in the form of direct grants, but still have intentions to fund arts activity.

 

He added that none of the 90 members of the Forum pay a subscription fee and that at their meeting he had suggested that they consider such a proposal.

 

Councillor Colin Blackburn asked how the Forum had responded to that proposal.

 

Councillor Anketell-Jones said it had been quite positive.

 

Councillor Christopher Pearce asked how were funding requests made and allocated.

 

Councillor Anketell-Jones explained that applications are made through the Arts Development Team in accordance with the policies set by the administration and added that he wished to see this area of work promoted across B&NES.

 

The Chairman asked if grant applications were directly approved by the Cabinet Member.

 

Councillor Anketell-Jones replied that they were not.

 

Bath Quays South: The Cabinet Member for Economic Development explained to the Panel that BMT had made a strategic decision not to proceed with a substantial base within Bath. He added that considerable interest had been shown in the site since their decision for either a sole tenant or multiple ones.

 

The Chairman asked if the Council had been cited as a reason for BMT withdrawing from the project.

 

Councillor Anketell-Jones reassured him that they were not.

 

Councillor Colin Blackburn asked if in any discussion BMT had commented on their long term approach for the City.

 

Councillor Anketell-Jones confirmed that they intend to remain and keep a presence in Bath.

 

Councillor Barry Macrae asked what the timescale was for the project.

 

Councillor Anketell-Jones replied that planning consent is in place and that preparation / ground work could commence this month.

 

York Street: The Cabinet Member for Economic Development informed the Panel that the road support beneath York Street was eroding and that a survey of the surrounding area was likely to be required. He said that depending on the results of the survey it may cause a delay to the Archway project. He stated that he would update the Panel as soon as he had any further information.

 

Destination Management: The Cabinet Member for Economic Development said that this work should look to promote all areas of B&NES. He explained that he would like to see Welcoming Ambassadors in place to meet visitors to the area. He added that positive visitor experiences were important to the engagement of other visitors.

 

Employment Space: The Cabinet Member for Economic Development said that Bath was running out of industrial employment space and that if the current Pickfords site was lost to student accommodation it could put further pressure on the city.

 

The Chairman said that he hoped that the Council would defend the non-loss of commercial space and asked that the Cabinet Member be as firm as he can in any future discussions.

 

Councillor Colin Blackburn asked if any proactive work was taking place with regard to small commercial units as there were so few available.

 

Councillor Anketell-Jones replied that this was difficult to progress within Bath, but might be more achievable within Keynsham. He said that he would come back with some information at a future meeting.

 

The Cabinet Member for Homes & Planning, Councillor Liz Richardson addressed the Panel, a summary is set out below.

 

Placemaking Plan: She stated that the Council was still awaiting the Inspector’s report and that this meant that it had now been rescheduled for debate at the Council meeting in July.

 

Planning Fees: She said there was a possibility that the Government may not be ready to implement the planned increase in fees from July.

 

The Chairman asked if the delay would have any budget implications.

 

Councillor Richardson reassured that it would not.

 

Housing Services: She wished to thank the officers involved in hosting a recent Government Women’s Equalities Group and that the group had been impressed with our work.

 

Temporary Accommodation: She informed the Panel in Q4 of 2016/17 there had been a slight increase in the number of households that had been placed in temporary accommodation and that the current figure was 32.

 

Houses in Multiple Occupation: She explained that the Council is currently reviewing the Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) and had appointed ARUP Consultants to undertake a review of the existing HMO SPD to investigate various policy options. She added that as part of the Review, the Council would seek the views of the public on various options suggested by the ARUP review report. She asked for comments to be received by 15th May 2017.

 

Article 4 Directive: She informed the Panel that the Council were in the initial stages of considering whether to implement an Article 4 Directive in respect of changing the use of premises from business to residential.

 

Councillor Richard Samuel asked if there had been a net change with regard to social housing availability.

 

Councillor Richardson replied that the stock was increasing.

 

The Chairman thanked both of the Cabinet Members on behalf of the Panel for their updates.