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:

Councillor Paul Myers, Cabinet Member for Economic and Community Regeneration addressed the Panel, a summary of his update is set out below.

 

Housing

 

He said that a 10 week consultation would commence in February 2018 regarding the future of the Council’s Additional Licensing Scheme for HMOs.

 

72 Extra Care Homes would be available from Spring 2019 on the Ensleigh site.

 

Bath Enterprise Zone

 

The land acquisition from BMT of Bath Quays South is complete and work should commence on site within the next two months.

 

An outline planning application has been submitted for the development of Bath Quays North, following public consultation towards the end of last year.

 

Broadband connection voucher scheme

 

522 vouchers have been issued as part of the Government trial to improve broadband speeds in homes in Bath & North East Somerset.

 

Councillor Liz Richardson asked where the majority of the vouchers had been issued.

 

The Divisional Director for Community Regeneration replied that it was the Chew Valley area that had received the vast majority of the vouchers.

 

Heritage

 

The Roman Baths had 1.2m visitors in 2017.

 

The Fashion Museum and Assembly Rooms were among the 2017 Sandford Award winners. The Sandford Award is an independently judged, quality assured assessment of education programmes at heritage sites, museums, archives and collections across the British Isles.

 

He informed the Panel 2018 was the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Mary Shelley had lived at 5 Abbey Churchyard.

 

Councillor Colin Blackburn asked if there was an update on the Newark Works element of Bath Quays South.

 

The Divisional Director for Community Regeneration replied that a lockout agreement had been signed with TCN and that site enabling works are due to commence.

 

Councillor Lisa O’Brien asked how feedback on the Keynsham High Street trial would be gathered.

 

Councillor Myers replied that there would be an online consultation and work would take place with particular groups to enable the most feedback.

 

The Divisional Director for Community Regeneration added that on street questionnaires would also be undertaken alongside visits to shops on the High Street and meeting with Keynsham Town Council.

 

Councillor Rob Appleyard asked if there was a particular focus for the incoming funds from WECA for housing.

 

The Divisional Director for Community Regeneration replied that there were four areas of focus across the Council in terms of WECA housing support, these were Whitchurch, Keynsham, BWR, Bath Quays.

 

The Chairman asked if it were true that only 22% of jobs created within the Quays would be at salary levels that enable those people to afford to live in B&NES.

 

The Divisional Director for Community Regeneration replied that a housing assessment has been carried out which aimed to support the delivery of housing that meets the needs of future workers.

 

The Chairman thanked Councillor Myers for his update on behalf of the Panel.

 

Councillor Bob Goodman, Cabinet Member for Development and Neighbourhoods addressed the Panel, a summary of his update is set out below.

 

Article 4 – Office to Residential

 

The Leader of the Council has decided to make an Article 4 direction and give notice of the direction. It has been necessary to do this to prevent the unprecedented change from office to residential in the last few years, resulting in the loss of business space.

 

It does not prevent the change of use but would mean consent would be necessary. Cabinet will decide whether to confirm, abandon or amend the Direction following the public consultation and public representations are considered.

 

I have declared a pecuniary interest and have not been involved in the decision making process.

 

Planning Fees

 

Planning Fees will rise by 20% on Wednesday 17th Jan.

The fee will apply to all applications validated on or after that date.

This is a government offer to the authority and must be ‘ring fenced’ to employ additional resources within the planning department to ensure a more efficient service and will be monitored.

 

Budget Changes

 

  • There is to be a permitted development right to allow commercial building to be demolished and replace with home.
  • Measures to try and ensure that planning permission (housing) are built out faster.
  • Land being ‘banked and not being built on by developers (for commercial –rather than technical reasons) could be subject to expanded power of compulsory purchases. Secretary of State is also bring in powers to direct LA to produce Joint Statutory plans as we have in the JSP in the WoE:

 

 

J.S.P

 

Consultation has been concluded and will be submitted for examination. No dates yet for the examination (possibly June) will update.

 

Local Plan

 

The consultation here has also closed; good engagement has been made across the region at various events.

Again I will update at the next PHED meeting with dates etc.

 

Foxhill

 

I understand the Foxhill Residents Association has issued proceedings in respect to the planning consent for Foxhill Demolition & Regeneration.

This will take the normal legal path.

 

The Chairman thanked Councillor Goodman for his update on behalf of the Panel.