Agenda and minutes

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Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for Absence and Declarations of Interest

To receive any apologies for absence and declarations of interest.

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from the Chief Executive.

 

The Chair said he had a personal interest in Item 11, School Transport, as an issue which had been problematic in his ward.

 

2.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 79 KB

To consider the minutes of the previous meeting.

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 4 February 2020 were approved and signed as a correct record.

3.

Cabinet Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 58 KB

To receive the updated Cabinet Forward Plan.

Minutes:

Members noted that the Corporate Plan Delivery Plan would be brought before the Committee at the May meeting.

4.

Scrutiny Work Programme pdf icon PDF 49 KB

To receive the Scrutiny Work Programme.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Caton said the National Audit Office had published a report on Local Authority Investment in Commercial Property. This could be put on the agenda for the June meeting.

 

Councillor Criscione said the Planning Obligations and Conditions Task Group were still out for consultation with parish councils, and so would be reporting to the next meeting.

 

Councillor LeCount said he had been working with the Stansted Airport Community Trust for the past 6 months, but had so far been unable to acquire information on how the Trust had spent its money over the last 10 years. He was soon to become a trustee, and would provide more information at the May meeting.

5.

Planning Obligations and Conditions

To receive a verbal update on the Planning Obligations and Conditions Task and Finish Group.

Minutes:

Members of the Planning Obligations and Conditions Task and Finish Group noted that the Development Manager was in the process of writing the Group’s final report to come before the Committee in May. The Group had received 36 responses to its consultation so far.

6.

Major Planning Applications

To receive a verbal update on the work conducted by the Planning Advisory Service.

Minutes:

The Assistant Director – Corporate Services said the Planning Advisory Service had sat in on the Planning Committee meeting at which the application to expand Stansted Airport had been considered, and had conducted interviews with a number of members, officers and other stakeholders. A number of follow-up interviews still needed to be completed. It was expected that they would report in May or June.

7.

Airport Fly Parking

To receive a verbal update on the progress of the Airport Fly Parking Task and Finish Group.

Minutes:

Councillor Caton said the Airport Fly Parking Task and Finish Group was arranging to meet the Essex Transport Forum, and to have discussions with parish councils in affected areas. They had also spoken to the Portfolio Holder for Infrastructure, Transport and Stansted Airport. The Group had discussed the possibility of 3 parish councils trialing various options and were aiming to submit the final report in September.

 

 

8.

Recording and Broadcasting of Meetings pdf icon PDF 40 KB

To receive a report on the recording and broadcasting of meetings from Councillor LeCount.

Minutes:

Councillor LeCount said he had been asked to look into this issue when the Planning Committee meeting to consider whether to issue the decision notice for the expansion of Stansted Airport had failed to record. The conclusion of a report by the provider had been that there had been several issues at play. New procedures had been tested and were in place, the software had been updated, and there were now robust checks on the system. There had been no conspiracy and he would report again at the June meeting.

9.

School Transport Request from Councillor Day

To consider a request from Councillor Day to scrutinise school transport.

Minutes:

Councillor Day said he had brought this issue to the Committee to ask them to investigate school transport provided by scheduled bus routes. He understood that he drivers on these routes were not DBS checked and were not trained in the safeguarding of children. Through speaking to other councillors and residents of the District, he had compiled a dossier of concerns regarding this issue, and communication with Essex County Council had failed to reassure him.

 

Members agreed the safeguarding of children on scheduled bus routes was a serious matter that required their attention.

 

RESOLVED to endorse Councillor Day in the following regard:

 

i)to write to the Cabinet Member at Essex County Council responsible for school transport requesting information on its safeguarding procedure for school children on scheduled transport, and;

ii)to engage as appropriate with Essex County Council to address the underlying issues.

 

10.

Essex County Travellers Unit Request from Councillor Criscione

To discuss an issue raised by Councillor Criscione in respect of the Essex County Travellers Unit.

Minutes:

Councillor Criscione said his ward of Flitch Green and Little Dunmow had been experiencing problems with some of the travellers on the Essex County Council travellers site. This issue was not something that would be constructive for the Scrutiny Committee to examine and so he would withdraw the suggestion that it be added to the work programme.

11.

Annual Report pdf icon PDF 75 KB

To consider the Scrutiny Committee annual report.

Minutes:

The Director – Corporate Services said the report would be updated based on the outcome of the meeting.

 

The Chair noted the Committee and its substitutes had training scheduled for 14 May.

 

 

The meeting closed at 20.50.