Agenda item

To receive questions from members for the Executive and Committee Chairs.

Responses to written questions are to be published on 4 October 2021.

The Chair invited Councillor Barker to ask her urgent question regarding car parking ticket machines of Councillor Freeman, the Portfolio Holder for Public and Council Services.

Councillor Barker said she had been alerted to the change of car park ticket machines in Great Dunmow towards the end of September. She asked when the decision had been made to change Dunmow Parking machines to cashless machines; what consultation had been done with the public? Had an Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) been carried out in respect of this decision? Had there been a press release and were notices affixed to old machines to alert residents to this change? Why had Councillors not been informed this was happening?

In response, Councillor Freeman said his published report dealt with the early stages of this process but events had now moved on. He said the decision was taken in 2016 to put money aside to change the ticket machines into cashless across the district but five years later the money had not been spent. The Council’s hand was forced to make changes following a spate of vandalism and theft from the cash ticket machines. Thieves had stolen a machine and had de-engineered the technology; criminals now knew how to circumnavigate existing security mechanisms. He said the current position was unsustainable and the technology needed to be updated. In regards to a consultation, he said a trial was currently being run and the consultation would take place following the end of the pilot. An EQIA had been produced and press releases had been circulated, as well information sent to the relevant town and parish councils. He said he was looking forward to hearing the views of the public following the consultation. 

The Chair said he would take any questions of clarification on the five written questions submitted and published with the papers. Supplementary questions would not be permitted.

Councillor Dean thanked Councillor Pepper for her comprehensive answer to his written question regarding waste and recycling issues. He suggested that GAP Committee monitor waste and recycling performance indicators.

Councillor Sell asked for clarity regarding his Highways funding question. He asked whether he was correct to think that there was no guarantee that Highways funding would be made available next year.

In response, Councillor Hargreaves asked whether Councillor Sell accepted what had been said at previous Highway Panel meetings regarding Essex County Council’s issues with delivery and the lack of engineers to carry-out further projects.

Councillor Sell said he did understand this but the County Council had to budget and therefore they needed to know what the budget would be for the next financial year in order to programme delivery of projects. He expected there to be a dialogue between officers.

Councillor Sell asked for clarity regarding his call for sites question and when these sites would be put in the public domain. 

In response, Councillor Evans said his written answer referred to a recent Local Plan Leadership Group publication that included a schedule and provided details on the call for sites.

Councillor Gregory said he had no questions of clarification for Councillor Pepper.