Agenda and minutes

To approve the record of the meeting held on 12 December 2013.

The record of the meeting held on 12 December 2013 was agreed and signed by the Chairman as correct. 

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Mason. 

The Chairman will announce any late items which do not appear on the main agenda but which he/she has agreed should be considered by reason of special circumstances to be specified in the report. 

There were none. 

(A)              Disclosable pecuniary interests and other interests

A member need only disclose at any meeting the existence of a disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI) in a matter to be considered at that meeting if that DPI has not been entered on the disclosable pecuniary interests register maintained by the Monitoring Officer.

A member disclosing a DPI at a meeting must thereafter notify the Monitoring Officer in writing of that interest within 28 days from the date of disclosure at the meeting.

A member may not participate in a discussion of or vote on any matter in which he or she has a DPI (both those already registered and those disclosed at the meeting) and must withdraw from the room during such discussion/vote.

Members may choose to voluntarily disclose a DPI at a meeting even if it is registered on the council’s register of disclosable pecuniary interests but there is no legal requirement to do so.

Members should also ensure they disclose any other interests which may give rise to a conflict under the council’s code of conduct.

In line with the training provided to members by the Monitoring Officer members will also need to consider bias and pre-determination in certain circumstances and whether they have a conflict of interest or should otherwise leave the room for Code reasons.

(B)            Whipping

The Council’s constitution also requires any Member of the Committee who is subject to a party whip (ie agreeing to vote in line with the majority view of a private party group meeting) to declare the existence of the whip.

Disclosable pecuniary interests

There were none.

Other interests

Councillor Stamp declared an interest in agenda item 7 (Annual Review of Waste Contracts) as he worked for the Environment Agency that regulated the waste industry.

Councillor Juby declared an interest during the discussion on item 7 (Annual Review of Waste Contracts) insofar as his daughter worked for a company providing a recycling service.

This report advises the Committee of the petitions presented at Council meetings, received by the council or sent via the e-petition facility, including a summary of officer’s response to the petitioners.

Discussion:

The Committee received a report setting out petitions received and a summary of the officer responses. This included details of a petition campaigning for a mountain bike trail/freeride course, which had passed the ten-day deadline for referral to the Committee.

The report set out details of two further petitions, both opposing the relocation of Strood Library from Bryant Road, Strood to 133 High Street, Strood. As provided for in the petitions scheme, the lead petitioners for both petitions had referred them to the Committee for consideration. The report set out details of the original petitions, the officer response and subsequent grounds for referral to the Committee. The Chairman also updated Members, advising that at the Council meeting on 23 January 2014 an additional 411 signatures had been submitted for the first petition (as set out in the report) and an additional 694 signatures for the second petition (as set out in the report). The Committee was further advised that Miss Shoard and Mr Robinson, representing the signatories on the first and second petition respectively, had been invited to attend the meeting to explain their concerns.

The Chairman invited Mr Robinson to address Members.

Mr Robinson questioned the decision taken to close the existing library and relocate to 133 High Street, Strood. He expressed concern as to the lack of public consultation on the current proposals and the validity of relying upon consultation undertaken on the previous scheme on the refurbished Tesco’s site.

Mr Robinson highlighted the costs that would be necessary, in a third party’s building, to create the community hub and expressed concern as to the future of the community hall at Bryant Road. He commented on the potential impact on the library offer by incorporating it within the wider hub of services and expressed concern as to the use of the Housing Revenue Account to fund the work. He referred to the availability of existing advice services on the High Street and, whilst acknowledging that moving libraries to the High Street was positive, believed that this was the wrong site and needed to be considered within a wider regeneration plan for Strood.

Mr Robinson concluded by asking about the cost of the scheme and recommending that the scheme be halted to enable a cost benefit analysis to be undertaken. He emphasised the need to retain the community hall and queried what would be done with the remaining site at Bryant Road. He stressed the need for the Council to change its practice concerning public consultation.

The Chairman invited Miss Shoard to address Members.

Miss Shoard referred to her question and the answers she had been given at Full Council on 23 January 2014. She explained how the existing library on Bryant Road was a valuable resource for the people of Strood and that it was currently conveniently situated in a densely populated area, it was easily accessible and close to bus stops.

Miss Shoard questioned the ability of the new facility to benefit Strood traders and referred  ...  view the full minutes text for item 794.

The Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Customer Contact will be held to account for matters within his portfolio relative to this Committee.

Discussion:

The Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Customer Contact, Councillor Peter Hicks, attended the meeting to be held to account for the areas of his portfolio that fell within the remit of this Committee.

Members asked questions and commented and Councillor Hicks responded as follows:

·              Community Safety

Further to questions as to the reported validity of crime statistics and the impact of this on future operations the Portfolio Holder assured Members that the Community Safety Partnership would continue to address local community safety issues, which was evidenced by the establishment of an alcohol subgroup on the Partnership. Responding to further questions the Portfolio Holder advised the Committee that burglary figures were down nationally and that instances of burglary tended to go in waves; a potential consequence of a large number of instances being committed by a small number of people.

Following comments as to an instance of begging in Medway the Portfolio Holder advised Members that he was certain this illegal activity would be addressed. He also undertook to review the powers available to stop instances of cycling within the pedestrian zones of Medway’s high streets.

In response to a question on illegal workers in Medway the Portfolio Holder made reference to the Council’s approach to working in partnership with other agencies, such as the UK Border Agency, to remove people who were illegally in the UK or working illegally.

·              Enforcement

Responding to questions as to instances of fly tipping and untidy land the Portfolio Holder advised that action was taken to prosecute whenever there was sufficient evidence. It was noted that there had been 12 convictions for fly tipping and waste related offences and one conviction for untidy land. The Committee was however advised that the Council did not receive the fines awarded for successful prosecutions, only the costs.

The Portfolio Holder also advised Members that proposals to introduce Dog Control Orders across Medway were being brought forward. These orders would control when dogs were required to be kept on leads. 

·              Environmental Health

In response to questions concerning the findings of the consumer watchdog Which?, as to inspection checks of food premises in Medway, the Portfolio Holder assured the Committee of the Council’s commitment to safeguarding food hygiene standards and to the continuation of the inspection of food premises. Members were advised that the Council would not hesitate to issue, as appropriate, the necessary notices to ensure businesses were complying with food hygiene regulations.

·              Trading Standards

         Responding to questions the Portfolio Holder highlighted the work of the Trading Standards team in addressing the sale of prohibited goods, such as the sale of alcohol to persons underage, and emphasised that the council would act whenever evidence was available.

         In relation to questions as to the work undertaken to tackle the sale of illicit tobacco, the Portfolio Holder advised that whilst the use of Tobacco sniffer dogs was an additional cost to the Council this approach could be repeated as part of a wider multi agency approach.

·              CCTV

The Committee  ...  view the full minutes text for item 795.

This report provides an update on the activity carried out by the waste contractors to Medway Council. Representatives from Veolia Environmental Services and FCC will attend the meeting in order to answer questions from the committee.

Discussion:

Representatives from Veolia Environmental Services (UK) PLC (Melanie Tong and David Fitzgerald) and FCC (Dave Harling) gave presentations and answered questions on the work carried out within the past year.

VeoliaEnvironmental Services (UK) PLC – waste and recycling collection, waste disposal and street cleaning services

The Committee was advised of the arrangements and agreements undertaken in response to the successful award of DCLG funding, to increase both recycling and organics collections to weekly and retaining black sack refuse collections. Work streams had included a review of the existing contract, payment mechanisms and Key Performance Indicators, as well as vehicle specification. Members were given details of the new fleet, which consisted of 46 Euro 5 compliant vehicles, the recruitment and training of staff and the work undertaken to reschedule garden waste rounds and schedule weekly recycling service to flats. The strong partnership working arrangements were highlighted and it was noted that further enhancements to the service would continue to be rolled out, such as the introduction of the twin stream service to flats.

Members were advised as to the performance figures between October 2012 to September 2013 and it was highlighted that the figures for both bulky waste (824 tonnes) and Garden and Kitchen waste (16,224 tonnes) represented an increase on previous years.

In relation to the provision of free WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment) collections Members were advised that Medway residents were now able to have items collected from inside their homes and that distinct projects had included WEEE Bring Banks and collections from schools. It was reported that items were taken to SWEEEP’s Sittingbourne facility to be broken up and separated into various material streams.

With regard to street cleaning the Committee was advised that double bin barrows enabled the separation of waste and recyclable materials and that, in addition to normal duties, the Response Team had assisted with 137 community clearances. It was also noted that an alternative disposal location to recycle all of the street arisings from mechanical sweepers had further enabled a 95% diversion from landfill.

The Committee was advised that from October 2011 all waste was transferred via the new Transfer Station at Rochester and that opening hours had been arranged to accommodate other contractors. It was noted that the main focus of the disposal contract had been to ensure minimal tonnage to landfill and that a Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) outlet for residual waste had been identified to further minimise disposal into landfill. Members were advised that total tonnage through the Transfer Station for 2012/2013 had been 104,106 tonnes.

For 2012/2013 it was noted that the recycling performance had achieved the target of 41% and the percentage of roads deemed satisfactory in street cleansing inspections had exceeded target. Members were further advised that public satisfaction was either at or above target for refuse collection, recycling and street cleaning.

The presentation was concluded with information concerning Veolia as a company. This included information on staff development, health and safety and staff  ...  view the full minutes text for item 796.

This report updates Members on the Council’s cultural activities, and given the requirements to refresh the Council’s Cultural Strategy, reflects on progress made over the last 4 years, considering potential areas of focus for the next 5 years. 

Discussion: 

The Deputy Director, Customer Contact, Leisure, Culture, Democracy and Governance gave a presentation updating on progress made and setting out possible future proposals for the next iteration of the Cultural Strategy, based on the four strategic priorities within the current Cultural Strategy.

Stewardship

Members were advised of the successful funding bid for the renovation and conservation of Eastgate House, and the Opening Doors project at the Guildhall Museum, which had attracted over 70,000 visitors last year. Green Flag accreditation had been secured at 5 sites in Medway and significant investment secured in play areas. The importance of volunteers in delivering the Cultural Strategy was also stressed.

Engagement

Medway’s enhanced festival offer was set out with over 30 days of free festivals, this was more than anywhere else in the South East outside London. Details of the Community Hubs that provided a gateway to Council services was provided. It was also noted that Medway’s creative talent had been celebrated through the Culture and Design Awards in 2010 and 2012.

Economic Prosperity

It noted that a draft Tourism Strategy had been developed and would be launched in May 2014. This reflected the importance of the tourism offer to the local economy, which was worth £286m pa, supporting over 6,000 jobs. The Deputy Director highlighted the Explore Medway Tourism Bus, Christmas markets and the establishment of creative workspaces in support of the Creative Sector.

Health and Wellbeing

The Committee was advised that Medway Park had received over 750,000 visits in 2013 and it was noted that the Council had hosted a number of national and international events, including the Modern Pentathlon World and European Cups, British Transplant Games and the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup.The success of the Medway Big Splash, a new mass participation swimming event that took place for the first time in January 2014, was highlighted.

It was also reported that the strategy had envisaged a Year of Celebration in 2012, which had been very successfully delivered.

The Deputy Director then advised Members of the next iteration of the Cultural Strategy for 2014 – 2019. It was noted that it was proposed to retain the existing four strategic priorities, which underpinned establishing Medway as a destination for Culture, Heritage, Sport and Tourism. Early proposals for each of the priorities were set out.

Members then asked questions and commented on the existing and emerging Cultural Strategies. This included:

·                    comment and praise for a number of events held in Medway, including the Medway Mela at Gillingham Park and Armed Forces Day.

·                    the Council’s involvement in a number of sports, including Korfball and rugby, and opportunities to build on this with other events, such as running races.

·                    support for encouraging greater use of the river.

·                    the creation of a continuous footpath and cycle path on the southern side of the river.

·                    the Medway Big Ride - a new mass participation event in 2014 designed to encourage the people of Medway to cycle.

·                    the importance of engaging with ward councillors.

·                    the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 797.

This report updates the Committee on a Members’ meeting to discuss the size and operation of Medway’s controlled parking zones.

Discussion:

The Assistant Director Front Line Services introduced this report that updated Members on a Members’ meeting to discuss the size and operation of Medway’s controlled parking zones.

Members were reminded that this matter had originated from a petition from residents of the New Road area in Chatham, which had been considered by the Committee in April 2013. Following this consideration a meeting had been held with Chatham Central and River ward Councillors to review parking permit zones.

The report set out the issues discussed and the factors impacting on residents in this area. It was reported that, having taken these factors into account, a consultation exercise had been undertaken on the potential to extend the residents parking hours in New Road. It was noted that there had been 25 responses to the consultation; 16 supported the scheme operating all day (24/7), 5 supported Monday to Sunday 8am and 12 midnight and 4 did not indicate support to the scheme. The suggestion to provide free parking in the Upper Mount car park in the late afternoon and evening and at weekends was also explained.

Members discussed the particular circumstances within this parking zone and the need to take parking issues in controlled parking zones into account in the consideration of planning applications. The findings of the checks undertaken by Parking Services on the use of residents’ parking permits within the zone were also noted and Members considered the operation of business permits. The costs for undertaking a controlled parking review was considered, along with the Council’s position that such reviews were not conducted unless there was third party funding. Members considered the unseen consequences of car parking charges and the hours of on-street parking and the Assistant Director advised that this could be reviewed in due course.

Decisions:

a)                The Committee noted the report and requested that the Director of Regeneration, Community and Culture explore the potential implementation of the options outlines at 3.2 and 3.3 of the report.

b)                The Committee requested that the Director of Regeneration, Community and Culture, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Front Line Services, take into account the 16 out of 25 responses (as set out in section 2.14 of the report) and consider the introduction of 24/7 controlled parking in New Road, Chatham.

c)                The Committee requested that the Director of Regeneration, Community and Culture, consider a change in the hours of charged for parking at the Upper Mount car park. Based on the combination of the proximity to Chatham High Street, the Railway Station and a night club putting pressure on on-street parking in the immediate area it is recommended that residents be allowed to park free of charge in the evening and weekends.

d)                 Members requested that the Director of Regeneration, Community and Culture investigate the use of business permits.

e)                 Members requested a Briefing Note breaking down the costings of undertaking a parking review.

f)                   Members requested that when parking charges are reviewed that the implications of hours  ...  view the full minutes text for item 798.

This report updates Members following a site meeting that took place as a result of concerns raised regarding traffic flow in Chatham.  

Discussion:

The Committee was reminded that under Medway’s Constitution Councillor Mackinlay had requested that consideration be given to traffic flow in Chatham.

It was noted that the Committee had originally considered this in January 2013, with an update given to Members in June 2013 where it was agreed that a report would come back in six months following a site meeting.

The report gave details of the site visit that had taken place in September 2013, to review traffic conditions along The Brook and Union Street. The issues raised at the site visit along with Director’s comments were set out.

Members considered the traffic management improvements that had been undertaken to improve capacity along The Brook and Union Street. The improvements attributable to the introduction of new timing plans for traffic signals from the junction of Dock Road/Globe Lane (Chatham Waterfront Bus Station) to Union Street and the introduction of puffin crossings were noted.

Decisions:

a)                The Committee noted the report and the work underway to improve the traffic flow in Chatham Town Centre.

b)                 The Committee requested that officers arrange a visit for Committee Members to the traffic control room to understand how the system worked. 

This report sets out a response to an issue, raised by Councillor Bright and the opposition spokespersons, requesting a visit to Chatham Waterfront Bus Station. 

Discussion:

The Assistant Director Front Line Services introduced a report that followed a visit to the Chatham Waterfront Bus Station by members of the Regeneration, Community and Culture Committee. It was noted that this visit had taken place in November 2013, as Members had requested to view conditions when it was colder.

The report gave details of the various operational issues that had been discussed, noting that no significant issues with the bus station had been raised at the visit.

During the discussion on this item Members were advised that there had been software problems with the bus departure time displays at the Chatham Waterfront Bus Station but that this was in the process of being fixed. It was also reported that investigations were underway to improve weather protection on platform B and that this was currently with the council’s Capital Projects team. As these works were currently unfunded Members considered the use of Section 106 funds to finance these works. However it was recognised that if no external funding was available, the works would still be done.

Decision:

The Committee noted the report and requested that officers investigate if section 106 funding can be identified to fund works to improve weather protection on platform B, as set out in section 3.4 of the report. 

This item advises Members of the current work programme and allows the Committee to adjust it in the light of latest priorities, issues and circumstances. It gives Members the opportunity to shape and direct the Committee’s activities over the year. 

Discussion:

The Democratic Services Officer introduced the report and advised that at the agenda planning meeting in January 2014 two items had been added to the Committee’s work programme:

·              Rochester Riverside Masterplan – June

·              Update on Guide to Developer Contributions – June.

The Committee was also advised that since the despatch of the agenda three items had been added to the Cabinet Forward Plan with the remit of the Committee and that the report relating to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 would now be submitted to Cabinet in April 2014 (and not February as reported).

Decision:

The Committee noted the current work programme and the changes set out in paragraphs 3.2 and 3.3 of the report.