Agenda and minutes

PRESENT:                            

Councillors C Joyce (Chairman),J Collop, P Foster, I Gourlay,

J Loveless, A Lovett, G McGuinness (substitute for J Collop),

Mrs K Mellish, Miss S Sandell, J M Tilbury and D Whitby

Portfolio Holders:

Councillor A Beales – Portfolio Holder for Regeneration and Industrial Assets

Councillor N Daubney – Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Resources

Councillor B Long – Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Environment

Management Team/Officers:

Ray Harding – Chief Executive

Matthew Henry – Property Services Manager

Debbie Gates – Executive Director, Central and Community Services

Dave Robson – Environmental Health Manager (Commercial)

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors J Collop and T Manley.

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 19 March 2015 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To consider any business, which by reason of special circumstances, the Chairman proposes to accept as urgent under Section 100(b)(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972.

There was none.

Please indicate if there are any interests which should be declared.  A declaration of an interest should indicate the nature of the interest (if not already declared on the Register of Interests) and the agenda item to which it relates.  If a diclosable pecuniary interest is declared, the member should withdraw from the room whilst the matter is discussed.

These declarations apply to all Members present, whether the Member is part of the meeting, attending to speak as a local Member on an item or simply observing the meeting from the public seating area.

There was none.

Members wishing to speak pursuant to Standing Order 34 should inform the Chairman of their intention to do so and on what items they wish to be heard before the meeting commences.  Any Member attending the meeting under Standing Order 34 will only be permitted to speak on those items which have been previously notified to the Chairman.

There was none.

There was none.

To receive comments, and recommendations from other Council bodies, and any responses subsequent to recommendations, which this Committee has previously made.  Some of the relevant Council bodies may meet after dispatch of the agenda.

At the meeting on 19 March 2015 the Cabinet Scrutiny Committee made the

following recommendations to Cabinet with regard to the proposed Members

ICT Solution:

                   (1)             That recommendation 2) should be amended to read that ‘a 3G card would be provided on request’ rather than on an exceptions basis.

                   (2)             That the Health and Safety impact on Councillors be examined.

                   (3)             That the tax and benefit implications for Members on the proposals as a whole be examined.

CABINET RESPONSE: The Cabinet accepted the recommendations.

There was none.

CABINET REPORT – AIR QUALITY ACTION PLAN

The Chairman informed the Committee that he had invited M J Rae to the meeting as a witness.  M J Rae was a representative of the Bicycle Users

Group.

At the request of the Chairman the Portfolio Holder for Environment explained that the production of an Air Quality Action Plan was a statutory duty for Local Authorities which had declared an Air Quality Management Area and the Action Plan suggested measures which could assist in improving the air quality in the Management Area.

The Chairman invited M J Rae to address the Committee.  M J Rae explained that he had attended the meeting on behalf of the Bicycle Users Group, who had responded to the consultation.  The Bicycle Users Group’s response to the consultation was included within the Cabinet report.  M J Rae commented that individual responses and group responses were given equal weight.  He explained that there were over one hundred members of the Bicycle Users Group.

M J Rae referred to the Air Quality Action Plan Summary which set out the measures which could be implemented to assist with improving air quality.  He referred to the suggestion that the Hardings Way bus route could be opened up to Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles to remove traffic from London Road.  M J Rae stated that the report indicated that this measure would have a medium impact and be cost neutral.

The Chairman invited questions from Members of the Committee to the Portfolio Holder. 

Councillor McGuinness referred to the suggested measure to open up the bus route to Taxi and Private Hire Vehicles and felt that South Lynn residents who used the route as pedestrians and cyclists would be unhappy with the additional vehicles to contend with.  He also raised concern that it was easy to see a bus coming, but it would be more difficult to see smaller vehicles approaching and they would be obscured around corners.

The Portfolio Holder for Environment explained that the Air Quality Action Plan set out measures which could be implemented to improve air quality in the future and further testing and consultation on the measures would be carried out to see if they were feasible and would have a measurable effect on air quality.  He confirmed that no decisions had been made on the possible future use of Hardings Way.  The Portfolio Holder for Environment referred to the consultation responses and explained that no adverse comments had been received from the Taxi trade on the suggested measure.  The Portfolio Holder referred to other Bus Lanes in the Country which were already opened up to Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles.  Councillor Mc Guinness commented that Hardings Way did have a pinch point and was a single lane, unlike some other bus routes.  He asked if further consultation would take place if the measure was progressed.  The Portfolio Holder explained that a consultation exercise had taken place on the Action Plan as a whole and further work would  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

To note the following Portfolio Holder’s Delegated Decisions:

(i)            Car Park at the rear of the Princess Theatre (EXEMPT)

(ii)           NORA – Land at Wisbech Road (EXEMPT)

(i) EXEMPT – Car Park at the rear of the Princess Theatre

(ii) EXEMPT – NORA – Land at Wisbech Road

RETURN TO OPEN SESSION

(iii) Draft Memorandum of Agreement for Wash and North Norfolk Coast

European Marine Site Management Scheme

The Committee noted the above Portfolio Holder’s Delegated Decisions.

The next meeting of the Committee was scheduled to be held on Thursday 18 June 2015 at 6.00pm in the Committee Suite.