Agenda, decisions and minutes

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of the Executive Member (Policy and Performance) (Councillor Greg Morgan) and Councillors Henry Caunce, Pat Haughton and Mick Muncaster.

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any personal interest in respect of matters contained in this agenda. If the interest arises only as result of your membership of another public body or one to which you have been appointed by the Council then you only need to declare it if you intend to speak.

If the personal interest is a prejudicial interest, you must withdraw from the meeting. Normally you should leave the room before the business starts to be discussed. You do, however, have the same right to speak as a member of the public and may remain in the room to enable you to exercise that right and then leave immediately. In either case you must not seek to improperly influence a decision on the matter.

There were no declarations of interest by any of the Executive Cabinet members in any of the meeting’s agenda items.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the last meeting of the Executive Cabinet held on 2 September 2010 (Minutes enclosed).

The minutes of the last meeting of the Executive Cabinet held on 2 September 2010 were confirmed as a correct record for signature by the Executive Leader.

Members of the public who have requested the opportunity to ask a question(s) on an item(s) on the agenda will be asked to put their question(s) to the respective Executive Member(s).  Each member of the public will be allowed to ask one supplementary question within his/her allocated 3 minutes. 

The Executive Leader reported that there had been no requests from any member of the public to speak on any of the meeting’s agenda items.

The Head of Policy will make a short presentation at the meeting on the outcome of the survey.

That the presentation by the Performance Advisor be noted.

The Chair welcomed one of the Council’s Performance Advisors (David Wilkinson) who had been invited to attend the meeting to make a short presentation on the results of the recent place survey of the Citizens’ Panel to obtain their perception and satisfaction rating of the Council’s delivery of services and value for money performance; and to highlight any issues of general concern.

The Members were pleased that the survey results, compared to the outcome of the 2008 poll, had revealed that the percentage of residents satisfied with both the way of the Council operates; provides value for money; and delivers services, and with the local area generally as a place to live, had risen significantly.

The results revealed Chorley Council to be in fourth and seventh place respectively out of 352 authorities nationally in relation to residents’ views on the way the authority provides value for money and runs the organisation.  Similarly, a higher percentage of residents surveyed were satisfied with the Council’s performance in respect of a number of key national indicators (eg residents’ ability to influence decisions in their locality; regular volunteering; perception of safety).

The results of the Citizens’ Panel poll placed Chorley in the top quartile of authorities nationally for its performance on the majority of the measurable targets and residents’ perception of the authority’s performance and delivery of services.

The Executive Leader thanked the Officer for the presentation and commended the efforts of all Members and Officers over the past years.

Recommendation approved.

The Director of Partnerships, Planning and Policy presented a report seeking endorsement of the refreshed Sustainable Community Strategy for the Borough for the 10 year period up to 2020.

The revised Strategy had been developed by the Chorley Partnership following an extensive and comprehensive public consultation exercise to ensure that the Strategy reflected the needs and aspirations of residents and partners.

The focus of the strategy placed the individual resident at the centre of all partnership working and the format of the document had been simplified.  Detailed action plans would now need to be developed to identify key targets and measures for the delivery of the respective priorities.

Decision made:

That the refreshed Sustainable Community Strategy, as now submitted, be endorsed and recommended to the Council for approval.

Reason for decision:

The Local Government Act requires local authorities to prepare a Sustainable Community Strategy to promote the well-being of the local area.  The Strategy provides a focus and vision for the local area, which all members of the Chorley Partnership support through their own corporate plans.  The refreshed Sustainable Community Strategy is based on an extensive needs analysis and consultation with partners and residents, and will provide a renewed focus for the Council.

Alternative option(s) considered and rejected:

None.

Recommendations approved.

The Executive Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Partnerships, Planning and Policy recommending Members’ agreement to the amendment of the draft Central Lancashire LDF Core Strategy as a result of the Government’s decision to revoke Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS).

The revocation of the RSS would allow authorities more discretion in the determination of local housing requirements.  The three Central Lancashire authorities were being advised to proceed with the publication of an amended Core Strategy as based on lower housing requirements than those stipulated in the RSS.  The setting of a lower level of housing requirement was considered prudent in the current economic situation, pending the adoption of the Site Allocations Development Plan Document.

The Core Strategy also required to be updated in order to reflect a number of other relevant factors and changes, including the revision of Planning Policy Statement No 3 reclassifying residential gardens from brownfield to greenfield and removing the indicative minimum density requirement of 30 dwellings per hectare.

An appendix to the report summarised the proposed changes to the draft Core Strategy.

Decision made:

(1)       That the Council be recommended to approve the amendments to the draft Publication Version of the Central Lancashire Core Strategy agreed by the Executive Cabinet on 31 March 2010, as outlined in Appendix 5 to the submitted report, so that the Core Strategy can be formally published to allow for the submission of representations.

(2)       That approval be given to the commissioning of research to assess the appropriateness of the former Regional Spatial Strategy housing figures for Central Lancashire in the current economic circumstances.

Reason for decision:

To agree an appropriate way forward for advancing the Core Strategy.

Alternative option(s) considered and rejected:

1.         Stop work on the Core Strategy and re-commence later.

2.         Progress with the approved Core Strategy using the former RSS housing figures.

To receive and consider the enclosed report of the Director of Partnerships, Planning and Policy, with attached Issues and Options Discussion Paper and accompanying appendix.

Recommendations approved.

The Director of Partnerships, Planning and Policy presented a report which explained the purpose of the Site Allocations and Development Management Policies Development Plan Document (DPD) within the context of the LDF Core Strategy and outlined the envisaged timetable for the key stages of the work.

The Site Allocations DPD would ultimately determine the specific sites for development within the Borough,. in accordance with the policies and general locations set out in the Core Strategy.  It would identify local issues and include policies to either protect existing uses on sites or guide the way sites were developed.

The Executive Cabinet were recommended to approve, for public consultation purposes, the Issues and Options Discussion Paper as the first stage of a lengthy process leading to the approval of the Site Allocations and Development Management Policies DPD.  The document sought to canvass views on the numerous potential development sites that had been put forward.  No firm decisions had yet been taken on any of the sites and commitment to the allocation of sites for specific uses and the finalisation of development management policies would follow later during the ‘Preferred Options’ stage of the development plan process.  The ‘Issues and Options’ document did, however, identify those sites which were not considered to be viable for development (eg greenbelt sites) and listed the development management policies intended to be saved, amended or introduced through the document.

Representations received during the consultation period up to January 2011 would be assessed and a preferred approach towards the issues and options would be set out in the ‘Preferred Options’ document to be produced in the summer of 2011.

The Members hoped that the consultation exercise would be as wide-ranging as possible and the Officers undertook to provide each Councillor with a coloured set of plans and documents setting out the detailed proposals affecting locations within their respective Wards.

Decision made:

(1)       That the Issues and Options Discussion Paper in relation to the Site Allocations and Development Management Policies Development Plan Document, as now submitted, be approved for consultation purposes.

(2)       That delegated authority be granted to the Director of Partnerships, Planning and Policy to make minor amendments to the Issues and Options Discussion Paper in advance of the consultation exercise, following consultation with the Executive Member (Partnership and Planning).

Reason for decision:

The instigation of the Issues and Options stage of the Site Allocations document aims to seek views on the suitability of the sites and uses that have been put forward in order to assist the evaluation of those sites.

Alternative option(s) considered and rejected:

None.

To receive and consider the enclosed report of the Director of Partnerships, Planning and Policy.

Recommendation approved.

The Director of Partnerships, Planning and Policy submitted a report on the outcome of the six weeks consultation period on the authority’s plans to introduce an Interim Planning Policy Statement for use as a development control tool when assessing proposals for new developments in residential gardens.

The draft Interim Policy contained a general presumption against residential development in private gardens and had been compiled with legal advice in order to reflect recent policy changes.

The report confirmed that, at the expiry of the consultation period, 130 representations had been received, 114 of which supported the proposed Policy.  Appendices to the report summarised the contents of the representations and the Officers’ associated comments.

Decision made:

That, having taken into account the representations received and associated Officer responses, the Interim Policy on Private Residential Garden Development, as outlined in Appendix 1 to the submitted report, be approved and adopted for development control purposes.

Reason for decision:

To ensure an appropriate response to the Coalition Government’s changes to planning policy and to reflect local concerns.

Alternative option(s) considered and rejected:

None.

Recommendation approved.

The Executive Cabinet received a update report of the Director of Transformation on the Alcohol Intervention Programme developed by the Chorley Partnership.

The Partnership had agreed to channel a proportion of the Performance Award Grant towards a number of schemes aimed at tackling the issues highlighted by the fact that alcohol related hospital admissions within the Borough had increased by over one third during the past years.

A targeted alcohol intervention programme, comprising the following four elements, had been developed by the LSP:

·                    Free health checks for all Chorley residents;

·                    Brief intervention training for frontline staff within a variety of Chorley organisations;

·                    An alcohol awareness programme for High Schools;

·                    Targeted outreach work with young people and families.

Decision made:

That the report be noted.

To receive and consider the enclosed report of the Director of People and Places, with two attached appendices.

Recommendations approved.

The Executive Cabinet considered a report of the Director of People and Places on new legislative provisions relating to the licensing of premises that provided entertainment defined as sexual entertainment (eg lap dancing and pole dancing).

The Licensing and Safety Committee had recommended the adoption of the new provisions, together with a policy framework and fees structure, in order to allow the Council to consider and determine any future applications for the use of premises within the Borough for the defined entertainments.

Decisions made:

(1)       That the decision of the Licensing and Public Safety Committee to support the adoption, under Section 2 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982, of the provisions of Schedule 3 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 (as amended by Section 27 of the Police and Crime Act 2009) for the licensing of Sexual Entertainment Venues be endorsed, and that the Council be recommended accordingly to adopt the legislative provisions with effect from 1 January 2011.

(2)       That the decision of the Licensing and Public Safety Committee to approve the policy framework and fee structure within which applications for Sexual Entertainment Venue licences will be considered, as contained in Appendices 1 and 2 to the submitted report, be endorsed.

Reason for decisions:

(1)       To enable the Council to determine applications for sexual entertainment venues using the wider consideration criteria that the adoptive powers of the amended Schedule 3 allow.

(2)       To ensure that the adoptive powers are introduced in accordance with the legislative requirements and Home Office guidance.

Alternative option(s) considered and rejected:

The option to delay adoption of the powers until April 2011, when consideration of adoption will be compulsory, was rejected.

To receive and consider the enclosed report of the Director of Transformation.

Recommendation approved.

The Director of Transformation presented a report on proposals to revise and update the Capital Programme for 2010/11 to 2012/13, effecting an increase of the Programme by £432,880 to £13,760,420.

The programme had been updated to take account of expenditure planned to be rephrased between financial years, and to allow the addition of new projects to be financed by external contributions or virements from other capital budgets.

The report clarified that it was not intended to increase borrowing to fund the increased programme, provided that all budgeted resources and anticipated capital receipts were realised.

Decisions made:

That the Council be recommended:

(1)       to approve the revised Capital Programme for 2010/11, as presented in Appendix 1 to the submitted report;

(2)       to note the proposed amendments to the provisional Capital Programme for 2011/12 and 2012/13, as shown in Appendix 2 to the submitted report.

Reason for decisions:

To update and increase the Capital Programme for 2010/11 to 2012/13, after taking account of the planned rephrasing or virement of expenditure and the availability of capital resources.

Alternative option(s) considered and rejected:

None.

To consider the exclusion of the press and public for the folowing item of business on the ground that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt  information as defined in Paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

Decision made:

That the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the ground that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972.

To receive and consider the enclosed report of the Chief Executive, together with the following accompanying complementary reports tabled at the meeting:

Recommendation approved.

The Executive Cabinet considered a confidential report circulated by the Chief Executive on proposals to restructure teams within the People and Places Directorate; Strategic Housing Section; Policy and Communications Section; and Administrative and Transactional Services.  The report was complemented by four separate reports explaining in detail the specific restructure proposals for each of the affected sections.

The principal focus of the restructure would be to centralise a number of services that were currently undertaken separately across the authority, which would reduce both back office costs, whilst protecting front line services.  The proposals, if realised, would achieve an annual saving of over £470,000.

Decisions made:

(1)       That the proposals contained within the confidential reports of the Chief Executive for an organisational restructure affecting the People and Places Directorate; Strategic Housing section; Policy and Communications section; and Administrative and Transactional Services, be approved for consultation purposes with staff and trade unions, with a view to firm decisions being made at the next Executive Cabinet meeting on 11 November 2010.

(2)       That all officers in deleted posts who are at risk of redundancy be given the opportunity to apply for newly created posts as potential suitable alternative employment.

Reason for decisions:

The four areas of activity need to be re-shaped to reflect changing circumstances, value for money reviews and the need to make a significant financial saving as forecast in the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy and in preparation for the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Alternative option(s) considered and rejected:

A number of alternative revised staffing structures have been considered and rejected.