Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Joyce and Ralph Snape.

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any pecuniary interest in respect of matters contained in this agenda.

If you have a pecuniary 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.

Councillor Julia Berry reported that she lived on Kittiwake, Chorley which was an unadopted estate.

A copy of the presentation and summary documentation from Lancashire County Council that was presented at the recent Member Learning Hour have been enclosed for your information.

Members received a copy of the presentation by Chorley Council officers and summary documentation from Lancashire Council County Council that had been presented at the Member Learning Hour on 13 August 2012 for background information to the review.

The Group will consider the scoping of the review.

Members of the Group discussed in detail the present problems that many of their constituents faced when trying to get their estates adopted. It was accepted that there were some real issues for residents across the Borough and Members thought that the Group needed to look at past performance to identify areas where the process of adoption of estates has been both successful or less successful, lessons could be learnt from those experiences and ways to improve the process could be identified for the future and  further failures prevented.

The Group would need information on existing adopted and unadopted estates in the Borough and the availability of that information was discussed.

It was also highlighted that the Council needed to improve relations and communications with existing developers and other partner organisations in the Borough and to better engage with the public to develop their understanding and knowledge of the adoption process.

The Group identified a mix of small and large existing un-adopted housing estates across the Borough that could be used as case studies from which to identify the concerns and issues that existed. The Group would then interview the developers of these estates, along with borough, county and United Utility officers.

The estates chosen were:

·         Gillibrand, Chorley

·         Kittiwake, Heapey

·         Buckshaw, Buckshaw Village

·         Fairview Farm, Adlington

Members discussed the importance of hearing the views and concerns of the local residents and parish councils affected by the issues of un-adoption and considered the best way of engaging with the public.

It was important that these residents felt engaged with the process but needed to understand the remit of the review was to make recommendations to the Executive Cabinet to try to improve and influence changes to the current processes and not to provide a solution to existing cases

Members agreed to a public consultation exercise whereby all the residents on the estates identified would be invited to either attend a designated meeting of the Group or submit comments in advance. This invitation could be extended by a leaflet drop to all the households concerned.

RESOLVED

1.    That a scoping document be drafted to take into account the discussions that had taken place at the meeting, to be signed off by the Chair of the Group before its submission to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for approval at its next meeting.

2.    That the Chair and Vice Chair be requested to produce a plan of action in relation to the public consultation event for discussion at a future meeting of the Group

The Group would aim to complete the review within a five month period, aiming to submit its Final Report to Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 14 January 2013 for consideration and approval.

The following dates were AGREED, along with a suggested schedule of activity, as follows:

17 October 2012 – Current position/identification of key issues.

7 November 2012 – Public consultation meeting

28 November 2012 – Interview Developers, Chorley Council/County Council/United Utilities officers

19 December 2012 – Pull together recommendations

9 January 2013 – consider draft Final Report