Issue - meetings

The Sustainable Communities Act 2007 gives an opportunity for councils and communities to put forward new thinking on how to meet the challenges of sustainability and local wellbeing.  A basic criterion is that proposals must be ones that need some form of action from central government (such as a change in legislation, a transfer of responsibilities from one public body to another, a new national policy or a change or strengthening of policy).  Proposals must not be possible within existing powers.

The Council's timetable for considering proposals is:

For further information about submitting a proposal please contact Gemma Barron on 01954 713340 or Gemma.Barron@scambs.gov.uk

Gemma Barron presented this item which asked the Board to agree the District Council’s proposal to form a Panel to consider proposals received under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007.

The following points were noted:

• Letters would be sent to parish councils encouraging them to submit proposals;
• It was impossible to predict how many proposals would be submitted or what the proposals would be about;
• The Panel, which would consist of Board members, would convene following scheduled meetings of the Board if there were any business, was an efficient solution.

The Board

AGREED        To accept the District Council’s request to form a Panel to consider proposals under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007.

Cabinet RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL that the authority “opts in” to the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 by:

A)     Publicising the process locally, including a deadline for proposals to be submitted the Council for consideration by the Panel (see below);

B)     Asking the membership of the South Cambridgeshire Local Strategic Partnership Board to set up a Panel to consider proposals and try to reach agreement with the Panel as to the merits of a proposal and priorities between different proposals;

C)     Consulting with those parties affected if the proposal involves the transfer of a responsibility from one public body to another;

D)    Having regard to a list of matters set out in a Schedule to the Act;

E)     Finally making a formal decision on whether to forward the proposal/s onwards to the Selector; and

F)     Assessing the effectiveness of these arrangements at the end of the 2009/10 civic year.

The report considered by the Cabinet is available to view using the following link to the Council's website (www.scambs.gov.uk). Alternatively, a copy is available to view in the Members’ Room or from Democratic Services, telephone (01954) 713016 e-mail democratic.services@scambs.gov.uk.  

Council RESOLVED to “opt in” to the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 by:

A)     Publicising the process locally, including a deadline for proposals to be submitted the Council for consideration by the Panel (see below);

B)     Asking the membership of the South Cambridgeshire Local Strategic Partnership Board to form a Panel to consider proposals and try to reach agreement as to the merits of a proposal and priorities between different proposals;

C)    Consulting with those parties affected if the proposal involves the transfer of a responsibility from one public body to another;

D)    Having regard to a list of matters set out in a Schedule to the Act;

E)     Finally making a formal decision on whether to forward the proposal/s onwards to the Selector; and

F)     Assessing the effectiveness of these arrangements at the end of the 2009/10 civic year.

Councillor DR DR Bard moved, Councillor RMA Manning seconded and Council RESOLVED to “opt in” to the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 by:

A)     Publicising the process locally, including a deadline for proposals to be submitted to the Council for consideration by the Panel (see below);

B)     Asking the membership of the South Cambridgeshire Local Strategic Partnership Board to form a Panel to consider proposals and try to reach agreement as to the merits of a proposal and priorities between different proposals;

C)    Consulting with those parties affected if proposals involved the transfer of a responsibility from one public body to another;

D)    Having regard to a list of matters set out in a Schedule to the Act;

E)     Finally making a formal decision on whether to forward the proposal/s onwards to the Selector; and

F)     Assessing the effectiveness of these arrangements at the end of the 2009/10 civic year.

Cabinet

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL that the authority “opts in” to the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 by:

A)     Publicising the process locally, including a deadline for proposals to be submitted the Council for consideration by the Panel;

B)    Asking the membership of the South Cambridgeshire Local Strategic Partnership Board to set up a Panel to consider proposals and try to reach agreement with the Panel as to the merits of a proposal and priorities between different proposals;

C)    Consulting with those parties affected if the proposal involves the transfer of a responsibility from one public body to another;

D)    Having regard to a list of matters set out in a Schedule to the Act;

E)     Finally making a formal decision on whether to forward the proposal/s onwards to the Selector; and

F)     Assessing the effectiveness of these arrangements at the end of the 2009/10 civic year.

The New Communities Portfolio Holder introduced this item regarding the Secretary of State’s invitation under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 to receive proposals promoting the sustainability of local communities.

Members of Cabinet made the following points:

• The process needed to be handled sensitively to avoid raising unrealistic expectations.
• The most efficient solution was to ask the membership of the South Cambridgeshire Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) Board to set up the Panel to consider the proposals.
• Due to concerns about the process and its effectiveness it was agreed that Cabinet should review this issue at the end of the 2009/10 civic year.

It was suggested that the Scrutiny and Overview Committee would be a more suitable forum to consider the resulting proposals than the LSP Board, especially as it was meeting in the District’s villages. However, It was noted that the Panel could not be made up exclusively of District Councillors but had to include other representatives of the local community.

Cabinet

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL that the authority “opts in” to the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 by:

A)     Publicising the process locally, including a deadline for proposals to be submitted to the Council for consideration by the Panel;

B)    Asking the membership of the South Cambridgeshire Local Strategic Partnership Board to set up a Panel to consider proposals and try to reach agreement with the Panel as to the merits of a proposal and priorities between different proposals;

C)    Consulting with those parties affected if the proposal involves the transfer of a responsibility from one public body to another;

D)    Having regard to a list of matters set out in a Schedule to the Act;

E)     Finally making a formal decision on whether to forward the proposal/s onwards to the Selector; and

F)     Assessing the effectiveness of these arrangements at the end of the 2009/10 civic year.

Given that the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 received enthusiastic cross-party support in Parliament, we propose that SCDC should opt in to the Act by the date specified in the letter of invitation (expected shortly) given by the Secretary of State, in order to further sustainable living in South Cambridgeshire.

Councillors Dr SA Harangozo and AN Berent. 

Council RESOLVED that the Motion standing in the name of Councillors Dr SA Harangozo and AN Berent, set out at Agenda item 11(d) be referred to Cabinet to allow full consideration of the implications of the Sustainable Communities Act before being resubmitted to Council for further consideration in due course.

Councillor Dr SA Harangozo moved and Councillor AN Berent seconded a Motion in the following terms:

‘Given that the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 received enthusiastic cross-party support in Parliament, we propose that SCDC should opt in to the Act by the date specified in the letter of invitation (expected shortly) given by the Secretary of State, in order to further sustainable living in South Cambridgeshire.’

Council RESOLVED, in accordance with Standing Order 13(d), that the Motion be referred to Cabinet to allow full consideration of the implications of the Sustainable Communities Act before being resubmitted to Council for further consideration in due course.