Agenda, decisions and minutes

Please note that the Constitution requires that when considering any decision in respect of which a member of the Committee is subject to a party whip, the member must declare the existence of the whip. Under the Code of Conduct, any Councillor who has a personal or prejudicial interest should declare this at the meeting.

Councillors present declared the following interests:

Councillor Roger Hall declared a personal interest as a District Councillor for villages on the A14.

Councillor Mike Mason declared a personal interest as the Councillor for Histon and Impington who would be affected by the Plan.

Councillor Tony Orgee declared a personal interest as a County Councillor.

Councillor Bridget Smith declared a personal interest as the member champion for children and young people, who had been consulted on the Transport Plan in question.

Councillor Nick Wright expressed a personal and prejudicial interest in any discussion regarding improvements affecting the A14 at Conington where he owned land, should this matter arise. This issue did not arise and so no action was required by Councillor Wright.

There were no pre-submitted questions from the public. 

The Committee

AGREED        To refer the decision back to the Planning Portfolio Holder for reconsideration of the issues raised by the Committee regarding his proposed response to the County Council.

The Committee

RECOMMENDED            That decision makers in future take more active steps to consult members and other interested parties on important decisions, rather than relying on them to be aware of agenda items listed for Portfolio Holder meetings.

Councillor James Hockney introduced this item by setting the parameters for the call-in of the decision taken by the Planning Portfolio Holder on 8 March 2011 to endorse the Council’s District Statement for inclusion within Cambridgeshire Local Transport Plan 3 (LTP) and to support the emerging Local Transport Plan 3. He explained that the Committee should look at the process and not discuss the actual merits of the Plan itself. He further explained that the decision had been called in on the following grounds from the Council’s principles of decision-making:

·                      Due consultation and the taking of professional advice from officers

·                      Presumption in favour of openness, helpfulness and consistency

·                      Consideration of available options and giving reasons for decisions

The Chairman stated that he was satisfied that Councillor Wright had taken professional advice from officers and so had decided to restrict discussion on the first ground to “due consultation”. He also decided to combine discussion on consultation with points on presumption in favour of openness, helpfulness and consistency.

First and Second Grounds: Due consultation and consideration of available options and giving reasons for decisions

Consultation with councillors

In response to questioning Councillor Wright stated that all Councillors had been notified of this issue in the Weekly Bulletin on 4 occasions, Forward Plan and the Planning Portfolio Holder meeting agenda. He therefore considered that Councillors had been consulted. It was suggested that Councillors had not been made aware that the support of the District’s statement was so important and the Executive should review the way in which it advertises the taking of key decisions to the wider membership.

Councillor Wright stated that where the Council is dealing with issues on which there is large Councillor interest, such Gypsies and Travellers, arrangements were already made to involve the wider membership. However, he agreed that the Executive should consider alternative ways in which important issues could be brought to the attention of all Councillors.

Councillor Wright stated that he recognised and valued Councillor Mason’s knowledge on matters such as the guided bus and welcomed his input. He had read the e-mail on the Cambridgeshire LTP that Councillor Mason had sent the afternoon before the meeting and Councillor Mason’s comments had been noted in the draft minutes of his Portfolio Holder meeting. No alternative proposal had been suggested.  Councillor Wright concluded that he had agreed with the officer recommendation.

Councillor Mason stated that he had provided with his email a 2008 article about the Guided Bus and the text of a 2010 email, which Councillor Wright was aware of, and so Councillor Wright had had more than a day’s notice of his views before taking his decision regarding the consultation over the County Council’s LTP. Councillor Wright reiterated that he did take note of Councillor Mason’s views and that this was noted in the minutes.

The Local Development Framework Team Leader explained that the Council had supported the provision of the Guided Bus in 2003 and again in 2008 and that it was key to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 67.

2011: 28 April at 7pm.

The meeting dates for 2011/12 will be:

2011: 30 June at 7pm, 6 September at 7pm, 3 November at 2pm, 15 December at 2pm.

2012: 6 February 2pm, 29 March 2pm and 3 May 7pm.

The Committee NOTED the following meeting dates for the remainder of the municipal year:

2011: 28 April at 7pm