Agenda

Please note,Part 2 of the training session Local Government Finance Explained will now be held on Thursday 16 October at 7pm in the Swansley Room.

A quick reminder that there are still some spaces left at the special lunchtime seminar on Friday (17th October) about the growth agenda in Cambridgeshire, and the role Cambridgeshire Horizons plays in driving forward sustainable growth in the county.

Alex Plant, Chief Executive of Horizons, and John Onslow, Director for Development, will present an overview of the planned growth for Cambridgeshire followed by an insiders' view of Horizons - giving you a unique opportunity to find out what Horizons does, who works within the team, which posts Horizons funds within your council, and how we fit into the overall growth agenda.  Everyone who attends the seminar will also be given a printed guide to Delivery Plans, which explains how we use these vital documents to drive delivery of major housing developments.

Location:            Rampart Room, Cambridgeshire County Council

Time:               12 o'clock, with lunch served at 1pm

Date:               Friday 17th October

Spaces at this event are limited, so to book your free place, or for more information, please email Michelle Hawker at michelle.hawker@cambridgeshirehorizons.co.uk or call 01223 714058.

Please confirm your attendance by midday Thursday 16th October .

We look forward to seeing you.

Kind Regards

Michelle Hawker

Project Assistant

T:01223 714048

mailto:michelle.hawker@cambridgeshirehorizons.co.uk

Member Development Survey reminder

More than half of Members have completed and returned their training and development surveys. Thank you.  This is a very good response; however, to make it even better, we're keen to hear from Members who've yet to respond. The survey is quick and easy to complete and can be accessed by double-clicking on the following link:

 https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Ok5xAQ4GS5xJDXzb0O4WcQ_3d_3d

If you'd prefer a hard copy of the questionnaire, please don't hesitate to ask Democratic Services on (01954) 713016, e-mail democratic.services@scambs.gov.uk

The deadline for responses is Friday 31 October 2008.

With the Chairman's agreement, the meeting of the working party scheduled to take place on Tuesday 21 October 2008 has been cancelled due to a lack of business to be considered.

The next scheduled meeting is Tuesday 13 January 2009.

Kind regards

Richard May

Democratic Services Manager

(01954) 713016

richard.may@scambs.gov.uk

The Rural Services Network is a group of over 250 service providers and local authorities working to establish best practice across the spectrum of rural service provision. The network has representation across the complete range of rural services.  For general comments or enquiries, email: editor@ruralcity.co.uk 

Latest news

THE government unveils new powers to help keep rural homes affordable.

Read more….

RURAL councils are among local authorities that invested in troubled Icelandic banks.

Read more….

ENGLAND'S upland communities are in danger of dying out, says the government's rural watchdog.

Read more….

A £2m programme aims to help sustain and revitalise England's market towns.

Read more….

Events

Managing Migration - Learning the Lessons (London)
16 October, 2008

RICS Rural Conference (Harrogate)
23 October, 2008

Rural Services 2020: the challenge of sustaining rural communities
24 October, 2008

To view the list of planning applications submitted in the past seven days, please visit the Council’s on-line Planning Application Search.  Once the page has loaded, select the relevant parish from the drop-down list, set the date period to ‘7 days’ and click the Search button or click the Advanced button, select a ward from the drop-down list, then set the date period to ‘7 days’ and click the Search button.

The system will provide a range of information on current and decided applications since 1948, including a brief description of the development, reference number, decision and the date of decision.  More recent applications show the name and telephone number of the council officer who is dealing with the application.

Search results are presented in a collection of pages, the number of which depends on the number of results your search produces.  Each page displays 30 results and there are navigation tools to allow you to browse these results.

In accordance with the Access to Information Procedure Rules, any executive decision shall be published normally within five days of being made.  That record will bear the date on which it is published and will specify that the decision will come into force, and may then be implemented, on the expiry of 5 working days after the publication of the decision, unless called in for review by the Chairman of the Scrutiny and Overview Committee or by any five other councillors.

A list of decisions currently within the call-in period is available on the Council’s website.

Cabinet decisions were published on Friday 10 October 2008 and therefore the Democratic Services Manager must be notified of any call in by 5pm, Friday 17 October 2008.  All Cabinet decisions not called in by this date may be implemented on Monday 20 October 2008. 

Any member considering calling in a decision is requested to contact the Democratic Services Section to determine whether any relevant amendments have been incorporated.

The call in procedure is set out in full in Part 4 of the Council’s Constitution, ‘Scrutiny and Overview Committee Procedure Rules’, paragraph 12. 

Cabinet RECOMMENDED to Council:

1.      That the Aims, Approaches and Actions, set out in the Appendix to the report, be adopted with effect from 1 April 2009;

2.      That the Corporate Plan, existing service plans and strategies based on the current Corporate Objectives remain in force until they would normally be revised;

3.      That, for the remainder of the current financial year, new and revised policies and strategies should be tested for compatibility with the Aims, Approaches and Actions agreed in (1) above, and also with the existing Corporate Objectives.

Cabinet AGREED to adopt the RECAP Revised Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy as Council policy.

Cabinet delegated authority to the Environmental Services Portfolio Holder to set a more challenging target in the recycling of waste for this Council than that agreed with local authorities in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. 

1: Cabinet AGREED:

a)      The introduction of a Category 1 Hazard Loan, termed Major Renovation Loan, to vulnerable owner-occupiers of properties identified as have Category 1 hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.

b)      The introduction of a Replacement Boiler Grant, and the eligibility criteria for the replacement boiler grant.

c)      That the Home Improvement Agency administer the Boiler Replacement Grant and Major Renovation Loan.

d)      That delegated authority be given to the Corporate Manager (Health and Environmental Services), in consultation with the Environmental Services Portfolio Holder, to approve loan assistance in exceptional cases falling outside of the agreed policy framework.

e)      That authority to determine whether interest would be charged on the loan be delegated to the Environment Services Portfolio Holder.

f)        That authority be delegated to the Environmental Services Portfolio Holder to ensure a suitable length of residency following the award of grant aid.

2: Cabinet AGREED

a)      The introduction of Renewable Energy Grants for solar hot water and solar P.V. and the eligibility criteria for the renewable technology grant.

b)      That Environmental Services administer the Renewable Energy Grants.

Cabinet AGREED the responses to the Minerals and Waste Development Plan consultation contained within the report and in Appendices 1 & 2, subject to amendments, approval of the final wording  being delegated to the New Communities Portfolio Holder.

Cabinet AGREED to approve the revised Workforce Plan and to request the Action Plan to be built into service plans and implemented by the officers concerned, with a particular focus on a review of the workforce and succession planning to ensure a corporate approach to this issue. 

Cabinet AGREED:

a)      To provide a response to the Scrutiny and Overview Committee

b)      To aim to provide this response at its meeting on 13 November 2008, to be reported to the Scrutiny and Overview Committee on 4 December 2008.

The Conservation and Design Manager recommends the award of a grant totalling £1118 to the Friends of the Roman Road and Fleam Dyke for the design and production of 5000 a guided walk leaflets to allow interpretation of Fleam Dyke. 

Funding is to be provided from the Linear Sites Project, (£764) and from the Wildlife Enhancement Scheme, (£354).

The Fleam Dyke is one of the most important chalk grassland sites in the district. The Friends have been working to conserve the site since 2001. Its interpretation and proper promotion is also important within the district.

The Corporate Manager, Affordable Homes, recommends that Asset Manufacturing be awarded theReplacement Window and Door Contract for properties in Thistle Green Swavesey and Mortlock Close Gt Abington. 

Agendas

·                      Senior Management Team – 14 October 2008 (Intranet only)

·                      Licensing (2003 Act) Sub-Committee – 22 October 2008

Decisions

·                      Licensing (2003 Act) Sub-Committee – 8 October 2008 (Decision sheet)

·                      Wildlife Enhancement Scheme: Fleam Dyke

·                      Cabinet – 9 October 2008 (Decision sheet)

·                      Swavesey & Gt Abington: Replacement of Windows and Doors with PVCu

Minutes

·                      Executive Management Team – 24 September 2008 (intranet only)

·                      Housing Portfolio Holder’s meeting – 2 October 2008

·                      Leader’s Portfolio meeting – 11 September 2008

·                      Senior Management Team – 1 October 2008 (intranet only)

·                      Cabinet – 11 September 2008

·                      Standards Committee – 24 September 2008

·                      Planning Committee – 1 October 2008

Issues

·                      Wildlife Enhancement Scheme: Fleam Dyke

·                      Swavesey & Gt Abington: Replacement of Windows and Doors with PVCu

New Starters

Katherine Brice started as an Administration Assistant in Planning and Sustainable Communities on 6 October 2008. 

Leavers

Antony Marks, Enforcement Officer in Planning & Sustainable Communities, will be leaving on 21 November 2008.

Returners

Kelly Quigley, Communications Officer, returned from maternity leave on 13 October 2009.  Kelly will be working 2 days per week – Monday and Tuesday.

Transfers

Louise Joyce transferred from the post of Rents Assistant to Resident Involvement Officer, Supported Housing Services, on 6 October 2008.

Variations

Larry Churchman, Web Support Officer, will be continuing on a fixed term basis for 12 months from 9 October 2008. Larry will work 2 days per week - Thursdays and Fridays.