Agenda

Cambridgeshire Horizons are consulting on an updated Strategy to deliver Green Infrastructure in the county to 2031 and beyond. The Strategy includes a network of Green Infrastructure - made up of outdoor places and spaces such as rivers, country parks, wildlife habitats, historic sites, woodlands and rights of way – and projects that will help deliver it.

More information will be available at a consultation event at Cambourne Library on Thursday, 10^th March between 3.30 pm and 7.30 pm. Background information, the Strategy and the opportunity to respond to the consultation will be online at www.cambridgeshirehorizons.co.uk/greenvision. The consultation runs from 3^rd March to 3^rd April. 

South Cambridgeshire District Council is one of a wide range of partners who have helped inform and shape the development of the Strategy.

The Conservation and Design Manager recommends the approval of a grant totalling £175 from the Wildlife Enhancement Scheme.  The grant will see the see the plating of 18 fruit and nut trees together with the planting of 15 hazel shrubs. The grant represents 50% funding. Planting is to be undertaken by community volunteers. This grant will assist in the delivery of the Council’s priority action to see community orchards established.

The Conservation and Design Manager recommends the approval of a grant totalling £125 to be awarded to Fulbourn Primary Scool to fund the purchase of bat and swift boxes.The grant represents 50% funding.  The erection of the swift box builds upon conservation work at the nearby Swifts Housing Estate.

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Association of Local Councils (CPALC) has project managed in partnership with the Essex Association a project funded by the National Association of Local Council (NALC).

We have showcased the work of one parish or town council from each of the 6 counties in the eastern region to show how parish and town councils are using their powers to deliver valuable facilities for their communities.

This also reinforces that parish and town council sector is already engaged in delivering the aims of the Big Society and Localism agenda.

We have produced a Support Pack that includes a CD with “How To” documentation, a DVD (as seen on the link) and a booklet on the 6 projects shown.

Copies of the Pack are available from CPALC on 01480 375629 or emailing accounts@cpalc.org.uk

Watch the videos by holding down the ctrl key on the keypad and then click on the link below http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=JP&hl=ja&v=6kPSfsDHnuQ

ENVIRONMENT

Flood risk protection – funding available for property level flood protection

£2 million of funding has been set aside to provide property level flood protection to communities in England.  New schemes will work in a similar way to the DEFRA property protection grant scheme, which ran from 2009-2011, although some adjustments have been made. The application deadline is 1 April 2011. Application forms and detailed guidance can be requested from your local Environment Agency office. Please e-mail any general queries on the scheme to propertyprotection@environment-agency.gov.uk

HOUSING

LGA briefing on the Affordable Rent framework

Communities and Local Government and the Homes and Communities Agency has published a framework for the Affordable Homes Programme. The framework identifies how the development of new affordable housing will be funded over the next four years and how the new Affordable Rent product will work.

The LGA welcomes the increased flexibilities for local authorities and social landlords around social housing generally. We are pleased that, at least technically, council landlords will be able to bid for the Affordable Homes programme, something the LGA has been campaigning for. Whether in practice they will be able to put together a bid which has any hope of success depends whether they can overcome the current public borrowing rule which puts them at a disadvantage compared with a housing association as a private sector entity whose borrowing doesn’t count to the public sector.

In their strategic role, councils would be concerned if HCA agreed proposals from housing associations which the local council doesn’t think appropriate.

PLANNING AND NEW COMMUNITIES

Planning Advisory Service Councillor Briefing: Delivery – development control to development management

This briefing session will take you through the role that you as elected members can play in a positive development management process.  It covers the considerations that you will need to take on board and the way that you can help to make the most of the investment opportunities by using planning effectively.

Renewable energy opportunities

The LG Group has launched a new web resource designed to help councils explore ways to save money on their fuel bills and boost revenue by selling energy into the national grid.

Compare Renewables provides information on eight different renewable energy options available to councils, including details on how they work, costs, payback periods and potential returns.

It is designed in part to help councils capitalise on the deregulation of the national grid, but also provides information on how councils can use renewable energy to tackle fuel poverty, reduce carbon emissions and help developers meet sustainability standards.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT GROUP EVENTS

Changing the way we do housing

The role of local government in housing must change and housing practitioners will need to work in new ways. The LG Group will run a series of free seminars on the changing housing agenda during March: Monday 14 March 2011, Birmingham, Friday 18 March 2011, Leeds, Monday 21 March 2011, London, Tuesday 22 March 2011, Bristol, Thursday 24 March 2011, Liverpool. This event will be relevant both to councillors and officers who are new to this agenda and to those that have some experience.  Please contact Patrick Adams, Senior Democratic Services Officer, 01954 713408 if you are interested in attending.

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 

• Councils to reduce bus service http://www.rsnonline.org.uk/Services/Councils-forced-to-reduce-bus-funding.html

• High-speed rail plan scrutinised http://www.rsnonline.org.uk/Environment/High-speed-rail-plan-scrutinised.html

• Rural Counties ‘ready for Big Society’ http://www.rsnonline.org.uk/Services/Rural-counties-ready-for-Big-Society.html

• Forest U-turn ‘won’t mean other cuts’ http://www.rsnonline.org.uk/Politics/Forestry-u-turn-won-t-mean-other-cuts.html

• Smallest village shop opens http://www.rsnonline.org.uk/Services/Smallest-rural-community-shop-opens.html

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 Planning Weekly List option to see planning applications determined or registered each week for the past ten weeks, or use the Search option to set your own criteria.

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.  There are navigation tools to allow you to browse your results.

In accordance with the Access to Information Procedure Rules in Part 4 of the Council’s Constitution, 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.

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’. 

The decision of the New Communities Portfolio Holder on 1 March 2011 with respect to the Cambridgeshire Green Infrastructure Strategy was:

a)      To support the broad approach of the Strategy contained in Appendices A and B.

b)      That further changes be made to the Strategy so that it can be published for public consultation.

c)      To endorse, as an urgent decision outside the usual Portfolio Holder schedule of meetings, an acceptable revised version of the Strategy for public consultation, in consultation with the Corporate Manager (Planning and New Communities) and other relevant officers and members.

A revised strategy was received on 22 February and has been checked by officers.

Limited changes to the Strategy have subsequently been agreed with Cambridgeshire Horizons.

The purpose of this decision is to endorse the revised version of the Cambridgeshire Green Infrastructure Strategy for public consultation on the basis that the changes will be made.

With the agreement of the Chairman of the Scrutiny and Overview Committee the call-in period has been waved. 

To view the full text of the decision: 

http://scambs.moderngov.co.uk/mgAi.aspx?ID=37258

To view the full text of the decision:

http://scambs.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?MId=4976

Council RESOLVED to adopt the South Cambridgeshire Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership Community Safety Plan 2011-14. 

Council RESOLVED to adopt the Interim Investment Strategy 2011/12. 

Council RESOLVED to:

(a)    maintain the current level of byeway maintenance for the period 2011/12; and

  (b)  levy a rate at 90 pence to fund the required maintenance for the period 2011/12.

Deferred for a site visit.

The Committee approved the application, as amended by plans 962/04 Revision A (date stamped 10 January 2011), 962/03 Revision B, 962/05 Revision B, 962/06 Revision B, 962/07 Revision B, 962/08 Revision B (date stamped 18 January 2011), subject to the Conditions set out in the report from the Corporate Manager (Planning and New Communities), and a further Condition relating to the provision of pedestrian visibility splays as required by the Local Highways Authority.  Members instructed officers to make sure that Condition 5 in the report took full account of their preference for permeable surfacing.

The Committeeapprovedthe application, as amended by plans 962/04 Revision A (date stamped 10 January 2011), 962/03 Revision B, 962/05 Revision B, 962/06 Revision B, 962/07 Revision B, 962/08 Revision B (date stamped 18 January 2011), subject to the Conditions set out in the report from the Corporate Manager (Planning and New Communities), and a further Condition relating to the provision of pedestrian visibility splays as required by the Local Highways Authority.  Members instructed officers to make sure that Condition 4 in the report took full account of their preference for permeable surfacing. 

This decision was published on 24 February 2011 and therefore the Democratic Services Section must be notified of any call in by 3 March 2011. If not called in this decision may be implemented on Friday 4 March 2011.

The Committee approved the application, upon the Chairman’s casting vote, subject to the Conditions set out in the report from the Corporate Manager (Planning and New Communities) and a further Condition requiring the building to remain a separate one-bedroomed dwelling, and not to become an annexe to no. 7 Mortimers Lane.

This decision was published on 24 February 2011 and therefore the Democratic Services Section must be notified of any call in by 3 March 2011. If not called in this decision may be implemented on Friday 4 March 2011.

The Committee approved the application, subject to the Conditions referred to in the report from the Corporate Manager (Planning and New Communities).

This decision was published on 24 February 2011 and therefore the Democratic Services Section must be notified of any call in by 3 March 2011. If not called in this decision may be implemented on Friday 4 March 2011.

The Committee approved the application as amended by drawings 242/01/P Revision A and 242-07P Revision A date stamped 12 January 2011, subject to the Conditions set out in the report from the Corporate Manager (Planning and New Communities). 

This decision was published on 24 February 2011 and therefore the Democratic Services Section must be notified of any call in by 3 March 2011. If not called in this decision may be implemented on Friday 4 March 2011.

Deferred for a site visit.

The Committee refused the application contrary to the recommendation in the report from the Corporate Manager (Planning and New Communities).  Reason: Members considered that, by virtue of its bulk and massing, the proposal would have an unacceptable impact on the street scene and on neighbour amenity.  Members also referred to comments made by the Inspector in dismissing an Appeal against the refusal of planning application S/1208/02/F.

This decision was published on 24 February 2011 and therefore the Democratic Services Section must be notified of any call in by 3 March 2011. If not called in this decision may be implemented on Friday 4 March 2011.

The Committee approved the application, in line with officers’ amended recommendation, subject to safeguarding Conditions relating to, among other things, open space provision, external materials to be used, community facilities provision, the Section 106 monitoring fee, provision of waste receptacles, restrictions on the hours of construction, prevention of windows to the rear elevations at first floor level, a minimum cill height for the high level rooflights where necessary, landscaping and boundary treatments, and highway conditions relating to retention of visibility splaysdrainage of the access, and the materials to be used for the access.

This decision was published on 24 February 2011 and therefore the Democratic Services Section must be notified of any call in by 3 March 2011. If not called in this decision may be implemented on Friday 4 March 2011.

The Committee approved the application, subject to the Conditions set out in the report from the Corporate Manager (Planning and New Communities) and a further Condition relating to site boundary treatment.

This decision was published on 24 February 2011 and therefore the Democratic Services Section must be notified of any call in by 3 March 2011. If not called in this decision may be implemented on Friday 4 March 2011.

The Committee gave officers delegated powers to approve the application, subject to Conditions to be finalised, further to those set out in the Update report from the Corporate Manager (Planning and New Communities), and to consequential variations to relevant Section 106 Legal Agreements. 

This decision was published on 24 February 2011 and therefore the Democratic Services Section must be notified of any call in by 3 March 2011. If not called in this decision may be implemented on Friday 4 March 2011.

The Committee refused the application contrary to the recommendation in the report from the Corporate Manager (Planning and New Communities).  Reason: Members considered that the proposal would have an unacceptable impact on the amenities of current and future residents.

This decision was published on 24 February 2011 and therefore the Democratic Services Section must be notified of any call in by 3 March 2011. If not called in this decision may be implemented on Friday 4 March 2011.

The Committee approved the application, subject to the prior completion of a revised Section 106 Legal Agreement as specified in paragraph 22 of the report from the Corporate Manager (Planning and New Communities), and to the Conditions set out in that report.

This decision was published on 24 February 2011 and therefore the Democratic Services Section must be notified of any call in by 3 March 2011. If not called in this decision may be implemented on Friday 4 March 2011.

The Committee gave officers delegated powers to approve the application, subject to agreement being reached to protect the Sycamore tree close to the boundary of the application site, the Conditions referred to in the report from the Corporate Manager (Planning and New Communities) (in consultation with Willingham Parish Council and local Members, particularly Councillor Brian Burling), Condition 13 specifically restricting construction vehicles to accessing the site via Green Street, and to an additional Condition relating to archaeological investigation.

This decision was published on 24 February 2011 and therefore the Democratic Services Section must be notified of any call in by 3 March 2011. If not called in this decision may be implemented on Friday 4 March 2011.

The Planning Portfolio Holder:

1.  Endorsed the Revenue Estimates as shown at Appendix A (as revised and circulated at the meeting), Capital Programme as shown at Appendix B, and associated proposal forms at Appendix C1 to C4.

2.  noted the capital estimate for the Building Control System, which is for endorsement by the Policy and Performance Portfolio Holder.

3.  requested that Cabinet include, on the list of precautionary items for 2011-12, £50,000 for possible additional expenditure on Appeals and Inquiries.

4.  instructed officers to identify the appropriate method for transferring to the Housing Portfolio the budget for the Open Space Agreement (Cherry Hinton).

5.   recommended that Cabinet send the revised estimates on to Council for final approval.       

This decision was published on 1 March 2011 and therefore the Democratic Services Section must be notified of any call in by 8 March 2011. If not called in this decision may be implemented on Wednesday 9 March 2011.

The New Communities Portfolio Holder:

endorsed the Revenue Estimates for 2011-12 and the Capital Programme up to 2015-16, relating to services within the New Communities Portfolio, and recommended them for consideration by Cabinet;

approved the Capital Expenditure Proposal Forms relating toVillage Sports Facilities Grants, Community Facilities Grants and Arts Capital Grantsfor inclusion in the Capital Programme.

This decision was published on 1 March 2011 and therefore the Democratic Services Section must be notified of any call in by 8 March 2011. If not called in this decision may be implemented on Wednesday 9 March 2011.

 The New CommunitiesPortfolio Holder:

a) Noted the representations summarised in Appendix B

b) approved the content of the report attached at Appendix A ‘Foodstore Provision in North West Cambridge - Analysis of Public Consultation Responses and Proposed Approach for Developing Informal Planning Policy Guidance’ and the approach suggested in the conclusions for developing the Informal Planning Policy Guidance;

c) gave authority to officers to agree any changes in approach that may arise from the decision of Cambridge City Council’s Executive Councillor following the meeting of the Development Plan Scrutiny Sub Committee on 18^th January 2011.

This decision was published on 1 March 2011 and therefore the Democratic Services Section must be notified of any call in by 8 March 2011. If not called in this decision may be implemented on Wednesday 9 March 2011.

The New Communities Portfolio Holder approved for consultation, the redrafted Children and Young People’s Plan (previously called the Youth Participation Strategy) and accompanying action plan for a six-week period, commencing on 27^th January 2011.

This decision was published on 1 March 2011 and therefore the Democratic Services Section must be notified of any call in by 8 March 2011. If not called in this decision may be implemented on Wednesday 9 March 2011.

The New Communities Portfolio Holder agreed

(a)  To support the broad approach of the Strategy contained in Appendices A and B

(b)  that further changes be made to the Strategy so that it can be published for public consultation.

(c)  to endorse, as an urgent decision outside the usual Portfolio Holder schedule of meetings, an acceptable revised version of the Strategy for public consultation, in consultation with the Corporate Manager (Planning and New Communities) and other relevant officers and members.

This decision was published on 1 March 2011 and therefore the Democratic Services Section must be notified of any call in by 8 March 2011. If not called in this decision may be implemented on Wednesday 9 March 2011.

Agendas

·                      Agenda for Standards Committee on Mar 9 2011 10:00AM

·                      Agenda for Planning Portfolio Holder's Meeting on Mar 8 2011 10:00AM

·                      Agenda for New Communities Portfolio Holder's Meeting on Mar 8 2011 11:15AM

Minutes

·                      Agenda for Planning Committee on Feb 2 2011 2:00PM

·                      Agenda for Planning Portfolio Holder's Meeting on Jan 25 2011 10:00AM

·                      Agenda for New Communities Portfolio Holder's Meeting on Jan 25 2011 11:15AM

·                      Agenda for Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire Local Strategic Partnership Board on Jan 25 2011 2:00PM

·                      Agenda for Finance and Staffing Portfolio Holder's Meeting on Feb 15 2011 6:00PM

Issues

·                      Issue details - MELBOURN: Transfer of Car Park legal Costs - Contribution to Parish Council

·                      Issue details - HAUXTON Parish Council: Request for Dispensation

Meetings

·                      Agenda for Council on Feb 24 2011 2:00PM

·                      Agenda for Planning Committee on Mar 2 2011 2:00PM

·                      Agenda for Licensing Committee on Mar 3 2011 10:00AM

Please confirm your availability to attend training sessions by contacting Claire Dillon by email, or on extension 3026.

Gareth Jones, Head of Planning will be retiring on 6 May 2011. Further information will be provided regarding future management arrangements over the coming weeks.