Agenda and minutes

(a)        This meeting is to be webcast;

(b)        Members are reminded of the need to activate their microphones before speaking; and

(c)        the Chairman will read the following announcement:

I would like to remind everyone present that this meeting will be broadcast live to the Internet and will be capable of subsequent repeated viewing, with copies of the recording being made available for those that request it.

By being present at this meeting, it is likely that the recording cameras will capture your image and this will result in your image becoming part of the broadcast.

You should be aware that this may infringe your human and data protection rights. If you have any concerns then please speak to the Webcasting Officer.

Please could I also remind Members to activate their microphones before speaking.

The Chairman reminded everyone present that the meeting would be broadcast live to the Internet and that the Council had adopted a protocol for the webcasting of its meetings.

(Director of Governance) To report the appointment of any substitute members for the meeting.

The Cabinet Committee noted that there were no substitute members.

(The Director of Governance) To declare interests in any items on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest pursuant to the Council’s Code of Member Conduct.  

To confirm the minutes of the last meeting of the Cabinet Committee held on 26 January 2017.

Resolved:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 26 January 2017 be taken as read and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

(Director of Neighbourhoods) To consider the attached report (AMED-013-2016/17).

The Local Strategic Partnership Manager, Mr Buller, presented a report to the Cabinet Committee and updated them on a number of projects and issues being explored by the Economic Development Team.

It was noted that:

·         The Tourism Website had now been live for more than two weeks. It had a soft launch and was not advertised, but was ready for the Easter holidays. During the first week the number of visits to the site rose by 50% and by the end of the period they had more than a thousand page views more than they had in one week of August last year. This boded well for the future;

·         The final designs for sign posts in Waltham Abbey had now been signed off. The scheme was to provide visitors to the town centre an effective navigational system that would enable them to explore the town’s attractions. It was anticipated that the 5 day build would be completed by mid-summer; and

·         On the one business briefing, 350 copies had been downloaded, a record number. Printed versions were also available and we have had good feedback on these.

Councillor H Kane asked if the Epping Forest Museum was mentioned on the website. Mr Buller said that it was. The new website was a direct replacement for the old one, so everything covered in the old one was in the new one. In fact the museum was the most covered attraction in the district, getting as much exposure as possible.

Councillor H Kane added that she would like to thank, on behalf of the town partnership, the officers who went and gave a presentation in Waltham Abbey and for all their support. The Town partnership has received the money forwarded to EFDC from ECC.

RESOLVED:

That the progress and work programme of the Council’s Economic Development Section was noted.

(Director of Neighbourhoods) To consider the attached report (AMED-014-2016/17).

The Director of Neighbourhoods presented a report to the Cabinet Committee on the progress of the Asset Management Economic Development Projects. The Chairman noted that there was also a late updating report issued on ‘yellow’ and under section 278 road works it should have said that a progress meeting had been held on 7 April. It was agreed that they would have a general update but would then go into private session when they came to consider the Epping Forest Shopping Park to enable members to ask questions about the individual leases etc.

Mr Macnab introduced this regular update. It was noted that:

·         In respect with the Oakwood Hill Depot in Loughton, a replacement depot for front line services, relocated from Langston Road. The opportunity was taken to increase the office accommodation by adding a mezzanine floor. The opportunity was taken to look to the re-accommodation of our Housing Repair service, relocation from the St. John’s Road redevelopment. An officer working team has been formed and members have had some site visits. They would bring some options in the near future;

·         In Pyrles Lane Nursery in Loughton they had undertook initial marketing work on this site, but held in abeyance as to such time as the council reached a position on the formation of a housing company; a good site for them to start with. But after due consideration the Cabinet Finance Committee and the Council House building Committee had agreed that this would not be happening. A report will go to the June Cabinet meeting on the marketing of the Pyrles Lane nursery site;

·         St John’s Road Epping; we acquired the Essex County Council’s interest, back in December 2016. Since then there has been tripartite negotiations between EFDC, Epping Town Council and Frontier Estates, aimed at ensuring that not only the socio-economic development benefits were achieved but that also the community benefited;

·         As for North Weald Airfield, after some soft market testing by Savills on prospective development partners, we were disappointed with the number of external partners that came forward. However with the progress of the Local Plan we have taken the opportunity for Arup Ltd to assess the potential scale and mix of employment uses for the airfield and have completed their initial employment assessment as part of the Local Plan;

·         The site of the former Winston Churchill Public House in Loughton, the show home on the site was now open and being advertised, along with two bedroom flats. We had appointed joint marketing agents for the ground floor retail spaces on this site. Potentially looking to be open around September of this year; and

·         The S106 agreement for the Hillhouse Development in Waltham Abbey has now been completed and Places for People will be submitting their planning application by the end of this month, with a view of opening their new facilities in November 2018.

Councillor Mohindra said that he had asked for a report on the Oakwood Hill Depot on the alarm system and problems and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 43.

(Director of Neighbourhoods) To consider the attached report (AMED-015-2016/17).

The Committee went on to consider that late report on the Epping Forest Shopping Centre, noting that they would be going into private session later to discuss the commercially sensitive aspects of this scheme.

Mr Pasterfield, the Assistant Management Development Consultant, introduced the report, noting that the Shopping Park was progressing well. The last meeting with the main contractor, Mcloughlin & Harvey was held on 30 March 2017. Progress had been good but some delays had been experienced due to additional work for shop fittings which would carry on past the completion date. Concreting and asphalting of the service road will be completed on 19 April. This would have to cure for a month before it could be used by heavy vehicles. The Park is looking very finished now and they have started scaling down and the site offices are being moved away. They have finished the car park including white lining. The programme for the shop fitting is being brought together. Clearly some tenants take a shorter time to fit out while others take longer as they have more sophisticated requirements.

With regard to the Section 278 road works, progress has been made Essex County Council were helping in some areas. They were still asking us to carry out resurfacing work to Barrington Green South outside the Sainsbury’s Service entrance. There was some indication that they may contribute towards this so officers were pursuing this. We had to use only contractors that have been approved, for example for electrical works, and this was slowing us up. Works would be going into September, but most of the works would be completed by mid August.

Councillor Mohindra asked if we were still on course for an autumn opening. He was told that we were looking to be opened by mid September, with some tenants looking to open in the summer.

Councillor Mohindra then asked about the Abridge Road junction to be opened up to the public in April; did we have an exact date. And secondly, Essex County Council, Highways; has our relationship improved with them as they have been a source of frustration for some time, putting onerous requirement on us. Mr Pasterfield replied that our relationship with the people on site was good although there was a fragmented relationship with ECC Highways, who tended not to attend site meetings and as a result did not understand our requirements and the results this could have on costs and the programme. With regard to the first point, the junction at Abridge has now been resurfaced and the traffic lights are in; footpaths have been laid out and nearly completed. The traffic lights have to be connected up and this was where we were having problems with Essex, signing off with UK Power, this was what we were chasing up all week. The final handover has now slipped into May.

Councillor Mohindra asked if the white lines were now down. Mr Pasterfield said that he did not think so as this would be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 44.

Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972, together with paragraphs 6 and 25 of the Council Procedure Rules contained in the Constitution require that the permission of the Chairman be obtained, after prior notice to the Chief Executive, before urgent business not specified in the agenda (including a supplementary agenda of which the statutory period of notice has been given) may be transacted.

The Cabinet Committee noted that there was no other urgent business for consideration.

Exclusion: To consider whether, under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press should be excluded from the meeting for the items of business set out below on grounds that they will involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the following paragraph(s) of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act (as amended) or are confidential under Section 100(A)(2):

The Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006, which came into effect on 1 March 2006, requires the Council to consider whether maintaining the exemption listed above outweighs the potential public interest in disclosing the information. Any member who considers that this test should be applied to any currently exempted matter on this agenda should contact the proper officer at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.

Background Papers:  Article 17 - Access to Information, Procedure Rules of the Constitution define background papers as being documents relating to the subject matter of the report which in the Proper Officer's opinion:

(a)        disclose any facts or matters on which the report or an important part of the report is based;  and

(b)        have been relied on to a material extent in preparing the report and does not include published works or those which disclose exempt or confidential information and in respect of executive reports, the advice of any political advisor.

The Council will make available for public inspection for four years after the date of the meeting one copy of each of the documents on the list of background papers.

            RESOLVED:

That the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the items of business set out below on the grounds that they would involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972:

Agenda                                                                       Exempt Information

Item No.          Subject                                               Paragraph Number

 7a                   Epping Forest Shopping Park                         3