Agenda item

(Director of Neighbourhoods) To receive presentations of the Directorate Business Plans by the Portfolio Holders, relevant to the Neighbourhoods Select Committee (NSC).

This will enable the NSC to timetable scrutiny of the plans for 2018-19 municipal year.

The Acting Chief Executive introduced the presentations that the Portfolio Holders (PFHs) would be making to the Neighbourhoods SC. There had been positive feedback from last year’s PFH presentations. The PFHs would present this year’s highlights followed by questions from members. The presentations had been prepared on the Council’s existing corporate structure under the remit of the Neighbourhoods Directorate. The three main areas and Assistant Directors were: Neighbourhood Services, J Nolan; Technical Services, K Durrani; and Forward Planning and Economic Development, A Blom-Cooper (Interim AD). The gross budget comprised some £18.6 million (M), of which income was £8.9M. The Council’s commercial estate was valued at over £7.5M. The Waste Management and Leisure Management contracts, which were monitored against key performance indicators (KPIs), also came under the responsibility of this SC. The aim was to generate sufficient income to offset the reduction in government funding. The equivalent of 110 full time staff were employed within Neighbourhoods. Lastly, the Local Plan (LP) was moving towards the completion phase.

(1)       Councillor J Philip – Planning and Governance PFH

The LP, a key part of this portfolio, was moving forward and during the public examination by the Inspector it would be important that the Council could show that it would be able to meet the numbers for housing. An Implementation Team had been set up to support the delivery of the LP. The Team would implement arrangements to ensure information was available to assess LP policies. The Council would be looking at Planning Performance Agreements, which would enable it to maintain a timescale for delivering housing through masterplanning schemes. All the LP documentation to date could be viewed on the Council’s website. The reports were backed up by evidence and policies. On neighbourhood planning, the Council would provide advice to local councils. The Rural Community Council of Essex (RCCE) could also provide additional assistance to facilitate this and ensure that the neighbourhood plans did not conflict with the LP. The Council would be providing input into the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town project and three other project sites, the sustainable transport corridors around Harlow that came under the Sustainable Development Board. The Council was well prepared to take the LP through the public examination process.

Councillor M Sartin asked about the input that local / ward councillors would have in the masterplanning areas around Harlow. The PFH said that residents, local ward members and local councils could all become involved, especially on the larger sites. The developers would present their masterplans to local councils for smaller developments, while larger masterplanning sites would require larger consultations.

(2)       Councillor A Grigg – Asset Management and Economic Development PFH

The St John’s Road Development had been ongoing for a number of years. The development would retain and respect the historic character of the area and comprise a cinema, shops and a restaurant. The final version of the tripartite agreement was with all parties and awaiting completion. Letting of units at the Epping Forest Shopping Park was ongoing. Several had already been let and discussions were continuing on the remaining units. The Council could expect £2.5M revenue a year once all were let. The retail park would also increase employment opportunities in the area. The Council was finalising the letting of retail units at Landmark, Debden, where there would be a Co-op Local, restaurant and coffee shop. This had been a change from the original agreement and would provide the Council with an annual rental income of around £250,000 to £280,000. The Pyrles Lane Nursery site was being marketed for sale and the income could then be used to buy back some of the affordable housing from the developer.

The Economic Development Team was developing an Economic Development Strategy in line with the LP. Officers envisaged that the strategy would raise awareness of economic development within the Council and help to understand why start-up businesses were failing. North Weald Airfield was a site that had a potential for businesses to provide income and job opportunities.

Councillor N Avey commented that the planned cinema in the St John’s Development would draw in restaurants and coffee shops. He still felt this was a good project to undertake even though it had taken a very long time, and the housing units would be close to the area.

Councillor J H Whitehouse asked if the Economic Development Team could address the Neighbourhoods SC. The Acting Chief Executive replied that progress on the St John’s Development was regularly reported in the agendas / minutes of the Asset Management and Economic Development Cabinet Committee. He encouraged members to attend this Cabinet Committee’s meetings.

Councillor J Jennings asked if there were tenants for the remaining units on the retail park and the Landmark development. The Acting Chief Executive replied that there was a prospective tenant, a coffee shop chain, who was very keen but had not signed the lease yet for a Landmark unit. Eight units on the retail park had been let and the retailers were trading. Of the remaining two units, about four or five companies were interested in the premises.

(3)       Councillor H Kane – Leisure and Community Services PFH

Ongar Leisure Centre (LC) was launched in September 2017 and had been very well received. Memberships were up, especially the fitness classes for senior citizens. The investment of less than £300,000 had been well worth it. At Epping Sports Centre phase 1 had been completed by the conversion of the bar area into a new group cycling studio, including a virtual crèche and staff accommodation. Also two squash courts had been converted into a purpose built studio. These new facilities had opened on 1 January 2018. Phase 2 would include reconfiguration of the reception area, an extended gym and refurbishment of the changing rooms, which was due for completion by late April. The PFH had opened the new gym on 24 February 2018 and memberships had increased. The two remaining squash courts were operating well since a reduced session time had been introduced. Redevelopment of Loughton LC with the reduction in the size of the gym started at the beginning of January 2018. Major improvement works to the changing village would begin in April for completion by late summer, which should see a huge change but be of great benefit to members. The PFH had visited the new Waltham Abbey LC on 28 February 2018 to see how construction was progressing. The facility would comprise an 80-station gym, work out studios, a 25-metre / 6-lane main pool and teaching pool, sauna and steam room, community room, café and pool viewing facility. It was likely that there would be a new LC in the north of the district towards North Weald. The Council had requested Places for People (PfP), the leisure management contract holder, to assist the Council in evaluation and feasibility of future LC projects in the District and this would be discussed further at the next Leisure Management Contract Partnership Board meeting in September 2018.

Councillor M Sartin asked about the timescale for the completion of the new Waltham Abbey LC, to which the PFH replied by November / December 2018.

Councillor H Brady asked when the current Waltham Abbey swimming pool would be closed, to which the PFH replied when the new LC was up and running.

(4)       Councillor S Kane – Safer, Greener and Transport PFH

Phase 1 of the Loughton Broadway Parking Review had been implemented and had settled down. On phase 2, the Council had listened to ward members, but the road was not just for residents, it was for business users too. The option of a third phase was currently being discussed with Technical Services.

Councillor N Bedford remarked that parking in general was a key issue. The roads were for everyone and that people squeezed in spaces, to park everywhere. The Council should look at the different revenue streams. Perhaps shops could sell parking tickets to ease parking, to which the PFH replied that better parking would help the business area.

(5)       Councillor W Breare-Hall – Environment PFH

In the absence of the PFH, the Acting Chief Executive, Derek Macnab, addressed the Committee. The Council in partnership with Biffa had an Innovation Forum where the contractor could bring forward ideas and the PFH could trigger reviews on service areas and other aspects of the contract. Hence the current service review of dry recycling. Currently dry recycling was collected on the doorstep in clear plastic sacks, provided by the Council, and picked up by Biffa to be recycled at its Edmonton depot. Despite the Council’s endeavours, demand for recycling sacks continually increased and had reached nine million sacks, costing £300,000 per annum. The Assistant Director (Technical Services) had corresponded on this with the outlets. Also Biffa usually issued an annual quantity of recycling sacks to residents, but this had been suspended this year. Other authorities had found that a third wheeled bin drove up the recycling rate. However, as this Council had an urban / rural mix a third wheeled bin could be provided to residents on an opt out basis. When modelling of the third wheeled bin option had been completed it did not seem that advantageous, as there were capital costs and additional collection rounds to be factored in. A report would be going to Cabinet on 10 April 2018 on the recycling issue with China. The severe restrictions that China had put on imported recycled waste at the end of 2017, meant that only recycled waste with a contamination of under half a per cent was allowed to be imported. Biffa could meet this target but would need to employ more staff to sort the recycling and this was therefore a significant issue.

On the enhancement of the Fleet Operations Service, which operated out of the Oakwood Hill depot in Loughton, a review of the service had been undertaken. This had identified ways to improve commercialism. By moving towards digital payment methods and facilitating online MOT bookings, income could be increased.

The implementation of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) to align with the green infrastructure elements of the LP would come under the remit of the Implementation Team. Flood reduction around new buildings, houses and sites of development schemes needed to be reviewed further, and guides produced for housebuilders / developers.

The Council was also required to implement private water supply regulations. It had a duty to risk assess, sample water quality and enforcement powers to ensure private water supplies were safe for human consumption, without risk to human health. This covered any water supply which did not come from a utility company water and included water extracted from boreholes, known private water suppliers, of which half had been inspected, and there might be other unknown water supplies. There were a number of sites in the District not linked to mains water, especially those serving the horticultural areas. Historically within the horticultural industry there was a lot of non-compliance, and criticism by the Drinking Water Inspectorate, which considered these sites were the most high risk in the UK.

Councillor M Sartin was not in favour of a third wheeled bin being mandatory and could residents opt out, to which the Acting Chief Executive replied residents would be able to opt out.

Councillor H Brady asked if the Council could return to delivering recycling sacks to residents if there were too many being used. The Acting Chief Executive replied that delivery was not always possible where there were blocks of residential flats. The ability of residents to collect sacks was a better option. However, if sacks were limited then the amount recycled would go down.

Councillor N Bedford asked about the MOT service provided to the Council’s vans / fleet and to private individuals. Would the Council be able to take on two or three apprentices on the Epping Forest College mechanics course. Apprentices could work after one year’s training at the College and the scheme could be run as a competitive exercise.

(6)       Resources

The Acting Chief Executive reported that the Council would pursue further external funding for the implementation of the LP, for example a Planning Delivery Grant. The Council had set targets to gain further income through the:

·                Reduction in dry recycling sacks (£70,000)

·                Sale of the Pyrles Lane site (£3.5M)

·                Additional income form Landmark (£250,000)

·                Additional income from Epping Forest Retail park (£2.5M)

·                Leisure Management Contract – fee (£600,000)