Council Procedure Rule 12.6 provides for questions by any member of the Council to the Leader or any Portfolio Holder, without notice on:
(i) reports under item 7 above; or
(ii) any other matter of a non operational character in relation to the powers and duties of the Council or which affects all or part of the District or some or all of its inhabitants.
Council Procedure Rule 12.7 provides that answers to questions without notice may take the form of:
(a) direct oral answer from the Leader or, at the request of the Leader, from another member of the Cabinet;
(b) where the desired information is in a publication of the Council or other published work, a reference to that publication;
(c) where the reply cannot conveniently be given orally, a written answer circulated later to the questioner; or
(d) where the question relates to an operational matter, the Leader or a member of the Cabinet will request that a response be given direct to the questioner by the relevant Chief Officer.
In accordance with the Council Procedure Rule 12.8, a time limit of thirty minutes is set for questions. Any question not dealt with within the time available will receive a written reply. The Chairman may extend this period by up to a further 10 minutes at his discretion.
Minutes:
(a) Syrian Refugees
Councillor S Murray asked the Housing Portfolio Holder whether he would agree that;
(i) residents in district would have very mixed views on the issue;
(ii) a minority or majority would be happy that the Council had decided to help; and
(iii) the response had not fallen on all of the districts residents but on those which were on the housing waiting list, in Council housing and therefore that the response was unfair?
Councillor D Stallan agreed that there would be mixed views from residents across the district in offering housing assistance to the Government’s request for help with Syrian Refugees. He advised that some residents would feel that the burden had fallen upon them, if they were on the housing waiting list, although he had to balance the needs of the Government request with the needs of the district’s residents and took into consideration the local demand for housing and the request made to the authority.
(b) Syrian Refugees - Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme
Councillor S Watson asked the Housing Portfolio Holder whether he could confirm if the Council would be housing Syrian Refugees under the Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme and that the relevant security checks would be undertaken before they were placed in the community.
Councillor D Stallan confirmed that it was the intention to assist Syrian Refugees under the Vulnerable Persons Scheme and prior to relocation in local authorities, the refugees on their arrival to UK would be initially housed in Government accommodation and go through the relevant checks.
(c) Syrian Refugees - Housing Policy
Councillor N Bedford asked the Housing Portfolio Holder, whether in light of the Syrian Crisis, would any changes be required to the Housing Policy.
Councillor D Stallan advised that officers had advised that no alterations to the Housing Policy would be required because the refugees would be treated in the same way as a homeless applicant. Therefore the five year residents rule would not be applied and they would only be offered non secure tenancy, which would prevent the Right to Buy.
(d) Syrian Refugees – Housing Availability Calculations
Councillor L Wagland asked the Housing Portfolio Holder, how the calculation had been made with regards to the availability of housing for Syrian Refugees?
Councillor D Stallan advised that the number of void properties of an average year had been taken into account, alongside the type of property whilst balancing the needs of the housing waiting list. Furthermore, if the Government asked the Council to take refugees tomorrow they would be able to accommodate them with what they had offered.
(e) Syrian Refugees – ECC Support
Councillor K Angold-Stephens asked the Housing Portfolio Holder whether the Council was liaising with Essex County Council (ECC) for the additional support services that would be required for the refugees.
Councillor Stallan advised that the Council would be working with ECC and at the next Locality Board further information about the services ECC would be providing would be advised.
(f) Syrian Refugees – External Agency Help
Councillor B Surtees asked the Housing Portfolio Holder whether he was aware of the Bishops of Chelmsford call to all Christian and church people within the diocese, to respond as positively as possible to the Syrian crisis; that the Bishop had made sure that there was church property available to offer in appropriate circumstances and; that he had called upon the Christian community for skills and training to support refugees when they arrived?
Councillor D Stallan welcomed the response and advised that the crisis should not just fall upon local authorities but that all community and external agencies could offer their support and could contact the Council for further guidance and advice.
(g) Green Belt Review Visit
Councillor J Knapman asked the Planning Policy Portfolio Holder if he could honour his promise to visit Chigwell Parish Council with regards to the Green Belt Review.
The Leader advised that in absence of the Planning Policy Holder, that he would ask Councillor R Bassett to visit Chigwell Parish Council.
(h) Devolution
Councillor C C Pond asked the Leader of the Council whether he was aware of a briefing the Leader of the ECC had given to group leaders regarding local authorities in the County that were beyond the metropolitan green belt and wanted to accept more of the housing growth than other green belt authorities, who were not keen?
Councillor C Whitbread advised that EFDC had raised this issue because of the devolution deal and the aspirations for growth that this would create. He advised that residents in the district had told the Council that they wanted the green belt protected and not to build more houses than were required locally. For this to be achieved, a Essex SHARM would be required to spread the development, which had yet to be put into legislation and so he would only sign up to what was best for the residents and Council, when the details were available.
(i) Parkguard
Councillor D Wixley asked the Safer, Greener and Transport Portfolio Holder whether Parkguard had been patrolling because of reductions in the Police service; whether they were regulated; and what the costs were involved for the Council?
Councillor G Waller advised that a meeting had been held with Chigwell Parish Council, Members of the District Council and the Police which concluded that some additional support was required alongside the Police. The agency Parkguard specialised and added value to the work being carried out in the Limes Farm area. The money being spent was being monitored with contributions from the pubs that agreed to this way forward bearing some of the costs, although an exact figure was not yet known.
(j) House Building Programme –Carbon Emissions
Councillor S Neville asked the Housing Portfolio Holder that with the Government cancelling the introduction of 0% carbon home standards by 2016 and the negative impact that this could have on households in risk of fuel poverty in new housing. Would he meet with him to discuss increasing the Council housebuilding standard from code 4 to code 6?
Councillor G Waller advised that in the interests of making the Council as green as possible, he had proposed that the new Council homes should be built to code 4, which had only resulted in an additional cost of £1500 per dwelling and was worthwhile for the Council and future tenants. He believed that no other authorities had gone above code level 4 and to go beyond this level would be difficult. Councillor G Waller advised that code levels were being phased out and replaced with building regulations to ensure the maximum efficiencies were achieved and that the Council would like to build homes to the maximum efficiency possible.
(k) Local Plan
Councillor J M Whitehouse asked the Planning Policy Portfolio Holder about the engagement of consultants looking at recreation plots of land outside the green belt and within urban areas, and the lack of information and updates provided to Members and when would Members get a full briefing about this?
Councillor Whitbread advised that Councillor R Bassett would provide a written answer to his question and hoped that the process had been open and transparent.
(l) Parking Permits
Councillor J H Whitehouse asked the Safer, Cleaner and Transport Portfolio Holder whether only parking permits for 24 hours could be purchased and not the 2 and 4 hours permits that had been formally available, as this meant that residents who had two or more visits per day, were having to hand out permits that cost £1.30 instead of 40p; Had he attended the meeting where this was decided or was it an officers decision; Could something be done to reinstate the permits; Was there a carers permit available and; if so could details be given and publicised?
Councillor G Waller advised that there was a meeting in October 2015 and he would raise the matter for discussion and report back.
(m) National Planning Policy
Councillor L Wagland asked the Governance and Performance Management Portfolio Holder how he interpreted the national planning policy statement on Green Belt protection and the intentional unauthorised development issued by Steve Quartermain, Chief Planner of Department for Communities and Local Government (DLCG), which states that intentional unauthorised development would be a material consideration that could be weighed in the determination of planning applications and appeals. Although there was a concern of who had to prove the intentional unauthorised development?
Councillor J Philip acknowledged that the policy was a positive step forward and the changes would be a good thing for the Council. He advised that the planning department would be investigating it.
(n) Broadway Parking Review
Councillor C C Pond asked the Safer, Cleaner and Transport Portfolio Holder when the Broadway Parking Review would start.
Councillor G Waller advised that a date for the Broadway Parking Review would take place shortly and would include relevant officers, Wards Members and himself.
(o) Waste and Recycling Collections
Councillor B Surtees asked the Environment Portfolio Holder when the Waste and recycling Collection service would normalise because he had received reports from residents regarding vehicles driving over the curbs and damaging the pavements in Ongar.
Councillor W Breare-Hall advised that some agency staff were still being used until the service level increased to a satisfactory level and further training and development had taken place. Regarding the issues with vehicles driving over curbs, Councillor W Breare-Hall asked that details were passed on to him for further investigation.
(p) AECOM
Councillor J Knapman asked the Leader what was the role of AECOM in relation to the Council because Chigwell Parish Council were unable to procure their services?
Councillor Whitbread indicated he would find out and come back to Councillor J Knapman.
(q) Lyndsey House, Epping
Councillor J H Whitehouse asked the Portfolio Holder for Asset and Economic Development whether the sale of Lyndsay House in Epping could be sped up because of residents concerns about the deterioration of the building.
Councillor A Grigg advised that Lyndsay House was still in the ownership of EFDC and the sale to ECC was being held up by the submission for State Aid to the Secretary of State and once she had further information it would be published in the Members Bulletin.