Agenda item

(Director of Neighbourhoods) To consider the attached report (LCS-004-2015/16).

The Assistant Director of Neighbourhoods (Neighbourhood Services) presented a report on the waiver of the fee for road closures for Town or Parish Councils for events to be held on Remembrance Sunday each year.

The Committee was informed that it had been drawn to the attention of the Council that Essex Police could no longer support the Parish & Town Councils for events that they held on Remembrance Sunday around the District.  A letter from Essex Police was only received late in September resulting in the Parish & Town Councils not having the opportunity to make applications to the District Council. The Council required that applicants gave at least three months notice, to enable a full consultation to be carried out. Until now the Local Councils had no need to make applications for road closures because Essex Police assisted with the closures using their own powers. The District Council currently charged a fee of £170 for a road closure.

The Licensing Manager advised the Committee that the recommendation should read “…the waiving of the need to apply for and the fees for Road Closures…”. The Assistant Director stated that, in the past, events on Remembrance Sunday had been served by the Police and hence an application to close a road was not required. Now, the Police had decided not to service such events so a Temporary Road Closure was required. The Licensing Manager added that the Council undertook a full consultation for each Road Closure application received and, if agreed, a Council sealed notice concerning the Road Closure was displayed and it was up to the Applicant to engage professional staff to manage the Road Closure.

In respect of this year’s events, the Assistant Director stated that there was not the time available to follow the full application process, therefore it was suggested that a ‘blanket’ approval be granted to all Local Councils for events on Remembrance Sunday. Officers would contact Local Councils to ascertain if they required a Road Closure this year, and Local Councils would be required to apply in future years for a Road Closure on Remembrance Sunday for a further ‘blanket’ approval by members.

Cllr Surtees opined that Local Councils would strongly support these proposals, and it was understandable that the Police was withdrawing support for such events given the reduced budgets that they were operating under. However, there was the risk of inappropriate Road Closures on Remembrance Sunday, and it was suggested that special arrangements be put in place for this year but Local Councils would be obliged to follow the normal process in future years.

The Committee felt that the notice provided by the Police was inadequate this year and that they should perform Road Closures as normal in 2015. It was acknowledged that the presence of the Police was always reassuring when roads were closed and they often performed marshalling duties at these events as well. It was agreed that Officers should contact the Police regarding the events for 2015, and there should be a ‘blanket’ approval for events in future years, following consultation with the local Councils. Cllr Waller, Portfolio Holder for Safer, Greener & Transport, offered to raised the subject in a meeting with the local Police Commander scheduled for 21 October 2015, which the Committee welcomed.

Resolved:

(1)        That, given the relative lack of notice provided, Essex Police be contacted by Officers and requested to service the planned events for this year as normal;

(2)        That, following consultation with the Local Councils, a ‘blanket’ approach for approving Road Closures on Remembrance Sunday be considered and implemented; and

(3)        That the subject of Police involvement in Remembrance Sunday events in 2015 be raised with the Local Police Commander at a meeting on 21 October 2015 with the Portfolio Holder for Safer, Greener & Transport.