Agenda item

To receive reports and any announcements from the Leader and members of the Cabinet on matters falling within their area of responsibility:

(a)        Report of the Leader;

(b)        Report of the Assets and Economic Development Portfolio Holder;

(c)        Report of the Environment Portfolio Holder; (attached)

(d)        Report of the Finance Portfolio Holder; (attached)

(e)        Report of the Governance and Development Management Portfolio Holder; (attached)      

(f)        Report of the Housing Portfolio Holder; (attached)

(g)        Report of the Leisure and Community Services Portfolio Holder; (attached)

(h)        Report of the Planning Policy Portfolio Holder; (attached) 

(i)         Report of the Safer, Greener and Transport Portfolio Holder; (attached) and

(j)         Report of the Technology and Support Services Portfolio Holder (attached).

(a)        The Leader of the Council

The Leader advised that he had attended 17 meetings with various bodies since the last Council meeting and the majority of them had concerned Devolution. The Council was participating in discussions with neighbouring authorities about the potential for a Greater Essex Bid and the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) were heavily involved in the engagement with authorities across Essex, to progress details of an Essex deal, although there had been delays because of the practical difficulties of scheduling meetings. This had resulted in the probability that a deal would not be reached before the summer 2016. He advised that the concerns raised by the Council were being considered and remained unresolved and that he was keeping an open mind because the deal had to deliver a real benefit to local residents before joining.

A number of Devolution deals had been announced in Manchester, Cornwall, Liverpool, Sheffield, Tees Valley, West Midlands and West Yorkshire with directly a elected Mayor. He advised that although this was considered appropriate for cities regions, he was in the view that it would not work for the Shire Counties.

There had been a number of amendments to the Devolution Bill, (which had effected the formation of a combined authority requiring the agreement of all local authorities to join) to allow the Secretary of State to direct local authorities to join, which the Council was monitoring, but to date there had been no instances of this power being used.

He had also attended the Epping Society, which held a meeting regarding the Greenbelt with the local MP, Eleanor Laing and Local residents.

(b)        Housing Portfolio Holder

Councillor D Stallan advised that on page 28 of the agenda, paragraph 2 the words “children’s play area” should be replaced with “open space area”.