Agenda, decisions and minutes

To confirm the minutes of the previous meeting of the council

The minutes of the meeting held on 16 May 2018 were agreed by the Members present and then signed by the Mayor.

The minutes of the meeting held on 16 May 2018 were agreed by the Members present and then signed by the Mayor.

To consider questions (if any) by members of the public of which the appropriate notice has been given to the Solicitor to the Council.

None

There were no Public Participation.

To consider questions (if any) by members of the Council of which the appropriate notice has been given to the Solicitor to the Council.

None.

By the Mayor:

None.

By the Chief Executive:

None.

By the Group Leaders:

Councillor Williams confirmed that apologies had been received from Councillors Anderson, Armytage, Birnie, Clark, Imarni, Elliot, Fethney, Madden, Mathews Mills, Peter, Silwal, Whitman, and C Wyatt-Lowe.

Councillor Tindall had no apologies,

Cllr Fisher gave apologies for Councillor Fethney.

Council Leader and Members of the Cabinet:

Councillor Williams, Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Community Leadership

Councillor Williams asked if there were any questions.

Councillor Tindall mentioned that there is an organisation who provides statuettes of soldiers to mark the centenary of the First World War and enquired if we are doing anything to commemorate this.  Councillor Williams asked Councillor Harden to reply.  Councillor Harden confirmed that we are looking to purchase one of these statuettes at a cost of £750 and he is aware that there are grants for Parish Councils or local organisations, but this is in hand.  Councillor Tindall thanked Councillor Harden.

Councillor Bassadone was concerned about the attendance at Council.  Councillor Williams confirmed that there was a least four Councillors on holiday. 

Councillor England commented that the new play park in Gadebridge Park is very popular and wanted to ensure that the splash park would be open by the end of July.  Councillor Williams confirmed that it would definitely be open by the end of July.

Councillor G Sutton, Portfolio Holder for Planning & Infrastructure

Progress is being made on two important new retail developments for the Borough

Work has started on the former Lucas Aerospace / Aviva site at Maylands avenue for the new retail park, and the first phase is expected to be open by Easter 2019.

The scheme for more retail units at Jarman Park has now been approved and the developers are advising that work will start in early 2019.

DBC have facilitated, with full Business sponsorship the new Dacorum Heroes and continued with the very successful Dragons Den awards. The Heroes awards recognise business that go above and beyond to help employees or the community and the den supports new business ideas to help with future growth plans.

The Heroes have already been judged and the winners agreed by a panel of sponsors and the Dragon’s Den will be judged this Friday (6^th) by the main sponsors and the local MP Sir Mike Penning.

There will be a winner’s presentation for both taking place on July 20^th.

Questions:

Councillor Tindal enquired whether the plans for the old Athletics Track site would provide new housing or retail development.  Councillor Sutton confirmed that no decisions had been made at this stage.

Councillor Marshall, Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services

This Friday will be the first food collection day in the trial of collecting Food Waste from flats.  The trial is for 3 months and 1600 flats are involved – in Berkhamsted, Grovehill and Leverstock Green.  The aim of the trial is to determine whether food waste recycling would be successful if provided to flats.  Each flat  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

To consider any business referred from the previous meeting

None

None

To consider the following Motion from Councillor Tindall

“Council affirms the view that the Fire and Rescue Service should remain under the control and democratic accountability of Hertfordshire County Council, rather than being taken over by the Police and Crime Commissioner. Council therefore fully supports the view taken by the County Council in this regard, and its Leader’s submission to the Home Office.

Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Home Office in a similar vein, confirming this Council’s opposition to the proposed takeover.”

That the following motion, proposed by Councillor Tindall and seconded by Councillor England be agreed;.

“Council affirms the view that the Fire and Rescue Service should remain under the control and democratic accountability of Hertfordshire County Council, rather than being taken over by the Police and Crime Commissioner. Council therefore fully supports the view taken by the County Council in this regard, and its Leader’s submission to the Home Office.

Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Home Office in a similar vein, confirming this Council’s opposition to the proposed takeover.”

Resolved-

That the following motion, proposed by Councillor Tindall and seconded by Councillor England be agreed;.

“Council affirms the view that the Fire and Rescue Service should remain under the control and democratic accountability of Hertfordshire County Council, rather than being taken over by the Police and Crime Commissioner. Council therefore fully supports the view taken by the County Council in this regard, and its Leader’s submission to the Home Office.

Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Home Office in a similar vein, confirming this Council’s opposition to the proposed takeover.”

To consider the following referrals from Cabinet:

7.1  CA/049/18           24 April 2018               Formalisation of Grovehill          Neighbourhood Plan

7.2  CA/058/18            22 May 2018               Financial Outturn 2017/18

7.3  CA/059/18            22 May 2018               Amendments to Staff Terms & Conditions

7.4  CA/071/18            26 June 2018              Constitution & Petition Scheme Review & Update

PART 2

7.5  CA/062/18            26 June 2018              Jellicoe Water Gardens Project

Resolved:

That the following be approved:

24^th April 2018

CA/049/18       FORMALISATION OF GROVEHILL NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN

That Council formally ‘makes’ the Grovehill Future Neighbourhood Plan as part of the Local Plan following a YES vote at Referendum 15^th February.  

22^nd May 2018

CA/058/18       FINANCIAL OUT TURN 2017/18

That Council;

1. Approve the carry forward of unspent reserve funded budgets from 2017/18 to 2018/19 (see Appendix D of the report to Cabinet, £315k slippage into 2018/19)

2. Approve the use of the Housing Revenue Account surplus to fund an increased Revenue Contribution to Capital

CA/060/18       AMENDMENTS TO STAFF TERMS & CONDITIONS

That Council approves the changes to the redundancy multiplier as set out in paragraph 3.2 of the report.

26^th June 2018

CA/071/18       CONSTITUTION & PETITION SCHEME REVIEW & UPDATE

That Council adopt the amended Petition Scheme as annexed at Appendix 1A of the Cabinet report; and include a change in paragraph 5 (The word ‘ago’ be replaced with ‘previously’).

Resolved:

That the following be approved:

24^th April 2018

CA/049/18       FORMALISATION OF GROVEHILL NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN

That Council formally ‘makes’ the Grovehill Future Neighbourhood Plan as part of the Local Plan following a YES vote at Referendum 15^th February.  

22^nd May 2018

CA/058/18       FINANCIAL OUT TURN 2017/18

That Council;

1. Approve the carry forward of unspent reserve funded budgets from 2017/18 to 2018/19 (see Appendix D of the report to Cabinet, £315k slippage into 2018/19)

2. Approve the use of the Housing Revenue Account surplus to fund an increased Revenue Contribution to Capital

CA/060/18       AMENDMENTS TO STAFF TERMS & CONDITIONS

That Council approves the changes to the redundancy multiplier as set out in paragraph 3.2 of the report.

26^th June 2018

CA/071/18       CONSTITUTION & PETITION SCHEME REVIEW & UPDATE

That Council adopt the amended Petition Scheme as annexed at Appendix 1A of the Cabinet report; and include a change in paragraph 5 (The word ‘ago’ be replaced with ‘previously’).

To consider the final 2018/19 committee membership.

Resolved-

That the following changes be made to committee membership:

Cllr Silwal to leave the Finance & Resources Overview & Scrutiny committee and join Member Development Steering Group and the Strategic Planning and Environment Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

Cllrs Armytage and Bhinder to join Licensing.

The Finance and Resources Overview & Scrutiny Committee will be reduced by one space from 13 to 12.

Resolved-

Cllr Silwal will be leaving the Finance committee and joining Member Development and SPAE.

Cllr Armytage will be joining Licensing.

Cllr Bhinder will be joining Licencing.

The Finance Committee will be reduced by one space.

RESOLVED: -

That the following amendments to the Constitution regarding the conduct of the Development Management Committee are approved:

1.    If an application is recommended for approval, only objectors can invoke public speaking and then supporters can present their case. Applicants can only invoke speaking rights where the application is recommended for refusal.

2.    Reduce Ward Councillor’s time limit for speaking from 10 minutes to five minutes.

3.    Change the deadline to register to speak from 12 noon on the day of the meeting to 5pm the day before the meeting.

4.    Stop members of the public distributing material at the meeting.

5.    Planning officers must keep their presentations to 5 minutes for major applications and 3 minutes for all other applications.

Resolved-

The referral was presented Councillor Guest on behalf of the Development Management Committee. The changes that are being put forward will enable the Committee to function in a more streamlined and timely manner and therefore improve the quality of decision making.  Recommendations 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 were agreed by a majority of Committee Members in response to consultation.  As for change 3 the majority of Members who responded to the consultation disagree with this change.  So Cllr Guest would not be recommending it for adoption at Council.  She proposed changes 1, 2 4, 5 and 6 and Councillor Griffiths seconded the proposals.

Resolved: -

That the recommended changes as agreed by the Development Management Committee on 5th July 2018 be agreed as follows:

1.    If an application is recommended for approval, only objectors can invoke public speaking and then supporters can present their case. Applicants can only invoke speaking rights where the application is recommended for refusal.

2.    Reduce the Ward Councillor time limit for speaking from 10 minutes to five minutes.

3.    Change the deadline to register to speak from 12 noon on the day of the meeting to 5pm the day before the meeting.

4.    Stop members of the public distributing material at the meeting.

5.    Planning officers must keep their presentations to 5 minutes for major applications and 3 minutes for all other applications.

To consider passing a resolution in the following terms:

That, under s.100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 Schedule 12A Part 1 as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006 the public be excluded during the items in Part 2 of the Agenda for this meeting, because it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, that, if members of the public were present during those items, there would be disclosure to them of exempt information relating to the financial and business affairs of the Council and third party companies/organisations.

Resolved:

That, under section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded during the item in Part II of the Agenda for this meeting, because it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, that if members of the public were present during this item there would be disclosure to them of exempt information relating to the financial and business affairs of the Council and third party companies/organisations.

(Local Government Act 1972, Schedule 12A, Part 1, Paragraph 3).

Resolved –

To consider passing a resolution in the following terms:

That, under section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded during the item in Part II of the Agenda for this meeting, because it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, that if members of the public were present during this item there would be disclosure to them of exempt information relating to the financial and business affairs of the Council and third party companies/organisations.

(Local Government Act 1972, Schedule 12A, Part 1, Paragraph 3).

Full details can be found in the Part II minutes.