Agenda, decisions and minutes

To confirm the minutes of the previous meetings of the council.

The minutes of the meetings held on 15 July and 5 August 2020 were agreed by the members present and will be signed by the Mayor at the next available opportunity.

The minutes of the meetings held on 15 July and 5 August 2020 were agreed by the members present and will be signed by the Mayor at the next available opportunity.

To receive any declarations of interest.

There were no declarations of interest.

There were no declarations of interest.

To consider questions (if any) by members of the public of which the appropriate notice has been given to the Assistant Director (Corporate and Contracted Services).

There was no public participation.

There was no public participation.

To receive announcements and business brought forward by the Mayor, Leader, and Members of the Cabinet or the Chief Executive.

4.1       By the Mayor:

4.2       By the Chief Executive:

4.3       By the Group Leaders:  Any apologies for absence

4.4       Council Leader and Members of the Cabinet:

Councillor Williams                 Leader of the Council

Councillor Williams                 Corporate and Contracted Services

Councillor Anderson               Environmental Services

Councillor Banks                     Community and Regulatory Services

Councillor G Sutton                Planning and Infrastructure

Councillor Elliot                       Finance and Resources

Councillor Griffiths                  Housing

4.1       By the Mayor:

The Mayor announced the sad passing of former Dacorum Councillor and Mayor Maureen Flint. One minutes silence was held in remembrance.

On Sunday 13 September, the Mayor attended the reef laying to commemorate the Battle of Britain and this gave the opportunity to reflect on the huge sacrifices and bravery of all those involved.

4.2       By the Chief Executive:

None.

4.3       By the Group Leaders:

None.

4.4       Council Leader and Members of the Cabinet:

(Full details are in the minutes under Announcements of the Leader and Cabinet).

4.1       By the Mayor:

The Mayor announced the sad passing of former Dacorum Councillor and Mayor, Maureen Flint. He invited members to share their memories of her.

Councillor Williams said he had worked with Maureen for a long period of time and although they may not have seen eye-to-eye in regards to politics, there was no doubt that she was a long serving and vital part of the Gadebridge community and of the Labour party in Hemel Hempstead. She chaired the Leisure Committee when Labour were in power from 1995-1999 and she was Mayor in that last year. He felt she set the bar in her Mayoral year and attended in the region of 500 events. She officially opened the refurbished Hemel Hempstead Leisure Centre and also introduced the Remembrance Parade. He said she was a really hard working councillor, she gave a considerable amount of her time to the community and it was a big loss to the people of Gadebridge.

Councillor Hollinghurst said he had worked with Maureen for a considerable amount of years and knew her very well. He felt she was a very friendly councillor and colleague and her heart was always with the people she represented in Hemel Hempstead. He always enjoyed her company and felt very sad about her passing.

Councillor Bassadone said Maureen served the people of Gadebridge admirable for several years and will always be remembered for the time and effort they put in and for the borough of Dacorum. She hoped next year we could do a memorial service for her to remember her.

Councillor Imarni said she had got to know Maureen as a fellow councillor for Gadebridge but she had stepped down in 2015 when Councillor Imarni was elected. She said every door she knocked on in Gadebridge the residents knew Maureen and had good things to say about her. She met her family during the Election period and worked with them at the local polling station. Maureen always put community above political parties and was always friendly and helpful. She expressed how happy everyone was to see Maureen because they knew she genuinely cared about them and worked so hard for the community. She will be very missed in Gadebridge.

One minutes silence was held in remembrance of Maureen Flint.

The Mayor announced that on Sunday 13 September he attended the reef laying to commemorate the Battle of Britain and this gave the opportunity to reflect on the huge sacrifices and bravery of all those involved.

4.2       By the Chief Executive:

None.

4.3       By the Group Leaders:

None.

4.4       Council Leader and Members of the Cabinet:

Councillor Williams, Leader of the Council

The Leader referred to the coverage of heightened incidents of coronavirus in the borough. He was pleased to say that with our joined up working with Public Health in Hertfordshire and other agencies, incidents of coronavirus in Dacorum had steadily come down. However we shouldn’t become complacent as this could easily change if we don’t abide  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

The following Motion was proposed by Councillor Freedman and seconded by Councillor Uttley:

This Council resolves:

·      to require all public firework displays within the local authority boundaries to be advertised in advance of the event, allowing residents to take precautions for their animals and vulnerable people

·      to actively promote a public awareness campaign about the impact of fireworks on animal welfare and vulnerable people–including the precautions that can be taken to mitigate risks

·      to write to the UK Government urging them to introduce legislation to limit the maximum noise level of fireworks to 90dB for those sold to the public for private displays

·      to encourage local suppliers of fireworks to stock ‘quieter’ fireworks for public display.

A vote was held:

17 for,

26 against,

2 abstentions,

Therefore the motion failed.

The following Motion was proposed by Councillor Tindall and seconded by Councillor Williams:

The recent changes to planning law made by the Government are causing a stir across the country, removing the right of local people to have a say in the planning process.

In protecting the public’s say in the planning process;

A. This Council notes:

1.  The publication by Government of the White Paper, ‘Planning for the Future’ on 6 August 2020, which set out proposals on reforms to the planning process for the future.

2.  That the vast majority of planning applications are given the go ahead by local authority planning committees, with permission granted to around 9 out of 10 applications.

3.  That research by the Local Government Association has said that there are existing planning permissions for more than one million homes that have not yet been started.

B.   This Council is concerned that the proposals seek to:

1.  Reduce or remove the right of residents to object to applications near them.

2.  Grant automatic rights for developers to build on land identified as ‘for growth’.

3.  Remove the consultation role of Parish and Town Councils to comment and make recommendations on local planning applications.

C.   This Council Further Notes:

1. The Royal Institute for British Architects called the proposals ‘shameful and which will do almost nothing to guarantee delivery of affordable, well-designed and sustainable homes’. RIBA also said that proposals could lead to the next generation of slum housing.

2. The reforms are opposed by the all-party Local Government Association, currently led by Conservative Councillors.

3.  That the reforms remove section 106 payments for infrastructure and proposes their replacement with a national levy, paid direct to councils and non-negotiable by developers.

D.  This Council Believes:

1.  That existing planning procedures, as currently administered by our own team in   Dacorum Borough Council allow for local democratic control over future development, and provides an opportunity for local people to make contributions regarding planning proposals that affect them.

2.  That proposals for automatic rights to build in ‘growth’ areas, and increased permitted development rights, risk unregulated growth and unsustainable communities.

3.  That local communities must be in the driving seat on shaping the future of their communities,  ...  view the full decision text for item 5.

The following Motion was proposed by Councillor Freedman and seconded by Councillor Uttley:

This Council resolves:

·      to require all public firework displays within the local authority boundaries to be advertised in advance of the event, allowing residents to take precautions for their animals and vulnerable people

·      to actively promote a public awareness campaign about the impact of fireworks on animal welfare and vulnerable people–including the precautions that can be taken to mitigate risks

·      to write to the UK Government urging them to introduce legislation to limit the maximum noise level of fireworks to 90dB for those sold to the public for private displays

·      to encourage local suppliers of fireworks to stock ‘quieter’ fireworks for public display.

Councillor Freedman said the motion was inspired by the RSPCA and other animal welfares charities aimed at making fireworks less frightening for animals and vulnerable people. Sadly fireworks inadvertently lead to the distress, injury and death of a significant number of family pets, farm animals and wildlife every year. He didn’t want to illustrate the evidence behind this claim especially as the motion didn’t call for any restrictions, rather it seeks to use the council’s position as a community leader to help educate people both to the dangerous side effects of fireworks but also to the safer, quieter alternatives that are becoming available. He hoped this motion would encourage our community to be good neighbours whilst enjoying the fireworks and we’re asking them to do this by firstly giving them advance notice of displays especially those with animals or conditions, encouraging the community to be aware of the problems fireworks may contribute to, and finally to encourage the sale and use of the quieter and safer alternatives. He explained that although the motion was inspired by animals, the noise of fireworks also has an impact on those with mental health conditions. He hoped that encouraging the use of quieter, safer fireworks would increase the range and availability locally, and that the high decibel and high range products would reduce in popularity and be replaced by these better alternatives. Finally this motion asks DBC to add its name to the list of councils calling on the government to add the decibel level to the criteria of fireworks marketed to the general public. Currently fireworks containing over a certain amount of explosives are regulated and only available to those licenced for holding public displays. The basis of this regulation seems to be risk associated with physical injury caused by a fireworks explosion. This motion simply asks the government to consider the damage done by sudden noise as part of that criteria. He felt this motion didn’t reduce any capacity for residents to enjoy fireworks in the manner that they currently do but at the same time it acknowledges the problems they may possibly cause and strikes a balance.

Councillor Anderson said he had sympathy with the motion and with what it was trying to achieve but he couldn’t support it because it was impractical. He said  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To consider questions (if any) by members of the Council of which the appropriate notice has been given to the Assistant Director (Corporate and Contracted Services).

1.      To Councillor Williams from Councillor Symington:

“The government is keen to promote the roll out of 5G networks and has a target that the majority of the population will be covered by a 5G signal by 2027. As stated in 2017, the government ‘wants to provide world class digital connectivity that is gigabit-capable, reliable, long-lasting and widely available across the UK – and to do so at pace.’ In July 2020 the government announced it is taking forward proposals to simplify planning rules to speed up 5G rollout and improve rural mobile coverage.

Could the portfolio holder please confirm that Dacorum Borough Council will work with stakeholders to promote and facilitate the roll-out of 5G networks to ensure the residents of Dacorum benefit at the earliest opportunity from the commercial and personal benefits of super-fast broadband connectivity?”

Councillor Williams said the borough had always supported improved broadband facilities whether it was 5G or fibre cables across the borough we recognise the importance of both in the commercial and residential sector for maximum possible connectivity to support businesses. He wasn’t sure that the borough council had a massive role in this, the planning process for telecommunications providers had always been generous in the permissions that they’re able to implement and if the government is further relaxing that as Councillor Symington has stated it does give flexibility to telecoms providers to install the equipment and improve the network. He said there has to be a small degree of caution on that and there are some public concerns about the installation of some of this equipment and there has to be a role in the process for that. There also has to be a degree of understanding that we expect some sort of consideration from telecoms providers about where and when they install the equipment. He said the amount of power and legislation that supports the objective of delivering 5G and other forms of connectivity across the country is already very much in favour of the telecoms providers to enable them to deliver the standards of communication that Councillor Symington refers to.

Councillor Symington felt Councillor Williams only answered part of her question. She requested that we do follow through with the work we need to do see this through. 

Councillor Williams said the powers that mobile network providers have are quite significant in planning terms, it is very few of the applications that actually come through the planning process in full. He said there were a number of 5G masts that have appeared around Hemel Hempstead over the last six months that were delivered under the powers that the operators have to install these. The vast majority of the installations do not go through a full planning process because the legislation favours the installation of this equipment and favours the fastest possible roll out of it. He said there were very few occasions when they come to a planning committee and when they do it is usually because there is a  ...  view the full decision text for item 6.

1.      To Councillor Williams from Councillor Symington:

“The government is keen to promote the roll out of 5G networks and has a target that the majority of the population will be covered by a 5G signal by 2027. As stated in 2017, the government ‘wants to provide world class digital connectivity that is gigabit-capable, reliable, long-lasting and widely available across the UK – and to do so at pace.’ In July 2020 the government announced it is taking forward proposals to simplify planning rules to speed up 5G rollout and improve rural mobile coverage.

Could the portfolio holder please confirm that Dacorum Borough Council will work with stakeholders to promote and facilitate the roll-out of 5G networks to ensure the residents of Dacorum benefit at the earliest opportunity from the commercial and personal benefits of super-fast broadband connectivity?”

Councillor Williams said the borough had always supported improved broadband facilities, whether it was 5G or fibre cables across the borough, we recognise the importance of both in the commercial and residential sector for maximum possible connectivity to support businesses. He wasn’t sure that the borough council had a massive role in this, the planning process for telecommunications providers had always been generous in the permissions that they’re able to implement, and if the government is further relaxing that as Councillor Symington has stated it does give flexibility to telecoms providers to install the equipment and improve the network. He said there has to be a small degree of caution on that and there are some public concerns about the installation of some of this equipment and there has to be a role in the process for that. There also has to be a degree of understanding that we expect some sort of consideration from telecoms providers about where and when they install the equipment. He said the amount of power and legislation that supports the objective of delivering 5G and other forms of connectivity across the country is already very much in favour of the telecoms providers to enable them to deliver the standards of communication that Councillor Symington refers to.

Councillor Symington felt Councillor Williams only answered part of her question. She requested that we do follow through with the work we need to do to see this through. 

Councillor Williams said the powers that mobile network providers have are quite significant in planning terms, it is very few of the applications that actually come through the planning process in full. He said there were a number of 5G masts that have appeared around Hemel Hempstead over the last six months that were delivered under the powers that the operators have to install these. The vast majority of the installations do not go through a full planning process because the legislation favours the installation of this equipment and favours the fastest possible roll out of it. He said there were very few occasions when they come to a planning committee and when they do it is usually because there is  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To consider any business referred from the previous meeting.

None.

None.

None.

None.

None.

None.

None.

None.

None.

None.

None.

To consider the following changes to committee dates:

Ø  Additional Strategic Planning and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 30 September.

The following changes to committee dates were agreed:

Ø  Additional Strategic Planning and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 30 September.

The following changes to committee dates were agreed:

Ø  Additional Strategic Planning and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 30 September.

Members expressed their gratitude and farewell wishes to Sally Marshall as this was her last Full Council meeting before retiring from her role of Chief Executive of Dacorum Borough Council.

The Mayor advised that this will be the last full council meeting with our current Chief Executive Sally Marshall.

The Group Leaders, Councillor Williams and Councillor Tindall, and also the Mayor Councillor Douris, shared words of appreciation and recognition to Sally Marshall and wished her all the best for the future.

Sally Marshall shared fond memories of her time at Dacorum and thanked her colleagues for their support and wishes.