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
Decision:
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).
Minutes:
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 by social distancing and increased hygiene standards etc. He checked the figures today and there had been 11 cases within the last 7 days, and we had the second lowest incident rate of the 10 districts in Hertfordshire.
Questions:
Councillor Stevens asked if there were any plans to open the Berkhamsted Civic Centre. The Portfolio Holder said he had discussed the reopening of Berkhamsted and Tring Civic Centres with the Chief Executive but given the difficulty of maintaining social distancing and the access to enter and exit the building, we did not have a date to safely reopen them yet.
Councillor Symington referred to the Black Lives Matter protests. She asked if the Portfolio Holder could comment or detail any response from the council to these events. The Portfolio Holder advised that the council hadn’t formally responded to these events but we were undertaking a review of our equalities policies, particularly our external policies, to ensure equality in our community. Councillor Symington asked if there was a timescale to report back to members. The Portfolio Holder said he didn’t have a fixed timescale but the review of policies would go to Cabinet and he would expect them to be finalised in this calendar year.
Councillor Hollinghurst asked if DBC had received a questionnaire from the Centre for Public Scrutiny in relation to the climate emergency. The Portfolio Holder said he was unsure, it would have gone via the appropriate officer so he would have to provide a written response. Councillor Hollinghurst said Hertfordshire County Council had received and responded to the questionnaire. He asked if the Portfolio Holder could ensure the questionnaire was completed and then circulate the responses to members. The Portfolio Holder confirmed he would. Action: Councillor Williams
Councillor Adeleke highlighted that we did not have a coronavirus test centre in Dacorum. He wondered if the figures were low because individuals were unable or reluctant to travel to get tested. He asked if the Portfolio Holder was able to do anything to help get a test centre in the borough. The Portfolio Holder didn’t feel that the figures were inaccurate. He said it would be advantageous to have a test centre in Dacorum but given the pressure on resources we cannot have centres in every borough and some travelling will be required.
There were no further questions.
Councillor Williams, Portfolio Holder for Corporate and Contracted Services
The Portfolio Holder advised
that the Berkhamsted multi-storey car park opened on 1st
September and he was pleased to say that it was operating well. He
highlighted that out of the 78 business permits spaces available 77
had been sold.
In July the leisure centres and sports facilities re-opened. He advised that the take-up and customer satisfaction had been positive.
The Forum remained open but with restrictions in place. The library had now reopened with a maximum of 20 customers at any one time and with a 15 minute limit. It was also possible to book a 1 hour slot to use the computers in the library.
The Citizens Advice Bureau, the Registration Service and Dacorum’s Customer Service Unit were all available on an appointment only basis. The café had also reopened.
There were no questions from members.
Councillor Anderson, Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services
The Portfolio Holder presented his update as follows:
Ø All staff at Cupid Green that had been shielding were now back at work.
Ø We were looking to finish the rollout of food recycling from flats at the end of this month/beginning of next month.
Ø He has been working on a biodiversity press release to try to persuade members of the public to increase biodiversity where they are.
Ø He hoped members had seen the press release regarding the renovation of the white bridge in Gadebridge Park being started.
Questions:
Councillor England asked if the Portfolio Holder had any update on the condition of chalk streams in the Dacorum. The Portfolio Holder said he did circulate the response from the Environment Agency a few months ago but interestingly he had been contacted about it today and would provide the information to members. Action Councillor Anderson
Councillor Bhinder asked if the Portfolio Holder would elaborate on his press release on biodiversity. The Portfolio Holder advised he was trying to persuade members of the public, particularly those that have gardens, to look at doing gardening plans for next year in terms of planting good pollinators and trees. He said they were also looking at wild flowers in the borough but were constrained by Herts Highways. Simon Coultas was leading the development of the councils Biodiversity Strategy.
Councillor Birnie asked if we had made progress with planting more trees in the borough and if we were involving the public in this, for example, schools? The Portfolio Holder said the council still planned to plant 1000 trees by the end of this year, availability permitting. We were planning an event to involve the public in the planting of some trees but due to coronavirus and social distancing that no longer looked possible. He added that involving schools wasn’t practical as not everyone has gardens and it could cause unnecessary problems.
Councillor Beauchamp said he was pleased to hear that all staff at Cupid Green had returned to work and asked if that would mean the normal grass cutting regime would commence. The Portfolio Holder suggested if there were concerns that grass wasn’t being cut when it should be it needed to be reported through the appropriate channels.
Councillor England questioned if it really wasn’t possible to have the tree planting event whilst staying within government guidelines. The Portfolio Holder felt it was too much of a risk for virus transmission and we needed to avoid taking unnecessary risks. Councillor England suggested that outdoor activities were significantly less likely to encounter social distancing problems and transmission of viruses. The Portfolio Holder advised that such events would go against the ‘six person bubble’ rule.
There were no further questions.
Councillor Banks, Portfolio Holder for Community and Regulatory Services
The Portfolio Holder presented her update as follows:
Environmental and Community Protection:
Due to swift and robust action by EH, Community Safety, Economic Development and Communications teams in partnership with the Public Health Team at County, and Public Health England the recent Covid-19 spike in the Dacorum area seems to have been controlled and we now have a ‘green’ RAG rating on the County dashboard, with the second lowest incidence in Hertfordshire (on 10.09.2020). Although this is positive news, this is not a time to be complacent and we must continue to pay our part in remembering to follow the rules. Hands, cover your face and make space and the ‘rule of 6’
Actions taken by DBC in partnership with the Local Resilience Forum Partners, including County Council Public Health Teams, Public Health England, Trading Standards, National Health Service, Police and Fire Colleagues.
Team awarded funding for backfilling staff, to enable to Environmental Health Team take on the increase in workload during the Covid 19 response.
Environmental and Community Protection Team will continue to prioritise the Covid-19 response so it may take longer to address some of the other service areas.
There has been a huge increase (400%) in the number of Filthy and Verminous Cases since April that the Operations Team are dealing with. The approach taken by the team is to work with other agencies to support the individuals however in a number of cases enforcement action is necessary. There are a number of steps that need to be taken to go through the legal steps required to help residents clear and treat the property, this does take some time.
Corporate Health, Safety and Resilience Team have provided support to all Council departments in making the services operate in a Covid secure way.
Questions:
Councillor England asked if the Portfolio Holder agreed with him that the PSPO enforcement costs were proving uneconomic and also discouraged cycling. The Portfolio Holder said she would need to check the mathematics, however the PSPO’S were not there to discourage cycling but to combat anti-social behaviour and to protect residents and shoppers in the pedestrianised areas of the town centre.
Councillor England felt that a better way to manage public order in the town centre needed to be found by encouraging responsible active transport and the health benefits of cycling. He asked what progress had been made in demarcating a channel for cyclists in the town centre on which works were still in progress when he asked the question in January this year. The Portfolio Holder said she and the council as a whole fully supported cycling, however groups of people cycling at speed through the town centre, using the ramps and doing wheelies, was unacceptable. She said they will be encouraging cycling and green transport through the local plan.
Councillor Imarni asked if the Portfolio Holder agreed with her that The Old Town Hall was an obvious cultural centre for the borough and a heritage site, and we must do all we can to get it reopened as soon as possible once it is Covid secure. The Portfolio Holder agreed and said that staff will be doing everything they can to ensure a safe reopening, however the issue is with the venue being so dated it doesn’t lend itself to small numbers. She said she would update Councillor Imarni on any progress of reopening.
Councillor Hollinghurst asked if the Portfolio Holder would organise a review of demarcated cycle routes where cycling is currently forbidden. The Portfolio Holder suggested that the question may be better answered by Councillor G Sutton but the PSPO’s were put in place to address anti-social behaviour following public consultation, scrutiny through our committees and the final decision being made through full council. She gave reassurance that cycle routes, walkways and green transport will be considered as part of any future plans in the borough. Councillor Hollinghurst said that information was encouraging.
Councillor Hollinghurst asked if the Portfolio Holder could look at the possibilities for Tring skateboard park to gain funds for refurbishment. The Portfolio Holder said she hadn’t been made aware of any issues with the skateboard park but agreed she would look into it and let Councillor Hollinghurst know. Action: Councillor Banks
There were no further questions.
Councillor G Sutton, Portfolio Holder for Planning & Infrastructure
The Portfolio Holder presented his update as follows:
HEMEL GARDEN COMMUNITIES PROGRESS
· The Hemel Garden Communities (HGC) programme continues to make good progress.
· The HGC Programme team, led by Dacorum Borough Council, St Albans City and District Council, Hertfordshire County Council and Hertfordshire LEP partners, is progressing guidance and initiatives to shape the new development and help transform the wider town. It aims to deliver 11,000 homes and 10,000 jobs for the area by 2050 and a variety of place making infrastructure and initiatives.
· A bid for next stage Capacity Funding for the financial year 20/21 was submitted to MHCLG on 4 September. We bid for £850k funding to support the programme; this included some collaborative transformational work with Aylesbury and Harlow Gilston Garden Towns to support a solar bulk buy scheme for residents and digital connectivity, and to enable next stage studies to be funded. A funding award announcement is anticipated in late autumn, though receipt of allocations is unlikely to be until next March.
· Most recently the programme has been engaging with local residents and Councillors to find out what they most like about Hemel Hempstead, and how our great New Town should inform the shape and style of the new areas to be developed.
· This work on creating a ‘Spatial Vision’ for Hemel Garden Communities is nearing completion and will inform the content of masterplanning for the area – with the aim of achieving beautiful places for people to live and work in with sustainability and addressing climate change issues at its heart.
· I would like to thank all involved in participating for their valuable input and look forward to further constructive involvement of the local community as the plans develop.
RE-OPENING TOWN CENTRES SAFELY
PLANNING WHITE PAPER
DACORUM’S NEW LOCAL PLAN MOVING FORWARD
· I am pleased to report that the first draft emerging Strategy for shaping the future of Dacorum in the shape of our new Local Plan – which will run to 2038 – is now complete.
· This has followed many months of hard work from the Member task and finish group and from the Officer Strategic Planning team. I would like to thank all involved in the process for getting the Council to this point.
· The emerging Local Plan will be considered by the SPEOSC at its meeting next week, on 23 September and then will progress to Cabinet in October and to Full Council in November for final consideration before it is issued for public consultation at the end of the year.
· I would remind Members that emerging Plan is in draft form and following the public consultation the Council will consider all views put forward before a final version is agreed for submission to the Secretary of State.
· The engagement of our residents and other stakeholders in the process is of course essential. I will be working with the Officer team over the next few weeks to ensure that we have in place a wide range of opportunities for people to consider the plan before giving us their views.
JOBS BOOST AT AMAZON
Questions:
Councillor Pringle asked how many dwellings there currently were in the borough that have had planning permission granted but have not yet built. The Portfolio Holder said he had a rough idea but would prefer to speak to officers for an accurate figure and let Councillor Pringle know. Action: Councillor G Sutton
Councillor Symington asked if the Portfolio Holder had any comments on the practice of pre-meetings, such as those for the development management committee, which are disallowed at some local authorities as they are perceived to undermine the integrity of the planning process by potentially reducing the level of predetermination. The Portfolio Holder said this matter had been questioned before so advice had been sought and it was determined that there was nothing unconstitutional about it. He said he had sat on the committee from 2003-2015 and had chaired the committee for those last two years and there was no predetermination on the decisions.
Councillor Symington felt we were in a different situation now and members are all given the opportunity to ask the officers questions in advance of the meeting and can also receive answers. The argument that information needs to be shared in a different pre-meeting is negated by the fact that this occurs anyway now because of the new process through Microsoft Teams. The Portfolio Holder advised that all members were able to ask questions of officers and it wasn’t restricted by political party, as long as it wasn’t predetermining a decision.
Councillor Adeleke asked who was policing the instruction to wear face masks to ensure safe shopping environments in the borough. The Portfolio Holder said this wasn’t part of his portfolio. Councillor Banks said she would provide a written response. Action: Councillor Banks
Councillor Hollinghurst made reference to the motorway improvements at the junction of Maylands Business Park. He asked if the Portfolio Holder agreed that the emphasis and focus on that project is misplaced. The Portfolio Holder disagreed and felt we needed to have a free running junction at M8 to help stop congestion and the build-up of pollution. He said we must bear in mind that the land that borders the motorway will be a large industrialised area which will include the movement of heavy good vehicles, and we will discourage the use of cars as much as we can but we were unable to stop businesses operating.
There were no further questions.
Councillor Elliot, Portfolio Holder for Finance and Resources
The Portfolio Holder presented his update as follows:
Financial Services:
Financial Services is leading on the financial reporting requirements arising from the coronavirus pandemic. This covers both internal reporting and the external reporting requirements necessary to ensure the Council secures the pandemic –related Government funding it is eligible for.
The service continues to ensure prompt payment to staff and suppliers, as well as a sensitive approach in dealing with the Council’s debtors.
The extreme wet weather episodes that occurred over the summer have also kept our Risk and Insurance team very busy.
The Council’s external audit process of the financial statements for 2019/20 are nearing conclusion, with the final accounts published and due to be presented at Audit Committee on Thursday the 17th September. The External Audit process has again being a very smooth with positive feedback from our external auditors on the financial strategies taken and the processes in place.
Alongside the monitoring of the current financial position, budget setting for 2021/22 will be the focus for the service over the next few months. Current circumstances present a number of challenges for this process this year but the continued fiscal scrutiny that is undertaken each year at budget setting will continue.
Commercial Assets and Property Development:
The Commercial Assets service is busy liaising, and working in partnership with existing tenants through this difficult financial period, to ensure we support the local economy where possible. The uncertain market conditions brought about by Covid require a flexible and fluid approach to asset management and the service have, and will continue to liaise with tenants in a positive manner.
The Building services team have been busy during the summer implementing additional covid secure changes to operational buildings, such as Tring Victoria Hall and Berkhamsted Civic Centre so that these valuable community hubs can remain open in a safe and secure manner.
Ex-Civic Centre
UKPN have completed works to energise the new substation. Decommissioning works to the old substation are on-going and anticipated to complete imminently. Dacorum’s demolition contractor is on site and Phase 2 of the old Civic centre demolition works re-commenced last week, and is due to be completed this week
Revenues, Benefits and Fraud:
The revenues & benefits teams have been extremely busy for the last few months, supporting residents and local businesses as part of the Government’s response to the pandemic.
The team has now paid out over 1,900 small business and Retail, Hospitality & Leisure grants totalling £26 million to local business rate payers. These grant schemes have now being closed in line with government guidance.
The service has also issued over 1,000 Retail, Hospitality, Leisure and Nursery businesses with a business rates holiday for the current year, to a value of £25.8 million.
The council tax team are now starting to get in touch with residents who have fallen behind with their payments, so that we can find out what issues there are and provide or signpost to support which is available.
Questions:
Councillor Beauchamp asked if the Portfolio Holder agreed it was fantastic news that the old civic centre building had at last been demolished. The Portfolio Holder agreed and gave some background on the delays. He gave tribute to the Estates Team that had worked through a very complicated process to bring this altogether.
Councillor Birnie queried the current void status of commercial assets. The Portfolio Holder advised there were 28 void properties; 3 were under offer, 18 were for refurbishment and/or maintenance and the others are on the market. He said despite the pandemic, occupancy rates had remained on target at 96% at the end of quarter 1, although the level of arrears was up at 12%. Councillor Birnie questioned the status of rent arrears. The Portfolio Holder said he would provide a written response. Action: Councillor Elliot
Councillor Riddick said it was reported at the last finance and resources overview and scrutiny committee meeting that we were projecting a pressure of £5.8M and asked for the Portfolio Holder’s thoughts on the next six months. The Portfolio Holder advised that the forecast was written earlier in the year and things had changed since that was reported. The most up to date position will be reported to cabinet next week but he advised that the council were now projecting an in-year pressure of £2.5M.
There were no further questions.
Councillor Griffiths, Portfolio Holder for Housing
The Portfolio Holder presented her update as follows:
Tenant and Leaseholder Services:
· The Income and Tenancy Teams have updated their processes to adapt to the latest legislation that Notice periods will need 4 weeks or 6 months depending on the reason for enforcement action. They have also started preparing for a return to court for possession claims after 20th September. Out of 5 court cases that were ‘stayed’ at lockdown, only 1 is likely to now progress to court for further action following regular contact and support from the Income Officers to reduce the level of arrears.
· Supported Housing Officers started carrying out door step visits throughout August. As of 2nd September they had seen 86% of all sheltered tenants to carry out a welfare check. While tenants were phoned regularly throughout the past 5 months, the ability to see tenants face to face while ensuring social distancing, led to 128 referrals for additional support from agencies like AgeUK and Adult care. Additionally in August we have had 41 alarm faults reported compared to 10 in the previous months indicating that regular home visits are still crucial to support our older tenants.
· Lounges in sheltered schemes will remain closed for general tenant use after considering the government guidelines and carrying out a risk assessment. A letter has been sent to Supported Housing Tenants to inform them of this. We are working with partners like AgeUK to identify how organised activities could be facilitated safely to improve health and wellbeing for supported tenants.
Strategic Housing:
· The service is continuing to receive and respond to approaches for housing/homeless assistance in line with government guidance and change in priority need status as a result of Covid-19;
· Currently there are 160 households in temporary accommodation (95 pre- covid) and we are seeking suitable move on options for those accommodated;
· Advertisement of the newbuild developments at Magenta Court and Martindale have been undertaken and allocations/lettings are well underway;
· The service has submitted a grant funding application to MHCLG for the Next Steps Accommodation Fund to assist with rehousing of homeless households in line with government announcement.
Property & Place:
General - The contractors have increased the scope of works now being delivered from emergency, statutory compliance and health and safety related repairs to start to work through the backlog of day to day repairs. The capital investment program has restarted, focusing on external works or those which limit the time spent in the property or number of trades in order to help keep people safe.
Leasehold Services - Numbers of leaseholders continue to rise, we currently have 1803 leaseholders on our records. In May 2020 the Leasehold team was increased to provide ongoing services to the leaseholders, which has enabled quick responses to all service charge queries.
Garages - There has been a steady demand for garages throughout the pandemic and in May June and August there were more garage licences commenced than terminated and for the period from April to September, a net gain of 9 garages were let. A further 243 garages have expressions of interest and are being validated before going through the commencement process.
Voids - Empty homes have been impacted throughout the pandemic and the number re-let have increased from 10 in April to 37 in August and the works to sheltered schemes are restarting with appropriate risk assessed method statements in place.
Compliance - Gas Safety – Servicing gas appliances has been challenging, especially at the peak of COVID-19 with tenants shielding and self-isolating. Thankfully, due to the commitment of the team and our contractors (Sun Realm), performance has remained high and we achieved 99.99% compliancy in August.
Fire & Electrical Safety – Risk Assessments continue at our blocks of flats and we programme the resulting works in accordingly, based on risk. We have strengthened the team with the addition of a Lead Surveyor focusing on electrical safety, which provides greater resilience in achieving compliance in our dwellings.
Housing Development
|
Kylna Court |
Final 12-month defects inspections completed. Rectification works currently underway after Covid pause, 75% complete. |
|
Corn Mill Court |
Final Account resolved with Osborne. End of 12 month Defects Inspections being arranged. |
|
Martindale |
Completion due mid-October. 12 market sales units offers accepted, 2 completions handed over.- sales activity slowing |
|
Magenta Court |
Handover revised from 9th to 16th Sept as essential certification not in place
There were a number of Minor snagging items in units along with a full builders clean still outstanding and H&S issues in relation to uneven areas of external block paving
It is worth noting that this is a really excellent development and the quality is very much present but unfortunately for these reasons we could not accept handover on the 9th. |
|
St Margaret’s Way |
Design progressing and looking to maximise the site by incorporating some bedsits over garages into the scheme. |
|
Paradise Fields |
Planning Application has been submitted. Homes England have been in contact regarding car park sale. |
|
Gaddesden Row |
Progressing well on site. Completion December. 3 houses |
|
Eastwick Row |
4 No tenders received for Main Contract Works. Interviews completed and a preferred bidder selected. Recommendation to go to Sept Cabinet. |
|
Coniston Road |
Tender documents returned for Principle Contractor (18 No) Shortlisted 3. Interviews completed and a preferred bidder selected. Recommendation to go to Sept Cabinet. |
|
Wilstone |
Design commenced. Meeting planned with Estates to agree land value. |
|
LA1 |
Design commenced. Meeting held with Homes England |
|
Cherry Bounce |
Tender documents returned for Architect and EA. Shortlist and Interviews for Architect & EA underway. |
|
Paradise Depot |
Design underway. Tender documents being adjudicated for M&E and Structural Eng. Meeting held with DENS to share design options 2 design options being consider, increased density with undercroft parking or parking policy complaint scheme outside of the building footprint. Land value has been issued by Estates. Meeting set up with Estates to review and agree way forward with delivering the DENS building |
|
Garage Sites |
8 No sites - Initial design complete and ready to submit for pre application with Planning Dept. |
|
Randall’s Ride |
Initial design complete commencing site due diligence checks. |
Questions:
Councillor Birnie asked if we had been affected by the most recent government restrictions in relation to cladding. The Portfolio Holder advised they were up to speed with the recent proposals and were monitoring it very carefully. She confirmed it would affect us if put in place as we have properties 3 storeys high and over. Work was already progressing on The Elms to make that compliant. A report on the matter will be going to the housing and community overview and scrutiny committee in the near future.
Councillor Birnie asked if The Elms was the only property impacted or if there would be others. The Portfolio Holder advised there could be others but she would keep members updated.
There were no further questions.