Issue - meetings

To receive a report from the Director of Regeneration & Environment seeking approval of the proposed submission North East Area Action Plan and supporting documents.          (Report No. 208A)

(Key decision – reference number 3866)

Members are asked to note:

·               the recommendations within the report were endorsed and approved for referral onto Council by Cabinet on 12 March 2014.

·         A copy of the detailed Action Plan will be available (for reference) in the Members Library, Group Offices and also with this agenda via the following link on Democracy page of the Councils website: 

·         If required hard copies will be available by contacting James Kinsella (Governance Team Manager).

Councillor Goddard moved and Councillor Orhan seconded a report from the Director of Regeneration and Environment (No.208A) seeking approval of the proposed submission North East Enfield Area Action Plan (NEEAAP) and supporting documents.

NOTED

1.      The recommendations within the report had been considered and referred onto Council for approval by Cabinet on 12 March 2014.

2.      The background to preparation of the NEEAAP, as detailed in section 3 of the report.

3.      The key themes within the Action Plan (as detailed below), which had been designed with the aim of achieving sustainable growth and managing the delivery of key development potential for the area in a co-ordinated way:

·                regeneration of key local centres and improvements in connectivity to the areas surrounding them;

·                provision of a range of housing;

·                improvements to community facilities;

·                provision of improved public transport links;

·                addressing the internal connectivity within North East Enfield and to other areas;

·                making more use of the river and waterways; and

·                adopting a balanced approach towards business and employment;

4.      The need identified, during the debate, to ensure that the NEEAP was used to support the parallel work being undertaken as part of the Northern Gateway Access Plan in relation to improving transport movement and connectivity, particularly in  terms of the retention and improvement of crossing points as part of the West Anglia Mainline Extension Project (WAML).  Members felt this was a key issue to be addressed in terms of local connectivity both within the area and in terms of wider east-west connections across the borough and sub region as a whole.

5.      In response to 4. above, Councillor Goddard advised that this had already been recognised within the Northern Gateway Action Plan and that as a result an additional statement would also be added to the Movement chapter with the NEEAP relating to West Anglia Mainline Extension:

6.      The thanks expressed to officers and other key stakeholders for their work in developing the Action Plan along with the cross party support expressed for the vision and themes within the Plan.

7.      The concerns expressed by the Opposition Group in relation to the wide ranging nature of the operational delegation proposed within recommendation 2.2 of the report for the approval of any subsequent changes to the submission version of the Plan.  It was felt this delegation should be at Portfolio rather than operational level, which the Cabinet Member for Business & Regeneration advised members he would be willing to amend.

8.      The next steps in the development of the Plan and submission process, as detailed in section 4 of the report, which would include a further period of public consultation on the proposed Submission Area Action Plan.

The recommendations in the report were then approved without a vote.

AGREED

(1)       To approve the Proposed Submission Draft North East Enfield Area Action Plan and supporting documents for a statutory 6 week period of public consultation and submission to the Secretary of State for public examination, subject to the inclusion of the following statement in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 142

To receive a report from the Director of Finance, Resources & Customer Services outlining a reference made to Council by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee in relation to the receipt of a petition regarding Deephams Sewage Plant.(Report No.138)

RECEIVED a report from the Director of Finance, Resources and Customer Services (No.138) outlining a reference from Overview and Scrutiny Committee (17 October 2013) in relation to the receipt of a petition regarding Deephams Sewage Plant.

Before inviting Councillor Simon (as chair of Overview & Scrutiny Committee) to formally move the report the Mayor invited Claire Whetstone (as lead petitioner) to introduce and present the petition to Council.  The following issues were highlighted during the presentation:

·                The detrimental and significant impact on the quality of life of local residents and businesses caused by the smell associated with the Plant, particularly during the summer months.

·                Whilst recognising the local demographic pressures behind the consideration being given to expanding capacity of the Plant, there was also a need to ensure (as part of the same process) that plans included the provision of new technology to tackle and reduce odour and the nuisance caused as a result to local residents and local businesses.

·             The need to recognise the wider benefits in tackling the nuisance being caused as a result of the odour, not only in terms of local residents and businesses but also the large scale regeneration activities in the surrounding area.

·             The support being sought from the Council in terms of the concerns identified and in working with Thames Water and Ofwat to ensure the necessary level of investment in new technology was provided to address the nuisance being caused by odour from the site and ensure, as far as practicable, all odours remained contained on site.  This to also include partnership working with the London Borough of Waltham Forest, whose residents are also affected by the same issues.

·             The strength of public feeling regarding the issue, as demonstrated by the number of people who had signed the petition in support of the action being sought.

The Mayor thanked Claire Whetstone for her introduction.  Councillor Simon then moved and Councillor Constantindies seconded the report.

NOTED

1.         Under the terms of the Council’s Petition Scheme, Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) on 17 October 2013 had received and considered the petition requesting that the Council use all of its powers to urge Thames Water to work with Ofwat in order to take action to stop the smell for the Deephams Sewage Plant entering the atmosphere and impacting on the local environment.

2.         In considering the petition, OSC had also sought views from local residents and business representatives and had noted the strength of feeling expressed (particularly by young people) at the impact of the odour on the surrounding area.  The concerns expressed and action being sought under the Petition received unanimous support from OSC who were also advised of plans being prepared by Thames Water for a major upgrade of the Plant in order to address capacity needs.  As a result OSC had agreed to refer the Petition on to Council for consideration and endorsement of the actions identified in response.

3.         Whilst recognising the need for the major upgrade of the Plant, OSC were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 77

Councillor Goddard moved and Councillor Prescott seconded the report from the Director of Regeneration, Leisure & Culture (No.44) outlining the key recommendations within the report “No stone unturned in the pursuit of growth” produced by Lord Heseltine and response published by HM Treasury and the Department for Business Innovation & Skills.

NOTED

1.         Council was being asked to consider the case for a cross party response to the national growth strategy outlined in the report in order to ensure that:

a.         adequate funding was made available under the single funding pot proposed within the report to promote real and sustained economic growth; and

b.         the move towards greater localism and a more decentralised approach towards decision making by relevant agencies in local areas involved in supporting the delivery of economic growth was encouraged and supported.

2.         Whilst willing to support the cross party approach recommended in the report the Opposition Group felt there was also a need to ensure action was being taken to support delivery of those recommendations which the Council was able to directly influence.

Following a period of further debate the recommendations in the report were agreed without a vote.

AGREED to support representations being made to the Coalition Government to promote the 89 recommendations of the Heseltine report and in order to seek clarity of the time scale for implementing the growth strategy set out in the report.