The Chair advised the Peter George, Programme
Director Meridian Water is representing Sarah Cary the Executive
Director of Place and to feedback to the Leader of the
Council.
The Leader had advised that had she been able to
attend she would have discussed the following areas:
-
Lead the response to economic recovery after the
pandemic, growth and employment
-
Produce a new Local Plan for Enfield and deliver in
major housing and regeneration programmes to shape the future
landscape for the borough.
The following was highlighted
by Peter George:
- The suggested items
provided to the Panel by the Executive Director Place, broadly fall
into the three categories that the Leader has suggested:
- Focus on economic
development in particular around the post Covid recovery. Business
support item
- Following the recent
publication of the Regulation 18 Local Plan draft for consultation,
it was suggested to look at Local Plan and also consider within the
context on national planning reform. Related to this is the
suggestion on the planning improvement plan. This will be looking
at the operational side of the planning service at the work to
improve efficiency of how planning applications are
administered.
- Third category is a
focus on the housing pipeline. A number of suggestions relate to
this; annual review of housing development pipeline. This will
cover progress on the council’s housing schemes in particular
on Housing Revenue Account land for example estate regeneration
projects, small sites projects and where the council is with the
GLA grant target; housing supply pipeline within this would cover
bringing empty homes back into use, encouraging new homes into
planning, pipeline or planning applications and how many homes have
been contented within a given year against the target. There are
also three Meridian Water items. Officers are working on a revised
Meridian Water Masterplan it is hoped that this will go to Cabinet
by the end of the year. It is suggested that this item comes to the
panel for feedback before it goes to Cabinet. The revised plan will
need to consider competing priorities such as the level of
affordable homes, level of family accommodation, level of open
space, level of employment space and building heights. They will be
a consultation with local people in terms of how these should be
prioritised. The Housing Infrastructure Fund work programme review,
the Council was awarded a grant of £170 million and works
must be delivered by March 2024 to comply with the grant
conditions. Given the level of grant and the conditions attached,
officers felt it is appropriate for this item to be considered at
least annually so that members can feel assured of progress.
Meridian Four is a huge project Cabinet has approved a scheme for
800 homes. This will be the biggest scheme that the council is
going to be leading on a design and build basis. This means that
the council will be taking on construction risk. As this is a
higher risk in return for a higher reward. Officers are keen for
the high-risk elements of Meridian Water there is the right level
of member scrutiny on this. Meridian Water is broader than a
regeneration and economic development project, so items are also
suggested for the Housing Scrutiny Panel and the Environment &
Climate Change Scrutiny Panel.
Committee Members raised the
following comments and questions:
- The Chair advised
that there are items on the suggestions that are also on the
Overview & Scrutiny Committee work programme. Members wanted to
ensure that overlap between panels are picked up. Officers
confirmed that all work programmes for all panels will go to the
next meeting of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee who will pick
this issue up.
- The Chair will ensure
that there is sufficient time at each meeting to allow scrutiny of
the selected items.
- It was suggested that
a monitoring progress reports could be received biannually on
Meridian Water, and Infrastructure fund monies. Peter George
confirmed that if the emphasis is on progress against key
milestones this report could be quite concise and could be
provided.
- Members queried the
depth the items are to be explored, need to be more specific on
what is required, and specifics should be drilled down.
- Members were agreed
in principle with the suggestions but acknowledged this is
substantial and overlaps with other panels and would need the
detail drilled down. The next stage is to be specifics about what
the panel would like to scrutinise, this will be done through the
chair.
- Officers advised that
members could potentially group themes thematically for example
combine the planning ones (Local plan and planning improvement) the
Housing pipelines ones and consolidate the Meridian Water
items.
- Cllr Gunawardena had
asked for the following to be raised in his absence; Meridian
Water, the Local Plan period where the draft is going and how this
is shaped by Meridian Water and what the plan is suggesting and how
this fits in with the framework; Crews Hill and Chase Park within
the Local Plan potential developments and review of plans of
regeneration of the main town centres. The Chair commented that the
greenbelt is still in early stage and until the direction is known
other items should be prioritised.
- Is was raised that
members could have informal meetings or members could do research
and report back to the panel. It was important that all information
is attached to the agenda including any presentations. The chair
confirmed this will be the case, should members wish to ask any
questions in advance of the meeting the chair requested that this
goes through her.
- The Local Plan is
also about regeneration and economic development perhaps the panel
could scrutinise the basis of regeneration within the local plan to
see if this has been incorporated appropriately.
- Officers advised that
the consultation on the Local Plan is due to close in mid-September
and would not want to bring this to Panel before November to allow
time to undertake the analysis on the consultation. If members
wanted to look at town centre it was suggested that this item could
potentially sit alongside the business support item.
- It was requested and
agreed that the work programme is included in every
agenda.