Agenda for Economic Development & Culture Committee on Thursday, 22nd September, 2016, 4.00pm
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Agenda, decisions and minutes
PDF 230 KBVenue: Council Chamber - Council Chamber, Hove Town Hall, Norton Road, Hove, BN3 3BQ. View directions
Contact: Ross Keatley Democratic Services Manager
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Procedural Business (a) Declaration of Substitutes: Where Councillors are unable to attend a meeting, a substitute Member from the same Political Group may attend, speak and vote in their place for that meeting.
(b) Declarations of Interest:
(a) Disclosable pecuniary interests (b) Any other interests required to be registered under the local code; (c) Any other general interest as a result of which a decision on the matter might reasonably be regarded as affecting you or a partner more than a majority of other people or businesses in the ward/s affected by the decision.
In each case, you need to declare (i) the item on the agenda the interest relates to; (ii) the nature of the interest; and (iii) whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest or some other interest.
If unsure, Members should seek advice from the committee lawyer or administrator preferably before the meeting.
(c) Exclusion of Press and Public: To consider whether, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, or the nature of the proceedings, the press and public should be excluded from the meeting when any of the following items are under consideration.
NOTE: Any item appearing in Part Two of the Agenda states in its heading the category under which the information disclosed in the report is exempt from disclosure and therefore not available to the public.
A list and description of the exempt categories is available for public inspection at Brighton and Hove Town Halls. Minutes: (a) Declarations of Substitutes
12.1 Councillor Mac Cafferty was present in substitution for Councillor Greenbaum.
(b) Declarations of Interest
12.2 There were no declarations of interests in matters listed on the agenda.
(c) Exclusion of Press and Public
12.3 The Committee considered whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of any of the items listed on the agenda.
12.4 RESOLVED: That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the items contained in part two of the agenda. |
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To consider the minutes of the meeting held on 16 June 2016 (copy attached). Minutes: 13.1 RESOLVED – That the Chair be authorised to sign the minutes of the meeting held on 16 June 2016 as a correct record. |
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Chair's Communications Minutes: 14.1 The Chair gave the following communications:
“Tourism & Venues
VisitBrighton The VisitBrighton partnership stands at 518 local businesses.
Re-launched visitbrighton.com with a new design and layout, totally optimising it for use on phones and tablets.
In the past 3 months the VisitBrighton Convention Bureau has created 28 proposals for conferences which, if confirmed, would bring £7m of economic benefit to the City.
Confirmed 6 events including: PCS Annual Conference, May 2017 - Brighton Centre - 1000 delegates - economic benefit - £2.3m Kirona Annual Conference, May 2017 - Hilton Brighton Metropole - 400 delegates - economic benefit - £350,000
Booked in excess of 2500 room nights, with a value of £230,000 to accommodation providers for delegates at hotels and B&Bs across the City.
VisitBrighton has exhibited at the Meeting Show UK with partner venues, promoting Brighton to domestic and international conference buyers and will be exhibiting at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool over the weekend to promote the Labour Party Conference in Brighton in 2017.
Appointed SwitchedOn Communications as our PR agency for the UK leisure market and China Travel Outbound to promote Brighton as a conference destination to the Chinese market, a market segment with huge growth potential. Both suppliers are UK based.
Hosted 14 journalists including Cathay Pacific’s in-flight magazine, the New York times and Coast Magazine.
VisitBrighton Press & Media Coverage: Total UK AVE for May –July £3,175,248,76, Total AVE for Overseas May-July 2,334,988 €
Brighton Centre September 2016 events hosted; TUC Congress Liberal Democrats Party Political Conference British Orthodontic Society
Royal Pavilion & Museums
The ‘Snowdogs by the Sea’ public art trail is from24 September – 27 November (this event is organised by the Martlets Hospice and Wild in Art. ‘Snowdogs’ will be on display in the Royal Pavilion Garden and the garden at Hove Museum. Also as part of the accompanying schools programme, ‘Snowpups’ are now on show at Brighton Museum, Hove Museum and the Booth Museum. The Mayor and over 100 guests from participating schools attended the ‘Snowpups’ launch at Brighton Museum on 18 September.
Sport & Leisure
The main Outdoor Events Programme for the year has been completed with all of the major events taking place successfully and enjoyed by large numbers of residents and visitors alike. The programme has developed to include a wider range of activity events such as the new Triathlon that took place on Hove Lawns in September which attracted 1000 participants. Another recent event was the Boundary Music Festival (formerly Shakedown) in Stanmer Park which this year attracted 8000 people.
The events team will now start to co-ordinate events requests for next year with a view to bringing the programme for members approval to the next committee.
Rugby World Cup
This time last year the city staged perhaps the greatest upset in the competitions’ history with Japan defeating South Africa. An economic impact study of the city hosting the 2 matches and the fanzone to create a Rugby World Cup weekend has estimated the economic impact generated to the city of £23 million gross added value and total output of £47 million. Of the 58,000 match tickets sold there were 26% international visitors, 52% domestic visitors, and 22% local fans. This is a further example together with our regular programme of the value that major events bring to the city.
Volk’s Railway Improvements
Work starts in a fortnight to build a new Aquarium Station and visitor centre along with a new conservation workshop and train store at the Volk’s Railway. Three of the original train carriages have already been transported to a specialist firm in Herefordshire where they are being fully restored. The project which is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund will transform the railway providing an enhanced visitor experience and increasing the capacity of the railway. Work is expected to be completed in late Spring ready for opening in Summer 2017.
City Development & Regeneration
Planning
City Plan Part Two The consultation period on Part Two of the City Plan is reaching a close this afternoon. Over the 12 week consultation period the Planning Policy Team has: · Let over 1500 consultees know about the document directly; and · Attended and organised a wide range of consultation events attended by over 250 community groups, businesses and residents;
The feedback from this consultation stage will help to shape the detailed Plan for the city and we wait to hear about this later this year
Community Infrastructure Levy On the agenda today is a proposal to start work on putting a Community Infrastructure Levy in place for the city. CIL is a planning charge on new development that will go towards funding city wide infrastructure and the majority of authorities adjacent to Brighton & Hove already have a CIL in place.
Good progress towards having both an up to date Development Plan and CIL are important steps in modernising the city’s planning service.
Progress with the Planning Service Over the past four months there has been huge progress in improving the performance of the Planning Application Service. This will be reported in more detail in the Planning Advisory Service Peer Review Report on the agenda.” |
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Call Over (a) Items 18 – 22 will be read out at the meeting and Members invited to reserve the items for consideration.
(b) Those items not reserved will be taken as having been received and the reports’ recommendations agreed. Minutes: 15.1 All items on the agenda were reserved for discussion. |
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To consider the following matters raised by members of the public:
(a) Petitions: to receive any petitions presented to the full council or at the meeting itself;
i) Designate St Aubyns Playing Field, Rottingdean as Local Green Space – Lead Petitioner Lynne Moss (SAFE)
(b) Written Questions: to receive any questions submitted by the due date of 12 noon on the 15 September 2016;
(c) Deputations: to receive any deputations submitted by the due date of 12 noon on the 15 September 2016. Additional documents: Minutes: 16.1 The Chair noted there was one petition referred from Council on 21 July 2016 in relation to the designation of St. Aubyns Playing Field as a local green space. There was also an amendment on behalf of the Green Group; the Chair called on Councillor Druitt to propose the amendment and Councillor Mac Cafferty to second it.
16.2 Councillor Druitt moved the amendment and asked for a legal view to be given on it; as the Green Group sought to use it to ensure that the will of Council, in relation to the designation of the land, was implemented in accordance with the resolution at the meeting held on 19 March 2015. Councillor Druitt noted his view that the powers of the Committee were limited in respect of its ability to formally designate the land as local green space.
16.3 Councillor Mac Cafferty formally seconded the amendment.
16.4 In response the Legal Advisor to the Committee explained that the land could only be designated through a local plan or neighbourhood plan; the creation and adoption of which was the subject of consultation and a specific statutory process. The process would include consultation examination and would need to be accordance with the NPPF; however, the role of the Committee to consider a plan would come at a later stage following this consultation, as such the Committee was not in possession of the full facts to make a decision in relation to recommendations 2.1 and 2.2 in the amendment. In respect of recommendation 2.3, in relation to viability, it was explained that all major schemes where viability might be an issue would have to come before the Planning Committee for consideration, as set out in the Council’s Scheme of Delegation. Where viability might relate to a minor scheme; there would need to be an express change to Officers Delegations in the Council’s Constitution to enable this, and such a recommendation was not within the gift of the Committee.
16.5 Councillor Druitt withdrew his amendment of the basis that it was not legally sound.
16.6 RESOLVED – That the Committee note the petition. |
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To consider the following matters raised by councillors:
(a) Petitions: to receive any petitions submitted to the full Council or at the meeting itself; (b) Written Questions: to consider any written questions (copy attached);
a) Madeira Terraces (Lockwood Project) – Councillor Nemeth b) Summer Tourism – Councillor Peltzer Dunn c) Green Space at Hove Museum – Councillor Nemeth d) Meetings with Senior Tourism Figures – Councillor C. Theobald e) Issues that Deter Tourism – Councillor Peltzer Dunn f) Improvement in the Planning Service – Councillor Nemeth g) Hive Seafront Railings (Major Projects) – Councillor Nemeth
(c) Letters: to consider any letters; (d) Notices of Motion: to consider any Notices of Motion referred from Council or submitted directly to the Committee.
i) Estate Agent’s Board – Referred from Full Council 21 July 2016 (copy attached). Additional documents: Minutes: b) Written Questions
17.1 The Chair noted there were seven written questions listed on the agenda.
Madeira Terraces (Lockwood Project)
17.2 Councillor Nemeth asked: “At the last meeting of the Economic Development & Culture Committee, the Committee resolved to ‘request a full public statement from the Leader of the Council on the Administration’s plans for the Madeira Terraces, with specific reference to the recent Victorian Society report that gave much lower repair figures than official estimates….’ Will the Chair please provide evidence that the Committee’s request was made?”
17.3 The Chair provided the following written response: “A bid to the Coastal Communities Fund for the Madeira Terraces was made in June 2016, and a report detailing this was presented to Policy Resources & Growth Committee on 14 July 2016.
The issue raised about referencing the Victorian Society report was covered in the Committee report, and represents the Council’s current position.
If this could/should have been separately provided to members of the Committee in a letter, please find it reproduced here:
‘Working with Historic England and other stakeholders
3.13 In order to adequately address the points made by heritage stakeholders and complete the Coastal Communities Fund application, the Project Team have been working on the following tasks:
- Developing a full and current Statement of Significance for Madeira Terraces. This document will serve to capture the various elements of the Terraces (engineering, social significance and value, architectural significance etc) and create the platform against which any future restoration or refurbishment proposals can be judged. - Developing a “base case” restoration strategy based on a review of existing surveys and an up to date conservation structural assessment provided by Mott MacDonald’s structural engineers. This will address the comments recently made by the Victorian Society who have expressed reservations about some of the cost estimates previously produced.’”
17.4 By way of supplementary Councillor Nemeth stated his view that his question had not been answered and he asked for evidence that the request was made to the Leader.
17.5 The Chair replied that he had no specific evidence, but provided assurance that the request was made.
Summer Tourism
17.6 Councillor Peltzer Dunn asked: “With the summer now over, will the Chair confirm what criteria he is now using to evaluate the success or otherwise of the summer tourist season?”
17.7 The Chair provided the following written response: “The key criteria we use to evaluate tourist seasons are the tourism figures for Brighton & Hove which are prepared for VisitBrighton by Tourism South East. The figures are 1 year in arrears as it takes a period of time to collect and review the data, therefore we currently have the figures for 2015.
The highlight figures for 2015 are shown below;
Total number of tourism day trips: 9,100,000 (9% decrease on 2014) Day Trip Expenditure 2014 = £322 million (6.4% decrease on 2014) This echoes a 5% decline in volume of trips in South East with a 12% decline in expenditure. England as a whole saw a 1% decline in volume with a 1% increase in expenditure.
Staying trips: 1,456,000 (1.5% increase on 2014)
Staying trips made by Domestic Overnight Visitors = 1,069,000 (2.1% increase on 2014) Nights spent by Domestic Overnight Visitors = 2,726,000 (1.1% increase on 2014)
Staying trips made by Overseas Overnight Visitors = 387,000 (static on 2014) Nights spent by Overseas Overnight Visitors = 2,268,000 (1.7% increase on 2014)
Staying Visitors Expenditure 2014 = £526 million (1.5% increase on 2014)
Total Number of Visitors = 10,556,000 (7.7% decrease on 2014)
Total (Direct) Value of Tourism in Brighton & Hove = £815 million (1.8% decrease on 2014)
Tourism Supported: 15,683 FTE jobs and 21,374 Actual jobs which equates to around 17% of all employee jobs in Brighton & Hove
However, we can also take note of information available from other sources For 2016 that a recent survey conducted by Epos Now of 320 hospitality businesses across the UK showed that credit card transactions were up between 17 July and 17 August compared to the same period last year and Brighton & Hove came top of 10 seaside resorts with an overall increase of 12.8%.”
17.8 By way of a supplementary Councillor Peltzer Dunn highlighted that his question related to the criteria the Chair would to assess the success of this summer, and if this information could be broken down.
17.9 The Chair deferred to the Executive Director who agreed to take the matter away to see if the information could be interrogated by month and season.
Green Space at Hove Museum
17.10 Councillor Nemeth asked: “Given the success of the campaign to save Hove Library, will the Chair confirm that the park behind Hove Museum is now safe from development proposals from Brighton & Hove City Council?”
17.11 The Chair provided the following written response: “The land behind Hove Museum is designated as Public Open Space under CP16, and at present the Council has no other plans to redevelop this land.”
17.12 By way of supplementary Councillor Nemeth asked if the Chair would support the Conservative Group is requesting that the land become a public green space.
17.13 The Chair highlighted that the Council currently had no plans to develop the land, and highlighted the statutory processes, that had previously been discussed, which enabled local green spaces to be designated.
Meeting with Senior Tourism Figures
17.14 Councillor C. Theobald asked: “What meetings did the Chair hold in August with senior tourism figures in the city?”
17.15 The Chair provided the following written response: “The Chair has regular usually monthly meetings with the Executive Director for Economy, Environment & Culture, the Head of Royal Pavilion and Museums and the Head of Sport and Leisure. The Chair is also in regular contact with Head of Outdoor Events and the Seafront Manager. The Chair is therefore kept fully aware of the views of senior tourism figures through these meetings and via the many city networks. For example the Head of Tourism & Venues attended the Brighton & Hove Hotels Association meeting on the 9th August and also The Tourism Alliance meeting on the 7th September. The question of business sentiment is always discussed at these meetings and in general the vast majority of businesses were very positive about this year’s summer season.”
17.16 By way of supplementary Councillor C. Theobald asked if the Chair had attended any specific meeting in August.
17.17 The Chair referred to his earlier response, and noted that August was a very busy month for senior tourism figures.
Issues that Deter Tourism
17.18 Councillor Peltzer Dunn asked: “What representations has the Chair made to Administration colleagues about overflowing bins, overgrown pavements, aggressive street drinkers and other issues that deter tourists?”
17.19 The Chair provided the following written response: “On information already given, this has been a very good summer season, so there is no reason to suggest that tourists are being deterred from coming to the city. However, the Chair works as a team with all administration colleagues to ensure that the city works well for residents and for tourists, and we are focussing on street cleaning and refuse collection. In the last City Tracker survey there was a 33% increase in residents’ satisfaction with refuse collection, and Cityclean has just won a national APSE award for the Best Service Team for Street Cleansing and Streetscene services. The administration has also just rolled out Big Belly Bins across the city so that bins can take more rubbish and can be emptied as soon as they are full. Within available funds pavements are kept clear of vegetation. As part of the implementation of the Rough Sleeping Strategy 2016, the administration is engaging as fully as possible with the street community, including tackling issues where they arise when people are suffering from alcohol or addiction problems.”
17.20 By way of supplementary Councillor Peltzer Dunn noted he was of the view his question had not been answered.
17.21 The Chair replied that he had made no direct representations as he and colleagues in the administration worked closely as a team, where such matters were raised.
Improvements in the Planning Service
17.22 Councillor Nemeth asked: “Given the dreadful image of the Planning Department in the eyes of public and industry, and given that the Department’s problems have been amply described by Conservative Councillors since at least May 2015, how long does the Chairman think that it will be before industry and public alike recognise any improvements?”
17.23 The Chair provided the following written response: “There is an item on the agenda of today’s committee meeting on the steps that are being taken to modernise the planning service following the Planning Advisory Service review. Officers will provide a presentation which will outline current and future service improvements. The Chair would also like to note that Planning Service is being turned around due to the priority it is being given under the Labour administration in contrast to the lack of priority under previous administrations. Its image is being restored and the Chair would like to put on record that this will be down to the hard work of the Officers.”
17.24 By way of supplementary Councillor Nemeth highlighted the length of time the administration had been in office, and his view that this was taking too long.
17.25 The Chair deferred to the Deputy Chair who highlighted that this work had begun as soon as the Administration had taken office.
Hove Seafront Railings (Major Projects)
17.26 Councillor Nemeth asked: “Given the status of the Madeira Terraces as a major project following years of neglect, will the Chair write to the Chair of the ET&S Committee to express concerns about the condition of the seafront railings in Hove, before fixing them requires a scheme of major project proportions?”
17.27 The Chair provided the following written response: “It is not necessary for the Chair to write to the Chair of ET&S Committee, as the need for considerable investment in Seafront Infrastructure was considered by the cross party Seafront Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel. A key recommendation of that panel was the development of a Seafront Investment Plan to identify potential options to achieve a sustainable Seafront. This is to be considered by the Policy, Resources & Growth Committee in October. Maintenance of the railings takes place when possible within available resources and the prioritisation of other maintenance requirements. Within the last 7 years works have been undertaken at different points totally over £100,000.”
17.28 By way of supplementary Councillor Nemeth asked if the Chair recognised the concerns of residents of Hove and Portslade that the west of the city did not feature so heavily in the work of the Seafront Scrutiny Panel.
17.29 The Chair replied that there had been in excess of £100K investment in the last few years, and the railings were regularly painted.
d) Notices of Motion
17.30 The Chair noted that one Notice of Motion had been referred from Council on 22 July 2016 in relation to Estate Agent’s Boards.
17.31 The Chair deferred to the Deputy Chair who read the following response:
“In response to the Notice of Motion it is proposed that Officers bring a report to ED&C Committee in November that will review the options available to deal with the problem of Estate Agents Boards within central areas of the city. This will consider extending the boundary of the Regulation 7 Direction as well as alternative options for controlling the display of boards.
In addition the report will look at options for managing the proliferation of Estate Agents boards in other areas of the city, for example areas with large concentrations of Houses in Multiple Occupation near to the Lewes Road. This has been identified as a priority in the Student Housing Strategy.
There has been good progress on this work and officers have recently had a meeting with Brighton & Hove Estate Agents Association to discuss some of the options. They are supportive better management of boards and will continue to work with officers.
The report will consider options and make recommendations for the best way forward.”
17.32 RESOLVED – That the Committee agree to bring a report to the November meeting. |
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Planning Advisory Service Peer Review
Report of the Acting Executive Director for Economy, Environment & Culture (copy attached). Additional documents: Decision: 18.29 RESOLVED:
1) That Committee is asked to note the actions that have taken place so far in responding to the findings of the PAS report (Actions 1/2/5/6/7/10)
2) The Committee is asked to agree the outstanding schedule of work and the approach set out to tackle medium and longer term issues (Actions 3/4/8/9/11/12/13). Minutes: 18.1 The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director for Economy, Environment & Culture in relation to Planning Advisory Service Peer Review Report. The report asked the Committee to note the actions that had taken place and agree the approach set out in the report. The Committee also received a further update by way of a presentation.
18.2 The Chair noted there was an amendment from the Conservative Group and asked Councillor Nemeth to formally propose the amendment and Councillor Peltzer Dunn to second.
18.3 Councillor Nemeth moved the amendment on behalf of the Conservative Group, and highlighted that he was highly supportive of the role and work of the Planning Committee, he noted he wished to encourage more people to be involved in the planning process.
18.4 Councillor Peltzer Dunn formally seconded the amendment.
18.5 In response to a series of questions from Councillor C. Theobald the following responses were provided. Where an extension of time was allowed, in relation to the determination of a planning application, this had to be with the agreement of the agent or applicant. The service had significantly improved the speed of registering new applications which was now happening in 5-8 working days; the ambition was to improve on this figure further, but it was highlighted the service was now performing within the industry standard. It was noted that there was still a relatively high invalidity rate and the Registration Team would seek to rectify these through phone calls and emails; there was also work being undertaken to clarify guidelines with regular agents; the team were also now working much more proactively to resolve problems.
18.6 Councillor O’Quinn commended the work of the Planning Department to improve its performance. In response to a query it was explained that the Council was not proposing to take forward the PAS recommendation that the authority cease determining all major applications by the Planning Committee.
18.7 In response to a series of questions from Councillor Mac Cafferty the following responses were provided. The Council had asked the PAS to undertake the review as there was recognition that the performance of the service was not where it needed to be, and an independent review was viewed as a vital means to strengthen the modernisation programme, and best practice across the industry. In relation to the role of the Planning Committee in enabling growth, it was clarified that the report had highlighted the ambitious growth agenda in the city, and noted there could be a disconnect between that agenda and the work of the Planning Committee – the report highlighted the importance of the Planning Committee understanding the aims and objectives of growth in the city.
18.8 In response to further questions it was explained that the review had highlighted the priority that needed to be given to planning policy; with that in mind it was considered that the Economic Development & Culture Committee remain the delegated body for these considerations and this was strengthen by the Chair of Planning Committee sitting as the Deputy Chair. It was not the intention of the authority to take forward the recommendation to cease servicing bodies such as the Conservation Advisory Group; instead the Council acknowledged the constitutional role and importance of that body. There was now a much more refined sign-off system in place to reduce the level of the bureaucracy in the service; weekly meetings still look place, but these were between the Principal Planning Officers and often in situations where it was necessary to take collective judgements to ensure consistency of decision making. It was highlighted that the 8 week determination period started at receipt of an application; the period ended when the decision letter was sent out; it was envisaged that the service would be more skilled at agreeing extensions, where necessary, earlier in the process.
18.9 In response to queries from Councillor Druitt the following was highlighted. The benefits of the new ICT system in the Planning Department were explained; the Deputy Chair also added that she had used the system in her previous profession as a Planning Officer; it was widely used across the industry and created significant efficiencies. Phone calls to the Planning Department were not monitored for quality, but it was acknowledged that the service needed to improve how it engaged with the wider industry; more self-service and greater web based services had also been highlighted. In relation to staff morale and the culture of the service it was highlighted this was very part of, and a priority for, the improvements being made across the service.
18.10 In response to queries from Councillor Peltzer Dunn the following responses were provided. The Council would not be undertaking the recommendation to set up a standalone planning policy committee; instead planning policy would continue to fall under the remit of the Economic Development & Culture Committee; however, performance data would now regularly be considered. The Deputy Chair of the Committee was also now the Chair of the Planning Committee, which was also seen as a means to address this recommendation.
18.11 Councillor Peltzer Dunn referenced the amendment from the Conservative Group, and highlighted his concern that the recommendations from the PAS would dilute the role of elected Members; he stated that without the additional recommendation in the proposed amendment he could not support the report.
18.12 Councillor Mac Cafferty noted he disagreed with the tone of the report; he highlighted there was no mention of community, and felt some of the comments did not accurately reflect how, in his experience, the Planning Committee operated. He referenced some inaccuracies in the report and felt the local role of amenity societies had not been properly captured. He highlighted that planning policy in the city should also be about preserving the built environment, which was particularly important in Brighton & Hove, as well providing jobs and growth. He stated that the failings of the report weakened its proposals.
18.13 Councillor C. Theobald noted that complexity of the political makeup in the city and highlighted that most of the peers that undertook the review were from authorities where one political group had overall control. She stated her view that the report was unfair towards the work of Members.
18.14 Councillor Cattell highlighted her disappointment that very few Members of the Committee had actually congratulated the work done by Officers in making improvements to the service. Staff had been instrumental in ensuring they played a role in shaping the future of the service; despite a large cohort of staff leaving the organisation morale had remained high. In the last 12 months the service had been able to take significant steps forward.
18.15 Councillor Druitt noted he agreed with the comments made by Councillor Cattell and also wished to congratulate Officers and the service; however, he noted that his own comments had sought to be positive and he commended the piece of work.
18.16 The Chair also congratulated the service and Officers.
18.17 The Chair then put the Conservative Group amendment to the vote. This was not carried on a vote of 5 for and 5 against on the Chair’s casting vote.
18.18 The Chair put the substantive recommendations to the vote, these were carried with 7 in support and 3 against.
18.29 RESOLVED:
1) That Committee is asked to note the actions that have taken place so far in responding to the findings of the PAS report (Actions 1/2/5/6/7/10)
2) The Committee is asked to agree the outstanding schedule of work and the approach set out to tackle medium and longer term issues (Actions 3/4/8/9/11/12/13). |
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Community Infrastructure Levy Report of the Acting Executive Director for Economy, Environment & Culture (copy attached). Additional documents: Decision: 19.7 RESOLVED:
1) That the committee agrees work should commence on putting a Community Infrastructure Levy charging schedule in place for Brighton & Hove.
2) That the committee notes the key stages, outline timetable and resources required to prepare and adopt a CIL charging schedule. Minutes: 19.1 The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director for Economy, Environment & Culture in relation to Community Infrastructure Levy. The report provided a briefing on Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). It set out the reasons for and sought agreement to a CIL charging schedule to be put in place in Brighton & Hove and that work would start immediately.
19.2 In response to questions from Councillor Mac Cafferty the following was explained. The Council was much more confident in the viability levels in the city; as part of the process of introducing CIL it would be necessary to undertake a further viability assessment; a robust study would help to ensure investment remained viable. It was not mandatory for local authorities to introduced CIL charging, but when introduced it was mandatory for CIL payments to be made against the type of development. There was no indication from Central Government that CIL had changed or was going to change.
19.3 In response to Councillor C. Theobald it was explained that the local authority had a duty to be open and honest about how funds raised through CIL were used; these tended to be citywide. CIL should not on the whole cost developers more, but the threshold for payments was lower. It was usual for there to be some Member oversight of how the funds were used.
19.4 Councillor Peltzer Dunn highlighted that he had concerns in relation to the viability of schemes if CIL was introduced. In response to a further query some figures were providers of comparator authorities; however, it was noted that once it was introduced there was discretion in relation to charging; it was likely that land values would be impacted, but the trend elsewhere was for them to become more viable. It was confirmed that the viability study would home back to the Committee for consideration.
19.5 Councillor Nemeth noted that he was not in favour of an addition ‘tax’ on developments, and he opposed the recommendations in the report.
19.6 The Chair put the recommendations to the vote, which was carried by 7 votes to 3.
19.7 RESOLVED:
1) That the committee agrees work should commence on putting a Community Infrastructure Levy charging schedule in place for Brighton & Hove.
2) That the committee notes the key stages, outline timetable and resources required to prepare and adopt a CIL charging schedule. |
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Old Town Conservation Area Appraisal
Report of the Acting Executive Director for Economy, Environment & Culture (copy attached). Additional documents: Decision: 20.8 RESOLVED – That the draft Old Town Conservation Area Character Statement be approved for public consultation by the Committee. Minutes: 20.1 The Committee considered a report of Executive Director for Economy, Environment & Culture in relation to Old Town Conservation Area Appraisal. The report sought approval to consult on a draft Character Statement for the Old Town Conservation Area.
20.2 Councillor C. Theobald welcomed the report, and highlighted the disappointment that the Hippodrome remained closed.
20.3 Councillor Nemeth noted he was very supportive of the hippodrome returning to use and welcomed any measures by the Council to help safeguard its future.
20.4 Councillor Mac Cafferty welcomed this work, in particular as the scope of the Conservation Area had not been reviewed in some time. He went on to highlight his concerns in relation to the outlook to Pool Valley, maintenance, and potential section 215 notice, issues and poor public realm in areas such as Black Lion Street. Officers noted that there would be a management plan for the conservation area that would pick up on issues such as maintenance.
20.5 Councillor Morris welcomed the report.
20.6 Councillor Druitt commended the work that had been undertaken to bring this report forward and thanked all the Officers that had been involved. He noticed that there needed to be a focus on tackling traffic and refuse problems in the area.
20.7 The Chair then put the recommendations to the vote.
20.8 RESOLVED – That the draft Old Town Conservation Area Character Statement be approved for public consultation by the Committee. |
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Parking Standards Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for new development
Report of the Acting Executive Director for Economy, Environment & Culture (copy attached). Additional documents: Decision: 21.1 RESOLVED - That the Committee:
1) Notes the results of the public consultation exercise (Appendix 1) on the draft Parking Standards SPD and endorses the changes made to the document.
2) Adopts SPD14 ‘Parking Standards’ (attached as Appendix 2) as a SPD subject to any minor grammatical and non-material text and illustrative alterations agreed by the Executive Director Economy, Environment & Culture prior to adoption.
3) Authorises the revocation of SPGBH04 ‘Parking Standards’ following adoption of SPD14 ‘Parking Standards’
4) Authorises that the SPD shall take effect from Monday 3rd October 2016. Minutes: 21.1 The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director for Economy, Environment & Culture in relation to Parking Standards Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for New Development. The report set out the results of consultation undertaken on the draft Parking Standards (Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) 14) and sought approval of the changes made and recommended the adoption of the SPD. Once adopted, the SPD would support the City Plan Part One by providing detailed guidance on the appropriate level of all types of parking in new developments, throughout the city. The new SPD would supersede the current Parking Standards SPGBH04 ‘Parking Standards’; which was last approved in 2000.
21.2 In response to Councillor C. Theobald it was confirmed that garages had been included in the scope of the policy, but it was acknowledged that most dwellings in the city did not have them.
21.3 In response to Councillor Nemeth it was confirmed that the level of parking provision would depend on the standards, for example a new property could be exempt from on-street parking if it had a garage and a driveway.
21.4 Councillor Cattell welcomed the report, and noted that it would give developers a much clearer idea on the level of parking they needed to provide.
21.5 Councillor Druitt welcomed the report, and noted the level of considered that had gone into the work. The Green Group supported the report, but he felt it could go further in the city centre.
21.6 In response to Councillor Peltzer Dunn it was clarified that the boundary followed the line of the CPZ in the city; the policy would be subject of regular review to ensure it was still representative of the city.
21.7 Councillor C. Theobald noted that it was important car free developers still retain some disabled parking; she highlighted her view that she felt maximum standards were too restrictive, but noted it was important to achieve balance.
21.8 The Chair then put the recommendations to the vote. These were carried with 6 in support and 3 against.
21.9 RESOLVED - That the Committee:
1) Notes the results of the public consultation exercise (Appendix 1) on the draft Parking Standards SPD and endorses the changes made to the document.
2) Adopts SPD14 ‘Parking Standards’ (attached as Appendix 2) as a SPD subject to any minor grammatical and non-material text and illustrative alterations agreed by the Executive Director Economy, Environment & Culture prior to adoption.
3) Authorises the revocation of SPGBH04 ‘Parking Standards’ following adoption of SPD14 ‘Parking Standards’
4) Authorises that the SPD shall take effect from Monday 3rd October 2016. |
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City Employment & Skills Plan 2016 - 2020 Report of the Acting Executive Director for Economy, Environment & Culture (copy attached). Additional documents: Decision: 22.1 RESOLVED – That the Committee:
1) Notes the final City Employment & Skills Plan and the steps that will be taken to deliver the Strategic Map.
2) Recommends the Plan to Council for adoption. Minutes: 22.1 The Committee considered a joint report of the Executive Director for Economy, Environment & Housing and the Executive Director for Families, Children & Learning. The report sought approval from the Committee for the final City Employment & Skills Plan (2016-2020) to be recommended to Council for formal adoption. The Committee also noted that the report would be considered by the Children, Young People & Skills Committee on 3 October 2016, before being considered by Council on 20 October 2016.
22.2 In response to questions from Councillor Allen it was explained that the apprenticeship levy was due to be introduced in April 2016, and there had already been significant publicity around this. Employers with a wage bill in excess of the £3M would be subject to the levy and work was currently being undertaken with the LEP to identify which employers this would likely be. The Employer Action Group had been focusing its work on the creation of a brokerage to allow employers to access the levy funds through vouchers and training. It was envisaged that the brokerage would target smaller employers to ensure they were able to take advantage of the opportunities.
22.3 Councillor Druitt noted that he has personally attended both of the consultation events and commended the work that had been undertaken there. He noted the event had been focused and welcoming, and felt there was scope to use this as a model for future consultation events. In response to a query it was explained that management of skill shortages was difficult; however, education had tended to be supply driven. There was in-depth work being undertaken to analysis courses that were offered against growth areas in the city; it was hoped that the introduction of the levy would allow this to be more employer lead, with a more open dialogue.
22.4 In response to Councillor Peltzer Dunn it was explained that work had been undertaken to encourage employers to speak to schools, and the additional apprenticeships that City College were expecting to secure were highlighted. It was noted that there was a proper structure in place to make this work accountable, and a progress report could be brought back to a future meeting.
22.5 The Chair then put the recommendations to the vote.
22.6 RESOLVED – That the Committee:
1) Notes the final City Employment & Skills Plan and the steps that will be taken to deliver the Strategic Map.
2) Recommends the Plan to Council for adoption. |
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Major Projects Update (for information). Minutes: 23.1 In response to queries Officers confirmed the following:
· The long-stop date for work to commence on Circus Street would be communicated to the Committee · In relation Preston Barracks the University of Brighton and the developer were working towards a planning application and working with the Planning Service. It was confirmed that the Strategic Delivery Board had received an update on the project at its last meeting. |
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Items Referred For Council To consider items to be submitted to the 20 October 2016 Council meeting for information.
In accordance with Procedure Rule 24.3a, the Committee may determine that any item is to be included in its report to Council. In addition, any Group may specify one further item to be included by notifying the Chief Executive no later than 10am on the eighth working day before the Council meeting at which the report is to be made, or if the Committee meeting take place after this deadline, immediately at the conclusion of the Committee meeting
Minutes: 24.1 There were no items referred to Council. |