Agenda and minutes

The Panel considered a report of the Group Manager (Planning and Development) which provided information on the progress made in respect of the Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) and its accompanying Sustainability Appraisal (SA).

Officers advised that, since the agenda had been circulated, and in view of the need for a lead-in period prior to consultation, a waiver of the requirement for a five-day Call-In period had been sought from the Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Committee, in order that, in the event that Cabinet were to agree the officer’s recommendation at its meeting on 16 February 2006, consultation could formally commence on 24 February 2006.  The request for a waiver had been declined, which meant it would not be possible to commence consultation until 5 May 2006, due to the requirement that no documents with a potential political bearing be consulted upon during the pre-election period beginning on 24 March 2006.

A Member expressed the view that the consultation was important and should commence as soon as possible to ensure adherence to the overall timetable.  In response to questions from Members, officers advised that, if the consultation were to commence in May 2006 rather than February 2006, it would reduce the time available to officers to process consultation responses prior to its programmed adoption in July 2006.  Given that it would not be possible to predict the volume or nature of the responses that would be received, consulting later would increase the risk of it not being possible to process responses prior to July 2006, in which case submission of the SPD would be delayed until September 2006.  However, officers were of the view that consulting later would be unlikely to have a detrimental effect on the overall timetable unless a particularly high number of responses were received.

During the discussion on the report, the following issues were raised:

·                     A Member expressed concern that the feedback that had been received at pre-production consultation stage for the SPD appeared to come from a specific segment of consultees.  Officers advised that a wide range of organisations had been invited to respond, and it was anticipated that there would be a wider response at consultation stage.  Officers were requested to provide Members with a draft of the summary that had been produced following the workshop meeting with pre-production consultees on 16 November 2005.

·                     A Member expressed concern that, in her view, the SPD contained a number of ‘sweeping statements’.  In response, officers confirmed that the contents of the SPD were evidence-based.

·                     A Member expressed the view that the report appeared to assume an increasing level of subsidy.

·                     In response to a question from a Member, officers advised that the Council’s decision to accept a wider range of professions as being eligible for key worker housing than that defined by the Government had been made by Cabinet on 14 October 2004.

·                     A Member wished it to be noted that she did not agree with the statement on page 12 of the report:  ...  view the full minutes text for item

To note the attendance at this meeting of any duly appointed Reserve Members.

Reserve Members may attend meetings:-

(i)                 to take the place of an ordinary Member for whom they are a reserve;

(ii)               where the ordinary Member will be absent for the whole of the meeting; and

(iii)             the meeting notes at the start of the meeting at the item ‘Reserves’ that the Reserve Member is or will be attending as a reserve;

(iv)              if a Reserve Member whose intention to attend has been noted arrives after the commencement of the meeting, then that Reserve Member can only act as a Member from the start of the next item of business on the agenda after his/her arrival.

RESOLVED:  To note that there were no Reserve Members in attendance at this meeting.

To receive declarations of personal or prejudicial interests, arising from business to be transacted at this meeting, from:

(a)               all Members of the Committee, Sub Committee, Panel or Forum;

(b)               all other Members present in any part of the room or chamber.

RESOLVED:  To note the following declarations of interest made by Members present relating to business to be transacted at this meeting:

(i)                   Agenda Item 5 – Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)

Councillor Mrs Bath declared a personal interest in the above item arising from the fact that she was a board member of Harrow Churches Housing Association, which was listed as a Preferred Registered Social Landlord Partner in Appendix 2 to the SPD.  Accordingly, she would remain in the room and take part in the discussion and decision-making on this item.

To consider whether any of the items listed on the agenda should be considered with the press and public excluded on the grounds that it is thought likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, that there would be disclosure of confidential information in breach of an obligation of confidence or of exempt information as defined in the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985.

RESOLVED:  That all items be considered with the press and public present.

To receive deputations (if any) under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 14 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that no deputations were received at this meeting under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 14 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

Report of the Group Manger (Planning and Development)

(See Recommendation 1).