Agenda and minutes

Venue: Park Suite, Parkside, Chart Way, Horsham

Contact: Email: CommitteeServices@horsham.gov.uk  Direct Line: 01403 215465

Items
No. Item

CO/13

Minutes pdf icon PDF 86 KB

To approve as correct the minutes of the meetings of the Council held on the following dates:

(Note: If any Member wishes to propose an amendment to the minutes they should submit this in writing to committeeservices@horsham.gov.uk at least 24 hours before the meeting.  Where applicable, the audio recording of the meeting will be checked to ensure the accuracy of the proposed amendment.)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The minutes of the meetings of the Council held on 26th April, 22nd May and 24th May 2017 were approved as correct records and signed by the Chairman.

CO/14

Declarations of Members' Interests

To receive any declarations of interest from Members

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

CO/15

Announcements

To receive any announcements from the Chairman of the Council, the Leader, Members of the Cabinet or the Chief Executive

Minutes:

The Chairman referred to the terrible tragedy that had occurred the previous week at Grenfell Tower in London and advised Council that he had written to the Mayor of Kensington and Chelsea on behalf of the people of Horsham District expressing sincere condolences for the loss of life, the injuries sustained and the uncertainty that existed for the relatives and friends of those still missing. 

 

The Chairman also advised that he had written to the Imam of the Finsbury Park Mosque, following the incident earlier in the week, to express condolences for the loss of life and support for the community's commitment to building and maintaining harmonious relationships between people of all races and faiths.

 

The Chairman reminded Members that this was the last meeting that Paul Cummins, the Monitoring Officer would be attending before leaving to take up the post of Head of Legal at Milton Keynes Council and wished him all the best in his continuing career.  Paul Cummins responded.

 

The Leader advised that, following the resignation of Councillor Roy Cornell from the post of Cabinet Member for Waste, Recycling and Cleansing, he had appointed Councillor Tricia Youtan to the Cabinet and the portfolios were now as follows:

 

            Councillor Jonathan Chowen, Deputy Leader and Leisure and Culture

            Councillor Philip Circus, Waste, Recycling and Cleansing

            Councillor Brian Donnelly, Finance and Assets

            Councillor Gordon Lindsay, Local Economy

            Councillor Kate Rowbottom, Housing and Public Protection

            Councillor Claire Vickers, Planning and Development

            Councillor Tricia Youtan, Community and Wellbeing

 

The Leader expressed his thanks to Councillor Cornell for his work during his time as a Cabinet Member.  The changes to Cabinet would result in some consequential changes to the memberships of a number of committees and the Leader would advise these in due course.

CO/16

Questions from the Public

To receive questions from the public under Rules 4a.2(f) and 4a.8-18

 

Minutes:

No questions relevant to the business of the meeting had been received.

CO/17

Members' Questions on Notice

To receive questions from Members under Rules 4a.20(b)-25

Minutes:

Councillor Ben Staines asked:

 

1. Does all social housing used by Horsham district residents have up-to-date fire safety certificates?

2 Do all the facilities that are used by members of Horsham district staff have up-to-date fire safety certificates?

3. How often are fire safety checks carried out to social housing and the facilities used by staff?

4. Are there any instances in the last three years where fire safety checks were failed and what actions were taken to remedy this?

5. How many instances in the last three years were the fire brigade called to deal with incidents at social housing or at Horsham district facilities?”

 

Councillor Ray Dawe, Leader replied as follows:

 

1. Fire safety certificates predate the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.  It is now up to the ‘responsible person’, i.e. the landlord/owner/employer effectively to ‘self-certify’ by doing a fire risk assessment for a building.  

 

Horsham District Council does not own social housing but uses Social Landlords such as Saxon Weald.  Landlords are individually responsible for ensuring that annual fire risk assessments are undertaken and that all health and safety regulations are adhered to.

 

The Council does own temporary accommodation and all these premises comply with statutory requirements and written Fire Risk Assessments are updated on an annual basis.  All fire alarms, smoke detectors and emergency lighting in communal areas are checked on a monthly basis and some premises are checked weekly.

 

If the Council has to use bed and breakfast accommodation (B&B) for emergency housing the B&Bs have a legal obligation to carry out a fire risk assessment.  We have checked with our current suppliers and each has an up to date assessment.

 

We have also checked with Saxon Weald.  Immediately following the fire at Grenfell Tower their Board asked for a report, which concluded that all fire certificates for their buildings are regularly inspected and tested and they carry out detailed fire risk assessments conforming to all regulatory requirements.

 

2. Fire assessments are undertaken at all relevant sites.  Such premises are also the subject of regular testing regimes and drills.

 

3. Whilst Fire Risk Assessments are annual, as a minimum fire alarms are tested weekly.

 

4. There have been no incidents.

 

5. The Council does not have any social housing of its own.  The housing associations we use such as Saxon Weald have the entire responsibility for their housing and their tenants.  The Council does not keep records. Having said that, we are aware of one incident in which a social housing unit was damaged by fire.

 

In the last two years there have been three fires on HDC-owned property but none which were housing related.  For information they were: a fire in the bin store at Piries Place; Southwater Country Park garage fire; and a small fire in the stairwell at Piries Place. There is no record of injury having occurred in any of these incidents

 

There is no residential accommodation in the District which is above 18 metres (six storeys) in  ...  view the full minutes text for item CO/17

CO/18

Wineham & Shermanbury and Woodmancote Neighbourhood Plans pdf icon PDF 151 KB

To receive the report of the Cabinet Member for Planning and Development

Minutes:

Representatives of both Shermanbury and Woodmancote Parish Councils addressed the Council in support of the making of their respective Neighbourhood Plans.

 

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Development reported that, following extensive preparations and Examination, both the Wineham and Shermanbury Neighbourhood Plan (WASP) and the Woodmancote Neighbourhood Plan (WNP) had been subject to Referendum on 4th May 2017, where the majority of those who voted were in favour of the Plans (71% in favour of WASP and 93% in favour of WNP).

 

Council’s approval was therefore now sought to make both the WASP and the WNP part of the statutory Development Plan, as required by the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the Localism Act 2011. This would mean that the Plans would be used in the determination of planning applications in the respective Parishes in addition to the Horsham District Planning Framework.

 

            RESOLVED

 

            That the Wineham and Shermanbury Neighbourhood Plan and the Woodmancote Neighbourhood Plan both be formally “made” part of the statutory Development Plan, following the referendums held on 4th May 2017.

 

            REASONS

 

(i)         The preparation of both Neighbourhood Plans to 2031 has followed the statutory procedures set out in The Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 (as amended).  Both plans have successfully undergone examination and have satisfied the basic conditions and the plans are in conformity with the Horsham District Planning Framework (HDPF).

 

(ii)        Where a Referendum results in a majority ‘yes’ vote, the Local Planning Authority is required to “make” the Neighbourhood Plan within 8 weeks of the referendum decision in accordance with Regulations.

CO/19

Appointment of Interim Monitoring Officer pdf icon PDF 108 KB

To receive the report of the Chief Executive

Minutes:

The Chief Executive submitted a report seeking approval for the appointment of Crawley Borough Council’s Monitoring Officer, Ann-Maria Brown, as this Council’s Monitoring Officer on an interim basis following the departure of Paul Cummins, the Council’s current Head of Legal and Democratic Services and Monitoring Officer.  This arrangement would be effective pending the future appointment of a permanent replacement as Monitoring Officer.

 

            RESOLVED

 

            That Ann-Maria Brown, an employee of Crawley Borough Council, be appointed interim Monitoring Officer for Horsham District Council with effect from 1st July 2017.

 

            REASON

 

            The Council must have a Monitoring Officer at all times. The current Monitoring Officer has resigned and will leave the Council on 30th June 2017.  Crawley Borough Council has agreed to allow its Monitoring Officer to act in that capacity also for our Council on an interim basis pending the appointment of a permanent Monitoring Officer.

CO/20

Urgent Business

To consider matters certified by the Chairman as urgent

Minutes:

There was no urgent business.