Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Finance & Assets 

TO RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL

i)        To set up an earmarked reserve of £100,000 for use on consultants for the Council’s response to the Development Consent Order;

ii)       To delegate to the Director of Place in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Development the uses of this budget/reserve.  

REASON

i)        A budget is needed to ensure the Council gains the advice it needs to ensure optimal outcomes for the Development Consent Order.

ii)       The delegation is needed because we do not yet know the full detail of the work involved and the Consultation process has a tight set legislative timeframe to work within.

The consultation by Gatwick Airport Ltd on the Development Consent Order (DCO) to bring the standby runway into routine use would end on 1 December.

Councillor Richard Landeryou, Cabinet Member for Finance & Assets, stated that it was important the Council’s response clearly set out the impact a second runway would have on residents in the district, and that the response identified any necessary mitigations should the Secretary of State be minded to approve the DCO.

In order to work within the legislative timescales there was a need to prepare a comprehensive consultation response quickly.  Given the complexity and scale of the consultation, a budget to pay for consultants with specialist skills and knowledge was required. 

The Director of Place explained that a number of consultants with different specialisms were required and, after the consultation period, work may continue on more detailed studies.  The consultation was being coordinated with other local authorities so that technical studies and analyses could be shared. She confirmed that, although work would be shared, each local authority would make their own consultation response.

The Cabinet Member advised that a reserve budget rather than a revenue budget was proposed as the extent of work required going forward was uncertain; the proposed budget was a reasonable expectation, based on costs being shared with the other local authorities involved.

TO RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL

i)        To set up an earmarked reserve of £100,000 for use on consultants for the Council’s response to the Development Consent Order;

ii)       To delegate to the Director of Place in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Development the uses of this budget/reserve.  

REASON

i)        A budget is needed to ensure the Council gains the advice it needs to ensure optimal outcomes for the Development Consent Order.

ii)       The delegation is needed because we do not yet know the full detail of the work involved and the Consultation process has a tight set legislative timeframe to work within.