Meeting documents

Southern Rural Committee
Thursday, 13th March, 2014 7.30 pm


Date:	Thursday, 23rd January, 2014	Time:	7.30pm	Place:	Committee Room 1, Council Offices, Gernon Road, Letchworth Garden City

PRESENT:	Councillor D.J. Barnard (Chairman), Councillor Cathryn Henry (Vice-Chairman), Councillor John Bishop, Councillor Tom Brindley (From 8.00 p.m.), Councillor Jane Gray and Councillor Sal Jarvis.
IN ATTENDANCE:	Councillor Tony Hunter (Portfolio Holder for Community Engagement and Rural Affairs), Sharon Oshunbiyi (Rural Housing Enabler, Community Development Action, Hertfordshire), Giovanna Silverio (Licensing and Enforcement Manager), Stuart Izzard (Community Development Manager), Margaret Bracey (Community Development Officer) and Hilary Dineen (Committee and Member Services Officer).
ALSO PRESENT:	At the commencement of the meeting 11 members of the public.

Item	Description/Resolution	Status	Action
PART I
46	APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Alan Bardett, Faye Barnard, Tricia Cowley and Mrs C.P.A. Strong Councillor Tom Brindley advised that he would arrive late.	Noted	Â£888
47	MINUTES Minutes RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the Meeting held on 26 September 2013 be approved as a true record of the proceedings and be signed by the Chairman.	Agreed
48	MINUTES Data/Southern Rural Committee/201403131930/Agenda/Minutes RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the Meeting held on 28 November 2013 be approved as a true record of the proceedings and be signed by the Chairman.	Agreed
49	NOTIFICATION OF OTHER BUSINESS There were no notifications of other business.	Noted
50	CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS (1) The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting, particularly those giving a presentation; (2) Members were reminded that any declarations of interest in respect of any business set out in the agenda, should be declared as either a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest or Declarable Interest and are required to notify the Chairman of the nature of any interest declared at the commencement of the relevant item on the agenda. Members declaring a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest must withdraw from the meeting for the duration of the item. Members declaring a Declarable Interest which requires they leave the room under Paragraph 7.4 of the Code of Conduct, can speak on the item, but must leave the room before the debate and vote.	Noted
51	PUBLIC PARTICIPATION - ICKLEFORD CRICKET CLUB Rowena Birdsey, Chairman of Ickleford Cricket Club, thanked the Chairman for the opportunity to address the Committee and gave a verbal presentation. She informed Members that Ickleford Cricket Club was formed in 1947 as a village club and currently played 6 adult teams and 4 colts teams which involved 70 players. Progression from Colts to adult teams was encouraged with younger players receiving coaching. The Club was developing policies and procedures and was a progressive club, which was the hub of the village. Mrs Birdsey advised that the current scoreboard box needed to be repaired and it seemed an appropriate time to update the scoreboard to an electronic version, which would cost Â£5,500. Regular income for the Club included subscriptions, game fees and membership fees, which paid for teas, umpires and league fees. Fund raising for the electronic scoreboard was taking place within the Club, donations had been sought from supporters and local industry and Ickleford Parish Council had awarded a grant of Â£1,500. Members noted that the club had a large turnover of funds. Ms Birdsey advised that the turnover of funds mainly consisted of grants, and fundraising events such as auction style dinners. The Chairman thanked Mrs Birdsey for her presentation.	Noted
52	PUBLIC PARTICIPATION - LILLEY PARISH COUNCIL The Chairman advised Members that the representative of Lilley Parish Council, due to give a presentation, was unable to attend the meeting.	Noted
53	PRESENTATION BY THE RURAL HOUSING ENABLER, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ACTION HERTFORDHIRE Sharon Oshunbiyi, Rural Housing Enabler, Community Development Action Hertfordshire. thanked the Chairman for inviting her to address the Committee and gave a PowerPoint presentation as follows: BACKGROUND The Community Development Action (CDA) was an independent charity established in 1966. It was a member of Rural Communities Action Network and was affiliated to ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England). AFFORDABLE HOUSING Affordable housing could be defined low cost housing for rent or shared ownership WHY IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEEDED? Typical housing costs: Average (Mean) House Prices - 2011 North Hertfordshire Â£262,436 Hertfordshire Â£312,786 East of England Â£232,504 England Â£236,518 Average Monthly 3 Bed Private Sector Rent - 2011/12 North Hertfordshire Â£888 Hertfordshire Â£1,078 East of England Â£727 England Â£762 The price of housing outstripped typical wages as demonstrated below: Average (Median) Incomes - 2011 North Hertfordshire Â£27,269 Hertfordshire Â£25,386 East of England Â£22,022 England Â£21,346 Gross Annual Income Required For a Mortgage (75% at 3.5 times salary) North Hertfordshire Â£56,236 Hertfordshire Â£67,026 East of England Â£49,822 England Â£50,682 WHAT IS A "RURAL EXCEPTION SITE"? The National Planning Policy Framework defined Rural Exception Sites as: Small sites used for affordable housing in perpetuity where sites would not normally be used for housing. Rural exception sites seek to address the needs of the local community by accommodating households who are either current residents or have an existing family or employment connection. SOME OF THE â€˜RULES' OF RURAL EXCEPTION SITES Rural Exception Sites should: - Support the Community; - Evidence of Local Need (through a Housing Needs Survey); - Remain in local occupancy in perpetuity for local need; - Development must be appropriate to size of village; - Be within the boundary of village and therefore able to use services. BENEFITS OF USING RURAL EXCEPTION SITES TO MEET NEED - Parish Councils remained central to the decision making process; - Very little cost to Parish Councils; - Provided high quality housing (in keeping with locality), which remained in local use in perpetuity; - Village sustainability by retaining young people and families in the village HOW CAN THE CDA's RURAL HOUSING ENABLER HELP? - Act as an Independent Broker; - Support undertaking a Housing Needs Survey; - Liaise between stakeholders; - Support with identification of sites, consultation and planning issues. Members asked whether all Parish Councils within North Herts had been made aware of the schemes and support available and suggested that she address the Town and Parish Council Conference. Ms Oshunbiyi advised Members that she had been visiting Parish Councils and developing partnerships with District Councils and Housing Associations. RESOLVED: (1) That Ms Oshunbiyi be thanked for her informative presentation: (2) That the Community Development Manager be requested to invite Ms Oshunbiyi to address the Town and Parish Councils Conference.	Agreed
54	REVIEW OF POLLING DISTRICTS AND POLLING PLACES Report Appendix A - FEEA Appendix A - FEEA Map Appendix A - FEEB Appendix A - FEEB Map Appendix C - FEEC Appendix A - FEEC Map Appendix A - FFA Appendix A - FFA Map Appendix A - FFB Appendix A - FFB Map Appendix A - FGA Appendix A - FGA Map Appendix A - FGB Appendix A - FGB Map Appendix A - FH Appendix A - FH Map Appendix A - FJ Appendix A - FJ Map Appendix A - FK Appendix A - FK Map Appendix A - FLA Appendix A - FLA Map Appendix A - FLB Appendix A - FLB Map Appendix A - FN Appendix A - FN Map Appendix A - FOA Appendix A - FOA Map Appendix A - FOB Appendix A - FOB Map Appendix A - FPA Appendix A - FPA Map Appendix A - FPB Appendix A - FPB Map Appendix A - FQ Appendix A - FQ Map Appendix A - FR Appendix A - FR Map Appendix A - FTA Appendix A - FTA Map Appendix A - FTB Appendix A - FTB Map Appendix A - FU Appendix A - FU Map Appendix A - FV Appendix A - FV Map Appendix A - FW Appendix A - FW Map Appendix B The Democratic Services Manager presented the report of the Chief Executive regarding the Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places and informed Members that Council had delegated the 4 yearly review to the Area Committees. He advised that no changes were required to the Polling Districts and asked for comments from Members regarding the Polling Stations listed at Appendix B of the report. Members were concerned that the Coach House, Langley was used as a Polling Station, which incurred an expenses, for a very small number of people. The Democratic Services Manager stated that the principal consideration regarding a place to vote was the convenience of voters and whether there was a suitable alternative place. Voters could be encouraged to have a postal vote but this could not be the only method of voting. RESOLVED: (1) That the Polling Districts and Polling Places, as set out in Appendix A, be re-established for a further four year period; (2) That the Democratic Services Manager be requested to take note of the comments, detailed in the pre-amble above, during the review of polling stations. REASON FOR DECISION: To fulfill the requirement to review Polling Districts and Polling Places and to give feedback to the Acting Returning Officer regarding the review of Polling Stations.	Agreed
55	UPDATE ON THE CCTV CAMERAS FUNDED BY THE SOUTHERN RURAL COMMITTEE The Licensing and Enforcement Manager gave a verbal update regarding the CCTV cameras which had previously been funded by the Southern Rural Committee as follows: CAMERAS NHDC owned the following cameras: - One wired system purchased by NHDC from Vault in 2004 which was now unreliable and not being used; - Two Stealth Kits were purchased by NHDC from Vault in 2006, one kit was stolen and replaced by insurance and the other kit was still being deployed at various locations although there had been numerous technical problems; - Four Dummy Cameras were purchased by NHDC which had been on trial since July 2012; - Two Wildlife Kits were purchased in 2013 using money received from JAG, these had not yet been deployed; FLY - TIPPING - Fly-tipping reports were made directly to Veolia to log and clear; - The Enforcement Team were only made aware of fly-tipping reports where direct contact was made to them by an informant such as the Police or a farmer; - Veolia only reported fly-tipping incidents to the Enforcement Team if unusual waste had been tipped, the alleged fly-tipping had been witnessed or evidence had been found to identify who may have tipped it; - If fly-tipping was found by Enforcement whilst out on routine patrol within their part of the district they would deal with it. CAMERA DEPLOYMENT - Cameras were deployment was based on the number of incidents logged and where evidence had identified a hotspot area for investigation; - Cameras were used as a last resort after patrolling, and anti fly-tipping signs had been used; - Camera's may not be suitable in every location and the location and camera coverage may often have to be adjusted; - Other factors considered included where the camera would work, whether kits could be hidden effectively, whether there was a risk of cameras being damaged or stolen, weather conditions and longevity of the battery; OTHER ISSUES - The majority of fly-tipping reports were captured through evidence found at the scene of the incident rather than caught on camera; - The cameras were now out of date, out of warranty and unreliable; - The introduction of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) had reduced the use of covert cameras as each use had to be presented to the magistrates court for approval. HERTFORDSHIRE SITUATIONAL CRIME PREVENTION PROJECT (SCP) - The Waste Crime Innovation Programme was set-up by the Environment Agency which involved NHDC working with the Police, Environment Agency and other Councils; - This project started on the 13 January 2010 and ended on the 31st March 2011; - It was later combined into the Fly-Tipping Working Group; - The SCP resulted in all Council's agreeing to: Standardised websites, Issue joint press and publicity releases, Undertake vehicle checks, Identify local hotspots through data provision, Undertake an audit of existing fly tipping signs; - An SCP Hotspot Survey report dated 12 November 2010 identified a hotspot area within North Herts. WORK TO PREVENT FLY - TIPPING - Landowners were encouraged to use tyres or logs to barricade entrances to fields; - Routine patrols in marked vehicles were carried out, concentrating mainly on problem areas; - Signed up with OWL, the online watch system through which NHDC received texts and emails regarding issues within the district; - Attended the Police Rural Barn Meetings, working with neighbourhood and rural police officers; - On-going contact and joint working with Luton Borough Council which borders part of the Southern Rural area; - Attended a North Herts Homes School Site Inspection, educating children about fly-tipping and other anti-social behaviour; - Parish Council magazines have included anti fly-tipping messages; - Attended Royston Dog Watch to encourage dog walkers to report fly-tipping and other anti-social behaviour. Members queried whether the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act procedures resulted in the location of cameras being made public. The Licensing and Enforcement Manager advised that she would investigate and report back to Members. RESOLVED: (1) That the Licensing and Enforcement Manager be requested to investigate whether the process of applying for use of covert cameras under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act made public the location of those cameras; (2) That the Licensing and Enforcement Manager be thanked for her presentation. REASON FOR DECISION: To ensure that the Southern Rural Committee is fully apprised of the use and condition of cameras funded by them.	Agreed
56	CHAMPION NEWS AND FINANCE REPORT Report Appendix 1 - Budgets Appendix 2 - Work Programme Appendix 3 - Grant Application - Ickleford Cricket Club Appendix 4 - Grant Application - Lilley Parish Council Appendix 5 - Grant Application - Knebworth Tennis Club Appendix 6 - Grant Application - Pirton Sports & Social Club Appendix 7 - Rural Grant Fund Award 2013/14 The Community Development Manager presented the report of the Head of Policy and Community Services entitled Champion News and Finance Report and drew attention to the following: BUDGET Paragraphs 7.3 to 7.5 of the report detailed unallocated funds within the Southern Rural Committee's budgets. The Chairman reminded the Committee that the next meeting of the Southern Rural Committee would be held on 13 March 2014 and that this would be the last opportunity of the Civic Year to award grant funding. He also reminded Members that they should allocate their Ward Member Budgets by that time. RURAL GRANTS Appendix 7 of the report summarised the NHDC Rural Grant Awards 2013/14 HIGHWAYS County Councillor Tony Hunter reminded Members that the County Councillor Locality Highways Budgets for 2013/14 would also finish soon and advised that his Locality Budget had included amounts towards: Repairs to Pondside, Gravely, Pedestrian Improvements on Church Lane White Lining in Great Ashby Verge enhancements Tarmacing of Great Ashby Way. Councillor Hunter gave his apologies for the next meeting of the Southern Rural Committee due to be held on 13 March 2014 RESOLVED: (1) That the activities and schemes with which the Community Development Officer has been involved with, as set out in the report, be noted; (2) That the budgetary expenditure, balances and carry forwards within the Area Committee Development Budget spreadsheet, as attached at Appendix 1 to the report, be noted. REASON FOR DECISION: To ensure that the Southern Rural Committee is kept informed of the work of the Community Development Officer and to inform Members of the financial resources and current budgetary position.	Agreed
57	GRANT APPLICATION - ICKLEFORD CRICKET CLUB Prior to the item being discussed Councillor David Barnard stated a Declarable Interest as the Ickleford Cricket Club was in his County division and he had previously visited the Club. However this was no so significant as to prevent him debating and voting on the item. The Community Development Manager informed Members that the Committee last allocated funds to Ickleford Cricket Club in 2009 towards the provision of cricket nets. In respect of the grant being considered, the Club had been awarded Â£1,500 in grant funding from Ickleford Parish Council and the NHDC Sports Development Officer supported the application. RESOLVED: That Â£1,500 be allocated to Ickleford Cricket Club from the Discretionary Budget as a contribution towards the provision of an Electric Cricket Scoreboard System. REASON FOR DECISION: To allow the Southern Rural Committee to assist voluntary organisations and further the aims and priorities of the Council.	Agreed
58	GRANT APPLICATION - LILLEY PARISH COUNCIL Members asked that the application for grant funding from Lilley Parish Council be deferred until such time as a representative can give a presentation to this Committee. RESOLVED: That the decision regarding grant funding for Lilley Parish Council be deferred until such time as they are able to give a presentation to this Committee. REASON FOR DECISION: To ensure the Southern Rural Committee can fully consider applications for grant funding.	Agreed
59	GRANT APPLICATION - KNEBWORTH TENNIS CLUB The Community Development Manager advised that Knebworth Tennis Club had undertaken a significant project and were seeking grant funding to complete the Clubhouse. The Club had made a presentation to the meeting of this Committee held on 28 November 2013 and, although that meeting had been inquorate, all Members present had been supportive of the project. RESOLVED: That Â£1,500 be allocated to Knebworth Tennis Club from the Discretionary Budget as a contribution towards the cost of construction of a new Clubhouse facility. REASON FOR DECISION: To allow the Southern Rural Committee to assist voluntary organisations and further the aims and priorities of the Council.	Agreed
60	GRANT APPLICATION - PIRTON SPORTS AND SOCIAL CLUB The Community Development Officer advised that the Pirton Sports and Social Club were extending the kitchen facilities. Although the group was exempt from this year's Rural Grant Awards, the CDM was investigating whether they would qualify for S106 funding. The Club was used by a numbers of groups in the area. Members asked whether Pirton Sports and Social Club had planning permission to undertake the planned extension. The Community Development Manager informed Members that there were some outstanding planning and building regulation matters that still needed to be resolved and therefore any grant funding awarded would be subject to these being addressed. RESOLVED: That, subject to planning and buildings regulation matters being resolved, Â£1,000 be allocated to Pirton Sports and Social Club from the Discretionary Budget as a contribution towards the cost of improvements to the Kitchen area within Pirton Sports and Social Club facility. REASON FOR DECISION: To allow the Southern Rural Committee to assist voluntary organisations and further the aims and priorities of the Council.	Agreed

Published on Monday, 17th February, 2014

9.15p.m.