Agenda and decisions

Members are required to notify any substitutions by midday on the day of the meeting.

Late substitutions will not be accepted and Members attending as a substitute without having given the due notice will not be able to take part in the meeting.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Gerald Morris.

Councillors Cathy Brownjohn, Dominic Griffiths and David Levett were absent.

To take as read and approve as a true record the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on the 19 July 2023.

RESOLVED:That the Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee held on 19 July 2023 be approved as a true record of the proceedings and be signed by the Chair.

Members are 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 Chair 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, wishing to exercise a ‘Councillor Speaking Right’, must declare this at the same time as the interest, move to the public area before speaking to the item and then must leave the room before the debate and vote.

(1)  The Chair drew attention to the item on the agenda front pages regarding Declarations of Interest and reminded Members that, in line with the Code of Conduct, any Declarations of Interest needed to be declared immediately prior to the item in question.

Members should notify the Chair of other business which they wish to be discussed at the end of either Part I or Part II business set out in the agenda. They must state the circumstances which they consider justify the business being considered as a matter of urgency.

The Chair will decide whether any item(s) raised will be considered.

There was no other business notified.

The Policy and Strategy Team Leader provided a verbal update on the Work Programme for the 2023/24 civic year.

To receive an update on the Sustainability SPD before consideration by Cabinet.

A presentation was received from the Strategic Planning Team on the Sustainability Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).

To receive a presentation on Biodiversity Net Gain and the site matching service from the County Council’s Biodiversity Net Gain and Local Nature Recovery Strategy Project Manager.

A presentation was received from the Biodiversity Net Gain and Local Recovery Strategy Project Manager from Hertfordshire County Council on Biodiversity Net Gain and the Site Matching Service.

To receive petitions, comments and questions from the public.

Presentations were received by the Cabinet Panel including from:

·         Roger Lovegrove