Agenda and minutes

No declarations were received.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors D Collins, V-A Diouf and Perkins.

Minutes of the meeting of the Enterprise and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee held on 5 June, 2018 attached.

RESOLVED –

The Minutes of the meeting of the Enterprise and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee held on 5 June, 2018 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

5.05pm – Presentation to be given at meeting.

The Cabinet Member for Economic Growth, Assistant Director – Housing, and Strategic Planning and Key Sites Manager attended to provide members with a presentation and verbal update on the development and potential impacts of new housing developments in the borough.

The presentation included a graph that showed the total number of housing completions per year since 1991, which showed that housing delivery had fluctuated significantly during this time, and that levels had been notably lower since the start of the ‘Recession’ in 2007.

The Strategic Planning and Key Sites Manager informed members that the Council had been working on developing a new Local Plan, which would run through 2033.  It was planned for this to be completed and sent to the Secretary of State to be examined by an independent Planning Inspector in summer 2019.

During the development process, a Strategic Housing Market Assessment had been carried which concluded that through 2033, the Council would need to develop 5250 new housing units (292 per year) to meet demand. 

The Strategic Planning and Key Sites Manager advised members that consideration would always be given to the potential impacts of new housing during the planning phase, and that the Council would work with relevant partners and bodies and take any measures available to ensure any impacts are as nominal as possible.

The Assistant Director – Housing provided a breakdown of the numbers and types of units within the Council’s social housing stock, of which the majority of properties are flats, two-bedroom houses and four-bedroom houses.

Further information was provided which detailed the longer-term plans for developing Council housing units across the borough through 2023/24.  Staff from the Council’s Operational Services Department had begun working on the construction of four properties due for completion in 2018/19.

The Assistant Director – Housing advised that some of the upcoming units would be modular developments, with construction taking place off-site and being delivered at a later date.  Members heard that this would accelerate timescales for development and delivery

Members asked how certain the Council is that the quality of modular developments would meet the same high standards that the Council has for its houses.

The Assistant Director – Housing advised that numerous authorities across the country are utilising modular developments and that there had also been a drive from central government.  There were no major concerns or issues relating to the developments and all involved were confident that these would be high quality houses at the same standard as any other development in Chesterfield.

The Committee thanked the Cabinet Member for Economic Growth, Assistant Director – Housing, and Strategic Planning and Key Sites Manager for attending.

RESOLVED –

That the update be noted.

6.00pm – Updates on the following Scrutiny Project Groups:

·     Leisure, Sports and Cultural Activities

·     Development of the site of the old Queen’s Park Sports Centre

·     Play Strategy

·     Skills

Leisure, Sports and Cultural Activities

The Assistant Director – Health and Wellbeing attended to inform members that a meeting had been arranged with the original contractors for the new Queen’s Park Sports Centre, to discuss the completion of the remaining snagging issues at the site.

Members were also advised that the Council had received positive feedback from Sport England on the success of the centre to date.

The Committee agreed that further updates on the completion and progress of work at the site should be reported to the Committee, and that once completed, the Scrutiny Project Group would be removed from the Committee’s monitoring schedule.

Future use of the former Queen’s Park Sports Centre

Councillor Simmons, Lead Member of the Scrutiny Project Group, and the Assistant Director – Health and Wellbeing advised members that the planning application for the development of the sports pitch was expected to be presented to the Council’s Planning Committee on 28 August, 2018.

It was noted that the procurement process had progressed at a satisfactory pace, and that Historic England had raised no objections to the proposed scheme.

Skills

Councillor Simmons, Lead Member of the Scrutiny Project Group, informed the Committee that the project group had recently commenced in June, 2018 and had held initial meetings and developed a draft scope for the project.

The group planned to explore a number of specific topic areas including:

·        local labour agreements;

·        apprentice starts;

·        18-24 year olds not in education or employment; and

·        working with schools to develop skills tailored toward future jobs in the HS2 industry.

It was noted that a meeting had been scheduled for 25 July, 2018 with the Cabinet Member for Economic Growth to formalise the scope of the project, and that the Project Start Report would be presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Chairs for approval following this.

Play Strategy

The Chair informed members that the results of the public consultation on public open spaces, which concluded on 1 June, 2018, had been received and would be presented to all members once processed.

RESOLVED –

1.   That the updates be noted.

2.   That the Assistant Director – Health and Wellbeing provide members with a briefing note update via email following the meeting with the Queen’s Park Sports Centre contractors, and attend the next meeting of the full Committee to advise of when the final pieces of work are expected to be completed.

6.25pm – Forward Plan of Key Decisions for the period 1 June to 30 September, 2018.  Available via link below: https://chesterfieldintranet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/l92/Printed%20plan%20August%202018.pdf?T=4

The Forward Plan for the four month period 1 July to 31 October, 2018 was presented for information.

The Chair advised members of the key and non-key decisions on the Forward Plan that fell under the remit of the Enterprise and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee.

Members showed an interest in considering the upcoming key decision ‘Careline Response – Review of Staffing’, scheduled to be taken by Cabinet on 11 September, 2018.

RESOLVED –

1.   That the Forward Plan be noted.

2.   That the Committee consider carrying out pre-decision and/or post-decision scrutiny on the key decision ‘Careline Response – Review of Staffing’.  

6.30pm – Work Programme for 2018/19 attached.

The 2018/19 Work Programme for the Enterprise and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee was reported for information.

RESOLVED –

That the Work Programme be noted.

6.35pm – Monitoring Schedule attached.

The Monitoring Schedule was reported for information.

RESOLVED –

That the Monitoring Schedule be noted.

6.40pm – Update on Housing Revenue Account Steering Group.

The Chair advised that there was no update to provide on the activity of the Housing Revenue Account Steering Group.

RESOLVED –

That the Committee receive an update at a future meeting.

The Chair, on behalf of all members, thanked Joel for all his hard work in supporting this Committee during his time with Council, wished him success in his new appointment and gave their best wishes to him and his growing family