Agenda and minutes

There were no substitutes declared.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Chris Barker.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 20 July 2017 (copy attached).

The minutes of the meeting held on 20 July 2017, were confirmed as an accurate record and signed by the Chairman.

Members of the public who live or work in Forest Heath are invited to put one question/statement of not more than 3 minutes duration relating to items to be discussed in Part 1 of the agenda only.  If a question is asked and answered within 3 minutes, the person who asked the question may ask a supplementary question that arises from the reply.

A person who wishes to speak must register at least 15 minutes before the time the meeting is scheduled to start.

There is an overall limit of 15 minutes for public speaking, which may be extended at the Chairman’s discretion.

There were no questions/statements from members of the public.

The Chairman attended Cabinet on 12 September 2017, and presented the Committee’s report on items it considered on 20 July 2017, which was noted.  The next Cabinet meeting was scheduled for Tuesday 24 October 2017, at 6pm.

Report No: OAS/FH/17/021

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Growth, Councillor Lance Stanbury has been invited to the meeting to provide an annual account on his portfolio and to answer questions from the Committee.

The Committee was reminded that on 15 September 2016, it had received a presentation from the Cabinet Member for Planning and Growth, setting out his responsibilities covered under his portfolio.

At this meeting, the Cabinet Member had been invited back to provide his annual update.  Report No: OAS/FH/17/021 set out the focus on the update, which was to:

·         Outline the main challenges faced over the last year;

·         Outline some key success and any failures over the last year and any lessons learnt; and

·         Set out the vision for the Portfolio through to 2019, and whether on target to meet that vision.

Councillor Lance Stanbury opened his presentation by thanking the Committee for the invitation to address the Committee on progress made within his Portfolio since September 2016. 

Firstly, the Cabinet Member introduced two new Assistant Directors; Julie Baird for Growth, and David Collinson for Planning and Regulatory Services.  Both Assistant Directors were working closely in delivering the portfolio’s wide-ranging remit.  However, on a higher strategic level, the portfolio aimed to achieve the following:

-      Creating a safer, healthier and more harmonious environment in which to work and live, through regulation;

-      Using powers to create the conditions for sustainable economic growth for our region, including housing and business growth;

-      Lobbying for better transport links for West Suffolk;

-      Supporting our market towns, and capitalising upon key sectors;

-      Using the councils investment strategy to benefit citizens through business creation to sustainable energy generation to subsidise other services;

-      Promoting the region through partnership working in film, leisure and business;

-      Working the LEPs and other authorities to ensure that West Suffolk received its rightful share of growth and infrastructure; and

-      Developing skills and increasing employment opportunities for all.

He then explained that the Council was now seeing progress in its journey of moving towards thinking and working strategically and not just in geographical or planning terms but in how it could go beyond the boundaries of its statutory responsibilities to lever investment and the right infrastructure, job opportunities as well as growth and housing that was more than bricks and mortar but helped wellbeing and supported communities and partners.  For example, the Mildenhall Hub was a public and charitable sector partnership, joining health with leisure, education with library facilities and a space for the community all in one place.

The Cabinet Member then provide some examples of what the departments under his portfolio had been involved in over the past year and looking ahead at the challenges and opportunities in the coming months:

Strategic Plan

Work had begun on developing the Strategic direction for Growth, which was being shaped under the Strategic Plan work over the forthcoming months.  This would help the Council to clearly define its Growth priorities and align its resources in promoting what it was good at to attract the right businesses, infrastructure and investments to support communities.  Making sure the council protected its rural areas, whilst planning for the future and the much needed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 182.

Report No: OAS/FH/17/022

The Committee received Report No: OAS/FH/17/022, which updated Members on the current status of its rolling work programme of items for scrutiny during 2017-2018 (Appendix 1).

The report also requested that Members identify questions they would like the Portfolio Holder for Operations to cover in his annual update to the Committee on 9 November 2017.

The Committee considered the report and came up with the following questions to be put to the Portfolio Holder for Operations at its November meeting:

·         Newmarket Market: Update on the re-development of the market.

·         Civil Parking Enforcement: Progress update.

·         West Suffolk Operational Hub: What have the implications been in the projects delay, and what are the high risk areas?

Finally, the Democratic Services Officer (Scrutiny) informed members that St Edmundsbury’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee had arranged an Extraordinary Committee meeting for Wednesday 25 October 2017 at 4pm when the Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transports would be attending to discuss how communication could be improved between the various tiers of local government for the benefit of all residents and Councillors in West Suffolk, and the New Suffolk Highways Structure.  The Chairman of St Edmundsbury’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Diane Hind, therefore wished to extend the invitation to members of Forest Heath’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee to attend as observers.  

There being no decision required, the Committee noted the current status of its forward work programme for 2017-2018.