Agenda item

Members considered the reports within the District Executive agenda for 3 May 2018 and made comments as detailed below. Responses to all comments and questions were provided at the Scrutiny Committee meeting by the relevant Officer or Portfolio Holder.

The South Petherton Neighbourhood Plan Referendum (Agenda item 6)

·         The report states that the South Petherton village Conservation Area boundary was due to be reviewed by the District Council in 2017/18.  Has this been completed and if not would it influence the Neighbourhood Plan?

·         Para 17 – Members queried at what stage the increased levy was applicable was it when planning permission is granted or when the development commences?

·         A concern was raised whether SSDC was trying to over influence some of the wishes of the community.

Strategic Development and Regeneration in South Somerset District Council (Agenda item 7)

·         Members felt that there may be issues regarding public perception within the smaller rural market towns due to the proposal to discontinue the four Area Regeneration Boards

·         Members sought clarification about how smaller scale proposals within other market towns would be brought forward

·         Members sought reassurance on the reporting arrangements, risk management and progress report in order to keep all members informed

·         Scrutiny were generally supportive of the changes proposed to the boards and the governance arrangements however they thought more attention should be given to a risk Management and suggested an additional bullet point to paragraph 6.9 to require production of a risk strategy

·         An additional bullet point under 6.2 was suggested to indicate that the Strategic Development Board should be responsible for manging cumulative impact and risk

·         Some concerns were raised about business continuity for management of large project should membership of a board change.

Somerset Homelessness Strategy 2017-19 (Agenda item 8)

·         Members acknowledged the information by the Portfolio Holder

·         Members sought the timescale for when the suggested supplementary strategy specific to SSDC would be brought forward?

Community Right to Bid Half Year Report – October 2017 to March 2018 (Agenda item 9)

Scrutiny made no comments.

Draft Responses to Consultations (Agenda item 10)

·         Some members raised specific queries to which the Acting Principal Spatial Planner noted and agreed to look into further and liaise with the members concerned.

District Executive Forward Plan (Agenda item 11)

·         It was noted that Transformation Project Progress Reports were scheduled for October 2018 and March 2019 however previously it had been understood that reporting would be quarterly.

CONFIDENTIAL – Exclusion of the Press and Public (Agenda item 13)

In accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), the Committee resolved that the press and public be excluded from the following items in view of the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act, i.e. “Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

Budget for Chard Regeneration Programme and Yeovil Regeneration Programme (Confidential) (Agenda item 14)

·         Members made several comments in confidential session.