To consider suggestions from the public on issues the committee could scrutinise in the future.

(There will be no discussion of the issue at the time when the matter is raised.  Consideration will be given to whether it should form part of the committee’s work programme when compared with other competing priorities.)

Referring to an email reproduced within Supplement 1 to the agenda, the Chairman wished to thank Mr. McKay for his continued interest.  It was noted that a briefing note had already been issued to committee members about Public Rights of Way and that a response to correspondence was requested at the last meeting (minute 26 refers).  The Chairman acknowledged that officer time and resources were finite but requested that a definitive briefing note on the various matters raised by Mr. McKay be prepared and circulated by the middle of November 2015.

To consider suggestions from the public on issues the committee could scrutinise in the future.

(There will be no discussion of the issue at the time when the matter is raised.  Consideration will be given to whether it should form part of the committee’s work programme when compared with other competing priorities.)

It was reported that a suggestion had been received from Mr. Peter McKay; related correspondence was provided within a supplement to the agenda.

The Chairman thanked Mr. McKay for his continued interest and enlightening comments.

It was noted that, in response to a suggestion made by Mr. McKay at the last meeting, a briefing note had been circulated to committee members about the Public Rights of Way service. 

The Chairman said that he was aware of the importance of the issues but also the limited time and resources available to the committee.  Therefore, the Chairman asked officers to provide a detailed written response to the points raised at the earliest opportunity and for this information to be made available online in a supplement to the agenda for this meeting.

To consider suggestions from the public on issues the committee could scrutinise in the future.

(There will be no discussion of the issue at the time when the matter is raised.  Consideration will be given to whether it should form part of the committee’s work programme when compared with other competing priorities.)

It was reported that a suggestion had been received from Mr. Peter McKay in relation to Highway Dedication Codes and Deregulation Bill provisions and safeguards; details about the suggestion and a related question to Council were included in a supplement to the agenda.

The Chairman thanked Mr. McKay for his interest and suggestion.  It was requested that committee members be provided with a briefing note on public rights of way, the definitive map and other matters raised by Mr. McKay.  In addition, the Chairman said that arrangements were being made for a member seminar/workshop on transportation issues where these matters could be explored.

To consider suggestions from the public on issues the committee could scrutinise in the future.

(There will be no discussion of the issue at the time when the matter is raised.  Consideration will be given to whether it should form part of the committee’s work programme when compared with other competing priorities.)

No suggestions from the public had been received.

To consider suggestions from the public on issues the committee could scrutinise in the future.

(There will be no discussion of the issue at the time when the matter is raised.  Consideration will be given to whether it should form part of the committee’s work programme when compared with other competing priorities.)

No suggestions from the public had been received.

To consider suggestions from members of the public on issues the committee could scrutinise in the future.

(There will be no discussion of the issue at the time when the matter is raised.  Consideration will be given to whether it should form part of the committee’s work programme when compared with other competing priorities.)

No suggestions from the public were received.

To consider suggestions from members of the public on issues the committee could scrutinise in the future.

(There will be no discussion of the issue at the time when the matter is raised.  Consideration will be given to whether it should form part of the committee’s work programme when compared with other competing priorities.)

No suggestions had been received in advance of the meeting.  The Chairman invited members of the public in attendance to suggest issues and Claire Keetch, Chief Executive of Herefordshire Citizens’ Advice Bureaux (CAB) suggested that, in view of the proposed revisions to the Council Tax Reduction Scheme and the potential for additional non-payment, the authority should consider how increased need for legal and debt advice could be met, especially considering the uncertainties around funding for the CAB service.

To consider suggestions from members of the public on issues the committee could scrutinise in the future.

(There will be no discussion of the issue at the time when the matter is raised. Consideration will be given to whether it should form part of the committee’s work programme when compared with other competing priorities.)

No suggestions had been received from members of the public.

To consider suggestions from members of the public on issues the committee could scrutinise in the future.

(There will be no discussion of the issue at the time when the matter is raised. Consideration will be given to whether it should form part of the committee’s work programme when compared with other competing priorities.)

No suggestions had been received from members of the public.

To consider suggestions from members of the public on issues the Committee could scrutinise in the future.

(There will be no discussion of the issue at the time when the matter is raised. Consideration will be given to whether it should form part of the Committee’s work programme when compared with other competing priorities.)

The Chairman said that a bus operator had approached him about issues with the Supplier Portal in relation to the procurement of new bus contracts.

To consider suggestions from members of the public on issues the Committee could scrutinise in the future.

(There will be no discussion of the issue at the time when the matter is raised. Consideration will be given to whether it should form part of the Committee’s work programme when compared with other competing priorities.)

The Chairman invited suggestions from members of the public.

Mrs. Morawiecka suggested that, in view of the issues arising from Hereford Futures Limited, consideration should be given to how the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and the Marches Local Transport Board reported into the Council.  The Chairman advised that a Cabinet Member decision in relation to the Marches LEP Economic Plan Submission was imminent and it was the intention of the Committee to establish a Task and Finish Group to look at the governance of the LEP.

Mrs. Wegg-Prosser asked for clarification about the re-prioritising of transport packages.  The Chairman said that, as this was a question, this would be referred to the relevant officer for a response.

To consider suggestions from members of the public on issues the Committee could scrutinise in the future.

(There will be no discussion of the issue at the time when the matter is raised. Consideration will be given to whether it should form part of the Committee’s work programme when compared with other competing priorities.)

Attention was drawn to Supplement 2 to the agenda which contained a request from Dr. RB Williams, on behalf of CPRE Herefordshire, for the Committee to explore further the Council’s position relating to the 5 Year Housing Land Supply (5YHLS).  The supplement also included a comment from the Council’s Team Leader Strategic Planning.

The Chairman noted that the matter had been discussed at the 11 November 2013 meeting of the Committee (minute 33 refers) and invited Dr. Williams to outline his concerns.  Dr. Williams commented that: without an identified 5YHLS, the presumption in favour of development, contained in paragraph 14 of the National Planning Policy Framework, could leave greenfield sites vulnerable; there was concern about the Council’s strategy, especially as no figures had been published about the calculations used by the authority; and there was a need for transparency about how the 5YHLS would be progressed.

The Chairman noted the importance of this issue within the planning system and considered that further clarification was needed about the definition of the 5YHLS and the methodologies applied.  The Chairman questioned whether a Task and Finish Group should review the issues.  A Committee Member noted that an Inspector’s decision was awaited on a recent planning inquiry and suggested that any further work be held in abeyance pending the findings and associated outcomes.

The Director for Economy, Communities and Corporate explained the relevance of the planning inquiry to inform the position on the 5YHLS in Herefordshire and said that a further written response would be given to Dr. Williams, along with the calculations used; it would also be established whether the calculations had been published to the Council’s website.

The Chairman invited a member of the public to comment.  Mrs. Morawiecka noted that, at the 11 November 2013 meeting, the Chairman had requested that the calculations be circulated to the Committee and to town and parish councils by the end of November 2013.  The Chairman requested that an information report be prepared for a future meeting.

The Chairman invited further suggestions from the members of the public present.  Mrs. Morawiecka said that, at the 11 November 2013 meeting, she had requested that an indication be provided of when a new Local Transport Plan would be available but a response had not been received.  The Director said that he would speak to the Assistant Director Economy, Environment and Commercial in order to obtain an up-to-date position.

To consider suggestions from members of the public on issues the Committee could scrutinise in the future.

(There will be no discussion of the issue at the time when the matter is raised. Consideration will be given to whether it should form part of the Committee’s work programme when compared with other competing priorities.)

Suggestions had been received from Mrs. Morawiecka in respect of the Five Year Housing Land Supply (with a response provided by the Assistant Director Economic, Environment and Cultural Services) and the Local Transport Plan.

Five-Year Housing Land Supply (FYHLS)

At the invitation of the Chairman, Mrs. Morawiecka commented that, given developments in terms of the Core Strategy and planning appeals, there was a need for information to be made available on the FYHLS.  The Assistant Director advised that: the FYHLS was a complicated issue and various methodologies could be used in the calculation; as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), every local planning authority was required to identify a deliverable FYHLS for their housing requirement; and, in Herefordshire’s case, the accuracy of the FYHLS would be tested at a planning inquiry later in the month.

The Chairman requested that a clear definition of what the Council meant by the FYHLS be prepared and circulated.  The Vice-Chairman, referring to the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA), suggested that an indication be given of where land blocks sat on a timeline, albeit recognising that this was a dynamic issue and would only represent a snapshot.  A Member in attendance noted the need for clarity, as messages had not been consistent between departments.

The Assistant Director agreed to circulate officers’ current assessment to all Councillors, with a caveat that a definitive statement could not be made until the outcomes of the inquiry were understood.  He added that this could explain the context of the NPPF and identify the implications of having, or not having, a FYHLS.  In response to a question from the Vice-Chairman, the Assistant Director said that officers would attempt to identify the geographic spread and the types of housing involved.  It was noted that sites could include those under construction, those with planning consent but not yet started, ‘windfall’ sites, and other land currently identified in the SHLAA which had a reasonable prospect of coming forward within a five year period.

The Chairman requested that the assessment be circulated by the end of November 2013, with a version sent to town and parish councils and to Mrs. Morawiecka for information.

Local Transport Plan

At the invitation of the Chairman, Mrs. Morawiecka drew attention to her question about the Local Transport Plan and requested that an indication be provided of when a new plan would be available.

To consider suggestions from members of the public on issues the Committee could scrutinise in the future.

(There will be no discussion of the issue at the time when the matter is raised. Consideration will be given to whether it should form part of the Committee’s work programme when compared with other competing priorities.)

To consider suggestions from members of the public on issues the Committee could scrutinise in the future.

(There will be no discussion of the issue at the time when the matter is raised. Consideration will be given to whether it should form part of the Committee’s work programme when compared with other competing priorities.)

It was reported that Mrs E Morawiecka had submitted two further questions about questions originally asked at the 4 July 2012 meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, principally relating to Destination Hereford.  Responses to the questions had been provided by the Head of Transportation and Access and were circulated at the meeting; see the document appended to these minutes.  The Committee was advised that Mrs Morawiecka had suggested that Destination Hereford should feature as part of the work programme.

The Chairman invited suggestions from members of the public in attendance at the meeting.  Mrs Morawiecka made a number of comments, including:

•        at the 18 June 2013 meeting of the Committee, the Monitoring Officer had agreed to provide a report on Hereford Futures, specifically in relation to queries she had raised about possible inaccuracies and inconsistencies in public information in relation to the company;

•        concern was expressed about the period of time that had elapsed since she had first raised the issues and the fact that she had not had a response from the Monitoring Officer or the Chief Executive in recent months;

•        it was claimed that the Committee had been misled about certain information relating to Hereford Futures;

•        the matter should come back to the Committee and to the Audit and Governance Committee; and

•        the issues should be viewed in the wider context of other contracts and joint ventures the Council was involved with which may involve liabilities, such as pensions, even though the Council might not be receiving sets of accounts.

The Chairman said that the matters raised would be queried with the relevant officers.

To consider suggestions from members of the public on issues the Committee could scrutinise in the future.

(There will be no discussion of the issue at the time when the matter is raised. Consideration will be given to whether it should form part of the Committee’s work programme when compared with other competing priorities.)

No suggestions were received for this meeting.