To receive questions from members of the public.

Under the Constitution a member of the public can ask a Cabinet Member or Chairman of a Committee any question relevant to a matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties, or which affects the County, as long as a copy of the question is deposited with the Head of Legal and Democratic Services more than six clear working days before the meeting.  A number of questions had been received and were set out in the agenda.  A question from Revd. P. Hackett had been omitted from the agenda in error but had been circulated to all Members earlier in the week and also circulated at the beginning of the meeting .

The majority of the questions related to the Unitary Development Plan, housing at Bullinghope and the Rotherwas Access Road.  The Chairman ruled that to respond to all the questions individually would take longer than the time allocated within the Constitution.  It would also involve considerable duplication because a number of questions covered similar ground.  He advised that detailed written answers would be sent to the individuals concerned and called on the Leader to give a composite response to the questions posed by Mr. and Mrs. Cocks, Mr. Jardin, Mr. Caldicutt, Mr. and Mrs. Shuttlewood, Ms Shuttlewood and the Revd. Hackett.  The Leader's response is set out below:

The proposal to allocate land at Bullinghope for 300 dwellings has been fully considered through the Unitary Development Plan (UDP) process.  Many matters were raised in representations to the draft Plan and were addressed by the Inspector in his Report.  Although the Council has rejected the Inspector’s recommendation in this case, no new matters have been raised in subsequent representations which would require a second Inquiry.

The Council’s reasons for rejecting the Inspector’s recommendation are set out in the published Statement of Decisions and Reasons referring to the role of the site in helping to ensure that the strategic housing requirement is met and the opportunity to secure financial contributions for the proposed Rotherwas Futures Project which includes the Rotherwas Access Road.

Housing requirements for the County are set out in the Regional Spatial Strategy.  The Bullinghope site will help ensure that these regional requirements are met and the Regional Assembly has concluded that the UDP is in general conformity with the Regional Spatial Strategy.  Changes to household projections at national level feed initially into the process of reviewing the Regional Spatial Strategy, rather than directly to the Council.  The Regional Assembly is currently consulting on revisions to the Spatial Strategy which incorporate revised housing requirements for the County.

The Council recognises the strategic importance of delivering the Rotherwas Access Road.  The proposed housing site of Bullinghope will provide some funding to assist in its delivery.  It is anticipated that the site will yield approximately 300 dwellings with no affordable housing being provided.

Having reviewed the Transport Assessment submitted by Bloors for the UDP Inquiry it is estimated that there will be under 500 vehicles per day using Hoarwithy Road (both out of and into the site). It should be noted that the general flow of these vehicles will be towards the centre of Hereford during the morning peak and the opposite direction during the evening peak. As such they will not be compounding traffic to and from the Rotherwas Estate as its peak flows are in the opposite direction.

In addition, the Rotherwas Access Road will attract traffic before it reaches the Holme Lacy Road/ A49 junction.  The positive benefits of the reduction in traffic on Holme Lacy Road resulting from the Access Road more than compensate for the small increases resulting from the Bullinghope development.  Constructing the Access Road will not significantly increase HGVs travelling north through the City on the A49.

The Council intends to remove all HGV's from Holme Lacy Road so that they use the new Access Road and this will be achieved through Traffic Regulation Orders. The Council also intends to implement transport improvements along the Holme Lacy Road corridor which would include traffic calming and facilities to improve and encourage pedestrian, cycle and bus access to the Estate and within the local area in general.

The question of amenity land on any development at Bullinghope is a matter for detailed consideration at the development control stage.  It would be inappropriate for any amenity land on the application site subsequently to be developed for housing purposes.

The funding model for procuring the Rotherwas Access Road does not rely solely on receipt of s106 development money.  It is as part of the wider Rotherwas Futures scheme. The funding package will include external contributions from Advantage West Midlands (AWM), Local Transport Plan funding, capital receipts generated as the regeneration project progresses and the Council will seek to optimise funding contributions from external sources with the balance being met from within the Council's prudential borrowing limits. The Council's Treasury Management Strategy sets out the approach to minimising borrowing costs.  The cash flow costs in the early years of this project are significantly less than the figure suggested.  They will be offset by cash flow gains in later years. The Council is not therefore planning to cut any services as a result of the Rotherwas Futures project.

The Government’s proposals for Planning Gain Supplement (PGS) are the subject of an ongoing consultation process and changes to the current planning obligations system are the subject of a similar process ending on 28th February, 2007.  The Government has confirmed that it will move forward with PGS if, after consultation, PGS is deemed to be workable and effective.  A key feature of those proposals is to return at least 70% of PGS revenue to the local authority area in which they were generated for local infrastructure priorities.  This was confirmed in the recent Erdington report.  The remaining PGS revenue (30%) would be returned to the region to help finance strategic infrastructure projects.  The Government has confirmed that PGS would not be introduced before 2009. 

Whether or not the Bloor Homes proposals for development at Bullinghope and the Council’s financing arrangements for the Rotherwas Futures Project are affected depend on the timing of the Governments intentions and the date of any planning permission.  Any Section 106 Agreement will come into effect if planning permission is granted.

In response to objections to the Proposed Modifications stage, minor changes to the Plan are being proposed to Council.  If accepted, these will remove reference to development at this location beyond the Plan period.  Future growth for Hereford will need to be considered in the light of emerging requirements in the Regional Spatial Strategy.

A question from Mr. T. Ford, representing Cycle Hereford, concerning the current scheme for St. Owens Street cycle contraflow, was answered by Councillor D.B. Wilcox, Cabinet Member (Highways and Transportation) as follows:

The Council's Local Transport Plan includes a hierarchy of modes of transport from walking through to car users which demonstrates our commitment to securing a sustainable and integrated transport system which is accessible to all.

It is from consideration of this hierarchy and suggestions from local cyclists that the potential benefits of allowing cyclists to cycle contrary to the flow of general traffic in St Owens Street, and hence give them greater priority for access to the city centre, have been identified.  The design of individual schemes must take into account relevant guidance and standards for highway design whilst also considering views from all stakeholders to arrive at the most suitable design.  The Council recognises the importance of St Owens Street to the economic vitality of the city centre and the value of its historic landscape.

At the last meeting of the Forum, there was general agreement with my proposition that the retention of the ambience of this important street is of paramount importance when considering possible cycleways.

The St Owens Street contra flow proposals were published for public consultation in January this year following previous discussions with stakeholders.  The Council will be considering all the views expressed during the consultation period prior to making a decision regarding the scheme.

Individual responses to the questions raised by members of the public have subsequently been despatched and are attached as an Appendix to the minutes.