Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Glenn Coleman-Cooke.

To approve the Minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel meeting held on 23 May 2017, copy attached.

Councillor Campbell proposed, Councillor Dennis seconded and Members agreed the minutes as a correct record of the meeting that was held on 23 May 2017.

To approve the Minutes of the extraordinary Overview and Scrutiny Panel meeting held on 26 July 2017, copy attached.

Councillor Campbell proposed, Councillor Connor seconded and Members agreed the minutes as a correct record of the meeting that was held on 26 July 2017.

Nick Hughes, Committee Services Manager introduced the item for discussion and said that Members had made a request to review the proposals that were to be put forward as part of the draft Local Plan to go out to consultation before submission to government. He also indicated that the work of the Dreamland Working Group had come to a close with a report due to be presented at the Panel meeting in October.

The meeting was advised that the Community Safety Partnership Working Party had come up with a suggested Members Briefing topic on ‘Council services to the homeless in Thanet’ and were requesting that the Panel forwards this proposal to the executive.

Adrian Verrall, Strategic Planning Manager added that Members could review the draft local Plan through three sets of workshop sessions that would consider the Plan under the following sub headings:

Housing;

Employment and Economy;

Infrastructure provision and Environmental Policy.

Members could suggest other topics which would be considered in any one of the three sessions highlighted in Annex 4 to the report. It was hoped that the first session would be held towards end of October 2017 with the last session expected to be held in the second week in November 2017. If Members felt the need for an additional mop up session, this would have to be arranged for a date before the Overview & Scrutiny Panel meeting on 21 November that would consider the formal recommendations to be forward to Cabinet.

Members asked a number of questions relating to the content of the draft local Plan and Adrian Verrall advised that most of those queries would be addressed during the briefing sessions. Members agreed to forward key questions to officers through the Panel Chairman before each of the three workshops.

Councillor Campbell proposed, Councillor Parsons seconded and Members unanimously agreed the following:

1.  To note the report;

2.  That the membership of the working group be the same as that of the Panel;

3.  The terms of reference to be, ‘to review the proposed draft Local Plan and make recommendations to the Panel;’

4.  To work to the indicative timetable set out in Annex 4 to the report.

In response to a recommendation from the Community Safety Partnership Working Party the Panel agreed that:

5.  A request be forwarded to the executive that a presentation be made at a Members Briefing session on ‘Council services to the homeless in Thanet.’

In response to a Member query, the Chairman confirmed that the Leader of Council agreed to make a presentation at the next ordinary Meeting of the Panel on 24 October 2017.