Agenda and minutes

None

The minutes of the meeting held on 23 February 2016 were approved and signed as a correct record.

(Moved by Councillor D Cook and seconded by Councillor S Peaple)

To receive any declarations of Members’ interests (pecuniary and non-pecuniary) in any matters which are to be considered at this meeting.

When Members are declaring a pecuniary or non-pecuniary interest in respect of which they have dispensation, they should specify the nature of such interest.  Members should leave the room if they have a pecuniary or non-pecuniary interest in respect of which they do not have a dispensation. 

There were no Declarations of Interest.

The Mayor Councillor M Gant made the following announcement:-

One of our colleagues who are not re-standing this year is Councillor Eve Rowe. I would like to thank her on behalf of Tamworth Council for the work she has put in and the consideration she has given to the people of Tamworth over the years she has been a Councillor and we do thank you very much Eve.

Councillor S Peaple made the following announcement:-

Councillor Hirons is standing down at the forthcoming elections and I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his support and contributions over the last four years and to thank him for all his work he does as our CLP Chair and what he has bought to the Council a knowledge of engineering and a good deal of ability to banter with not only with his colleagues from his work place but also with all the others. Also I would like to record our recognition for long service to Evelyn Rowe of being a Councillor.

Councillor M Clarke made the following announcement:-

This is a small gift on behalf of Doctor Torsten Spiellmann who is a Mayor of a Council in Bad Laasphe our German twin town. Twinning has now reached 35 years. I would like to thank Councillor T Clements as she has given a great deal of help with this. Bad Laasphe wish to donate the appropriate item which is here tonight to all members of the Council to signal their support of Tamworth with their long standing twinning agreement.

(i)                 To answer questions from members of the public pursuant to Procedure Rule No. 10.

(ii)               To answer questions from members of the Council pursuant to Procedure Rule No. 11

QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC NO. 1

Under Procedure Rule No 10, Robert Bilcliff, of Tamworth will ask the Leader of the Council, Councillor D Cook, the following question:-

“Why is Tamworth Council not insisting on building 30% of Affordable housing on any new developments, like our neighbouring council in North Warwickshire are doing, when this type of housing is the most urgently need for the people of Tamworth and with building land at such a premier here in Tamworth?”

Councillor D Cook gave the following reply:-

The production of the Local Plan has had to follow guidance in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and National Planning Policy Guidance (NPPG) and ensure it is compliant with relevant Regulations and Legislation.

The NPPF says that Local Plans should “use their evidence base to ensure that their Local Plan meets the full, objectively assessed needs for market and affordable housing in the housing market area, as far as is consistent with the policies set out in this Framework” (para 47).

Paragraph 50 says that “where [Local Planning Authorities] have identified that affordable housing is needed, [they should] set policies for meeting this need on site, unless off-site provision or a financial contribution of broadly equivalent value can be robustly justified…such policies should be sufficiently flexible to take account of changing market conditions over time”.

The NPPF also contains a section on ensuring viability and deliverability. Paragraph 173 says that “to ensure viability, the costs of any requirements likely to be applied to development, such as requirements for affordable housing…. should, when taking account of the normal cost of development and mitigation, provide competitive returns to a willing land owner and willing developer to enable the development to be deliverable”.

So it is clear that as part of the production of the Local Plan, the Council had to consider the need for housing, including affordable housing, and consider the viability of development. The Council did this in a number of pieces of work that are available on the Local Plan examination page website.

This 2012 Strategic Housing Market Assessment identified the gross affordable housing need requirement as 183 dwellings per annum over the next five years. This figure represents Tamworth’s affordable housing OAHN.

In determining the deliverable target for market housing, the consequences of other policies in the plan on viability and the need to fund infrastructure were taken into account. Table 11.1 of the Whole Plan Viability, Affordable Housing and CIL Study indicates that a 20% target for most housing developments will allow development to maintain a reasonable contribution to strategic infrastructure costs.

If the requirement for affordable housing was higher it would make more development unviable and would therefore not come forward and it is likely that actual delivery of affordable homes would be lower.

The NPPF requires that Local Plans should be …aspirational, but realistic (paragraph 154). In addition the NPPG (Ref: 2a-029-20140306) says that “…the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 64.

(The Report of the Chair of Audit and Governance Committee)

The Report of the Chair of the Audit and Governance Committee advising Members on the action taken by the Audit and Governance Committee for the municipal year 2015/16 was considered.

(The Report of the Chair of Aspire and Prosper Scrutiny Committee)

(The Report of the Chair of Healthier and Safer Scrutiny Committee)

The Annual Report of the Chair of Aspire and Prosper Scrutiny Committee were received

The Annual Report of the Chair of Healthier and Safer Scrutiny Committee were received

(The Report of the Leader of the Council)

The Leader of the Council reported details of Tamworth Borough Council’s Pay Policy Statement so that statutory guidance as set out in S38 of the Localism Act is adhered to. It also includes data sets required to be published under the Local Authorities (Data Transparency) Code 2015.

(The Report of the Portfolio Holder for Communities and Public Health)

The Portfolio Holder for Communities and Public Health requested Council to secure the approval for the adoption of the proposed Prevent Strategy 2015-2017 and the underpinning action plan both contained within appendices A and B.

(The Report of the Solicitor to the Council and Monitoring Officer)

The Solicitor to the Council and Monitoring Officer advised Members of the proposed amendments to the Corporate Policy governing the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 in light of the new requirements introduced by recent legislative change and Home Office Guidance and sought their consideration and recommendations in relation thereto.