Meeting documents

To approve as correct records the Minutes of the meetings held on 23 March 2016 and 18 May 2016, copies attached as appendices.

RESOLVED –

That the minutes of the meetings held on 23 March 2016 and 18 May 2016 be approved as correct records.

Councillor Paul Irwin, the County Council’s Deputy Cabinet Member for Transportation and Mr Keith Carpenter (Head of Asset Management) will be attending the meeting to update Members on the County Council’s Highway Infrastructure Asset Management.

The Committee received a report which explained how Transport for Bucks prioritised capital carriageway schemes.  Councillor Irwin, the County Council’s Deputy Cabinet Member for Transportation and Mr Keith Carpenter (Head of Asset Management) at the County Council attended the meeting to update Members on the related policy and strategy and to answer questions.

The County Council’s Highway Infrastructure Asset Management (HIAM) Policy described the principles adopted to achieve the authority’s strategic objectives and the HIAM Strategy.  This took a systematic approach that delivered most efficiently and effectively over the long term.  The work programme was the outcome of the asset management planning process and was therefore aligned and sought to optimally achieve the performance targets and deliver the best value for money.

Members were informed that the Department for Transport’s Incentive funding self-assessment questionnaire (22 questions) encouraged authorities to develop longer term programmes of works which were prioritised to best achieve the strategic objectives of the organisation.  Having these longer term programmes allowed authorities to programme work efficiently to give best value and to inform the public and other stakeholders of future works improving satisfaction.

Transport for Bucks also took a balanced strategy to determining the carriageway programme and aimed to produce a mix of treatments targeted at both preventative treatments which offer the best value for money in the longer term and deeper resurfacing work to repair those roads that were not in an acceptable condition.

It was explained that the road condition was measured for the classified road network using nationally recognised methods which recorded the condition of sections of road as either red (worst), amber or green (best).  Due to the timing of the surveys, they inevitably slightly lagged behind the actual condition, but the impact of increased investment was now becoming clear with steady improvements across all classifications of roads over the last 5 years as shown in the table below.

The survey used for the Unclassified roads was different and only recorded roads in poor or adequate condition.  In 2013/14 33% of Unclassified Roads had been in poor condition and this had improved to 29% in 2014/15.  Surveys were due to be undertaken again this year and were expected to show further improvement.

2015/16 had seen the largest capital carriageway programme in Buckinghamshire to date.  This had resulted in the completion of all previously approved schemes and a number of schemes deferred from earlier rolling programmes.  This allowed for a fresh start to the development of the future programme.  The programme budget for 2015/16 had been £28.3m (£26.4m roads, £1.8m footpaths) , which had been apportioned and achieved the following outcome(s):-

Roads                                                     Footpaths

286 schemes treated                              48 schemes treated

Area treated: 1,135,735m²                            Area treated 54,523m²

Approximately 97 miles in length           Approximately 19 miles in length

The report had further gone on to explain  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

To consider the report attached as an appendix.

Contact Officer: David Rowley (01296) 585883

The Committee received a report which provided Members with an update on the Council’s adoption of the Riverine Corridor on Fairford Leys under the terms of the related Section 106 agreements

Outline planning permission for the Fairford Leys development had originally been granted in 1992.  Common with such large scale development, S106 Agreements had been drawn up to ensure development, infrastructure and open space came forward in a managed and timely manner.  A key element of the development was the provision of a Riverine Corridor through the development.

The position set out in the S106 Agreements was that AVDC was not required to take responsibility for any part of the Riverine Corridor until five years after the final section was completed. The final landscaping had been completed in March 2006 so adoption could take place from March 2011 onwards. Given the size of the area, transfer of the Riverine Corridor was proposed to be split into seven phases.

Starting with the first three phases encompassing the centre of Fairford Leys, AVDC had been working with the Consortium’s Consultant to try and prepare plans which would satisfy Land Registry requirements.  The Council also undertook it’s own detailed tree survey as the one provided by the developers was inadequate.

Due to the complexity in resolving title discrepancies for the three phases and the limited time Land Registry searches remained valid, the advice was to focus on completing just Phase 1 initially.

By early 2013, the Phase 1 transfer had been signed/sealed, the land was in an acceptable condition and AVDC were ready to complete. However, it was then discovered that a Certificate was required relating to a restriction imposed by the Ernest Cook Trust when the land was sold to Taylor Wimpey.  The Ernest Cook Trust would not issue this Certificate until the final tranche of Highways had been adopted by Buckinghamshire County Council (BCC) – which at this time was still outstanding .

BCC Highway adoption did not complete until June 2015, leading to a significant delay in progressing the Riverine adoption. The Ernest Cook Trust were also seeking to alter the land included within Phase 1 creating fresh legal work. As a result of this HB Law were still awaiting responses from Taylor Wimpey before they could agree any revised Transfer documentation.  Once this has been resolved satisfactorily, any outstanding works could be undertaken allowing adoption by AVDC.  It would then be possible to move onto the next phases.

When the development had started, the Council had a process whereby the majority of open space land would be adopted by the Council.  However, this blanket adoption policy was no longer seen as an essential requirement as long as the land was provided to an approved standard. The Council now allowed developers to approach the local Parish Council or set up management companies to adopt or oversee future maintenance of these areas.  This was the position with the Berryfields MDA and was also being look at for Buckingham Park.

In line  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

To consider the report attached as an appendix.

Contact officer: Neil Green (01296) 585160

The Committee received a report and update on the progress made following the introduction of a scheme of additional licensing for houses in multiple occupation across Aylesbury Vale in September 2014.

The Council periodically carried out a condition survey of private sector housing stock, which had last been done in 2007.  At this time the private sector housing stock in the Vale had numbered 61,500 dwellings, and this number had grown to 77,000 dwellings by 31/03/2015.

Of these, 16.8% (10,355 dwellings) did not meet satisfactory of ‘decent’ standards (Category 1 HHSRS hazards, failure to be in reasonable repair, failure to provide reasonable modern amenities, failure to provide effective insulation and/or efficient heating all are considered to be indicators of non-decent housing). Although this figure is well below the national average (37.5%) there remained a need to improve the standards.

Houses in multiple occupation (HMO) made up the cheapest end of accommodation in the private rented sector. As a consequence of this they were often poorly maintained and inhabited by the most vulnerable individuals and families.

The HMO licensing regime provided improved standards in the sector for tenants in areas such are fire safety and remedying damp and mould issues, which all helped to reduce the risk of ill-health amongst occupants.

A scheme of additional licensing of HMO’s had been introduced on 27 September 2014 which extended the principles of the mandatory licensing scheme already in operation within the district.  The scheme covered the whole district and required HMO landlords not covered by mandatory licensing provisions to apply for a licence for their property. This was to ensure that such properties met current national and local standards for management and fire safety.  Following the launch in September 2014, landlords were given an amnesty period until June 2015 during which they could license their HMO properties at a 30% discount on the standard fee.

It was further explained that the designation of a scheme of additional licensing was a discretionary power set out in Section 56 of the Housing Act 2004, which had been devolved from central government to local councils.  The objective of implementing additional licensing was to improve conditions in the HMO sector, to make such housing safe, comfortable and well managed for tenants and to improve management for the benefit of neighbouring occupiers.

It was currently the second year of the five year scheme, after which it would be subject to a further review to determine whether the objectives were been met.  If after 5 years the objectives of the scheme had been met then it could be ended.  If not, then the Council could choose to extend the scheme for a further period of time.

The number of HMO’s in Aylesbury Vale was unknown but it was estimated at the time that the additional licensing scheme was proposed that there could be 600 properties that would be included in an additional licensing scheme.

To date 40 additional HMO licenses had been issues, as well as 32 Mandatory HMO  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

The future work programme is currently:

20 September 2016

·                    Update on flooding on the Willows Development

·                    Biodiversity update

1 November 2016

20 December 2016

The Committee considered their work programme for the next 6-9 months and in addition to the items already scheduled also suggested items for consideration, as follows:-

·                    Waste & recycling update.

·                    Leisure facilities in the Vale.

·                    Pest Control.

·                    Pay to Stay (implications for AVDC from the new Housing Act).

·                    Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust – annual update.

RESOLVED –

(1)          That the current work programme, as submitted to the meeting, be noted.

(2)          That Officers, in consultation with the Chairman, timetable the suggested items for the future work programme.