Meeting documents

To receive apologies for absence

Apologies for absence were received from Honorary Aldermen D A E Cox, Mrs K M Peatey MBE, Mrs P Priestley and M B Oram.  Councillors:  M Appleyard, D Barnes, A D Collingwood, Mrs L M Clarke OBE, M Clarke,  G Hall,  M Knight, Mrs W Mallen, N B Marshall, Ms C J Oliver, C Whitehead and R Wilson. 

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of Council held on 13 April, and Annual Council held on 26 May 2015.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting of Council held on 13 April, and Annual Council held on 26 May 2015 be approved as a true record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive any disclosure of disclosable pecuniary interests by Members relating to items on the agenda.  If any Member is uncertain as to whether an interest should be disclosed, he or she is asked if possible to contact the District Solicitor prior to the meeting.

Members are reminded that if they are declaring an interest they should state the nature of that interest whether or not they are required to withdraw from the meeting.

No declaration of interest were received.

To receive such communication as the Chairman of the Council may wish to make.

The Chairman listed and reported on some of his activities since the last meeting of the Council:

(a)  Royal Air Force Annual Reception

(b)  Women`s Cycle tour in Marlow

(c)  Marlow Town Regatta

(d)  Liberteas – Celebration of the Magna Carta

(e)  Armed Forces Day Flag Raising

The Chairman reported that this had taken place in Aylesbury on 27 June 2015. A letter of thanks had been received by the Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire for the significant and valuable contribution received. 

(f)   SKIDZ Awards Evening

The Chairman reported with sadness and regret that Skidz had now closed down and been placed into liquidation.

Written questions may be asked of the Leader or any Cabinet Member, if submitted by 12 noon on Thursday 23 July 2015. Questions will be submitted in the order in which they are received.

A questioner will have a maximum of 1 minute to ask a question, and the answer shall not exceed 3 minutes. Any questioner may put one supplementary question without notice within a maximum time of 1 minute and the answer may not exceed 2 minutes.

(a) Question from Mr T Snaith to the Leader of the Council

"This cabinet recently considered new powers  "£100 fines for sleeping rough in High Wycombe" We have now seen a  U Turn and press statement  by the Leader as a result of  Public  petitions , Comments from Community leaders, Liberal Democrats planned demonstration ahead of Full Council and a planned sleep out on the same evening. The Leader said "We want to prevent a need to rough sleep and to help those that find themselves on the street."What more can WDC do to help the most vulnerable in society and avoid sending messages that WDC has no heart and no charity?"

Response from Councillor Ms K Wood (Leader of the Council)

"Thank you for continuing to show an interest in the work of the Council. I am however really disappointed that the good intentions of the Council to make our District a better place to live, work and enjoy it has been misconstrued or misunderstood by some members of the Community.

Let me make it absolutely clear that this is not a U-Turn. My statement at Cabinet on Monday was to clarify what the original report set out to do. Whilst the example used in the Cabinet Report cited the power to fine rough sleepers, we have no intention of fining people for simply sleeping rough.

If those that choose to rough sleep partake in anti-social behaviour whilst doing so, we may use these powers to tackle the ASB element associated.

However, I am pleased you raised the issue of rough sleeping as this is often only raised in winter months and or around Christmas time, whereas rough sleeping is a year round issue. We work closely with partner agencies to assist rough sleepers and prevent the need for rough sleeping in the District. Our friends and partners at Wycombe Homeless Connection operate a winter night shelter, we fund an outreach team (including emergency beds) and fund Wycombe Rent Deposit Guarantee Scheme as well as meet fortnightly with all relevant agencies to discuss and arrange plans to assist those that are sleeping rough.

If you have concerns about anyone rough sleeping in the District (or indeed elsewhere in the UK) please refer them (you only need a brief description and location) to Street Link who will direct local support services to assist. Street Link can be contacted on 0300 500 0914."

Supplementary Question

"Liberal Democrats stand up for the most vulnerable in society and exist to build a fairer society in which no one shall be enslaved by poverty.

What does this Cabinet plan to do to adopt these values of fighting poverty, homelessness and rough sleeping rather than abdicating the role to Housing Associations and charities?" 

Supplementary Response

"Homelessness is a priority which is why I reintroduced it as a full Cabinet portfolio position. I would encourage you as a community leader and activist to spread the truth about Wycombe`s intentions in this regard now that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

Questions to the Leader or any Cabinet Members must be submitted by 12 noon on Thursday 23 July 2015. Questions will be taken first from Leaders of the political parties in order of number of Members.

Other Members will be called upon in the order in which questions have been received. Every Member asking an oral question is permitted to ask on supplementary question without notice provided that it does not introduce any new matter. The appropriate member will respond to any questions remaining unanswered at the expiry of 30 minutes in writing.

Any question remaining unanswered after 30 will be answered within 10 working days in writing after the meeting by the appropriate Member and appended to the minutes of the meeting.

(a)  Question from Councillor R Raja to the Leader of the Council.

"In view of the leader's clarification at the cabinet meeting on 20th July, would she agree that this was a short sighted and poorly judged attempt to deal with the real problem of homeless people and secondly could she give an estimate of the number of such people for whom the 'Fixed Penalty Notices were devised?"

Response from Councillor Ms K Wood (Leader of the Council)

"Thank you for your question.  I would not agree with your statement regarding the Cabinet meeting on 15^th June. That particular report was about giving delegated authority to enable fixed penalty notices to be issued as the first step towards introducing a Public Spaces protection Order (PSPO). What the decision we made in June was definitely not, was a decision to fine rough sleepers.

Whilst the example used in the Cabinet Report cited the power to fine rough sleepers, we have no intention of fining people for simply sleeping rough.

If those that choose to rough sleep partake in anti-social behaviour whilst doing so, we may use these powers to tackle the ASB element associated. We are still looking at powers to tackle anti-social behaviour in our town centres (BUT haven’t yet agreed to them) and these powers would apply to anyone, not just to those rough sleepers who may be behaving in an anti-social way.

The Fixed Penalty Notice report was about having a mechanism to use in designated areas. Not about dealing with homeless people. I have already explained tonight how we work closely with partner agencies to assist rough sleepers and I would again urge anyone with concerns about rough sleepers to contact Streetlink as mentioned earlier.

As Fixed Penalty Notices are new, there are currently no designated areas so there are no figures available." 

Supplementary Question

"The meeting on the 15 June gave the impression that it was a done deal. I am grateful that common sense has prevailed and I hope that the U turn is welcomed by all.

Will the Leader categorically confirm that such punitive tactics will not be considered in the future to solve the problems of homelessness."

Supplementary Response

"It was not a U turn, but a misunderstanding, a misrepresentation. We will not fine simply for sleeping rough.

 As you are aware I made supporting homelessness a priority. The report to Cabinet was not an issue about homelessness, but we will continue to strive to make our town centres safe from ASB wherever it may come from.

(b) Question from Councillor B Pearce to the Cabinet Member for Economic Development & Regeneration

"At the AGM the chairman of the council stated that 67% of Wycombe district is rural and therefore the local rural forum is very important. Would the member agree with me that industry is also very important to Wycombe district and would it be a good idea to have an industrial forum on the same lines as the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

(i)          Council to receive any petition from a member of the public or from a Councillor on behalf of a Member or a member of the public as notified by the deadline of 5pm on Monday 20 July 2015.

(ii)         Council to consider any petition already received that meets the required number of signatures to qualify for a debate by Full Council. (The petition organiser will have 5 minutes to present the petition and then the Council will debate the matter for a maximum of 15 minutes and decide how to respond to the petition).

No petitions were received by the deadline of 5pm on Monday 20 July 2015.

To receive the minutes of and consider any recommendations from the following meeting:

Cabinet                      15 June 2015

Cabinet                      20 July 2015 (To Follow)

15 June 2015

Minute 4 – Chilterns AONB Management Plan

A Member rose to ask a question relating to the above.  He stated that the  subject seemed to have prompted numerous e-mails from members of the public and perhaps it would be useful if the Leader or Cabinet Member for Planning could reiterate the reasons behind the recommendation Council was being asked to agree.

The relevant Cabinet Member rose to clarify the situation. He stated that it had indeed generated a lot of correspondence but unfortunately much of it was based upon a number of misconceptions. Before coming on to those misconceptions he stated, he wanted to make it quite clear that this Council was fully supportive of the AONB and its purpose and of the Chilterns Conservation Board and the work that it did. That was why the Council appointed a member to be on the conservation board. He congratulated the member for offering to take up that appointment this evening.

He stated that Chilterns ANOB was fundamental to the character of Wycombe District, and that the Council had already adopted planning documents and robust policies to ensure its special character was protected, and had a track record on achieving this. He reminded Members that it was not too long ago that the Council had refused 2 planning applications for solar farms that sat outside the AONB but which were deemed had an unacceptable impact on the views from the AONB.

But, he continued, it was also worth saying, in relation to this specific recommendation, that, there was no statutory duty on this Council to endorse the Chilterns Conservation Board Management Plan.  That was a document that the Chilterns Conservation Board had a statutory duty to produce.

Indeed, in that regard, it was important to understand that – as a management plan – much of the content of that document, being about land management rather than land use, had no bearing on planning and so those parts were not a material consideration to take into account in planning decisions. For those parts that were relevant to planning, they were a material consideration and their status was not altered in any way whether it be endorsed or acknowledged or whether the Council remain silent.

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The Cabinet Member highlighted that this was a significant point. The Council had not endorsed or even acknowledged previous versions of the CCB Management Plan, nothing about them had been said. He did not think that was right. The AONB was so important to the district, that he thought that should be shown by acknowledging the plan. That the Cabinet had recognised it this time round and that it has generated such an outcry is slightly ironic !

Finally, he pointed out that the Chilterns AONB covered 13 separate Councils only 2 of which so far had decided to endorse the plan. He did not feel therefore that the Council was out of step.

In conclusion, he reiterated the importance that the Council attached to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.

20 July 2015

Item 12 - Minutes

A Member enquired as to whether the Cabinet felt that they could take responsibility for the misconceptions around rough sleepers.

 The Leader responded that the report was clear that the issue was more concerned with anti- social behaviour as opposed to rough sleepers. She emphasised that she was keen for the Town to be a safe place to live and work.   

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 20 July be received and the recommendations as set out at minute numbers 15 and 22 be approved and adopted.

To receive the minutes of and consider any recommendations from the following meeting:

Standards Committee                     9 June 2015

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting of the Standards Committee held on 9 June 2015, be received.

To receive the minutes of and consider any recommendations from the following meeting:

Improvement & Review Commission                   22 June 2015

Item 5 – Saunderton Lodge

A Member enquired as to whether previous reports into the review of Saunderton Lodge would be considered and used to inform the options appraisal.

The Chairman of the Committee expressed that Saunderton hospital was dear to his heart, and he hoped that Members would take the opportunity to contribute to the Task and Finish Group set up to look into it.  

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting of the Improvement & Review Commission held on 22 June be received.

To receive the minutes of and to consider any recommendations from the following meeting:

Audit Committee                  25 June 2015

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting of the Audit Committee held on 25 June 2015 be received.

To receive the minutes of and consider any recommendations from the following meeting:

High Wycombe Town Committee             23 June 2015

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting of the High Wycombe Town Committee held on 23 June 2015, be received.

To receive the minutes of and consider any recommendations from the following meetings:

JNC Staffing Matters Committee               26 February 2015

JNC Staffing Matters Committee               10 June 2015  

JNC Staffing Matters Committee               17 June 2015

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meetings of the JNC Staffing Matters Committee, held on 26 February, 10 June and 17 June be received.

To receive the minutes of and consider the recommendations from the following meeting

Licensing Committee                      7 July 2015 (To Follow) 

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting of the Licensing Committee held on 7 July 2015, be received.

To receive the minutes of and consider any recommendations from the following meeting:

Personnel & Development Committee                6 July 2015

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting of the Personnel & Development Committee held on 6 July 2015 be received and the recommendation as set out at minute number 43 be approved and adopted.

To receive the minutes of and consider any recommendations from the following meetings:

Planning Committee                       8 April 2015

Planning Committee                       29 April 2015

Planning Committee                       3 June 2015

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meetings of the Planning Committee held on 8 April 29 April and 3 June be received.

To receive the minutes of and consider any recommendations from the following meeting:

Regulatory & Appeals Committee             8 July 2015

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting of the Regulatory & Appeals Committee held on 8 July 2015, be received and the recommendation as set out at minute number 5 be approved and adopted.

To consider the following Notice of Motion submitted by the deadline of noon on Thursday 16 July 2015.

The following Notice of Motion was submitted by Councillor Ms J Wassell and seconded by Councillor Ms A Baughan:

"This council supports the view that the release of the Reserve Sites presents a golden opportunity to substantially meet the current and future social housing needs of our district. In addition to the focus on infrastructure it is essential that another strand of work is added to identify the scale of the need for social housing and ensure that any new development is maximised to ensure the need is met. Wycombe District Council should take the lead in organising a multi-agency housing summit to be held in the autumn of 2015 to identify and discuss the needs, challenges and opportunities for housing provision in the Wycombe District."

The following Notice of Motion was submitted by Councillor Ms J Wassell and seconded by Councillor Ms A Baughan:

"This Council supports the view that the release of the Reserve Sites presents a golden opportunity to substantially meet the current and future social housing needs of our district. In addition to the focus on infrastructure it is essential that another strand of work is added to identify the scale of the need for social housing and ensure that any new development is maximised to ensure the need is met. Wycombe District Council should take the lead in organising a multi-agency housing summit to be held in the autumn of 2015 to identify and discuss the needs, challenges and opportunities for housing provision in the Wycombe District."

In proposing the motion, Cllr Ms J Wassell stated that prior to the May elections the Cabinet had made the controversial decision to release the reserve sites, a decision which enabled the Council to negotiate with developers rather than uncontrolled applications.  The Leader had signalled her commitment to housing matters by the appointment of a designated Cabinet Member for Housing.  This was welcomed in all quarters.

 A number of groups had been set up to look at the impact of developments of these sites and Wycombe’s infrastructure as a whole.  As a member of the infrastructure sub group she stated that she had been impressed by the quality of presentations and the level of debate.  We were moving towards a more balanced position in which residents’ needs, infrastructure needs and future housing needs could be considered in more detail. 

Most Councillors, she continued, would be aware of the demand for decent housing through our own case work, the demands on Council services and voluntary agencies to which we belong and represent.  As well as our current housing waiting list there were policies and changes impacting on the need for housing.  These included: The housing benefit cap, mortgage repossession, the aspiration of young people locally to buy or rent their own home.  Many young people couldn`t get their foot on the housing ladder in areas such as ours.  There was a shortage of housing to meet the needs of disabled people for ground floor properties either purpose built or that could be adapted.  Private renting was on the rise.  There existed the proposed right to buy of social housing which could impact adversely on rural and town areas alike, this was being challenged by the House of Lords. 

She stated that she felt it would benefit all Councillors if the Council through the auspices of the lead Cabinet Member could hold an event to hear about the work of our Council Department, local charities and other stakeholders and providers.  This would assist in having a strategic grasp of the extent of the problems and how we could usefully look at the opportunities that the reserve sites presented in order to assess the type of housing that can be provided when reserve sites were developed.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33.

To receive details of any written questions submitted before the deadline of 12 noon on Thursday 23 July 2015.

There were none.

To confirm the following appointments to outside organisations until July 2019.

OUTSIDE BODIES

RESOLVED: That

(i)    the following appointments to Outside Organisations be confirmed until July 2019,

(ii)  the late addition of the Marlow Society be noted.

OUTSIDE BODIES

The following individual decisions have been published since the last ordinary meeting of the Council held on 13 April 2015.

(a)  Implementation of Revised Private Sector Policy

(b)  Amendment to the Members` ICT Scheme

(c)    Disposal of the Council`s freehold interests in the car parks at Mill End Hambledon, and the public conveniences on the site and the car park adjacent to the Stag and Huntsman.   

The individual decisions published since the last meeting of the Council were noted.

The Chairman announced this would be Ian Westgate’s last Full Council before his retirement in late September, and he paid tribute to Ian’s length of service and work for the Council.

There was a round of applause.