Meeting documents

Questions to the Leader or any Cabinet Member must be submitted by 12 noon on Monday 1 October 2018.

 

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.

 

Questions shall be taken first from the Group Leaders of the political parties who shall be entitled to ask an initial Leader`s question from his/her group, of which written notice shall have been given to the Head of Democratic, Legal and Policy Services prior to the meeting.

 

The order of questions shall then permit the first question from each other Councillor to be asked before any subsequent questions from the same Councillor. One question will be taken in turn from the same Councillor unless there are no other questions to be asked.

 

Every member asking an oral question is permitted to ask one supplementary question without notice provided that it is not substantially the same as a question that was put to a Council meeting during the past 6 months.

 

Any question remaining unanswered after 30 minutes 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

 

Table 13b of WDC’s annual accounts for the year to March 2018 show a £10M increase in the value of investment properties compared with March 2017.

 

Can the Leader of the council explain how this surplus was used or will be used to benefit our residents? 

 

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

 

Thank you for your question. The reasons for the increase in value of the investment property is also detailed in note 13b.  In the main the increase is due to revaluation of existing assets, the transfer of assets from other classes, acquisitions and additional expenditure on major projects.  The increase is only realised when the property is sold and under the accounting regulations the receipt from the sale can only be used for future capital investments which would benefit our residents in the long-term. As you will be aware market conditions change every year and therefore the increase in value cannot be used in any year until the disposal outlined earlier.

 

Supplementary Question

 

Thank you, you have pre-empted part of my supplementary question in that Capital Gains only add value they cannot bolster the annual revenue budget, only rental income as such does this. What percentage of rental income is utilised to the benefit of our residents?

 

Supplementary Response

 

Your supplementary question has switched the subject matter to revenue / rental income details of which I do not have, we will supply you with a written response.

 

b.     Question from Councillor M Knight to the Leader of the Council

Along with other Council Leaders in Buckinghamshire you are championing a major change in the delivery of local government in the Wycombe District and Buckinghamshire as a whole.

In leading this change do you believe it is your responsibility to ensure the best, and most well prepared solution for future local governance in the unparished area of High Wycombe?

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

 

However much we may wish that local politicians were in the driving seat in the decision on future local government arrangements – the fact is we aren’t.   I am not in a position to lead this change, although I have done everything I can to influence the decision makers to achieve the best outcome for Wycombe District residents.

 

If a decision is made to move towards unitary local government then a body will be established through a parliamentary Order which will decide on the detail.  Under either model, the current arrangements for local governance in High Wycombe unparished area can continue but whether that is what happens we will have to wait and see.  The shadow body will have a great many decisions to make about the delivery of services particularly for our most vulnerable residents and for my part if I am a member of that body I will do the very best I can to champion the interests of all of the residents of Wycombe District.

 

Supplementary Question

 

So I understand you are not in a position to lead us into Unitary arrangements, but could you confirm you are in a position to support a Community Governance Review for High Wycombe given the considerably increased number of residents as a result of the considerable housebuilding / development occurring in the town? Is this an attack on democracy, blocking community involvement at a micro-level, is it not a disservice to the residents of Wycombe not to allow such a review to happen?

 

Supplementary Response

 

No.

c.    Question from Councillor B Pearce to the Leader of the Council

Sometime ago, we had discussions about the unitary authorities in Buckinghamshire.

Could you please update us on the present situation?

 

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

 

I think we are all slightly in the dark on this one but I will do my best to tell you what I know.

 

The original submission by the County for a unitary was made in September 2016 (quite a while ago now).  Our own submission was made in January 2017 under pressure of time.   But almost immediately we were told a decision would not be made until March 2017 and as you know we finally had the minded to announcement in March this year.  In June we were told we would not get a decision before the end of August and so we thought it might come before Parliament went into recess again for the conference season.  But we have heard nothing and have been given no further indication about timescales.

 

Although it is unsettling for everyone to have no conclusion to this issue, given the nature of the ‘minded to’ announcement one view might be that ‘no news is good news’.  I also recognise that we have had a change of Minister since the ‘minded to’ and it is reassuring that he is taking his time to form his own view about the evidence.  We believe that the district councils presented a very compelling case and the ongoing pressure for housing nationally and the significance of the Oxford/Milton Keynes/Cambridge corridor to local delivery has only served to confirm the strength of the case that we made.   I remain hopeful that sense will prevail; that financial expediency will not take priority; and that we are able to benefit from this unique opportunity to create unitaries truly determined by the economies and communities of the area.

 

We can only wait and see …and in the meantime all we can do is get on with the business of this Council and serving our communities to the best of our abilities. 

 

Councillor Pearce did not have a supplementary question.

 

d.    Question from Councillor M Hanif to the Leader of the Council

According to a Sky News report based on Freedom of Information requests, dozens of councils have seized the initiative and produced their own analysis of the potential impact of Brexit on public services.

Brexit will ultimately be judged as a success or failure by local areas; real people in real communities.  We need to take a lead on preparations for Brexit because our residents and our local businesses expect us to be ready.

What preparations has WDC made to address the impact of Brexit?

 

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

 

Thank you, Councillor Hanif, for your question.

 

Brexit is a broad topic.  There are impacts on local government and how we carry out our business and there are impacts that specifically effect Buckinghamshire – its residents and businesses.  You will be pleased to know that we are looking at both aspects and working with others to anticipate any changes coming our way.  

 

You may know that the LGA has been making representations to government on behalf of local government as a whole and have been making it clear that there are key asks of the Brexit deal that they are advocating.  These issues were gathered as feedback from their members through events like those that took place here in Buckinghamshire this time last year to which we contributed. 

 

The four key asks relate to:

 

·         Legislation

·         Funding

·         Workforce

·         Procurement

 

Many local government services are affected by EU rules and regulations, including waste management, environmental standards, trading standards and procurement. The Withdrawal Act 2018 ensures that there is legal certainty and no cliff edge for councils as those EU laws that underpin key services on exit day would continue to apply through UK law, even under ‘no deal’.

 

But some clarification will be needed on issues like procurement which is part way through at the end of March, or elections which are due to take place very shortly after Exit day if there is ‘no deal’.  So we will need to keep an eye on progress over the next month or so and make the necessary preparations.  We are keen to support the LGA and others in advocating for the right outcomes.  I can circulate to members in the next members update details of the resources at the LGA and BBF which provide more detailed information about the anticipated impacts on local government and the local area. 

 

Supplementary Question

 

Councils up and down the country have fears regarding the like of food safety, health inequality and homelessness in respect of Brexit. A common theme is that the Conservatives are making a mess of Brexit, would you not agree with that assessment?

 

Supplementary Response

 

No I do not share those concerns, I am confident that by the end of March all will be sorted out admirably.

 

e.    Question from Councillor Abdullah Hashmi to the Cabinet Member for Housing

According to our Draft Plan we set a target of 10,000 new homes to be delivered in the district by 2033.

Can the cabinet member for Housing please update us on the number of new houses that have been delivered to date?

 

Response from Councillor Mrs J Langley (Cabinet Member for Housing).

 

The Local Plan submitted to the Inspector who is currently examining the Plan proposed a housing target for Wycombe District of 10,925 additional dwellings for the period 2013-2033. As of 31^st March 2018, 2,404 dwellings had been built.

 

You should note that the 2,404 figure is what we call a "net" figure – because where homes are demolished to make way for new developments we have to take the number of homes demolished off the total.

Supplementary Question

 

Whichever way one defines affordable housing, have the targets for such been met of have developers once again got the better of Wycombe District Council in this respect?

 

Supplementary Response

 

Of the 2,404 homes built, 403 were affordable homes, it is the Council’s aim to fully deliver on affordable homes.

 

f.     Question from Councillor M Clarke to the Leader of the Council

The current MLG proposals agree on one thing, that being that the status quo is untenable.  Therefore it would appear that Buckinghamshire is heading inexorably towards a unitary format, be it a single county wide unitary or a two unitary solution.  

Will the Leader please tell this Council what steps she and her executive have taken to ensure the continuance of the Mayoralty of High Wycombe or are they content to condemn 750 years of continuous occupation of the position of Mayor and the unique customs of this Mayoralty to history?

 

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

 

What a night for Unitary questions! Thank you for your question.

 

Whilst the submissions may support unitary there remains the possibility that the Minister will not, or not at this stage, take the decision necessary to implement a change to unitary. We therefore wait to see whether change will happen.

As a Chartered Trustee you will no doubt be familiar with the role of the Chartered Trustees and status of the Mayoralty.  When the Municipal Borough which served the town of High Wycombe was abolished by the local government reorganisation of 1974 the historical and ceremonial functions were taken over by the Chartered Trustees.  The Chartered Trustees and the Mayoralty will therefore be unaffected by any reorganisation of Local Government. The ceremonial and historical functions are not functions of the District Council and therefore do not form part of either of the unitary submissions.  

Supplementary Question

 

I thank the Leader for her answer. Under a unitary regime it is inconceivable that the unparished areas can remain so. There have been suggestions in high places that the unparished area will be split into parishes, I have heard the number suggested to be between 4 and 6. How does the Leader intend to ensure that the parishing of the town can be controlled by this Council and not by the Transition Authority as happened in Wiltshire which is the model being used by the County?

 

Supplementary Response

 

This will be a decision of the Shadowing Board if Unitary is pursued, and if I am a member of that Board I would ensure that Wycombe residents would end up with the best representation possible.

g.    Question from Councillor S Graham to the Cabinet Member for Community

 

With the increasing levels of obesity, one would expect all Councils would be doing all they can to encourage people to eat a healthy diet and exercise. I am therefore dismayed to note that the Leisure centre under the control of WDC is charging £6.45 for a child over 14 years, which means that anyone with average income and two or more children over 14 would be disadvantaged and discouraged from using the facilities of the Leisure Centre.

 

Would the Cabinet Member with responsibility for the Leisure Centre tell us what incentives are provided for people to benefit from their local council Leisure Centre?

 

Response from Councillor G Peart (Cabinet Member for Community).

 

I am sorry you have had difficulties with your email service as your question is not clear and it would have been good to understand a little more before trying to answer it.    There appear to be only two £6.45 charges levied by Places Leisure, both for adult leisure activities, one fitness class and also a general swim at peak time.  As adult prices start at 16 years of age these aren’t charges that apply to 14 year olds.  In any case the full price should only paid by non-residents – all residents are entitled to register for a free Leisure Card, which entitles them to a range of discounts.  If you would like further information to help your constituent please either ask myself, anyone at the leisure centre or in the Leisure Service here.

 

Supplementary Question

 

I have carried out research noting a review of the leisure centre and a family remark that their children have been having swimming lessons for a number of years, at £6 for 30 minutes. But this comes to a sizeable figure for those on or below average income, what can be done for such disadvantaged children in respect of learning this key skill of swimming?

 

Supplementary Response

 

I am unclear as to the issue you wish to raise if the family are residents they are entitled to apply for the free membership leisure card and cheaper prices, I do think we need to get together to explore your queries further, I am sure we can arrange such outside of the chamber.

 

h.    Question from Councillor K Ahmed to the Cabinet Member for Planning

WDC has agreed to spend £200k on hiring someone to help regenerate the town centre.

This need for regeneration of the High Street and Frogmoor has been long overdue, so I say better late than never.

Can the Cabinet Member please tell us what the residents of Wycombe will be getting in return for £200k that you are intending on spending on their behalf?

Response from Councillor D Johncock (Cabinet Member for Planning).

 

Thank you for your question Cllr Ahmed but I have to say that you are quite wrong to suggest that regeneration of the High Street and Frogmoor is long overdue or something that this Council has not been taking seriously.  We have invested considerable amounts of time and money in successfully bringing old shops back into commercial use; for example, Red Squirrel and the Works.  In addition, there have been long standing plans for improvements to Frogmoor although those plans have frequently been put off due to uncertainty over the impacts of the needed redevelopment of the Chiltern Centre.  Now these are beginning to come to fruition, perhaps we can bring new plans forward with some certainty and urgency.

 

It is probably timely to highlight that we have achieved a good deal in the town centre over the last 10 years in terms of regeneration following through on our the themes of strengthening the economy, transforming spaces and bringing the town together. This has been achieved through the Council’s proactive and welcoming approach to new development and the implementation of the early phases of the town centre masterplan - we have made great progress implementing the alternative route and I think that the opportunities that this creates will become clearer when this is completed in 2019.

 

It is easy to overlook that which quickly becomes familiar but over the last 10 years we have also seen the opening of the Eden centre, investment by Bucks New University as well as public realm and river improvements, a new bus rail interchange, refurbishment of the Swan theatre.  Nonetheless we cannot be complacent; the town centre faces new and diverse challenges and the Council has an important role to ensure that it continues to adapt to thrive in the face of these challenges.

 

The alternative route around the town centre will be fully in place later next year so it is important to start making plans and bringing forward new projects that will reap the benefits of the reduced traffic that currently needs to use Abbey Way and Oxford Road. There are opportunities to improve the public realm, and to create new public spaces that will better connect the old and the new parts of the town centre and make these areas more attractive for shoppers, visitors and for investment, building on the success of the scheme at Paul’s Row that has helped to transform what was a backstreet, encourage investment by new businesses, and complement the investment in the Swan refurbishment.

 

In order to do this, we need professional staff with the right experience and qualifications to bring forward the design and implementation of these future schemes and ensure that they are integrated with a new vision for the town centre that we will be developing and which will go beyond the current masterplan.  The £200,000 will provide 3 years funding for this post - a key appointment for our on-going regeneration of High Wycombe.

 

Supplementary Question

 

Thanks for your response, but I do believe you are in a parallel world; our High Street and Frogmoor do not look good. We need to concentrate on improving the High Street, do you not think the Improvement & Review Commission should have a report on this planned regeneration and appoint a Task and Finish Group to look into the issue?

 

Supplementary Response

 

I can confirm that this money is being spent on a new member of staff to deliver the required regeneration, by doing so we are in charge of what is being delivered.

 

 

Questions 9 to 14 were not put as the 30 minutes time period had expired. In accordance with Standing Orders, a written reply would be sent to the questioner by the appropriate Member within 10 working days, and would also be appended to the minutes of the meeting.