Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of 10 October 2013 and to authorise the Chairman to sign them.

The minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 10 October 2013 was agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

The Committee to consider a report on the Corporate Performance information subject to Cabinet approval at its meeting on 20 November 2013

The Committee considered a report that set out the Council’s performance against the Living Ambition Goal for Quarter two (July to September 2013).

The Committee without any discussion agreed to note the Quarter two Performance Indicators report. The Committee were aware of the issues within Planning Services and the steps already been taken to improve performance and as such did not raise any concerns on the service.

The Committee noted the report.

The Committee is to note the verbal update to the Cabinet Report.

In accordance with the council’s overview and scrutiny arrangement, the Committee received an update from the Head of Regulatory Services on the draft National Planning Policy Framework.

The Committee was informed that the Government had published its draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) setting out its intended planning policies to deliver economic growth and new homes.  The Cabinet report welcomed the overall approach set out in the draft NPPF, agreed submission comments in response to the consultation and recommended to Regulatory Services Committee that the NPPF be afforded weight, in particular when schemes do not accord with the Havering's Local Development Framework.

The NPPF had since been formally introduced by Government so it forms part of the planning decision-making process and was taken into account by Havering's Regulatory Services Committee when making its planning decisions. 

The Committee noted the update briefing.

The Committee is to note the verbal update to the Cabinet Report.

In accordance with the Council’s Continuous Improvement Model, the Committee received an update from the Head of Regulatory Services on the Proposed Provision of a Shared Civil Contingency Service for Barking & Dagenham, Waltham Forest and Havering that was considered by Cabinet on 16 November 2011.

The update report informed the Committee that the proposal was brought forward within the East London Solutions initiative for efficiency opportunities arising through partnership working. The Cabinet report proposed that Havering joined, on a pilot basis, an existing joint civil contingency arrangement operated by the Boroughs of Barking & Dagenham and Waltham Forest.

In essence the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 placed duties on local authorities to deal with risk identification, planning, training, exercising and responding including in conjunction with Category one responders such as the Police etc.

The pilot was to test whether there would be material benefits in Havering joining the existing partnership arrangement between Barking & Dagenham.  The pilot was initiated but several factors affected its progress.  Notably these included the preparation and emergency planning arrangements put in place by each of the boroughs in the lead up to and during the Olympics and economic changes affecting the budgets of local authorities.  Attempts were made to reactivate scope for joint working arrangements during 2013 but to no avail.  Accordingly, as an alternative to deliver identified MTFS efficiency savings a restructure was put in place within Havering's Emergency Planning & Business Continuity Team. The restructure had been successfully implemented. 

The service would continue to monitor the potential benefits in joint working with other authorities but at this point in time no such opportunities had been identified.

The Committee noted the update briefing.

The Committee is to note the verbal update to the Cabinet Report.

The Committee received an update report on the Havering Local Development Framework – Adoption of Joint Waste Development Plan under the Council Continuous Improvement Model.

The report informed the Committee that London Boroughs of Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Newham and Redbridge had prepared a joint waste development plan document (known as a DPD) to be part of the Local Development Framework for the respective Boroughs.  Preparation of the joint waste DPD built on the strong partnership agreement which the four Councils already had within the East London Waste Authority for managing municipal solid waste and which covered the geographical extent of the four boroughs.  The main purpose of the Joint Waste DPD was to ensure there was sufficient waste management capacity across the four boroughs to manage the apportionment set by the London Plan for municipal commercial and industrial waste. 

The DPD had since been adopted and forms part of Havering's planning decision-making processes.

The Committee noted the update briefing.

The Committee is to note the update to the Cabinet Report.

In accordance to the Council’s Continuous Improvement Model, the Committee received an update briefing on the Cabinet report that outlined the development opportunity at the Beam Park site in Rainham and South Dagenham, in the light of market interest in the comprehensive redevelopment of the site for a strategic leisure-led project, instead of the residential-led approach contained in the existing planning policies for the site.

The Programmes & Projects Manager, Economic Development informed the Committee that the original report dealt with a potential change in development focus on the GLA owned Beam Park site. That the site was designated for residential led mixed use development. However, no proposals had come forward for such development and the site had been vacant for ten years. A number of proposals had come forward for an alternative large scale leisure use, which had the potential create a large number of local jobs and stimulate development within the London Riverside.  Havering and LB Barking and Dagenham had produced a planning prospectus to respond to this opportunity which was the subject of the report. In the event the leisure use proposals did not materialise. The preferred use for site was residential led mixed use and Havering, LBBD and the GLA were working together to secure such a development.

The Committee noted the verbal update.

The Committee is to note the update to the Cabinet Report.

In accordance with the Council’s Continuous Improvement Model, the Committee received an update report that detailed the refurbishment works to New Plymouth & Napier Houses to install winter gardens to both tower blocks, carry out full stock condition improvements beyond the minimum Decent Homes requirements, upgrade the communal areas and lifts, and carry out any additional external refurbishments required.

The report detailed the works undertaken thus far exploring the feasibility of the winter garden approach and proposals for the refurbishment of New Plymouth & Napier Houses.

The Committee requested further information and picture examples between a winter garden and an existing glazed balcony/garden in order to identify the difference between these features.

The Committee noted the report.