QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS TO COMMITTEE CHAIRS / PORTFOLIO HOLDERS
A. Question from Cllr J. Brown
“What will be the effect of Brexit on European funded and supported projects and employment in Stevenage?”
B. Question from Cllr G. Snell
“What is the number of Dentists and other health professionals operating from residential properties across Stevenage and what consideration has been given to encourage the practices to relocate into vacant business properties or community amenity space?”
C. Question from Cllr R. Parker
“What are the Council doing to improve the poor sickness record of Stevenage Borough Council staff?”
D. Question from Cllr A. McGuinness
“What is the Council’s policy on subletting within its Community Centres?”
E. Question from Cllr T. Wren
“What negotiations have the Council undertaken concerning access to affordable properties on the future Gresley Park development?”
Decision:
Council received five questions. Details of the responses given to the questions are summarised below.
A. Question from Councillor J Brown
In response to a question regarding the effect of Brexit on European funded and supported projects and employment in Stevenage, the Portfolio Holder for Economy, Enterprise and Transport advised that it is difficult to say with any certainty what is likely to be impact of Brexit on European funded projects due to the number of undecided issues relating to the type of Brexit which may occur and the timescales involved.
There are no directly European funded projects administered by SBC, but recent European funded projects in Hertfordshire, some of which will affect local residents, include Herts LEP enabled European Social Fund and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) projects.
Bids have been made for 2019 by Herts LEP in partnership with the University of Hertfordshire, Anglia Ruskin University and other bodies but these will clearly be at risk.
In response to a supplementary question regarding Brexit advice received from the government, the Strategic Director (Tom Pike) advised that the Council had received guidance from a range of organisations including the East of England Local Government Association. Officers were assessing advice received so far and a report would be presented to the January 2019 meeting of the Executive.
B. Question from Councillor G Snell
In response to a question regarding the number of Dentists and other health professionals operating from residential properties across Stevenage and what consideration had been given to encourage the practices to relocate into vacant business properties or community amenity space, the Portfolio Holder for Environment and Regeneration advised that information regarding the number of dentists and other health professionals is not routinely collected by SBC. Accordingly up to date information would need to be gained from NHS sources for publicly funded professional practices. Dental and medical practices fall into Use Class D1 and as such require planning permission for the part of the building which is to be used for that purpose.
A practice operating from a residential property would be required to make a planning application for the part of the house affected. No such applications have been made in SBC in the last twenty years and practices seeking planning advice would be encouraged to seek appropriate business premises rather than a residential house in most cases, depending on local circumstances.
The specific circumstances of a number of medical practices operating from residential premises in Stevenage are the result of the legacy of the development corporation which located practices throughout the neighbourhoods in the early days of the New Town. These practices now have an established use by virtue of being in existence for more than ten years.
In response to a supplementary question regarding Council initiatives to encourage dental practices to relocate to purpose-built premises, the Portfolio Holder for Environment and Regeneration stated that the location of dental surgeries was based on business decisions and local needs.
C. Question from R Parker CC