Agenda for Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday, 15 October 2019, 6.00pm

Agenda and decisions

Venue: Shimkent Room, Daneshill House, Danestrete

Contact: Ian Gourlay (01438) 242703  Email: ian.gourlay@stevenage.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Decision:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Sandra Barr, Laurie Chester, Sarah-Jane McDonough, Andy McGuinness and John Mead.

 

Councillor Michael Downing declared a non-pecuniary interest in Item 3 – Part I Decisions of the Executive - Future Town Future Transport: Adoption of a Transport Strategy for Stevenage, as he had submitted the response from the Bus Users’ Group as part of the consultation on the Strategy document.

2.

MINUTES - 16 SEPTEMBER 2019 AND 23 SEPTEMBER 2019 pdf icon PDF 73 KB

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meetings of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 16 September 2019 and 23 September 2019.

Additional documents:

Decision:

It was RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meetings of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee held on 16 September 2019 and 23 September 2019 be approved as correct records for signature by the Chair.

3.

PART I DECISIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE pdf icon PDF 102 KB

To consider the following Part I Decisions of the Executive taken on 9 October 2019.

 

Executive                                                                                                      Page No.

Agenda

Item

 

2          Minutes of the Executive - 11 September 2019                              3         

3          Minutes of the Overview & Scrutiny and Select Committees      13

4          Future Town, Future Transport: Adoption of a Transport             31

            Strategy for Stevenage

5          Domestic and Communal Gas Contracts                                    173

6          Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Joint         181

            Strategy

 

Notice of Decisions to follow

 

PLEASE BRING YOUR AGENDA AND REPORTS FOR THE EXECUTIVE

MEETING HELD ON 9 OCTOBER 2019

Decision:

The Committee considered the decisions on the following matters arising from the Executive held on 9 October 2019.

 

Minutes of the Executive – 11 September 2019

 

Noted.

 

Minutes of the Overview & Scrutiny and Select Committees

 

The Interim Strategic Director undertook to provide Members of the Committee with an update on the latest position in respect of the re-provision of a Post Office in the High Street following the closure of Waitrose.

 

Future Town, Future Transport: Adoption of a Transport Strategy for Stevenage

 

In response to a query regarding consideration being given to a limitation on the speed of mobility scooters and electric wheelchairs in the Town Centre to 4mph, the Assistant Director (Planning & Regulatory) confirmed that this would be an aspirational objective achieved through signage and raised awareness of users, rather than through an enforcement regime.

 

It was further confirmed that the existing use of the Borough’s cycleways was limited to cycles and mopeds up to 49cc.  However, Hertfordshire County Council was investigating an expansion of use in the light of new National Rules on Electric bikes/scooters.

 

There was general support from the Committee to the imposition of a cycling ban in the Town Centre, although it was recognised that this may need to be achieved through the approval of a By-Law, and that consideration would need to be given to the resourcing of the enforcement of any ban.

 

The Assistant Director (Planning & Regulatory) stated that the Strategy would be a foundation document as part of any future bids for Stevenage to become a Sustainable Travel Town.  He added that Section 106 monies could be used to contribute towards the transport aspirations set out in the Strategy, provided the each required contribution was relevant to individual planning applications.

 

A Member commented that, legally, the speed limit on cycleways which ran parallel to major roads was the same limit as that which applied on those roads.  He questioned the safety for cyclists of mopeds and electronic bikes sharing cycleways with those speed limits in place.

 

A Member was not supportive of the Executive’s comment that the Council’s established approach was for a widening of the A1(M) rather than a SMART motorway, as he felt that this was contradictory to the whole thrust of the Transport Strategy.

 

A Member strongly endorsed the Executive’s comments regarding a desire for evening bus services to be re-instated in all areas of the town, along with the re-instatement of the circulatory route which served the Lister Hospital.

 

In terms of the idling of bus engines, the Assistant Director (Planning & Regulatory) explained that the problems had been alleviated over recent months due to the presence in the Bus Station of an operative from the bus company dedicated to minimising the idling of engines.

 

It was recognised that charging points for electric vehicles would be a future priority, and that appropriate sites should be found outside of the Town Centre.  As well as the possibility of these being installed in some garage block, a Member asked if consideration  ...  view the full decision text for item 3.

4.

URGENT PART I DECISIONS AUTHORISED BY THE CHAIR OF THE OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

None.

Decision:

None.

5.

URGENT PART I BUSINESS

To consider any Part I business accepted by the Chair as urgent.

Decision:

None.

6.

EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC

To consider the following motions:

 

1.         That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in paragraphs 1 – 7 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act as amended by Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006.

 

2.         That Members consider the reasons for the following reports being in Part II and determine whether or not maintaining the exemption from disclosure of the information contained therein outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

Decision:

It was RESOLVED:

1.  That, under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in paragraphs 1 to 7 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended by SI 2006 No. 88.

2.  That having considered the reasons for the following item being in Part II, it be determined that maintaining the exemption from disclosure of the information contained therein outweighed the public interest in disclosure.

7.

PART II DECISIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE

To consider the Part II decisions of the Executive taken on 9 October 2019.

 

Executive                                                                                                      Page No.

Agenda

Item

 

9          Part II Minutes – Executive – 11 September 2019                         259

 

Notice of Decisions to follow

 

PLEASE BRING YOUR AGENDA AND REPORTS FOR THE EXECUTIVE

MEETING HELD ON 9 OCTOBER 2019

Decision:

The Committee considered the Part II decisions on the following matter arising from the Executive held on 9 October 2019.

 

Part II Minutes – Executive – 11 September 2019

 

Noted.

8.

URGENT PART II DECISIONS AUTHORISED BY THE CHAIR OF THE OVERVIEW & SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

None.

Decision:

None.

9.

URGENT PART II BUSINESS

To consider any Part II business accepted by the Chair as urgent.

Decision:

None.