Agenda and minutes
PDF 127 KBVenue: The John Meikle Room - The Deane House. View directions
Contact: Marcus Prouse Email: m.prouse@somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk and Clare Rendell Email: c.rendell@somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk
Webcast: View the webcast
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Apologies
To receive any apologies for absence. Additional documents: Minutes: Apologies were received from Councillors P Bolton, J Hunt, P Stone, M Rigby, A Trollope-Bellew and T Venner. |
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Declarations of Interest
To receive and note any declarations of disclosable pecuniary or prejudicial or personal interests in respect of any matters included on the agenda for consideration at this meeting.
(The personal interests of Councillors and Clerks of Somerset County Council, Town or Parish Councils and other Local Authorities will automatically be recorded in the minutes.) Additional documents: Minutes: Members present at the meeting declared the following personal interests in their capacity as a Councillor or Clerk of a County, Town or Parish Council or any other Local Authority:-
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Public Participation - To receive only in relation to the business for which the Extraordinary Meeting has been called any questions, statements or petitions from the public in accordance with Council Procedure Rules 14,15 and 16
The Chair to advise the Committee of any items on which members of the public have requested to speak and advise those members of the public present of the details of the Council’s public participation scheme.
For those members of the public who have submitted any questions or statements, please note, a three minute time limit applies to each speaker and you will be asked to speak before Councillors debate the issue. Additional documents: Minutes: Phil Cookson spoke on Agenda Item 10, Commercial Investment Strategy:- I would like to request that each and every investment was only approved to go ahead after detailed carbon projections and a proposed carbon neutral action plan had been audited to ensure the capital and operational works during any construction and over the lifetime of the investment were achievable and had a robust monitoring and evaluation scheme legally integrated into the investment contracts and terms and conditions. Only in that way, would the Commercial Investment Strategy contribute to the delivery of a carbon neutral district by 2030
Nigel Behan asked the following questions:- Q1 Bus Provision/Contracts Would Somerset West and Taunton (SWT) divert focus and attention (with other Councils in Somerset) to Public Transport - starting with prioritising the creation of a comprehensive bus network (involving immediate investment) which was sustainable, affordable for all and inclusive? That might require Local Authorities pressing Government for the power to take over private (bus) contractors? Q2 Procurement “We were in the process of incorporating wording into our procurement processes that would aim to ensure that our suppliers and partners were actively working towards reducing their carbon and environmental footprints.” Presumably SWT would include a series of contractual requirements (with Key Performance Indicators including pollution penalties etc) which were measurable and meaningful. Was a model “Climate Emergency” procurement template available for inspection at present? Q3 Local Plan Review At the SWT Executive last month it was noted that: “Climate and Sustainability Implications” 8.1 The climate emergency, and our response to it, was a strong theme running throughout the document. The proposed policies aimed to mitigate the climate emergency and adapt to its effects. It covered issues including reducing carbon emissions through walking, cycling and public transport, the location of development in sustainable locations, the energy efficiency of buildings, renewable energy, biodiversity enhancements, tree planting and flood risk.” Whilst perhaps implicit there did not appear to be direct reference to setting up practical actions to reduce pollutants in the environment merely, for instance, as an example, “7b/7 Not worsen, and where possible improve the quality, quantity and availability of the water resource, reduce flood risk “And: “Improve air quality in Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAS) at the A358 in Henlade and East Reach, Taunton.” Should the policy approach (es) be more robust and “ambitious”?
Councillor P Pilkington, Portfolio Holder for Climate, would provide a written answer to all of Nigel Behan’s questions. |
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To receive any communications or announcements from the Chair of the Council
Additional documents: Minutes: The Chair advised that she was sending round a collection pot for Councillors to make a contribution towards the local Food Banks, to provide assistance for those in need at this time of year. |
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To receive any communications or announcements from the Leader of the Council
Additional documents: Minutes: The Leader made the following announcements:- · She reminded Councillors that the ice rink at Castle Green was now open and proving very successful. · The swimathon was taking place in the February 2020 half term week and she was looking for some volunteers to join her team. · As many Councillors would be aware, part of the harbour wall at Watchet had collapsed and left a large hole in the sea defences.
Chris Hall then gave the following information to Full Council:- Today was the first day of visible works with a 13 tonne excavator and pecker being diverted from other coastal works to our location. The machine had spent the day removing lose sections of the Quay surface, exposing the full scale of the hole, and breaking up a large pieces of concrete within the hole in preparation for the geotextile membrane and rock amour that was to be installed tomorrow. The decision was made not to remove the archway as technical advice led us to the conclusion that to remove it would place us at risk of further material loss from the sea facing section. The contractors on site today had been through a range of options with us in regard to the surface of the material that was exposed, my report yesterday suggested that shot fired concrete was being considered and whilst that remained a possibility there were very real concerns that it wouldn’t last. We had seen more material loss today, although considerably less than in the previous 48 hours. To deliver that as a solution would require preparation and equipment, that took time to bring to site and might be too late upon arrival due to the fragility of the surface, alternatively the work was undertaken but did not last, we continued to take advice on this as well as the risk associated with all aspects of the works. Today had also been a busy planning day and we had been able to secure 50 of the 200 tonnes of material, in the right size, that was needed, this would start arriving to site tomorrow (Wednesday) as would a larger excavator and the geotextile material. The Lego blocks from the Environment Agency would also be delivered tomorrow and the car park had been cordoned off in preparation for that. We expected tomorrow to be very busy with activity on the wall and wider traffic movements of large vehicles starting from 7 am, traffic planning for that was also underway. In conducting these works we continued to liaise with the Marina Operator, the Onion Collective, the Town Council, and of course the residents and visitors who had been taking an interest in the incident. |
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To receive only in relation to the business for which the Extraordinary Meeting has been called any questions from Councillors in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 13
Additional documents: Minutes: No questions were received from Councillors. |
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Receipt of Petition on behalf of Extinction Rebellion
Receipt of petition on behalf of Extinction Rebellion with over 200 signatures from people who live and work in Somerset West and Taunton. The petition calls for the creation of a citizen’s assembly, immediate implementation of local policies to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2025 and reversal or revision of any existing policies which increase net carbon emissions. The petitioners have formally requested that a debate takes place at a Full Council Meeting. Ms Fran Hicks (Extinction Rebellion) to present the petition. A copy of the front sheet of the petition is attached. An assessment of the implications for the Council should the petition be carried will follow. Additional documents: Minutes: Presentation for Extinction Rebellion Petition on Climate Change David Hincks and Fran Hicks introduced themselves to the Councillors and gave the following speech:- We all knew a climate emergency was declared by SWT Council back in February 2019 and that was a great start, and we also all knew it was no good shouting “fire” and then all sitting down to have a cup of tea. Actually we did recognise that SWT was already making some good moves. Park and Ride extension, grants for outlying areas to have electric vehicle power points installed, St James Street pedestrianisation, improvements at the Railway Station, were all examples of steps already underway, but much more needed to be done, and quickly. Q. So, Fran, was the target set for net zero carbon emissions in the district by 2030 ambitious enough? It was certainly better than the Government’s current national target of 2050, but I urged the Council to set its sights even higher. It would be too late if we got to 2030 and looked back thinking we should have done more. We had to be ambitious. Very ambitious. The situation demanded it. Q. Could you give some examples of policy areas that the Council should be looking at to achieve carbon reductions? Actually probably every area that fell within the ambit of local authority governance. If we took Transport, for example, we needed to find ways of incentivising people to lessen their dependence on cars, so better public transport, better transport links, encouragement of car sharing schemes, more traffic free areas, reliable park and ride going forward, incentives for taxis and buses to move away from petrol and diesel engines, better cycling routes and infrastructure, and so on.... Those were all things that a Citizens Assembly (CA) could consider in more detail and provide guidance on to Council. Q. So Fran, could you tell us a bit more about CAs and why you thought one was needed? Big subject. We were facing a challenge of unprecedented change in an unprecedented time frame. Human nature was what it was, and most people disliked change. But what we did or didn’t do over the next ten years would determine whether we could slow the acceleration of destruction sufficiently to pull us back from the brink, or whether the snowball of runaway climate change would just speed us exponentially towards an unliveable future. Q. So you saw Citizens Assemblies as a way of overcoming public resistance to change? Yes, there would almost certainly be some discomfort in and even resistance to the initial changes. I was on the advisory panel around public spaces and the closing of St James Street and experienced at first hand the initial kick back for that scheme. It was crucial that time was not lost in multiple protracted internal meetings, and that the issues were instead properly presented to a wide-ranging group of citizens, with the potential gains being understood and supported by the public as a result. That could ... view the full minutes text for item 90. |
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Access to Information - Exclusion of the Press and Public
During discussion of the following item(s) it may be necessary to pass the following resolution to exclude the press and public having reflected on Article 13 13.02(e) (a presumption in favour of openness) of the Constitution. This decision may be required because consideration of this matter in public may disclose information falling within one of the descriptions of exempt information in Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972. The Executive will need to decide whether, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption, outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.
Recommend that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the public be excluded from the next item of business on the ground that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 respectively of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, namely information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information). Additional documents: Minutes: Resolved that the press and public be excluded during consideration of agenda items 9 and 10 on the grounds that, if the press and public were present during the item, there would be likely to be a disclosure to them of exempt information of the class specified in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended as follows: The items contained information that could release confidential information that related to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information). It was therefore agreed that after consideration of all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information. |
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Mixed use development at Seaward Way, Minehead
This matter is the responsibility of Executive Councillor Marcus Kravis, Portfolio Holder for Economic Development. Minutes: Resolved that Full Council:- 1) Approved an increase to the Supplementary budget within the Capital Programme to enter into a JCT design and build contract with the main contractor to build out: a. Two light industrial units to the east of the site, as per planning permission 3/21/18/021 (and previous November 2017 resolution); and b. The common infrastructure elements of the site, (thus enabling future development of the residential scheme), prior to completion of the sale of the residential plot. 2) Noted the application for Homes England small sites fund grant for infrastructure works; 3) Delegated authority to officers to explore design changes to industrial unit no.2 to increase let-ability, subject to planning permission, whilst remaining within the current budget and business case; and 4) Delegated authority for the Director of Housing together with the S151 Officer and Asset Management to progress options for development and/or disposal of remainder of site. |
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SWT Commercial Investment Strategy
This matter is the responsibility of the Portfolio Holder for Asset Management and Economic Development Cllr Marcus Kravis and Portfolio Holder for Corporate Resources and Cllr Ross Henley.
The purpose of the report is to set out the proposed Commercial Investment Strategy for Somerset West and Taunton Council. The Strategy is one of the key pillars that supports the delivery of additional income needed by the Council to meet the targets set within the Financial Strategy that Executive approved on 18 September 2019, which aims to achieve ongoing financial stability. Minutes: Resolved that Full Council approved the Commercial Investment Strategy as per the confidential recommendations included with this report. |