Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Swale House, East Street, Sittingbourne, ME10 3HT. View directions

Contact: Democratic Services, 01795 417330 

Items
No. Item

Audio Recording

492.

Emergency Evacuation Procedure

The Chairman will advise the meeting of the evacuation procedures to follow in the event of an emergency. This is particularly important for visitors and members of the public who will be unfamiliar with the building and procedures.

 

The Chairman will inform the meeting whether there is a planned evacuation drill due to take place, what the alarm sounds like (i.e. ringing bells), where the closest emergency exit route is, and where the second closest emergency exit route is, in the event that the closest exit or route is blocked.

 

The Chairman will inform the meeting that:

 

(a) in the event of the alarm sounding, everybody must leave the building via the nearest safe available exit and gather at the Assembly points at the far side of the Car Park. Nobody must leave the assembly point until everybody can be accounted for and nobody must return to the building until the Chairman has informed them that it is safe to do so; and

 

(b) the lifts must not be used in the event of an evacuation.

 

Any officers present at the meeting will aid with the evacuation.

 

It is important that the Chairman is informed of any person attending who is disabled or unable to use the stairs, so that suitable arrangements may be made in the event of an emergency.

 

Minutes:

The Chairman ensured that those present were aware of the emergency evacuation procedure.

493.

Minutes

To approve the Minutes of the Meeting held on Wednesday 27 November 2019 (Minute Nos. 374 - 383) as a correct record.

 

Minutes:

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 27 November 2019 (Minute Nos. 374 – 383) were taken as read, approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

494.

Declarations of Interest

Councillors should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves or their spouse, civil partner or person with whom they are living with as a spouse or civil partner.  They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.

 

The Chairman will ask Members if they have any interests to declare in respect of items on this agenda, under the following headings:

 

(a)          Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPI) under the Localism Act 2011.  The nature as well as the existence of any such interest must be declared.  After declaring a DPI, the Member must leave the meeting and not take part in the discussion or vote.  This applies even if there is provision for public speaking.

 

(b)          Disclosable Non Pecuniary (DNPI) under the Code of Conduct adopted by the Council in May 2012.  The nature as well as the existence of any such interest must be declared.  After declaring a DNPI interest, the Member may stay, speak and vote on the matter.

 

(c)          Where it is possible that a fair-minded and informed observer, having considered the facts would conclude that there was a real possibility that the Member might be predetermined or biased the Member should declare their predetermination or bias and then leave the room while that item is considered.

 

Advice to Members:  If any Councillor has any doubt about the existence or nature of any DPI or DNPI which he/she may have in any item on this agenda, he/she should seek advice from the Monitoring Officer, the Head of Legal or from other Solicitors in Legal Services as early as possible, and in advance of the Meeting.

 

 

Minutes:

Councillor Mike Baldock declared a non-pecuniary interest in respect of the Swale Heritage Strategy and Associated Action Plan as he was the lead Cabinet Member for that item.

495.

Swale Heritage Strategy and associated Action Plan pdf icon PDF 104 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chairman introduced the report which outlined the content of the draft Swale Borough-wide Heritage Strategy and its accompanying (3 year period) Draft Action Plan, in order that the Local Plan Panel could form a view on whether the documents, as set-out, would properly support the current adopted and emerging replacement local plan.

 

The Chairman, also Cabinet Member for Planning, thanked the Conservation & Design Manager for his excellent work in producing the Strategy.  The Chairman explained that the Strategy was needed urgently to ensure that all the Borough’s Conservation Areas and management plans were up-to-date. The Strategy would help to support the local plan and also assist the Council’s position when defending planning appeals. 

 

The Chairman stated that the Strategy would help protect the many listed buildings at risk in the Borough and also help to promote tourism.   He explained that the Strategy had been considered by the Council’s Policy Development and Review Committee the previous night, and following a request from a Member at that meeting, the Conservation & Design Manager was already exploring how ‘heritage plaques’ could be included.

 

The Conservation & Design Manager advised that the Strategy was a hybrid document i.e. Local Plan part evidence-base and part corporate policy/strategic.  He explained that the wider public consultation was due to close on 31 January 2020, and there had been a relatively good response with over 60 responses received to-date.  Most of these had been positive and agreed with the overall content of the Strategy.  He outlined some of the comments received: agreed with the visions and priorities; provided suggestions for areas of historic interest and local designation including Iwade; considered it was too little too late, a lot of damage had already been done; hoped a better job protecting heritage assets would be achieved moving forward; concerned about how new housing developments would impact and how the strategy could protect them; concerned about how the Strategy could be funded after three years; frustration that the Council had not supported heritage sites maintained by volunteers ; and how would the proposed work be resourced. 

 

The Conservation & Design Manager reported that Historic England (HE) had responded and raised concern as to whether particular issues with listed buildings at Sheerness Dockyard could be resolved.   He explained that he was currently liaising with human resources and senior officers in Planning, and Economy and Community Services about how the necessary resources could be provided, and had had informal discussions with HE about the possibility of some additional funding for this.

 

The Conservation & Design Manager reported that it was hoped the Strategy would be agreed by Cabinet at their meeting on 18 March 2020.  The actions could then be implemented from the beginning of the 2020/21 financial year. 

 

The Local Plan Manager stated that HE had also commented that the Strategy compared well with other similar strategies in the Kent area, and applauded Members for their input. 

 

The Chairman invited Members to comment on the document.

 

Members raised points and asked questions of the Conservation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 495.

496.

Revised Local Plan Timeline - verbal update

Minutes:

The Local Plan Manager reported that the Local Development Scheme, which set-out the timetable for the Local Plan review and adoption, would be considered at the Extraordinary Local Plan Panel meeting on 25 February 2020. 

497.

Suggestions for future work programme

Minutes:

The Chairman referred to the suggestions provided at the previous Panel meeting and asked for an update.

 

Retail and Leisure Needs Assessment - The Local Plan Manager agreed to forward the guidelines around Retail and Leisure Needs to Members to assist them in feeding their comments back;

 

Landscape Designation Review – The Local Plan Manager said a report could be provided at the February Panel meeting which would explain what the review was and its implications; and

 

Policy for private unadopted estate roads – The Local Plan Manager reported that as a priority for the Council, this could be considered at the Design Panel Workshops that were currently being arranged for March/April 2020. 

 

A Member stressed the importance of ensuring this policy was adopted as soon as possible as it was the responsibility of the local council to ensure these were properly designed.  A Member stated that clearer designs for developers were needed at the early stages of any development.

 

The Local Plan Manager explained that the National Planning Policy Framework promoted the use of design codes and the inclusion of these within the emerging Local Plan would be considered. 

 

The Chairman invited Members to make suggestions for the Future Work Plan.

 

·         A stronger landscaping policy which provided more detail on protection of ancient hedgerows.

 

The Local Plan Manager stated that the Sustainable Construction Supplementary Planning Document might include detail on protection of hedgerows, and that this could also be included for discussion at the planned Design Panel Workshops.

 

Members discussed how ancient hedgerows and local designations could be better protected.  The following points were raised:

 

·         The Council did not have the resource to be able to record every ancient hedgerow in the Borough;

·         Parish Councils could be asked to identify the hedgerows in their areas and provide proof that they were ‘ancient’;

·         thought that parishes had already been asked to provide this work but many were too busy;

·         a clear and simple template on what was required needed to be circulated to parishes; and

·         the template should also be sent to organisations such as Natural England and the Kent Wildfowlers Trust.

The Chairman agreed to produce a template and circulate to Parish Councils and other appropriate organisations.

 

Resolved:

 

(1)  That the suggestions and actions above be noted.