Extraordinary Council - 23 March 2020 (Postponed)

This meeting has been postponed until further notice

To:      ALL MEMBERS OF THE THREE RIVERS DISTRICT COUNCIL

You are hereby summoned to attend an Extraordinary meeting of the Council to be held in the Penn Chamber, Three Rivers House, Rickmansworth, on Monday 23 March 2020 at 7.30pm to consider the unfinished business from the meeting held on Tuesday 25 February 2020

AGENDA

1.  APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

2.  REPORTS AND QUESTIONS TO THE LEADER AND LEAD MEMBERS

LEISURE, ENVIRONMENT AND COMMUNITY

Reports from the Lead Member for Environmental Services & Sustainability (Cllr Phil Williams), Lead Member for Community Safety and Partnerships (Cllr Roger Seabourne) and questions

Question to Councillor Chris Lloyd, Lead Member for Leisure, from Councillor Stephen Cox

What progress has been made in assisting Watford Rural Parish Council in their desire to secure Village Green status for South Oxhey Playing Fields?

The written answer provided after the meeting is as follows:

Council Officers have been in contact with Watford Rural Parish Council following the Council Motion to assist them with their village green application. Officers have and will continue to respond to the Parish Council as and when it seeks assistance.

Question to Councillor Chris Lloyd, Lead Member for Leisure, from Councillor Reena Ranger

Please can we have an update on the wildflower verges behind Eastbury Tennis Courts and any others that have been planted since the July 2019 Council meeting?

The written answer provided after the meeting is as follows:

Behind Eastbury Tennis Courts - The grass has not been cut and wildflower seeds are ready to be sown as soon as conditions allow this.

There are biodiverse grasslands across the District including Prestwick Road Meadows, The Withey Beds, Chorleywood House Estate, South Oxhey Playing Fields, Leavesden Country Park, The Horse Field in South Way and Stones Orchard.

Woodcock Hill Woodlands Cemetery - A cut and lift takes place once a year at the end of the season.  There is also a planting programme every year where family members can get involved with the planting of bulbs within the woodland part of the Cemetery.

The top end of Oxhey Playing Field - There are a number of selected areas where there is a cut and lift that takes place once a year.

Horse Field in South Way - Grounds Maintenance now only cut the pathways and the land has been seeded with wildflowers.

Leavesden Country Park

Wildflowers will be planted around the Little Blossom Orchard in the south of the park over the coming months.

As part of the works to East Lane Cemetery, woodland wildflowers will be planted across the cemetery over the coming months.

The Friends of Leavesden Country Park have also planted 5,000 bulbs across the park over the last 2 years (Crocuses, Morning Glory, Star of Bethlehem, Daffodils etc.)

The Garden at Leavesden Country Park has a wildflower/grasses area around the Bug Hotel, as well as planting in raised plant beds and edible planting around the perimeter.

Questions to Councillor Phil Williams, Lead Member for Environmental Services and Sustainability, from Councillor David Sansom

When will the residents of Maple Cross get reliable up to date information on their air quality?

The written answer provided after the meeting is as follows:

Councillors will be aware a recent report went to LEC Committee (15 January 2020) on air quality as a response to a petition requesting air quality monitoring in Maple Cross. I have incorporated some of the detail in the following response to the question.

In keeping with other Local Authorities, TRDC are legally obliged to monitor air quality in the whole of Three Rivers and to review and report the data annually to DEFRA.  This is undertaken via monitoring equipment installed in specific locations across the District.  The data from this monitoring equipment is analysed in conjunction with other data such as background data and traffic modelling.  There is no evidence of a specific concern in Maple Cross and as such no monitoring equipment is installed in the vicinity and no evidence of a need to do so has been shown.  All current information is up to date as published on the DEFRA website.

Notwithstanding the above, in response to the receipt of a recent petition we have written to the lead petitioner (letter sent 30 January 2020) requesting further details and evidence of their concerns regarding air quality in Maple Cross.  We are yet to receive a response.

Why is cardboard and plastic recycling being put in the skip behind Three Rivers House to go to landfill and not being recycled?

The written answer provided after the meeting by the Lead Member for Leisure, Councillor Chris Lloyd is as follows:

Regarding the cardboard items in the skip, there were two cardboard boxes that had been placed in the skip by a hirer over the weekend. Hirers are reminded by staff during the hire to separate recycling, and place in the appropriate bin, and should not have been using the skip. The cardboard items have now been removed and placed in the recycling bins.

Going forward we have taken the following action:

1. Updated the information sent to hirers in advance to include where to put waste and to separate recycling
2. Reminded all upcoming hirers about recycling and where waste needs to be placed
3. Reminded staff to check hirers comply and ensure any Watersmeet waste is placed in the correct bin

The majority of the waste in the skip is from Watersmeet.  The remainder was from Basing House, namely some old office furniture.

RESOURCES AND SHARED SERVICES

Report from the Lead Member for Resources and Shared Services (Cllr Matthew Bedford)

Questions to Councillor Matthew Bedford, Lead Member for Resources and Shared Services, from Councillor Joan King

How many Councillors have experienced problems with their surface pros since they were first issued and how many have been returned to Three Rivers District Council?

The written answer provided after the meeting is as follows:

We have had Surface Pro related calls from 34 Councillors. Please note this total includes problems connecting to the VPN, unable to power on, McAfee lockouts, problems connecting to WiFi etc. Very few are directly related to the Surface Pro.

We have replaced 5 units –

2 have been replaced with laptops for specific health related issues

3 through physical damage or failure e.g. battery issues or where Members have dropped liquid onto the machine - where another Surface Pro has been issued as a replacement.

What percentage of affordable housing and of what tenure is Three Rivers District Council’s target for the South Oxhey Initiative and what percentage of each tenure has been achieved thus far?

The written answer provided after the meeting is as follows:

Including the detailed scheme for phase 3, currently being considered by Planning Committee, there will be a total of 659 homes of which 182 are “affordable”, being some 28% overall. Of those 182, some 96 (53%) are social rent, some 32 (17%) are LHA rent and some 54 (30%) are shared ownership units.

To date a total of 140 units are complete and occupied where 69 are “affordable” being 48 social rent and 21 shared ownership units.

Question to Councillor Matthew Bedford, Lead Member for Resources and Shared Services, from Councillor Stephen King

Why did Three Rivers District Council lock the gates to the doctor’s surgery car park in Oxhey Drive, thus preventing doctors, staff and patients using it for many months longer than necessary?

The written answer provided after the meeting is as follows:

The Council has not locked the gates to the car park for some time – they were locked by the Council only for a few weeks at least over two years ago. This was in order to regularise the lease after the departure of the previous leaseholder (Scouts).

The car park is currently leased to NHS Property Services as they wanted to ensure its availability for the health centre on Oxhey Drive. They have had control of the car park since 1 October 2019.

Questions to Councillor Matthew Bedford, Lead Member for Resources and Shared Services, from Councillor Stephen Cox

Was an acknowledgement received by Watford Rural Parish Council in the first instance following its submission to this council of two Freedom of Information requests last year?  Why was there a delay in providing a full response to the FOI requests and should everyone who makes a FOI request be expected to chase twice for a response and then submit a complaint because no reply has been forthcoming?  Further, can it be confirmed if the redacted figures supplied as part of the answer were previously supplied in un-redacted form to members and if so when and to whom?

The written answer provided after the meeting is as follows:

Acknowledgements are not sent when requests are initially received, as there is no requirement to do so. The delay in responding to these 2 requests was due to an administrative error but they have now been responded to with apologies for the delay. Over 95% of all FOI requests are completed within the 20 working day time limit.

Neither the original report nor the report with the redacted figures (that was sent in response to the request) was circulated to Members.

3.  REPORTS AND QUESTIONS TO THE CHAIRMEN OF THE AUDIT, PLANNING, LICENSING AND REGULATORY SERVICES COMMITTEES (RULE 14)

AUDIT COMMITTEE

Report from and questions to the Chairman of the Audit Committee (Cllr Keith Martin).

PLANNING COMMITTEE

Report from and questions to the Chairman of the Planning Committee (Cllr Sarah Nelmes).

LICENSING

Report from and questions to the Chairman of the Licensing Committee (Cllr Martin Trevett).

REGULATORY SERVICES

Report from and questions to the Chairman of the Regulatory Services Committee (Cllr Martin Trevett).

4.  MOTIONS UNDER PROCEDURE RULE 11

All the 4 motions have been withdrawn.

Joanne Wagstaffe

Chief Executive

13 March 2020

Three Rivers House

Northway

Rickmansworth

Herts WD3 1RL

General Enquiries: Committeeteam@threerivers.gov.uk