| Item | Description | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| PART 1 - PUBLIC | ||
| PP 06/001 |
Minutes |
RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the meeting of the Panel held on 10 November 2005 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman, subject to: (1) the addition of Kings Hill Parish Council to the list of those present; and 2) clarification of Minute PP 05/038 (Licensing Regulations)being sought from the Chief Solicitor and Monitoring Officer. (The Chief Solicitor and Monitoring Officer subsequently confirmed that Minute PP 05/038 was correct.) |
| PP 06/002 |
Update on any action identified in the last Minutes. |
No items were identified. |
| PP 06/003 |
Police liaison.
Business
The Chairman welcomed to the meeting Sergeant Terry (West Kent Area Police) and Inspector Wyatt, Sergeant Hutton and PC Holland (Maidstone and Malling Area). Sgt Terry announced the recruitment of a new Police Community Liaison Officer (PSCO) to cover the East Peckham and Hadlow area. This officer could be contacted via West Kent police on 01732 771 055.
A new Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator, Lena Hughes, had started and there were currently 116 schemes in the area. There had been no obvious decline in numbers and several more were due to start in Tonbridge and Malling. Sgt Terry warned that "handbag dippers" were in operation in Tonbridge town centre and that residents should be aware. Sergeant Hutton advised that Joanne Tully had recently been appointed as a new PSCO in Larkfield. A second part time officer had been recruited to cover Aylesford, Eccles and Walderslade with a third due to start soon. Maidstone police were in discussions with the TMBC Crime Reduction Officer in getting a designated alcohol free area. This would be an effective measure against anti social behaviour (ASB) and related crimes and was anticipated to be in place by 21 July. The representative of Aylesford Parish Council asked if the designated area would affect the buying or selling of alcohol as several licensees' trade could be affected. Sgt Hutton explained that it sought to address the anti social activities of those engaged in drinking and believed that this policy would not interfere with the night-time economy. The Chairman suggested that papers detailing Neighbourhood Watch Schemes should be circulated to all members of the Panel. It was agreed that contact details for the police representatives be included in the minutes. [Sgt Terry: 01892 502 032 or simon.terry@kent.pnn.police.uk Sgt Hutton: damian.hutton@kent.pnn.police.uk ] |
The Chairman welcomed to the meeting Chief Inspector Simon Wilshaw of West Kent Police, whilst apologies were received from Sergeant Simon Terry. The Panel heard that Sergeant Peter Cable was now the contact at Maidstone Neighbourhood Policing Unit having replaced Sergeant Hutton. Recorded crime statistics had been produced, broken down by ward and parish. These figures covered the periods April 05 - January 06 and April 04 - January 05 which enabled comparisons to be made. This information would be circulated to the parishes along with the minutes. Members heard that 'criminal damage and violence against the person' were two areas that continued to grow, however it was pointed out that crime in Tonbridge and Malling was still low compared to other areas in Kent. On a positive note detection rates had also increased and currently ran at 23%. The Kent Police Area restructuring was discussed and the Panel was advised that from 1 April 2006 Tonbridge and Malling would be coterminous with the Maidstone police area. Policing cover remained unchanged until assets and staff had been transferred over with a managed transition. The Panel was assured there would be no reduction in police cover and parishes should feel confident with the policing received. The Panel supported Kent Police's case for a 'stand alone strategic force' and acknowledged the hard work undertaken, and hoped that standards remained as high as they had been. Police Community Support Officers continued to be a large growth area with match funding available. A possible 480 officers could be allocated to Kent. Members of the Panel were invited to contact Chief Inspector Wilshaw on simon.wilshaw@kent.pnn.police.uk for more information. Members were pleased to learn that positive action continued to be taken under the new licensing regulations by both West Kent and Maidstone police with the recent closure of a pub in Tonbridge due to links with violent behaviour. Close liaison between borough and parish councils was encouraged and feedback and advice was welcomed. Clarification was sought related to after hours noise at a local hostelry and where complaints should be directed. It was confirmed that unscheduled visits could be arranged by the police at any time and did not need to be reported at the time of the incident. Noise pollution complaints could be addressed by both the police and council officers. Members were updated on the current difficulties in Borough Green and Wrotham and heard that a dispersal order issued in November 05 and January 06 was one of several measures used to address anti social behaviour. Trading standards had 'test purchased' alcohol for under-age drinkers and drugs searches at several premises in the area had been undertaken, whilst a problem family had been moved out of the area with the help of a local housing provider. All of these actions had proved beneficial and reports of anti social behaviour had fallen with further enforcement action being taken if necessary. The Panel wanted to know what powers the police had related to 'stop and search' and what the current policy was. An explanation would be given if a person was stopped and searched with a stop record form completed with the grounds for stopping entered. A copy of this record could be obtained on request for up to 12 months after the incident. Chief Inspector Wilshaw extended an invitation to the West Kent Neighbourhood Watch Annual General Meeting, scheduled for 19 April 2006 at 1900 hours at Tunbridge Wells Town Hall. Representatives of West Kent Police were also happy to attend parish councils' annual meetings and the parishes were invited to e-mail Chief Inspector Wilshaw with their request. The Chairman thanked Chief Inspector Wilshaw for his comprehensive report and asked that the Panel's good wishes be sent to Superintendent Jeremy Price after his recent illness. |
| PP 06/004 |
Presentation by Jennifer Shaw, Rural Housing Enabler, Action with Communities in Rural Kent. |
Members received a detailed presentation from Jennifer Shaw of Action with Communities in Rural Kent, which outlined the rural housing enabler programme. A detailed information pack including the presentation slides would be circulated to the parishes with the minutes. Members were advised that 44 homes had been completed in 5 parishes, 26 homes were under construction in another 3 parishes and 24 more parishes had completed a housing need survey and were at various stages of developing a local affordable rural housing scheme. The Chairman thanked Ms Shaw for an informative introduction to rural housing within Kent and encouraged parishes to contact her for further advice. |
| PP 06/005 |
Increased Street Lighting Charges |
West Malling Parish Council explained that because of the 100% increase in street lighting charges they had been forced to explore different alternatives and had approached Laser who bulk purchased electricity. In the past parish councils were considered too small to benefit from this scheme, but after negotiation Laser was in the process of setting up an aggregated contract to enable parish councils to obtain their street lighting at a reduced rate. The scheme was in its early stages and Laser was keen to sign up as many parishes as possible to increase the size of the overall contract. West Malling Parish Council agreed to participate in this scheme as there were significant savings to be made. The Laser manager, David Taylor, had contacted all parishes and invited them to participate. If there was enough interest his attendance at the next Parish Partnership Panel would be arranged. Members were apprehensive about the level of increases imposed and commented on the appropriateness of contacting the relevant watchdog to express their concerns. The Panel was reminded that Section 136 Special Works grants could be applied for if parishes were interested in assistance. The Chairman expressed his gratitude to West Malling for raising this contentious issue and hoped that parishes would contact Laser to investigate this option further. David Taylor - Laser Manager Telephone: 01622 605 523 Fax: 01622 605 510 |
| PP 06/006 |
Planning Application Issues |
Offham Parish Council raised concerns related to lack of feedback received on controversial planning applications. They felt that the lack of communication meant that their concerns were not taken fully into consideration or given proper weight. The Director of Planning and Transportation apologised for the past problems and assured parishes that dialogue was encouraged, as parish councils represented a body of local residents. The importance of addressing feedback and having effective communication on contentious decisions was recognised, and consideration had been given on how to achieve this. Currently the decision making logic in respect of planning applications dealt with by area committees were easily accessible via committee report. However, problems arose on applications dealt with under delegated powers by the Director of Planning and Transportation. In these cases it was possible that background papers reflecting the determining factors held on the planning files could be made available to parishes at the same time as the decision was notified. Efficient ways of achieving this automatically were being examined. It was explained that there was not the staff resource to answer every representation made by Parish Councils. The Panel was reminded of the constraints of planning regulations in that it was a quasi judicial and not a democratic process, and that officers had to give advice based on all material planning considerations and in the relevant legislative context. It was recognised that local residents could not be expected to fully understand the development control process in which the parish council's role was crucial. It was felt that improved communications and the increased use of new technology would assist. The Director of Planning and Transportation assured the Panel that parish council comments were taken seriously and were a bench mark of local opinion in the decision making process. Planning officers were more than happy to discuss any aspects of applications with parish councils. The new Planning Enforcement Team Leader, James Wagstaff, introduced himself to the Panel and gave a presentation which dealt with the enforcement of planning control. Slides of this presentation would be circulated with the minutes. The Council's commitment to effective enforcement was emphasised. The Panel were advised that issues would always need to be prioritised and enforcement investigations often took time. Continued investment and improved IT systems enabled the process to be sharpened up which was intended to lead to more confidence in the service offered and improved communications with parish councils. Parishes would be kept up to date with progress on cases and advised of the eventual outcomes. It was acknowledged that communication on this needed to be improved over previous performance. Members heard that partnership working was key to the success of enforcement and that Building Control, Housing, Environmental Health and Licensing Services would work to achieve a joined up solution where practicable. Working with external regulatory agencies was also emphasised. The Panel found this very encouraging and welcomed the initiative. It was suggested that this presentation should be shown at future Area Planning Committee meetings. In summing up the Director of Planning and Transportation advised Members that the finalised Kent Design Guide had been produced. Copies would be circulated to all Borough Council Members and a copy sent to each parish council within 2-3 weeks. Members were also informed of the Public Transport Panel scheduled for Tuesday 21 March 2006 which would discuss issues that parishes might be interested in such as Govia and Community Transport Initiatives. |
| PP 06/007 |
Parking Issue |
In response to a question raised by East Peckham Parish Council related to continuing parking problems outside the local primary school, the Director of Planning and Transportation confirmed that his Service had discussed the situation with the school and the parish council. Members heard that this was a widespread problem outside many of the borough's schools. Parking enforcement was targeted in respect of school locations where problems were known to occur. Over the period since early February eight visits at peak times had been made to East Peckham school which had the effect of dispersing unauthorised parking on those occasions. However, few parking contravention notices were served owing to difficulties related to the short period of time vehicles stopped illegally. The Director of Planning and Transportation advised that the opportunity to seek assistance and a partnership approach with the school had been taken, with potential hazards and dangers to children highlighted to parents. The Panel was assured that parking regulations continued to be monitored and enforced where appropriate. |
| PP 06/008 |
Local Government Reorganisation |
The Panel received a presentation from the Chief Executive, which explained the implications of possible local government reorganisation. The background to the debate and the charges against the two tier system were outlined, whilst the role of parish councils in the new order was explained. The Chief Executive acknowledged the present system was imperfect and that more effort to improve it was required by both the district and county, but Tonbridge and Malling opposed the creation of large unitaries as this borough would be marginalised. There was a risk that the focus of attention in any new unitary would be centred in Maidstone or Tunbridge Wells and that resources would be diverted from streetscene services into education and social services. Additionally, new bodies would be remote from local communities and have difficulty in engaging meaningfully with parish councils and local groups. The costs of creating these new unitaries had been estimated to be at least £125M and no central funding would be available from government, so costs would fall on to the taxpayer. Local councils across Kent had commissioned work on developing proposals for improving the way the two tier system operated and intended to submit this to the Minister as an alternative to the upheaval and expense of a major re-structuring. Parishes were asked to express their views if the White Paper, due to be published in June 2006, invited submissions, and were encouraged to make their views known directly to the Minister, David Milliband at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. The Panel agreed that this approach to local government reform seemed unreasonable and felt that it was a disempowerment of the public. The Chairman thanked the Chief Executive for an excellent presentation, copies of which would be circulated to parishes with the minutes, and confirmed that a letter signed by all 3 party Leaders expressing this Council's concerns would be sent to the Minister. |
| PP 06/009 |
Kent County Council Services Update |
There was no Kent County Council Services update provided as no local representatives were in attendance. This was as result of the Local Board's meeting being scheduled for the same date as the Parish Partnership Panel. The County Council had acknowledged that it was their error and assured the Chairman that it would not happen again. |
| Item | Business |
|---|---|
| PP 06/003 | The Chairman welcomed to the meeting Sergeant Terry (West Kent Area Police) and Inspector Wyatt, Sergeant Hutton and PC Holland (Maidstone and Malling Area). Sgt Terry announced the recruitment of a new Police Community Liaison Officer (PSCO) to cover the East Peckham and Hadlow area. This officer could be contacted via West Kent police on 01732 771 055. A new Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator, Lena Hughes, had started and there were currently 116 schemes in the area. There had been no obvious decline in numbers and several more were due to start in Tonbridge and Malling. Sgt Terry warned that "handbag dippers" were in operation in Tonbridge town centre and that residents should be aware. Sergeant Hutton advised that Joanne Tully had recently been appointed as a new PSCO in Larkfield. A second part time officer had been recruited to cover Aylesford, Eccles and Walderslade with a third due to start soon. Maidstone police were in discussions with the TMBC Crime Reduction Officer in getting a designated alcohol free area. This would be an effective measure against anti social behaviour (ASB) and related crimes and was anticipated to be in place by 21 July. The representative of Aylesford Parish Council asked if the designated area would affect the buying or selling of alcohol as several licensees' trade could be affected. Sgt Hutton explained that it sought to address the anti social activities of those engaged in drinking and believed that this policy would not interfere with the night-time economy. The Chairman suggested that papers detailing Neighbourhood Watch Schemes should be circulated to all members of the Panel. It was agreed that contact details for the police representatives be included in the minutes. [Sgt Terry: 01892 502 032 or simon.terry@kent.pnn.police.uk Sgt Hutton: damian.hutton@kent.pnn.police.uk ] |