Decisions

(Report of Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health)

The report set out details in respect of an application for a Development Consent Order for the nationally significant infrastructure project at the Lower Thames Crossing.  Details of the examination process to be undertaken by the Planning Inspectorate were also set out.  It was reported that the Borough Council would be required to prepare a Local Impact Report as part of this process.

Whilst the Borough Council were supportive of the project it was  felt that there should be investment in local highways infrastructure to mitigate the impact on the A228 and A229 between the M2 and M20. This was due to the expected displacement of traffic away from the Dartford Crossing, together with additional demand to cross the River Thames, increasing traffic on the local road network.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)             delegated authority be granted to the Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health to formally engage with the Lower Thames Crossing Examination and related negotiations with LTC staff and consultants, to support the Borough Councils efficient engagement in the process.

(Report of Director of Finance and Transformation)

Approval was sought for the Borough Council’s approach in the use of the current grant of Household Support Fund.  Tonbridge and Malling had been allocated £139,263.24 to provide support to vulnerable households struggling with the cost of living.    This grant allocation had to be used by 31 March 2023 and any unspent monies could not be rolled over into April, beyond honouring any expenditure committed to before the end of the financial year.

A number of options had been considered, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance,  Innovation and Property, and proposals were set out in the draft Household Support Fund Scheme October – March 2022/23 (attached at Annex 2).

In summary, it was proposed that funding should be used to support:

·        food banks (funding allocation of £45,000);

·        fuel voucher schemes (funding allocation of £20,000); and

·        households facing a disproportionate impact of cost of living increase or exceptional needs (contingency balance of £25,000);

In addition, it was proposed that the balance of funding be targeted at those identified as most in need when the Scheme was evaluated in late January 2023.

Careful consideration was given to the proposals set out in the Household Support Fund Scheme October – March 2022/23 (as set out in Annex 2), together with the Kent County Council plan to assist vulnerable households (as set out in Annex 1) and the legal, financial and value for money implications.  Cabinet recognised the role and importance of foodbanks in the Borough, considered alternative solutions for the use of the Household Support Fund and supported the need to help those struggling to afford food, energy and water bills and other related essentials in the current cost of living crisis.  In particular, Cabinet supported the distribution of funding as soon as possible as the recent extreme cold weather increased the pressure on family’s use of heating.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)             the Household Support Fund Scheme October – March 2022/23 (attached at Annex 2) be approved; and

(2)             delegated authority be granted to the Director of Finance and Transformation to establish an effective operational scheme to disburse funds in accordance with the detail in the approved Policy.

[In accordance with Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 15 (i) this decision is not subject to call-in since in the opinion of the Cabinet it is urgent and any delay would seriously prejudice the Council's or the public's interest.]

(Report of Chief Executive)

The report provided an update on the Corporate Strategy Consultation Draft with particular focus on feedback received from staff and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.  In addition, approval to proceed towards a community engagement exercise during winter 2023 was sought.

Details of the feedback received to date was set out in 1.3 of the report and the comments and points raised were noted.  As a result, a number of minor changes were proposed and these were summarised in 1.3.4 (Table 2).    A five-week period of public and community consultation would start in January 2023 as detailed in 1.4 of the report.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)         the Corporate Strategy Consultation Draft, as set out in Appendix 1 and including the amendments set out in 1.3.4 (Table 2) be endorsed;

(2)         delegated authority be granted to the Chief Executive, in liaison with the Leader of the Council, to approve any necessary further minor changes to the Corporate Strategy Consultation Draft that might be required for reasons of clarity or presentation; and

(3)         the programme for community consultation, as set out in 1.4, be approved.

(Report of Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health)

The report set out the current framework and policy around parking standards within Tonbridge and Malling.  The interim position to assess development management and applications was also set out.

Careful consideration was given to the current position related to development management (applications and enforcement) and how the Borough Council could better shape parking provision, particularly on large scale development sites, utilising lessons from existing developments.

It was reported that several options had been assessed in relation to IGN3 and SPG4 and whether a more up to date evidence base and set of parking standards/guidelines could be developed to replace the current aged guidance notes.  Both IGN3 and SPG4 significantly pre-dated the NPPF with the evidence base for the documents being almost 20 years old.

The options available to the Borough Council were detailed at 1.4.6 of the report.  As part of the emerging Local Plan a high level parking standards policy could be produced which would reference parking standards for residential and non-residential development with a commitment to producing a Supplementary Planning Document on parking either as a standalone document or within a combined design/guide code.  More detailed analysis of this was set out in option 4.

Particular reference was made to recent correspondence from the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities which encouraged the preparation of design codes.   Members welcomed the opportunity of reviewing options in respect of parking standards and Councillor Harman proposed that option 4 should be progressed.  This proposal was seconded by Councillor Hood and formally supported by the Scrutiny Select Committee.  However, Members asked that the form of the Supplementary Planning Document be determined by the Scrutiny Select Committee rather than delegated to the Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health.

Following consideration by the Housing and Planning Scrutiny Select Committee, the Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure resolved that:

(1)             option 4 (as detailed in 1.4.6 of the report and duplicated below), be progressed;

·        ‘Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council include a high level parking standards policy within the emerging Local Plan with a commitment to producing either a stand alone Supplementary Planning Document (or its replacement) on parking; OR

·        includes the design and layout of parking (including standards) within a comprehensive Design guide/code modelled on the National Model Design Code which also covers other matters on place making/shaping following adoption of the Local Plan’

(2)             the position on current development management matters and how they were handled (as set out in paragraph 1.3) be noted.

(Report of Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health)

The report provided an update on the progress being made in respect of the Temporary Accommodation Action Plan.  A summary was attached at Annex 1.

Members commended the good progress that continued to be made on reducing the number of households in temporary accommodation and currently this was reported as 97.  As highlighted in the Action Plan there were a number of areas that required focus and these included the implementation of the Housing Allocation Scheme, a revised approach to procurement and accessing the private rented sector.

The key risks associated with maintaining or improving the number of households in temporary accommodation were detailed in 1.5.1 of the report.  These risks, together with potential mitigating actions and the good progress being made in controlling budget spend, were noted by Members.

Following consideration by the Housing and Planning Scrutiny Select Committee, the Cabinet Member for Housing resolved that:

(1)      the progress made against the Temporary Accommodation Plan be noted.