Agenda and minutes

            The Minutes of the meeting held on 11^th September 2013 having been printed and circulated were signed as a correct record.

            The Board considered the Minutes of the meetings of the Executive Board and Mersey Gateway Executive Board relevant to the Environment and Urban Renewal Policy and Performance Board.

            RESOLVED: That the Minutes be received.

The Board received the draft Minutes relating to the Environment and Urban Renewal Specialist Strategic Partnership from 10^th October 2013.

RESOLVED: That the Minutes be received.

(NB: Councillors MacManus and Woolfall declared a disclosable other interest in the following item of business as they were Directors of Halton Borough Transport.)

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Policy and Resources, which detailed the Second Quarter Performance Management Report 2013/14 on progress against objectives/milestones and performance targets, and provided information relating to key developments and emerging issues that had arisen in relation to:-

·         Highways and Transportation, Logistics and Development Services;

·         Development and Investment Services;

·         Waste and Environmental Improvement and Open Space Services; and

·         Housing Strategy.

Arising from the discussion clarification was sought on the accuracy of the figures reported on pages 5-55 and it was agreed that a written response would be provided to Members.

            RESOLVED: That the Board receive the second quarter Performance Management Reports.

(NB: Councillors MacManus and Woolfall declared a disclosable other interest in the following item of business as they were Directors of Halton Borough Transport.)

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Policy and Resources, which provided information on the progress in achieving targets contained within the 2011-2016 Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS) for Halton, and included a summary of all indicators for the Environment and Regeneration priority within the SCS. The report provided a snapshot performance for the period 1^st April 2013 to 31^st March 2014 and a projection of expected levels of performance to the year end.

            RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

            The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Policy and Resources, which explained that each Directorate of the Council was required to develop a Medium Term Business Plan, in parallel with the budget, that was subject to annual review and refresh. The process of developing such plans for the period 2014/2017 was just beginning.

            The Board was further advised that at this stage Members were invited to identify a small number of priorities for development or improvement (possibly 3 – 5) that they would like to see reflected within those plans. The Strategic Directors would then develop draft plans which would be available for consideration by the Policy and Performance Board early in the New Year.

            RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

            The Board considered a draft copy of Halton’s Local Flood Risk Management Strategy which would be circulated to partner organisations and stakeholders for comment. The Strategy had been developed by collating Local Flood Risk Management information and evidence to compile a range of measures describing how Halton proposed to manage the risk of local flooding.

            Members were advised that an advance of the draft had been shared with Cheshire and Mid Mersey Partnership Officers at the Environment Agency, who retained a strategic overview of all forms of flood risk. They would undertake a review of the Local Strategy and provide comments before formal consultation with other Risk Management authorities and stakeholders took place. Following the Environment Agency’s review of the draft strategy, it was proposed to continue with formal consultation with partners and key stakeholders.

            It was noted that from April 2014 the Sustainable Drainage (SuDs) legislation part of the Flood Water Management Act 2010 (FWMA) would be enacted. Halton would be a SuDs approval body and this new role would encompass design approval, inspection, adoption and future maintenance of SuDs systems. It was noted that this would be a substantial additional duty for the Council with significant policy and resource implications. It was therefore proposed that a report on the implications would be brought back to the Board.

            RESOLVED: That the report be noted and the content of the strategy be used as the basis of consultation with stakeholders in accordance with the legislation.

            The Board considered a report which provided an overview of the draft Delivery and Allocations Local Plan Scoping document. Members were advised that this was the first stage in the production of this Local Plan and was the starting point for discussion on what the Local Plan should include and what should inform its preparation. This first stage would therefore ‘scope’ the Delivery and Allocations Local Plan, identifying the policies that were needed within the plan in order to guide the future development of the Borough.

            In addition, the document also contained a policy outline table which set out the proposed policy areas for the Delivery and Allocations Local Plan. This highlighted matters that were likely to be included in the proposed policies and gave an indication of the scope that would be covered.

            Members noted the timetable for the production of the Local Plan with estimated dates. It was anticipated that consultation on the Scoping Document would take place at the beginning of 2014.

            RESOLVED: That the report be noted.