Agenda and minutes

Venue: Rennes Room, Civic Centre, Paris Street, Exeter

Contact: Sharon Sissons, Democratic Services Officer (Committees)  Telephone 01392 265115 or email  sharon.sissons@exeter.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

32.

Minutes

To sign the minutes of the meeting held on 12 June 2017.

 

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 12 June 2017 were taken as read and signed by the Chair as correct.

 

33.

Declaration of Interests

Councillors are reminded of the need to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests that relate to business on the agenda and which have not already been included in the register of interests, before any discussion takes place on the item. Unless the interest is sensitive, you must also disclose the nature of the interest. In accordance with the Council's Code of Conduct, you must then leave the room and must not participate in any further discussion of the item.  Councillors requiring clarification should seek the advice of the Monitoring Officer prior to the day of the meeting.

 

 

Minutes:

No declarations of disclosable pecuniary interest were made.

34.

Questions from the Public under Standing Order 19 pdf icon PDF 256 KB

Details of questions should be notified to the Corporate Manager Democratic and Civic Support at least three working days prior to the meeting.  Further information and a copy of the procedure are available from Democratic Services (Committees) (Tel: 01392 265115) and also on the Council web site - www.exeter.gov.uk/decisions.

 

Minutes:

In accordance with Standing Order No 19, a member of the public, Ms Lynne Wetenhall had submitted a question on local air quality. A copy of the question had been previously circulated to Members, and this, together with the response from Councillor Denham, Portfolio Holder City Transformation, Energy & Transport is appended to the minutes.

 

 

35.

Questions from Members of the Council under Standing Order 20 pdf icon PDF 128 KB

To receive questions from Members of the Council to appropriate Portfolio Holders.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

In accordance with Standing Order No 20, a question was put by Councillor Musgrave on air quality; and Councillor Packham also submitted a question on the Riverside Leisure Centre to which Councillor Denham, Portfolio Holder City Transformation, Energy & Transport and Councillor Bialyk, Portfolio Holder Health and Wellbeing, Communities & Sport respectively responded.  A copy of the questions had been previously circulated to Members and are appended to the minutes.

 

 

36.

Public Realm Issues City Centre

At the Place Scrutiny Place Committee held on 12 June 2017, Members discussed an issue relating to the public realm surface in Sidwell Street. An invitation has been extended to Councillor Leadbetter to discuss the way forward in respect of the public realm maintenance in the city centre of Exeter.

 

The Minute from the Place Scrutiny Committee is set out for Member’s information as follows -

 

The Deputy Chief Executive discussed the quality and safety of the footpaths at Sidwell Street, in relation to the interim arrangements for the Bus Station, and that there had been an increased footfall after the closure of the Bus Station. He highlighted where Devon County Council were looking to replace the slabbed footways with tarmac. This had been brought to the Committee because it would impact on deterioration in public spaces and the wider city.

 

In response to questions raised by Members, the Deputy Chief Executive explained that Exeter City Council were unaware of these issues until work by Devon County Council had begun at Sidwell Street. It was important that Members were informed of the work and to consider inviting Devon County Council to the September meeting to provide an update on the planned work. Members discussed the best options for the planned tarmac and the importance of warning and informing the public of potential safety issues and areas. It was anticipated that joint work would take place between Exeter City Council and Devon County Council to develop a way forward in terms of future programing and to the public realm maintenance in the city centre. 

 

County Councillor Stuart Hughes Highways Portfolio, and City and County Councillor Andrew Leadbetter (DCC Liaison for Exeter) have been invited to attend the September meeting to update City Members. The Chair recommended Members address issues at the next Scrutiny meeting.

 

Minutes:

The Director (DB) introduced the item and referred to the last meeting when the quality and safety of the footpaths at Sidwell Street was discussed. He referred to the need to consider how best Exeter City Council and Devon County Council could share the information in respect of the public realm.

 

The Chair, introduced Councillor Andrew Leadbetter who, in his role as County Councillor for Exeter Vision was attending with Paul Davis, Asset Manager Highways, Devon County Council. Councillor Leadbetter apologised that County Councillor Stuart Hughes had not been able to attend the meeting. He referred to the issue previously raised regarding the surface treatment of Sidwell Street and the partial black top covering, and confirmed that further use of the material had been put on hold whilst discussion with Exeter City Council took place. Paul Davis requested that a liaison group involving both Exeter City Council and Devon County Council officers be set up to discuss the programme and collaborate more effectively over the future surface treatment and action.  A Member sought an assurance that other parts of the city centre would be considered.  He referred to a number of incidents due to the state of the paving in the High Street, but would not support the increase in the use of tarmac for repairs to the footpaths.  He was aware that Devon County Council had plans to, in effect, roughen the surface of paving slabs. Paul Davis confirmed that Devon County Council had undertaken some surface testing to ascertain skid resistance before making an appropriate assessment.

 

A Member enquired about the target date to address the work, and he referred to the footpath at the junction of South, North and Fore Streets which had been temporarily dressed with black tarmac. Paul Davis confirmed that temporary repairs had been carried out at this junction and Highways had to replace the traffic platform with a different type of material due to settlement at this busy junction.  He would discuss with Exeter City Council officers the preferred approach before undertaking any further work.  He appreciated that timing was important as the city was coming up to a busy time of year, but that the works would have to be undertaken in the current financial year.

 

A Member enquired about the material to be used and stated that safety was paramount, but the economy of the city centre was also important and so essential that the public realm of the city centre was kept to a high standard.  He sought an assurance that local Members of the wards adjoining the city centre would be kept informed. Paul Davis responded, stating that the material to be used was ‘impress concrete tegular type block paving material’ which came in a variety of sizes and colour. It was however, important to ensure that drivers could distinguish between the footpath and highway.  He would also ensure there continued to be dialogue with Devon County Council’s neighbourhood officer to address the issues. The Chair sought reassurance that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 36.

37.

Riverside Leisure Centre Update

To receive an update from the City Surveyor.

Minutes:

The City Surveyor presented an update on the Riverside Leisure Centre and detailed all of the works that had been carried out since the fire on 21 February 2017.  The response and subsequent action by the City Council was immediate and included the appointment of a multidisciplinary project manager from Faithful + Gould who had been leading a team of experts to bring the facility back into use as soon as possible.

 

 Although the non-fire damaged parts of the facility had been reopened, the pools and health suite remain closed. The location, nature and duration of the fire had raised concerns over the integrity of the main roof structure in the pool and health suite area and the decking/covering above due to the effects of prolonged heat on the metal structure. Some demolition works were completed on schedule at the end of June to enable the area to be pre-inspected for access arrangements to the underside of the roof. The testing and structural assessment of the roof deck, support steels and the structural frame have also been undertaken within the health suite areas, and the detail of the draft findings was presented to Members.  Scaffold will be required to the full width of the building at the health suite end with further roof enclosure to prevent water ingress during the course of the works. This scaffold was likely to intrude into the pool area and the project manager would continue to explore options for opening the pool earlier in the overall programme. Faithful + Gould had been programmed to report on the finalised structural report and further outcomes of the roof deck inspection and sample cleaning which were due at the beginning of October. This would determine the extent and likely timescale of the remedial works required to repair the roof structure over the fire area and the ability to satisfactorily clean the remainder of the internal structure and deck. Faithful + Gould were currently programmed to complete the scope of works and cost estimates for insurance approval by early October with full specification being completed in mid-October.  Every effort would be made to expedite the works as quickly as possible but the current worst case scenario for completion of all reinstatement works was September 2018. The City Surveyor acknowledged that the proposed options may increase the risk of incurring additional costs and these costs may not be funded by the Council’s Insurer. In this case, separate funding requests would be made in liaison with the Portfolio Holder for Health and Well Being, Communities and Sport.

 

The City Surveyor responded to a Member’s comment about placing solar panels on the roof when the works were complete.  He also responded to questions on the risks associated with the reinstatement works and that all had been done that could have been done to expedite the reopening of the pool.   The work was being carried out and dealt with properly.

 

The Portfolio Holder for Health and Well Being, Communities and Sport confirmed that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37.

38.

South Street Regeneration pdf icon PDF 201 KB

To consider the report of the City Surveyor.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The City Surveyor presented a report and referred to ongoing work towards the regeneration of South Street including the Corn Exchange block. This would provide an opportunity to enhance the connectivity and bridge the gap between the city centre and the Quay.  The developing City Centre Strategy would also address ways to deliver the policy. The report included the results from the public consultation event held in the Corn Exchange in February 2017 as well as a course of activity to action those priorities in an incremental way.  The exercise identified three key priorities for the area namely, cultural activity and entertainment, independent businesses and the Farmer’s Market.  The consultation also identified a number of improvements such as  

 

·           Gateways and connections;

·           Appearance of buildings;

·           Public spaces and the street scene;

·           Transport and getting around;

 

The report also outlined a practical approach by moving such improvements forward in an incremental way through a series of dialogues and further consultation with stakeholders including the City Council’s tenants and BID representatives. It was proposed that an Urban Designer be appointed to set a context and framework for any potential development and priorities identified in the public consultation exercise.  The brief would also be to prioritise any suggested enhancements tempered with the practicalities of budget and timescale. He anticipated a report on one element of the brief which was to look at an entertainment and arts venue, which would have an impact on the whole area and the Western Quarter would be made to the November Place Scrutiny Committee meeting. 

 

The City Surveyor responded to a Member’s enquiry on vacancies in South Street, and confirmed that he had just received instructions for the letting of three vacant units.  He was not complacent over the challenges of operating a business in this area, but they were working closely with new tenants to deliver a better offer.

 

Place Scrutiny Committee noted the results of the South Street public consultation exercise held in February 2017 (as detailed in an appendix to the report) and recommended approval by Executive of the following:-

 

(1)     support for an incremental approach to improvement focussing on individual areas where development opportunities present themselves; and

 

(2)     appointment of an urban designer to be given a realistic brief based on the priorities identified in the public consultation to give context for current and future development opportunities.

 

39.

Budget Monitoring (1st Quarter) pdf icon PDF 144 KB

To consider the report of the Chief Finance Officer.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Principal Accountants (PM and MH) advised Members of any major differences by management unit, between the approved budget and the outturn for the financial year up to 30 June 2017 in respect of Place Scrutiny Committee.  The Principal Accountant (MH) advised that the current forecast had suggested that the net expenditure for the Committee would increase from the revised budget by a total of £331,880 after transfers from reserves and revenue contributions to capital, representing a variation of 5.00% from the revised budget.  This included supplementary budgets of £574,540 already agreed by Council. The Principal Accountant (PM) confirmed that the report included an outturn update in respect of the Place Capital Programme, and detailed significant variations by management and any material differences to the revised budget in respect of the revenue and capital budgets. The Capital Programme included a total spend of £264,905 in 2017/18 with £1,281,300 of the programme potentially deferred until 2018/19. 

 

The report also included a breakdown of the areas of budgetary risk within the Place Scrutiny Committee revenue and capital budgets including areas such as car parking and recycling which offered significant projected income.  A Member referred to the servicing of a number of planning appeals and whether a fully qualified planning solicitor was employed by the City Council to reduce the need to engage external legal expertise.  The Principal Accountant (PM) confirmed that £446,480 was the net budget for Planning. He would ask the City Solicitor and Head of HR for more detail about the employment of a planning solicitor. He also responded to a Member’s comment who was concerned about the cost to Council tax payers for graffiti removal.  The Director (DB) also offered clarification and addressed a Member’s concern on the capital budget deferral and delay to improvement works at the Arena Skate Park. He agreed the existing facility was in a poor state, and a tender procurement process would have to be followed but it was anticipated that the work would take place next spring, with a view to reopening in time for next summer.

 

A Member understood the reasons for the additional costs for graffiti removal and maintaining the parks and open spaces, but nevertheless they were significant. The Director (DB) stated that, despite efforts to mechanise the service as part of efficiency savings, staffing remained the biggest cost associated with maintaining street cleansing and public realm. A Member suggested there may have been some optimism in the level of anticipated retail sales at the Museum Shop and if they should have been set at a more realistic target. The Principal Accountant (MH) confirmed that the budget for the Museum shop had been agreed two years ago, and the shop had not been open for a full operating year.  There were lessons to be learnt when any new enterprise commenced and going forward they would continue to study the sales figures.

 

Place Scrutiny Committee noted the report.

40.

Local Air Quality Management pdf icon PDF 229 KB

To consider the report of the Environmental Health and Licensing Manager.

Minutes:

Councillor Musgrave attended the meeting Under Standing Order 44.

 

The Environmental Health and Licensing Manager updated Members on the Council’s duties and activities relating to local air quality management, placed upon the Council (and all district and county councils) by Part IV of the Environment Act 1985.  He referred to the Annual Status Report made to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) which includes details of the Council’s monitoring of local air quality and actions taken to reduce transport emissions. He also gave an update on the Council’s Air Quality Action Plan which will work towards resolving the exceedances of the air quality objectives within the Air Quality Management Area. The Senior Environment Technical Officer provided an update on the recent measured levels of nitrogen dioxide. The 2017 Annual Status Report and a summary of the monitoring data could be viewed on the air quality pages on the City Council’s web site.

 

Councillor Musgrave thanked the Senior Environmental Technical Officer for her commitment and understanding of this work, but he remained concerned about the prioritisation of this issue by the City Council and felt more radical action should be taken to address the poor air quality in key hotspots in the city. He hoped that Members would continue to debate the issue and thanked the Portfolio Holder for City Transformation, Energy and Transport, Councillor Denham, who had earlier endorsed working in a cross party way.  He suggested Members might wish to consider the following different ways of working including:-

 

  • an acknowledgement of air quality issues within the reporting mechanism to  Committees;  
  • a review of the City Council’s work with developers to improve air quality in the city;
  • redesigning the road space and consideration of more innovative ideas such as imposing a reduction in the speed of traffic, or a congestion charge on peak roads; 
  • further review of the parking policy with an increase in parking charges to encourage different forms of travel, support for more sustainable travel such as car share or Co Cars;
  • involve the private sector who should pay a share of investing in managing air quality; and
  • improve the public transport service.

 

A Member referred to Councillor Musgrave’s comment on public transport and referred to his recent efforts to lobby Stagecoach over recent changes to a bus route within his ward. He also commented on the City Council’s Car Parking Strategy which was helping the Council to move in the right direction. The Senior Environmental Technical Officer responded to the Member and would ascertain the timescale for the interactive air quality web site going live. The Environmental Health and Licensing Manager also responded to a Member’s comment on the relevancy of the Green Travel Plan which he would pass on to his planning colleagues at the City Council.

 

The Director (JY) also responded to a Member’s suggestion of a Task and Finish Group and stated that it was important to draw together a number of highly complex strands of work to ensure there was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 40.

41.

Recycling Plan Review pdf icon PDF 498 KB

To consider the report of the Cleansing and Fleet Manager

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Cleansing and Fleet Manager presented a report which updated Members on the City Council’s current performance in waste reduction and recycling, and the reasons for current trends.  It also provided an update on progress on the annual Recycling Plan, and sought ongoing support for the Council’s recycling initiatives which were necessary to progress towards the City Council’s recycling target set out in the corporate work programme.  The report also provided an update on consideration for a food waste collection; garden waste collections; home composting; commercial waste recycling, aspects of behavioural change in recycling, and an update on initiatives to encourage households in Exeter including tenants to recycle more.  The Director (DB) referred to the Council’s efforts to increase the general service of recycling which remained a top priority.

 

A Member referred to his ward, which included a significant student population and welcomed the valuable co-operation with the University.  He also enquired if the Council’s Recycling Officer might be able to encourage younger members of society to recycle.

 

The Cleansing and Fleet Manager responded to the following points –

 

·         the Community Infrastructure Levy has the potential to fund initiatives to improve the storage and on-street presentation of waste in the residential and commercial areas of central Exeter.

 

·         residents were encouraged not to place their rubbish out too early for collection particularly where only a black sack option was available, and to bag appropriately to safeguard against rats and seagulls.  If the collection of food waste was made available to residents an appropriate food waste caddy with a lockable lid would be made available. 

 

  • he would check the 48% figure of material recycled from the commercial recycling scheme and confirm with Members.  It had been a challenge to persuade businesses to use the commercial waste and mixed recycling collection, and this figure had risen from a low base since mixed recycling collections had been offered. A more competitive pricing structure now made this service more attractive than a single rubbish collection.

 

·         he gave an undertaking to take on the suggestion of improved labelling of the recycling bins, particularly useful for householders new to the area, and would take the opportunity of a refresh of the information, which could be achieved at a relatively low cost and carried out by staff when on their rounds.

 

·         there had been a 6% growth in the brown bin scheme following significant promotion. Sales of brown bins had contributed to the recycling rate, year on year, and the anticipated new housing and gardens would offer scope to continue to grow the customer base and make the whole scheme even more cost effective. 

 

·         he had noted a Member’s comment of the bin warden’s audit made by the University at the start of the academic year, and perhaps this was an area to foster even greater co-operation working with the university.

 

A Member referred to frequent visits to deposit paper for recycling and her appreciation of the hard work of staff at the Material Reclamation Facility (MRF), they  ...  view the full minutes text for item 41.

42.

Exeter Business Improvement District Progress Report pdf icon PDF 928 KB

To consider the report of the Economy and Enterprise Manager.  Wayne Pearce, Chair of the Exeter BID Board of Directors will also attend the meeting.

Minutes:

The Economy and Enterprise Manager presented a report which updated Members on the second year of trading for the Exeter BID.  The BID was funded by a 1% levy on the rateable value of a business, which should generate £2.25million over the five year period of the BID.  Exeter City Council also paid an annual BID levy for the properties owned and leased by the City Council within the BID area, which equated to £18,435 for the current financial year. A BID Monitoring Group had been set up who met approximately twice a year, and monitored income levels from the levy payers.  A full update on progress on the delivery of the Exeter BID Business Plan 2015 – 2020, which included year 1 and year 2 delivery was included in an appendix to the report.  It was noted that, for the financial year ending 31 March 2017, 95% of the BID levy had been collected, and a high percentage rate of collection would enable the full delivery of the business plan. The Exeter BID Board was made up of members elected from businesses within the BID levy area, as well as representatives from Exeter City Council, Devon County Council and Exeter Chamber of Trade & Commerce.  It was noted that, following a recruitment process, Anne Hunter had been appointed as BID Manager and was due to take up her new post later this month. 

 

Place Scrutiny Committee noted the report. 

43.

Exeter & Heart of Devon Commercial Property Register pdf icon PDF 706 KB

To consider the report of the Inward Investment Manager and Economy and Enterprise Manager. 

Minutes:

The Economy and Enterprise Manager presented the report on Exeter City Council’s handling of investment and relocation enquiries during the previous 12 months and enhancements that had been made to the Exeter Commercial Property Register. The report also provided detail of the progress made in improving the toolkit available to attract and respond to business relocation and inward investment enquiries and the expansion of the service covering East Devon, Mid Devon and Teignbridge (Exeter & the Heart of Devon) local authority areas with financial and staffing contributions made by each local authority.

 

The Commercial Property Register had grown from strength to strength with 73 commercial agents now working with the City Council. As of July 2017, there were 434 vacant properties and 20 sites listed on the Commercial Property Register for the Exeter & Heart of Devon area. There had been a fall in the number of premises available, with very few speculative offices or industrial units being built. The team had worked hard with colleagues in the City Council’s Planning Department and the neighbouring authorities to address this.  Over the last year there had been a significant increase in the number of enquiries for vacant units and property from outside of Devon, but a levelling out of the enquiries from foreign owned companies in the wake of the potential uncertainty over Brexit. As a direct result of businesses using the Commercial Property Register, 36 companies had successfully assisted to relocate or remain in Exeter, creating 302 jobs and safeguarding 102 jobs in the last year. There had been noticeable success emanating from activity carried out by the Inward Investment Manager and the newly appointed Inward Investment Officer.

 

Place Scrutiny Committee noted the progress made with the Exeter & Heart of Devon Commercial Property Register and the City Council’s role in dealing with investment and relocation enquiries and the area covered by the Commercial Property Register and business relocation service.

44.

Review of Strategic Parking Performance pdf icon PDF 121 KB

To consider the report of the Community Safety and Enforcement Manager.

Minutes:

The Community Safety and Enforcement Manager updated Members on the impact of the Council’s parking strategy on the four key objectives of economic growth, parking capacity, congestion and parking income. Income from car parking for the first financial quarter was on target to achieve the expected £6.7m annual income for 2017/18.  He highlighted a number of trends and indicators in parking performance:-

 

  • a 3.5% decrease in the number of weekday vehicles parking in the city, which met the aspiration to reduce commuter vehicles coming into the city;
  • a 7% increase in dwell time in the City Council’s premier car parks;
  • and 11% increase in Zone 1 car parks which had a direct benefit of economic growth for the city;
  • sales of tickets for evening parking after 6pm had increased by 15%;
  • overall parking income for January to July 2017 had increased by 6.5% when compared to the income for the same period in 2016;
  • a move by customers towards smarter ways of paying for parking was identified with a 9% increase (to 20%) in card transactions; and   
  • the percentage of parking bays full at peak time on Saturday lunchtime had risen from 77% to 86% and future interventions might be required to reduce the risk of parking gridlock.

 

The Community Safety and Enforcement Manager agreed to include data relating to retail spend in future reports.