Agenda and minutes

No apologies for absence were received.

Members and Officers are requested to give notice of any personal or prejudicial interest and the nature of that interest, relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the relevant Code of Conduct.

No declarations of interest were received.

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the Meeting held on 2 December 2009 be confirmed as a correct record.

Report of the Planning and Economic Regeneration Director

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Planning and Economic Regeneration Director seeking approval for a temporary road closure of Rose Hill between Kensington Road and Forest Road, Southport to enable Railway Bridge reconstruction works to be carried out.

RESOLVED: That

(1)               the temporary closure of Rose Hill between Kensington Road and Forest Road, Southport to vehicular traffic be approved; and

(2)               the Traffic Services Manager be authorised to execute the necessary legal procedures, including those of consultation and objection and to advertise the Council’s intention to implement the appropriate Traffic Regulation Order.

Report of the Assistant Director – Transportation and Development

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Planning and Economic Regeneration Director seeking authority, in conjunction with the Legal Director, to adopt three areas of highways pursuant to Section 228 of the Highways Act 1980, as detailed in the report and as shown on the plans numbered DC0493, DC0494 and DC0495 to the undermentioned organisations and indicating that a decision on the matter was required to allow the Local Authority to maintain and adopt two areas of highway, at public expense, but which do not form part of the adopted highway network at the present time.

RESOLVED:

That the Legal Director, in conjunction with the Planning and Economic Regeneration Director, be authorised to adopt the three areas of highway pursuant to Section 228 of the Highways Act, 1980 as detailed within the report and as shown upon the plans numbered DC0493, DC0494 and DC0495 to the above mentioned organisations subject to the organisations bearing all costs associated with the proposal.

Report of the Planning and Economic Regeneration Director

Further to Minute No 59 of the meeting held 23 September 2009, the Cabinet Member considered the report of the Planning and Economic Regeneration Director regarding the Thornton Switch Island Link Layout Approval and Public Exhibition Proposal, and seeking approval for the proposed scheme layout, the proposals for public exhibition in advance of the planning application and the initial approaches to landowners to open discussions about land acquisition, and indicating that a decision on the matter was required to ensure that Members were fully appraised of progress and that approval was required for the scheme proposals, in advance of presentation to the public and initial discussions about land acquisitions.

The report indicated that the completion of the preliminary design was set for December 2009; that a public exhibition was to be held in February 2010; and that the planning application would be submitted in April 2010.

The Project Team had been developing the design of the scheme and had undertaken detailed environmental assessments of the potential impacts of the scheme on air quality, noise, landscape, land use and agriculture, water quality, hydrology and flood risk, soils, ecology and cultural heritage which would be reported in the Environmental Statement to be submitted in conjunction with the planning application.  Further surveys had been completed in September including ground investigation and topographic surveys; traffic surveys; use of footpaths and tracks; baseline noise surveys; bat, water vole and badger surveys; and landscape and land use. 

Regular meetings had taken place between Sefton Council, Capita Symonds, Balfour Beatty and Jacobs to monitor progress, and the Project Board had registered the scheme with the Civil Engineering Environmental Quality Assessment and Awards Scheme (CEEQUAL) in order to draw on current guidance and environmental good practice, provide an incentive and protocol for assessing, benchmarking and labelling; and the environmental quality of projects.  The achievement of CEEQUAL would provide evidence to stakeholders and other parties that good environmental practice had been adopted for the scheme.

The report also indicated that it was proposed to hold exhibitions on the afternoons and evenings of 2 and 3 February 2009 in Netherton  at St Benet’s Church Hall and in Thornton at St Frideswyde’s Church Hall; that Members of the Council, Capita Symonds, Balfour Beatty and Jacobs would be available to answer questions; that the exhibitions would be publicised as widely as possible; that additional consultations would be offered to residents most affected by the scheme proposals namely Chapel Lane, Rothwells Lane and Holgate; that individual discussions would be offered to local landowners and farmers affected; and that reports would be presented to all the relevant Area Committees and offers would be made to the Parish Councils for one of the project officers to attend their meetings to explain the scheme proposals.

As far as possible agreement with existing landowners would be secured, however Compulsory Purchase Orders would be prepared for the land needed for the scheme, which would be published alongside the planning application, but only enforced if required.  Initial  ...  view the full minutes text for item 101.

Head of Regeneration and Technical Services

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Head of Regeneration and Technical Services advising of the corporate and domestic energy efficiency, eco education, strategic progress and awareness activities undertaken in accordance with the Councils Corporate Carbon Reduction, Fuel Poverty, Sustainable Schools and Home Energy Conservation Act commitments during 2008/09.

RESOLVED:   That

(1)       the energy carbon and water progress report be noted;

(2)            the various external cross sector partners be congratulated for their delivery of the activities detailed in the report; and

(3)            The Head of Regeneration and Technical Services distribute the report to all Councillors.

Report of the Planning and Economic Regeneration Director

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Planning and Economic Regeneration Director on the Funding for Asset Management, seeking approval to include the capital funding received from the Department for Transport (DfT) into the 2009/10 Transportation Capital Programme and identifying revenue spending associated with a revenue element of the DfT grant, and indicating that a decision on the matter was required as approval of grant funding would assist Sefton Council to develop its asset management capacity for its highway assets into the Transportation Programme.

The report indicated that in order to encourage local authorities to develop an asset management approach to managing their highway networks and to draw up and implement Transport Asset Management Plans (TAMPs), Sefton Council had been awarded £69,100 of capital funding and £50,000 of revenue funding to assist in the development of its asset management capability for its highway assets; that given the start date for the project,  capital funding would not be required to be spent until 2010/11; that it was intended to commission Capita Symonds to undertake this work; that the work was not covered by the partnership contract and would require the revenue element of the DfT grant to be used to pay Capita Symonds’ fees to undertake the work; and that the work was scheduled to commence in January 2010 with a planned revenue spend of £10k in 2009/10 and £40k in 2010/11. 

RESOLVED: That

(1)               the report be noted; and

(2)               Cabinet be recommended to approve the inclusion of the Capital funding from the DfT into the 2009/10 Transportation Capital Programme.

Head of Regeneration and Technical Services

Further to Minute No 18 of the meeting held on 1 July 2009, the Cabinet Member considered the report of the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environmental Services regarding an update on the Technical Services Department Service Delivery Plan 2009/10; and indicating that a decision on this matter was required in order to comply with the Council’s Corporate Performance Management procedure.

The report indicated that the update covered the period April – September 2009; encompassed the full range of technical services delivered by Capita Symonds and the Technical Services Department; and detailed progress  in relation to specific activities, namely Regeneration Projects, Southport ECO Centre, Display Energy Certificates, Road Safety and Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council/Capita Symonds Partnership. 

Councillors asked a variety of questions regarding NEET (Not in Education Employment or Training) and the transport and facilities in relation to this part of the populous; road safety; and the formulas used to collect the data in the report.

Attached as an annex to the report was a copy of the Technical Services Department Service Delivery Plan 2009/10; which was structured so that it included all the technical services that were delivered in Sefton for ease of monitoring and reporting; and that these services were now delivered by different departments and the Council’s strategic service provider.

RESOLVED: That

(1)               the update on the Technical Services Service Delivery Plan and NI targets for 2009/10 be noted; and

(2)               staff in Regeneration and Technical Services, Planning and Economic Regeneration Departments and Capita Symonds be congratulated for their hard work, performance and dedication during the previous year.