[Note This item is allocated a maximum duration of 40 minutes]
Minutes:
Mrs Hamilton invited members to indicate if they wished to ask questions of the Cabinet and the names of those so desiring were noted. She reminded members that a maximum of 40 minutes was allocated for this item.
The questions asked and the responses given were as follows:
Question by Mrs Apel: Installation of a Sprinkler System at the New Academy Selsey
Mrs Apel expressed her concern to Mr Dignum (the Leader of the Council) about the construction of the new Academy Selsey which was apparently not going to include a sprinkler system. She felt that this was an extraordinary and very worrying decision and omission, especially in the light of the recent Grenfell Tower fire tragedy.
The point was supported also in brief comments by other members. Mrs Duncton, who was also a West Sussex County Council (WSCC) member, said that the same concern had been expressed at WSCC’s Council meeting the previous Friday but WSCC had little influence to exert since an academy was involved. Mr Hixson thought that there was still time to intervene. Mr Connor hoped that the Chief Executive could contact the West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service to make it aware; Mrs Duncton advised that had already been done.
Response by Mr Dignum and Mrs Shepherd
Mr Dignum (the Leader of the Council) said that this issue did not lie within Chichester District Council’s (CDC) responsibility and he deferred to Mrs Shepherd (Chief Executive).
Mrs Shepherd (Chief Executive) said that whilst neither CDC at all nor WSCC in the case of an academy had statutory responsibility for fire safety matters, she would of course raise members’ concerns by writing to the chief executive of The Kemnal Academies Trust and the Head of the Academy Selsey. Members would be kept informed about the correspondence.
Question by Mr Shaxson: Briefing for CDC Members on the South Downs National Park Draft Local Plan
Mr Shaxson referred to CDC and its members being involved in the preparation by the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) of its pre-submission draft local plan and whether, as he had heard, CDC members were to be given a briefing by the SDNPA.
Response by Mr Frost
Mr Frost (Head of Planning Services) said that the consultation on the SDNPA’s pre-submission draft local plan would start in early September 2017.
Question by Mr Morley: Marketing of the Site adjacent to The Grange Centre in Midhurst
Mr Morley said that questions had been raised by constituents recently about a temporary landscaping project on this site pending its final disposal, which was supported by Midhurst Town Council. He asked if this was CDC’s intention.
Response by Mr Over
Mr Over (Executive Director) advised that it would not be wise to allow a temporary use of site when the marketing of its sale was significantly advanced because, for example, that use could attract local support and then be difficult to discontinue. It was preferable to avoid short-term solutions in such cases. Offers to purchase the site were under consideration and CDC would be liaising with the bidders in the next few weeks prior to a report being submitted to the Cabinet.
Question by Mr Brown: CDC’s Position on the A27 Chichester Bypass Improvement Works Options
Mr Brown mentioned the briefing for CDC members which had taken place the previous afternoon to explain the current position regarding the revived opportunity to consider the available options to carry out improvement works for the A27 Chichester bypass. He said that in view of the concerns expressed about a lack of information it had probably been unwise to have conducted a straw poll among the members about the options, not least because it could create a perception by the public of a ‘stitch-up’. He invited Mr Dignum (the Leader of the Council) to state at this meeting that CDC was not committed to a particular option and sought more information and contribution to the debate by members of the public. At a public meeting which had been held the previous evening after the CDC member briefing there was an evident suspicion that the process was a fait accompli.
Response by Mr Dignum
Mr Dignum (the Leader of the Council) said that it had been no more than a straw poll. CDC officers led by Mrs Shepherd (Chief Executive) would be meeting in the next few weeks with their opposite numbers at West Sussex County Council (WSCC) with a view to agreeing a suggested solution which could be presented to Highways England (HE). Any such proposal would of course be submitted to the Council meeting for approval before being presented to HE so that a detailed design could then be made the subject of a public consultation. CDC was not committed to any outcome or proposal. The process now as in 2016 was to examine in detail the issues with each of the available options (not all the possible options were part of the consultation in 2016) and to ascertain a possible way forward. Members and the public would be consulted.
Question by Mr Oakley: Clarification of CDC’s Position on the A27 Chichester Bypass Improvement Works Options
Mr Oakley referred to the previous evening’s build a better A27 community workshop at which Mr Dignum as the Leader of the Council had made a statement where he seemed to intimate that CDC had decided to agree on a proposed scheme of improvement works for the A27 Chichester bypass. He invited Mr Dignum (the Leader of the Council) to clarify the status of the previous afternoon’s meeting of CDC members and to confirm whether any of his proposed adjustments to Option 2 had any professional, technical work carried out to support them, since neither of his proposed single direction flyovers at the Whyke and Portfield roundabouts had appeared in any previous Highways England (HE) consultations or studies. He also asked what weight could be placed by CDC on any intimations made by HE during a one-hour meeting in response to proposals presented to it to adjust the previous A27 options.
Response by Mr Dignum
Mr Dignum (the Leader of the Council)affirmed that no decision had been taken by CDC and that the previous afternoon’s vote on a show of hands had been merely a straw poll which did not commit CDC in any way at all. Each of the diagrams shown in the slides at the CDC member meeting had featured in HE’s consultation document in 2016 and members had only been presented with a montage of images from that document. Parts of Options 1 and 3 had been taken to add to option 2 in order to achieve the objective of minimising objections raised during the previous consultation. When he had put to HE’s Chief Executive the possibility of a flyover for south of the A27, the indication was that it could be accommodated at a cost of £10-20m. The idea of a flyover at the Whyke roundabout (which HE had said was feasible but would need to be assessed) had merely been mooted. HE’s Chief Executive and South East Region Director were familiar with the 2016 options and were able therefore to respond to the proposals to adjust those options.
Question by Mr J F Elliott: Telephone Contact with CDC Officers at East Pallant House
Mr J F Elliott described his experience of failing on most occasions to speak with officers using their direct dial numbers and having to endure a wait of between five to ten minutes to be dealt with by the Contact Centre.He felt that the problem was deteriorating.
Response by Mr Wilding and Mr Over
Mr Wilding (the Cabinet Member for Business Improvement Services) said that the assumption ought to be made that if officers did not answer the telephone they were away from the desks. Mr Over (Executive Director) explained that the telephony system was a fairly recent installation and a number of training workshops had been held for staff. The system afforded flexibility with working location but it had taken some time for staff to adjust to it. The system enabled officers to transfer calls to their mobiles or to a colleague’s telephone. Nevertheless senior officers were aware of the complaint made by Mr Elliott and this was being addressed.
Question by Mr Barrett: Progress with Community Land Trusts
Mr Barrett remarked that there was very little available information about setting up community land trusts (CLTs) and he sought information from Mrs Kilby (the Cabinet Member for Housing Services) about progress to date in managing these groups and feedback from the rural housing week.
Response by Jane Kilby
Mrs Kilby (the Cabinet Member for Housing Services) stated that before the rural housing week there were six groups in rural and semi-urban very keen to establish CLTs. There was a lot of interest in CLTs and officers were considering whether to publicise them on the CDC website.
Question by Mr Plowman: Southern Rail Disruption
Mr Plowman referred to the ongoing disruptive impact of the Southern Rail dispute and its detrimental effect on Chichester. He invited Mr Dignum (the Leader of the Council) to join him in writing to the Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling MP to request that the franchise be removed from Govia and he proposed making a motion to that effect at this meeting. He believed that Chichester residents looked to their local councillors to give a lead in this matter and the letter he proposed would help to demonstrate members were concerned about how so many people were being adversely affected by this dispute and that members desired to see action taken.
Response by Mr Dignum and Mrs Keegan
Mr Dignum (the Leader of the Council) declined Mr Plowman’s invitation and did not consider that a motion would be appropriate. He alluded to a rail expert’s finding that the trade union was principally to blame but others were also responsible eg the Aslef train drivers’ overtime ban. The Secretary of State had offered to meet with the unions with a view to achieving a settlement and the overtime ban had been suspended. It was the unions’ attitude and not the franchise holder which was the issue. The facts needed to be analysed. He was willing to write a letter and he would ask Gillian Keegan MP to assist with the wording of the letter and how to publicise CDC members’ concerns.
Mrs Keegan MP said that she had met with West Sussex MPs, Aslef and the Secretary of State for Transport and the overtime ban had been lifted. It was a complicated situation which required careful involvement but the need to alleviate the suffering of residents was important to achieve.
Question by Mr Dunn: Alternative Solutions to A27 Chichester Bypass Improvement Works
Mr Dunn expressed pessimism at resolving the A27 Chichester bypass traffic congestion problems and said that other options should be considered. He mentioned that the Mayor of Paris had declared a large part of that city traffic-free. Consideration should be given to promoting car-sharing and re-opening the case for a park and ride facility at Chichester.
Mr Budge and Mrs Apel pointed out that traffic congestion in the city was markedly reduced during school holidays.
Response by Mr Dignum
Mr Dignum (the Leader of the Council) said that he did not share Mr Dunn’s pessimism. The objective was to identify a feasible A27 Chichester bypass solution by the deadline in September 2017 (unless extended). CDC was developing a parking strategy and would be considering West Sussex County Council’s road space audit.
Question by Mr Ransley: Community Land Trust Case Studies
Mr Ransley followed up the earlier question by Mr Barrett about community land trusts (CLTs) and asked about the availability of case studies from other local authorities which could assist CDC. His ward of Kirdford would welcome some funding for CLTs.
Response by Mrs Kilby and Mr Dignum
Mrs Kilby (the Cabinet Member for Housing Services) said that such case studies could be provided. Mr Dignum (the Leader of the Council) said that CDC had substantial funding of £1.4m to use for CLTs.
[Note Questions to the executive are hereby concluded]