Issue - meetings

The Cabinet is requested to consider the agenda report and its appendix and to make the following resolution:

That the proposed response to the government’s consultation paper ‘Powers for dealing with unauthorised development and encampments’ set out in the appendix to the agenda report be approved.

RESOLVED

That the Cabinet approves the proposed response to the government’s consultation paper – ‘Powers for dealing with unauthorised development and encampments’ as set out in (a) the appendix to the agenda report and (b) the document with the amended versions of the responses to questions 1, 5, 16 and 19.

The Cabinet received and considered the agenda report, its appendix and a document circulated prior to the start of the meeting with amendments to the proposed responses to questions 1, 5, 16 and 19.

The report was presented by Mrs Taylor.

Mr Bennett was in attendance for this item.

Mrs Taylor said that the consultation document addressed two aspects: the dealing with (a) unauthorised encampments and (b) development in breach of planning control on land owned and occupied by travellers. Measures to address more effectively breaches of planning control were to be welcomed. 

The amendments to the draft responses to be made by CDC, which were denoted by tracked changes in the aforementioned circulated document, had been proposed by Mr S J Oakley (Tangmere). With Mr Dignum’s consent, Mr Oakley, who was present as an observer, sought confirmation, to be provided in due course, that the police would exercise their powers to disperse an unauthorised encampment notwithstanding that the transit site was at full capacity.

Two other CDC members who were present as observers addressed the Cabinet with Mr Dignum’s permission. 

Mr Hall (Lavant), who was a member of the transit site liaison group, shared briefly his experience and invited members to submit any questions for the group’s next meeting later in the week.

Mrs Hamilton (West Wittering and Chairman of the Council) alluded to a situation involving travellers in Birdham and thanked CDC’s legal and enforcement officers for their patient and diligent advice and assistance in that regard.  She drew attention to the following draft responses to the consultation questions: (a) 5 (page 33, third and fourth sentences); (b) 16 (page 37, second para); (c) 19 (page 38, second and third sentences); and (d) 22 (pages 39, third para and 40, final para) and said that it would perhaps assist CDC’s case by emphasising those parts by the use of bold text. She appreciated officers’ work on the responses and requested a copy of the final version be sent to Gillian Keegan MP.      

In reply to Mrs Hamilton, Mr Bennett said that the software might not enable the use of bold text but he would use his best endeavours to see how those sections might in some way be suitably highlighted. 

Decision

The Cabinet voted unanimously on a show of hands to make the resolution set out below.

RESOLVED

That the proposed response to the government’s consultation paper – ‘Powers for dealing with unauthorised development and encampments’ as set out in (a) the appendix to the agenda report and (b) the document with the amended versions of the responses to questions 1, 5, 16 and 19 be approved.