To consider any appeals in accordance with Procedure Rule 25 of the Access to Information Procedure Rules (in the event of an Appeal the press and public will be excluded.)
(*In accordance with Procedure Rule 25, written notice of an appeal must be received by the Chief Democratic Services Officer at least 24 hours before the meeting.)
Minutes:
Further to Minute No. 66, 2nd December 2010, the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted the Board’s proposed final report of its Inquiry into gypsy and traveller site provision in Leeds.
In attendance at the meeting, and responding to Members’ queries and comments, were:-
- Councillor P Gruen, Executive Member, Neighbourhoods and Housing.
- Neil Evans, Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods,
- Bridget Emery, Head of Housing Strategy and Solutions.
- Ian Spafford, Head of Community Services and Litigation, Legal Services.
- Karen Blackmore, Team Leader, General Litigation, Legal Services.
In brief summary, the main points of discussion were:-
· Recommendation 1 – The Board agreed to delete the reference to transit sites and also to add ‘Any proposals relating to negotiated stopping sites to be the subject of consultation with the local Ward Members in those Wards’.
· Recommendation 3 – It was acknowledged that in seeking to develop the possible provision of negotiated stopping sites in a City Region context, the existing provisions contained in the Regional Spatial Strategy would have to be taken into account.
· Paragraph 80 – The Chair made reference to comments received from Councillor Marjoram regarding the affordability of any possible provision for gypsies and travellers in the current economic climate, and the need to balance priorities.
The Board agreed to add the word ‘affordable’, so that the paragraph now reads - ‘As with all policy decisions, the allocation of limited financial resources will need to be considered. The Executive Board will need to balance the demand for social, affordable housing and a growing waiting list against the needs of a small, transient gypsy and traveller community’.
· Reference was made to comments in the media over the week-end regarding possible Government measures in respect of gypsy and traveller sites. These might be relevant to the Board’s work, although it was believed that they related to the issue of retrospective planning applications in respect of private land owned by gypsies or travellers, so may not be relevant.
· On a similar theme, the comment was made that the solution perhaps did not lie solely in the hands of the Council, as there was nothing to prevent the development of suitable private sites subject to the normal planning considerations.
Councillor Gruen thanked the Board and its officers for all the hard work that had gone into the Inquiry, and also for how quickly it had been completed. The Board’s Inquiry report would now be considered by the Executive Board, possibly on 11th February, although this may only be an interim consideration, pending further investigation of the Board’s recommendations and a report back. He made reference to the earlier discussion regarding Paragraph 80, and emphasised that in considering the Scrutiny Board’s recommendations, the Executive Board would, indeed, have to consider its priorities and the affordability of any proposals in the current economic climate.
RESOLVED –
a) That, subject to the above agreed amendments, the Board’s final Inquiry report be approved and forwarded to the Executive Board for consideration.
b) That the Board places on record its appreciation for the role played and the hard work of Richard Mills, the Board’s Principal Scrutiny Adviser, in conducting the Inquiry and producing the Board’s final report.