In accordance with Council Procedure Rule No 9.2 to allow Members to ask questions about Council activities. The replies to any such questions will be given by the Chair of the Council or relevant Committee or the appropriate Cabinet Member. Questions must be received in writing or by email to the Monitoring Officer by 12pm (Noon) twelve clear working days before the meeting.
The following question(s) have been submitted:-
Question ‘A’ – Councillor C Lacey to Councillor N Barker, Leader of the Council
Like other communities in North East Derbyshire many residents of Killamarsh rely on the public transport network to see family and friends, go to work, go shopping and for their leisure activities. Yet bus services in our village are unreliable and continue to deteriorate leaving many people stranded. Whilst responsibility for local bus services does not rest with this council, residents look to us to champion their cause. Would the Leader of the Council agree to raise these concerns of Killamarsh residents with both Derbyshire County Council and the local bus companies?
Question ‘B’ – Councillor A Dale to Councillor S Pickering, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Place
Does the Cabinet Member believe that decisions made by the planning committee should be consistent with local and national planning policies?
Question ‘C’ – Councillor C Cupit to Councillor N Barker, Leader of the Council
Given its potential impact on communities in this District, could the Leader of the Council explain why NEDDC have offered no objections or concerns to the current planning application (AVA/2023/0764) for 185 new homes being considered by Amber Valley Borough Council?
Question ‘D’ – Councillor F Adlington-Stringer to Councillor S Pickering, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Place
Councillor Barker stated in his opening speech as Leader that this “Cleaner Council” would begin by reviewing the “road sweeping regime” across our District. Residents in Wingerworth regularly inform me of their suffering due to neglected drains blocked by unmanaged debris. What is your plan, does it require another road sweeper, and when will it be implemented?
Minutes:
The Chairman of the Council confirmed that four questions had been received.
Question A – Councillor C Lacey to Councillor N Barker, Leader of the Council
A question had been submitted by Councillor C Lacey to Councillor N Barker, Leader of the Council on whether the Leader would raise local concerns of Killamarsh residents over unreliable bus services with both Derbyshire County Council and the local bus companies. The full text of the question from Councillor C Lacey, marked as Question ‘A’, was set out in the agenda for the meeting.
The Leader recognised that this was an issue throughout the District and signified his commitment to raise the issue with Derbyshire County Council and ask what they were doing or would propose to do in order to address the issue. The Leader informed Council that after meeting with Derbyshire County Council, he would speak with the bus companies if necessary. He stated that he would report back to Councillor C Lacey on the outcome of these conversations.
Councillor C Lacey asked the Leader if he would be able to make arrangements for a bus link at the tram stop at Half Way.
The Leader responded that he would raise this issue during his meeting with Derbyshire County Council.
Question B – Councillor A Dale to Councillor S Pickering, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Place
A question had been submitted by Councillor A Dale to Councillor S Pickering, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Place on whether he believed that decisions made by Planning Committee should be consistent with local and national planning policies. The full text of the question from Councillor A Dale, marked as Question ‘B’ was set out in the agenda for the meeting.
The Portfolio Holder responded that he did believe that decisions made by the Planning Committee should be consistent with local and national planning policies. He informed Councillor A Dale that planning law set out that decisions on planning applications must be determined in accordance with the Development Plan.
Councillor A Dale asked Councillor S Pickering if he believed that it was important for all Members of the Planning Committee to engage meaningfully in the debate and to offer fair scrutiny and challenge to Officers and to articulate why they had arrived at certain conclusions. He informed the Portfolio Holder that Labour Group Members of the Committee had received complaints for failing in this regard and asked if the Portfolio Holder had spoken to them about this.
Councillor S Pickering informed Council that he had not personally received any complaints and that it was not his place to instruct Members on how to conduct themselves during meetings.
Question C – Councillor C Cupit to Councillor N Barker, Leader of the Council
A question had been submitted by Councillor C Cupit to Councillor N Barker, the Leader of the Council on why the Council had offered no objections or concers to the planning application for 185 new homes in Amber Valley Borough Council. The full text of the question, set out as Question ‘C’ was set out in the agenda for the meeting.
The Leader informed Members that it was not good practice for the Council to involve itself in the planning decisions of neighbouring authorities unless there was a strong case that the development would affect the local plan.
Councillor N Barker explained that while not objecting to the development, the Council did submit a number of comments. These included that the heritage assessment should include an assessment of the development on the settings of the designate herniate asset with North East Derbyshire District, including Shirland Lodge Farm House, a cluster of listed buildings within Amber Mill and Toad Hole conservation area. The Leader also stated that they had asked that conditions should be included that appropriate design and landscaping be included to minimise the visual impact of the development upon countryside and to maintain visual separation between the built settlement of Alfreton and Shirland Parish.
Council also heard that Officers had commented in relation to potential housing sites within the general area when Amber Valley were conducting their local plan consultation.
Councillor C Cupit explained that there was a difference between the comments, objections and concerns that the Council had submitted when the site was under consideration for the core strategy of the Amber Valley local plan and at this stage when it was a full application. She asked the Leader why the Council had not continued to raise the same concerns with regard to the application.
The Leader read an extract from the letter submitted by the Council with regard to the planning application. It stated that any reserved matter proposals should include appropriate design and landscaping to minimise the visual impact of the development on the countryside to the north and to maintain their visual separation between the built settlement. The Leader also explained that there were 32 pages of objections to the development on the Amber Valley Council website.
Question D – Councillor F Adlington Stringer to Councillor S Pickering, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Place
A question had been submitted by Councillor F Adlington-Stringer to Councillor S Pickering, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Place, on what was being done to ease the suffering of residents due to neglected drains blocked by unmanaged debris. The full text of the question, set out as Question ‘D’ was set out in the agenda for the meeting.
The Portfolio Holder thanked Councillor Adlington-Stringer for his question. He informed Members that neglected and blocked drains were the responsibility of Derbyshire County Council. He explained that DCC had redistributed elements of the gullying emptying schedule to ensure that problem drains were more regularly serviced.
Councillor S Pickering explained that the street cleansing review would be taking place in April and any recommendations for service change that emerged from this would be presented to Council following review.
Councillor Adlington-Stringer asked if the Portfolio Holder would be willing to engage with the County Council in order to cover this shortfall. He also asked how the Council would ensure that residents were receiving value for money and a service without any gaps.
The Portfolio Holder reiterated that the review would be taking place and that any proposed recommendations would be presented to Council. He suggested that if residents were concerned about debris that they would contact the StreetScene team who would prioritise clearing them.
Councillor S Pickering explained that he would communicate with Derbyshire County Council and that the District Council was dependent on funding from DCC.