In accordance with Council Procedure Rule No 10 to consider Motions on notice from Members. Motions must be received in writing or by email to the Monitoring Officer by 12 noon twelve clear working days before the meeting.
The following Motions have been received:-
Motion A – Proposed by Councillor S Clough
Council notes it has a duty of care to ensure our residents are protected, as much as possible within the planning rules and conditions implemented and managed accordingly. Council also supports the strong enforcement of planning conditions.
Over recent years there have been many developments where Planning Applications and Conditions have been raised as a growing concern, but Enforcement actions have been limited, sometimes down to what residents believe is ‘Developer Power’.
Council therefore resolves:
1. To request a review, through the relevant scrutiny committee, into broadening the conditions applied to planning approvals, to protect our residents of our towns and villages as much as possible.
2. To provide more frequent reports to Planning Committee to review sites where potential breaches of condition are being investigated.
3. To write to government and ask them to look at providing extra powers and give more teeth to planning authorities, to allow them to ensure that conditions set at the planning stage, can be enforced without the fear of challenge from developers who apply the greatest pressure, where enforcement is applied.
Motion B – Proposed by Councillor A Dale
This Council notes that all District Councillors are elected to represent the interests of the communities and district area of North East Derbyshire first and foremost.
This Council also notes that since July 2024, the new Government has taken several decisions which will have significant impacts on some of our residents and businesses. Some of these decisions, and the specific impact they have on our area, include:
· the removal of the Winter Fuel Allowance from 22,257 pensioners in North East Derbyshire District;
· the scrapping of the Restoring Your Railway Fund, which had included the re-opening of the Barrow Hill Line to passenger transport and the opening of new stations in Killamarsh and potentially Clay Cross;
· the pausing and review of the funding and provision of a new primary school on The Avenue in Wingerworth;
· the removal of the £2 bus fare cap, increasing it instead by 50%;
· the consultation on planning reforms which would set a mandatory housebuilding requirement of 622 homes each year – a 178% increase;
· changes to inheritance tax relief which would have a detrimental impact on family farms, of which there are a significant number in our predominantly rural District, and also risking food security in our area;
· an increase in National Insurance contributions for employers which local business owners have said will mean job losses in NED and the loss of local business.
In response, Council resolves to:
· request the relevant scrutiny committee(s) to consider carrying out an assessment of the social, economic and regenerative impact/costs of the above changes and wider Budget measures specifically on North East Derbyshire residents and businesses which might include;
· the impact of the Winter Fuel Payment changes.
· consideration of additional financial support to local organisations and charities for grant relief payments and the provision of additional warm hubs.
· consider recommending to Council the signing of the ‘Save the Winter Fuel Payment for Struggling Pensioners’ petition run by Age UK.
· Engaging with local residents, farmers and businesses to get their feedback on the impact of the changes.
· when appropriate to do so, provide updates on progress to Council.