Cambridge City Council

 

To: Councillors Dixon (Chair), Bailey, Baker, Blencowe, Bradnack, Durrant, Hipkin, Pinnington, Stuart, Ward

Alternate member:  Councillor Liddle

 

Executive Councillor – Nichola Harrison

 

(Despatched and placed on public deposit: 28 October)

 

ENVIRONMENT SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

 

Date:           Tuesday 5 November 2002

 

Time:          10.00am

 

Place:         Committee Room 1, The Guildhall

 

Contact:      Gary Clift                        Direct Dial:  (01223) 457011

                                                            

 

AGENDA

 

1       MINUTES

To confirm the minutes of the meetings held on the 9 July and the special meeting of 20 September 2002.

 

2       APOLOGIES

Apologies for absence.

 

3       DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

 

Members are asked to declare at this stage any interests which they may have in any of the following items on the agenda. If any member is unsure whether or not they should declare an interest on a particular matter, they are requested to seek advice from the Head of Legal and Democratic Services before the meeting.

 

4       PUBLIC QUESTION TIME – see below for detail of the scheme and other public

     information.

 

5       Petition – Removal of flower beds in Akeman Street and darwin drive and at the stretten avenue junction.

 

A petition with over 200 signatures has been submitted in favour of removing the flower beds at the junctions of Akeman Street, Darwin Drive and Stretten Avenue.

        

“We the residents of this area are requesting that the flower beds at these junctions are removed.  This follows yet more accidents this weekend 13 July – 14 July 2002.  There have been four accidents in the last two weeks. The  child could not see because of the over grown bushes.  The flowerbeds obscure the view of the roads, coming from either direction you are unable to see what is around the corner.  We would like to see what is around the corner.   We would like to see some action before the children’s summer holidays as we feel that before long there is going to be a very serious accident involving a child”.

 

Up to four petitioners may speak for up to 5 minutes and Members may then ask questions of the petitioners for up to 10 minutes. 

 

The Engineering Manager comments:

 

The planting areas in Akeman Street were introduced over 10 years ago as part of a City Council funded Housing Estates Project improvement scheme for the area. The planted areas are intended to provide soft landscaping in a predominantly urban environment with the intention that the species, with the exception of the trees, chosen would not grow greater than 1 metre high to safeguard visibility. Since receipt of the petition the height of the planting has been reduced to meet the requirements for visibility.

 

Two options exist to address this issue:

 

Option 1 -  A maintenance regime is developed in conjunction with StreetScene to ensure that the maximum height of the planting does not obstruct visibility.

 

Option 2 -  To replant the beds with low growing shrubs with a maximum growing height of 1 metre. The estimated cost of this work would be in the region of £9,000 (the only available budget for this would be the Environmental Improvements budget) depending upon the final nature of the works required and detailed planting design and specification. However, such a scheme would take several years to become established during which time it would detract from the area.

 

The Scrutiny Committee is requested to consider the options, the Executive Councillor is asked to decide the matter.

For decision

 

6       Petition – Repairing  service road to brampton and cromwell roads.

 

A petition with 94 signatures has been submitted as follows:

        

“We the undersigned, call upon the Cabinet Member responsible for the Environment to explore the method of funding for the repair of the service road to Brampton Road and Cromwell Road”

 

Up to four petitioners may speak for up to 5 minutes and Members may then ask questions of the petitioners for up to 10 minutes.

 

A report from the Director of City Services and the Director of Environment and Planning will follow.  The Chair will be asked to rule that the report be considered despite not being available five clear days before the meeting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


7       SERVICE PLANS

         Report by the Directors of Environment and Planning, City Services, Community Services and Finance [pages 1-7]

 

A   Development Services                                          [pages A 1-24]

B   Economic Development and Tourism                     [pages B 1 – 12]

C  Environmental Health                                           [pages C 1 – 16]

D  Environment and Planning Policy and Projects         [pages D 1 –10]

E   Street Services                                                    [pages E 1 – 16]

F   Transport Services                                              [pages F 1 – 16]

G  Waste Management                                             [page G 1 –10]

H  Parks and Recreation                                          [pages H 1 – 9]

 

8       KEY DECISION  REGIONAL PLANNING GUIDANCE (RPG)

Report by the Head of Policy and Projects [pages 8 - 29]

 

9        KEY DECISION future development of air transport in the South East

         Appendix 1: Questionnaire

         Appendix 2: Issue 1 – Should new airport capacity be provided in the south east of England?

         Appendix 3: Issue 2 – Managing the impacts of airport growth

         Appendix 4: Issue 3 – Where to provide any new airport capacity

Report by the Head of Policy and Projects [pages 30 - 50]

 

10      KEY DECISION Cambridge Landscape and character assessment

 

         Appendix 1: Executive Summary

Report by the Head of Policy and Projects [pages 51 - 175]

 

11      key decision Sustainable Development Guidelines

Report by the Head of Policy and Projects [pages 176 – 214]

 

12      Cambridge Historic Core Appraisal

Report by the Head of Policy and Projects [pages 215 – 230]

 

13      KEY DECISION Bradwell's Court Planning Brief

 

         Appendix 1: Summary of comments received

         Appendix 2: Planning & design brief

Report by the Director of Environment and Planning, [pages 231 – 249]

 

14      REVIEW OF ROOF EXTENSIONS DESIGN GUIDE

 

         Appendix 1: Design guide

Report by the Director of Environment and Planning, [pages 250 – 260]

 

15      Abandoned Vehicles

 

         Appendix 1: Comparison with other local authorities

Report by the Head of Environmental Health and Waste Strategy [pages 260 – 267]

 

16      THE USE OF LOCAL AUTHoRITY POWERS TO REQUIRE DRIVERS TO SWITCH OFF ENGINES WHEN PARKED  

 

         Appendix 1: Publicity for switch off introduction

Report by the Head of Environmental Health and Waste Strategy [pages 268 - 272]

 

17      CREMATORIUM AND CEMETERIES REVISED REGULATIONS

 

         Appendix 1: Cambridge City Council cemetery and crematorium regulations

Report by the Head of Parks and Recreation [pages  273 - 295]

 

18      KEY DECISION  PROJECT APPRAISALS FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF Gonville Place AND PARK STREET Public Conveniences

Report by the Head of Transport & Street Services [pages 296 – 304]

 

         The Scrutiny Committee is requested to recommend approval of the Project Appraisals.

         The Executive Councillor is recommended to approve the Project Appraisals.

 

For decision

19      APPOINTMENT TO OUTSIDE BODIES:

i)       Joint Strategic Planning Panel

ii)             Cambridge Transport Forum Reference Group

 

Both of these fora require one member only to be appointed to July 2003, these should have been reported to Scrutiny Committee in July but were not because of an administrative oversight.    Councillors Howarth and Harrison are the current appointees respectively.  The Scrutiny Committee is requested to nominate members to these two fora and the Executive Councillor is requested to agree those nominations.

For decision

 

20      CAR TRADING FROM THE HIGHWAY

 

Councillor Howell has requested the inclusion of an item on the agenda asking for a report on measures which might be taken to bring prosecutions or other enforcement action against persons trading vehicles from the highway. He is concerned about the practice of leaving vehicles in parking areas or on verges for sale as part of a business. Councillor Howell asks that the report should give consideration to the scope for tackling this problem by all possible means, including extending the controls on street trading to a wider area of the City and making a byelaw prohibiting the display of vehicles for sale from the highway.

 

The Scrutiny Committee is requested to consider whether it wishes to call for the report asked for by Councillor Howell.

For decision

 

 

 

 

THE NEXT MEETING OF THE ENVIRONMENT SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

IS SCHEDULED FOR 21 JANUARY 2003.

 

 

INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC

 

You are welcome to attend this meeting as an observer, although it may be necessary to ask you to leave the room during the discussion of matters which are described as confidential on the agenda.

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You can ask questions on an issue included on the agenda, or on an issue which is within this committee’s terms of reference. If you wish to ask a question related to an agenda item contact the committee officer (listed above under ‘contact’) before the meeting starts.  If you wish to ask a question on a matter not included on this agenda, please contact the committee officer by 10.00am the working day before the meeting.  Further details  concerning the right to speak at committee can be obtained from the committee section.

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In the event of the fire alarm sounding  (which is a continuous ringing sound), you should pick up your possessions and leave the building by the route you came in. Once clear of the building, you should assemble on the pavement opposite the main entrance to the Guildhall and await further instructions. If your escape route or the assembly area is unsafe, you will be directed to safe areas by a member of Cambridge City Council staff.