Live broadcast to start at 7pm and available for repeat viewing.

No apologies were received. 

The minutes of the Policy, Resources and Economic Development meeting held on 13^th July 2022 were approved as a true record.

The chair gave members the opportunity to ask questions to officers based on the Chairs Update document published. 

The Country is heading into a cost-of-living crisis and the Council is drafting a response to this crisis in the development of an action plan across both  Brentwood and Rochford to support our residents, businesses, and staff. This will involve a mixture of signposting, guidance, and support to the most vulnerable, working in partnership with Essex County Council, health partners and Voluntary and Community organisations.

After a full discussion, Cllr Hossack MOVED an amendment to the recommendation and Cllr Poppy SECONDED the amended recommendation. A vote was taken and it was RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY:

R1. That Members note the action plan will be produced by officers and will be presented to a future committee.

R2. That the action plan is regularly reviewed and updated and reported back to Community, Environment & Enforcement Committee.

Reasons for Recommendation

To support our residents, businesses, and staff through this crisis to provide guidance, signposting to support services and assistance. The action plan will provide a clear report to Members on the actions and expected outcomes from each of the thematic workstreams with short, medium, and long-term objectives.

The Chair varied the agenda to discuss Seven Arches Investements Limited Quarterly Report.

The appendices to this report are not available to the press or public. 

The Chair varied the agenda in order to discuss this item in private session. 

Cllr Hossack MOVED and Cllr Poppy SECONDED to defer this item.  A vote was taken and it was RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY.

Members were asked to consider contributing to part time funding for a full time Community Engagement Officer, in order to support Brentwood residents, businesses and communities to be managed by the revenues and benefits partnership. This post would assist and address one of the key actions arising from the cost-of-living crisis action plan.

After a full discussion, Cllr Hossack MOVED and Cllr Russell SECONDED the recommendation in the report. A vote was taken and it was RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY.

Members are asked to:

Approve to fund a part-time funding for a Community Engagement Officer.

Reasons for Recommendation

To support our residents, businesses, and staff through the current cost of living crisis to provide guidance, signposting to support services and assistance by recruiting to a community engagement officer.

To follow

At Policy, Resources and Economic Development Committee in December 2020 it was resolved to engage with a parking consultant to assist the Council to develop a draft parking strategy for Members to consider. Following a review of the present provision, future requirements and forecast demands and stakeholder engagement, a draft strategy for parking has been produced and is presented to members for approval.

After a full discussion, Cllr Hossack MOVED and Cllr Poppy SECONDED the recommendation in the report. A vote was taken and it was RESOLVED.

Members are asked to:

Approve the Draft Parking Strategy, including the list of projects within the document, as set out in Appendix A.

Reasons for Recommendation

So that the council has a strategy to improve, protect and manage the future provision of parking in all council owned car parks.

So, the Council has a document on which to base future decisions, and which can be updated as and when require.

Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) are business led partnerships which are created through a ballot process to deliver additional services to local businesses. They can be a powerful tool for directly involving local businesses in local activities and allow the business community and local authorities to work together to improve the local trading environment. Following the High Streets Conferences held on 11 January and 21 March 2022, the council commissioned a BID feasibility report. The report has provided a series of recommendations for potential formation of a BID for Brentwood, Shenfield and Ingatestone, subject to the outcome of a ballot in summer 2023.

Cllrs Poppy, Pearson, Hossack and Kendall declared a non-pecuniary interest as they are members of Brentwood Business Partnership. 

This item was for Information Only so no voting was required.

This report presents the Brentwood Local Heritage List (Local List) and seeks the approval of the committee to adopt the list and give delegated authority to the Director of Place for the ongoing management of the list. All Local Authorities are responsible for compiling a Local List, with guidance being set out by Historic England, through the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The recently adopted Brentwood Local Plan 2016-2033 also refers to Non-Designated Heritage Assets and a Local List under Policy BE16 Conservation and Enhancement of Historic Environment and supports the ethos of local listing.

After a full discussion, Cllr Hossack MOVED and Cllr White SECONDED the recommendation in the report. A vote was taken and it was RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY.

Members are asked to:

Approve the Brentwood Local Heritage List as set out in Appendix A.

Reasons for Recommendation

All Local authorities are responsible for compiling a Local List. This is guided by the National Planning Policy Framework requirement to sustain and enhance the significance of all heritage assets, informed by the recognition that heritage assets are an ‘irreplaceable resource’ and should be conserved ‘in a manner appropriate to their significance’. Publication and regular updating of a local list is now also consistent with the council’s new local plan, which commits to the ethos of local listing in support of Policy BE16, Conservation and Enhancement of the Historic Environment.

This report provides further update on the Ingatestone and Fryerning Neighbourhood Plan process following referendum in August 2022. It follows other council updates and decision items since 2017 (most recently Item No. 82, Policy, Resources, and Economic Development Committee, 13 July 2022). Since then, a formal Referendum period was held from 30 July to 4 August 2022, with the public vote taking place on 4 August. The Neighbourhood Planning Regulations (General)(England) 2012 (as amended), required a majority vote in favour of the neighbourhood plan in order for it to be ‘made’ and thus form part of Brentwood Development Framework. The results of the vote were 86% in favour of the plan and 14% against. Therefore, as of 5 August 2022, the neighbourhood plan has had full weight applied and is to be considered when determining planning applications within the parish boundary. The neighbourhood planning process has now concluded. However, the Inspectors Report requires that the neighbourhood plan be subject to a review process following the Brentwood Local Plan early review. Therefore, the council will continue to engage with the parish council though this process.

This item was for Information Only and no voting was required.

Dunton Hills Garden Village is the borough’s largest development site, which is set to deliver a new mixed-use community of approximately 4,000 homes and substantial employment, along with supporting infrastructure.

The site was allocated for development in the council’s new local plan 2016-2033 (i.e. removed from the Green Belt). Site specific policies set out what and how the development should be delivered. A key priority of the project is to ensure effective and viable long-term stewardship of spaces and community infrastructure for the new community.

This report sets out a set of expectations for long-term stewardship and legacy arrangements at Dunton Hills Garden Village. It explores six case study examples and reviews recent practice notes from respected bodies to inform a set of expectations for stewardship and legacy at the garden village (Appendix A of the report). Reviewing these case studies and learning from other garden community experience, some initial thoughts on what is likely to work at Dunton Hills Garden Village are provided (Appendix B of the report).

This informs four overarching and high-level key principles for long-term stewardship (Appendix C of the report). These key principles are recommended for approval by the committee in order that they can shape more detailed stewardship proposals to be brought back to the committee for approval in due course. The key principles mainly centre on need for a stewardship arrangement that is community led.

Agreement of the key principles is an important step in progressing a bespoke stewardship body for Dunton Hills Garden Village. These will help measures to be embedded as part of the determination of the current planning application for the majority of the site (Ref. 21/01525/OUT) and aim to address local plan policy requirements (Policy R01 (II)).

After a full discussion, Cllr Hossack MOVED and Cllr Pearson SECONDED the recommendations in the report. A vote was taken and it was RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY.

Members are asked to:

Approve the overarching key principles for long-term stewardship at Dunton Hills Garden Village, as set out in Appendix C;

Use the key principles to inform specific stewardship measures to be brought to a future meeting of the Policy, Resources and Economic Development Committee, to address the related planning policy requirements including Local Plan (2022) Policy R01 (II).

Reasons for Recommendation

Agreement of the key principles is an important step in progressing a bespoke stewardship body for Dunton Hills Garden Village. These will help measures to be embedded as part of the determination of the current planning application for the majority of the site (Ref. 21/01525/OUT) and aim to address local plan policy requirements (Policy R01 (II)). Long-term stewardship will only be successful if it is owned by the local community.

This report updates Members on the progress which has been made in preparing a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Charging Schedule for the borough since the previous report in March 2022.

This report presents the draft Community Infrastructure Levy Charging Schedule, with associated consultation materials and evidence base documents, and seeks approval to publish these documents for Regulation 16 consultation.

The draft Brentwood Borough CIL Charging Schedule proposes levy rates for the borough that will help maximise the potential for new development to generate income for the delivery of new infrastructure, while also ensuring that proposed rates do not render new development financially unviable. The draft CIL Charging Schedule is recommended to be published for consultation from 19 September until 17 October 2022.

Due to the postponement of this committee meeting, the consultation dates will be amended accordingly and notifications of the consultation dates will be sent out. 

After a full discussion, Cllr Hossack MOVED and Cllr Poppy SECONDED the recommendations in the report. A vote was taken and it was RESOLVED.

Members are asked to:

Approve the publication of the draft Community Infrastructure Levy Charging Schedule for public consultation pursuant to Regulation 16 of the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010 (as amended), as set out in Appendix A, alongside associated consultation material and evidence base documents set out in Appendices B-E.

Reasons for Recommendation

The draft Brentwood Borough CIL Charging Schedule proposes levy rates for the borough that will maximise the potential for new development to generate income for the delivery of new infrastructure, while also ensuring that proposed rates do not render new development financially unviable. Therefore, The draft CIL Charging Schedule is recommended to be published for consultation in accordance with Regulation 16 of the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations (as amended) 2010.

The purpose of this report is to set out the forecast revenue and capital budget positions as at period 4 for 2022/23 and to give an overall financial update for the Council.

The commentary of the report does not attempt to cover all budgetary changes but draws attention to the key factors affecting net expenditure differences.

The General Fund is forecasting a deficit of £323k, this is where there is more expenditure than income. However, by the utilisation of reserves the overall impact to the Council’s working balance will be zero as the deficit is forecast to be funded from earmarked reserves.

The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) is currently forecasting a surplus position of £119k. In year pressures associated with the housing development programme regarding costs that cannot be capitalised have impacted this negative position.

The Capital Programme including slippage totalled £17.532m. Majority of projects are forecast to complete with an expected delay in some projects resulting in a budgetary impact of £34.825m below the budget. This underspend will be considered as slippage into next year's programme.

The current financial backdrop poses further financial risks to the Council’s budget. It should be noted that the Local Government Association has issued a warning that ‘soaring inflation, energy prices and National Living Wage pressures are putting council services at risk’. For Brentwood, there is further financial risks to pay inflation forecasts as well as cost pressures from the current high rates of inflation that cannot be quantified at this stage. The high inflation rates, increasing bank rates and national living wage pressure will have further impact onto the ongoing budgets.

Whilst the Council is not anticipating the need to reduce any services the financial position will have to be monitored over the year and will make the MTFS for 2023/24 even more of a challenge.

This item was for Information Only and no voting was required. 

There were no items of Urgent Business.

The meeting concluded at 21.30.