No public questions had been received at the time of publication of the agenda.

Three public questions had been received subsequent to the agenda being published, as follows.

Question 1 from Ms Herrington:

What features of the Local Development Plan are designed to make it easier for children brought up in Brentwood to live here?

Response from Cllr Mrs McKinlay:

Thank you for the question which is, I’m sure, no coincidence being timely tonight given that we will be debating the draft consultation for the LDP later on tonight.

In terms of the content and what does it mean for people who have grown up or been born here, owning their own home and being able to live here is fundamental. We know that nationally there is a shortage of housing.  What is particularly acute in our area is how young people can get a start to get a foot on the ladder in the first place. This is primarily down to house prices but is driven by supply and demand.

So the draft local plan will outline development sites over the next 15 years, which will see an additional 5,500 homes brought to the borough.

This goes some way to helping people who are very keen and have often ‘done the right thing’: they have studied, worked hard and have got a job.  All too often even when there are two incomes coming into a household,  to rent and then be able to save for a property is almost impossible in many situations. The LDP is fundamental in helping to deliver that and I would take this opportunity to say as well that through this entire process it is not just about having additional homes, it is where those sites will go and about us being in control of that decision. What is so key tonight is that we look at agreeing to go to the consultation tonight.

It is not just for residential homes, it is also for businesses and it is about where economic growth can come which is a key part. Clearly you can’t have homes if you can’t have jobs for people in the area.  We are fortunate where we live that we have strong links to London and the City.  Through the LDP we have the opportunity to provide new sites where employment can take place and help the local economy and fit into that cycle to take the first step to people owning their own home.

The key point is that the LDP is absolutely crucial and the next step in the process is vital for us to be able to deliver on these additional homes.

Question 2 from Ms Herrington:

Given the risks to mental health by the isolation, what conversations have Brentwood Borough Council had with Essex County Council regarding improving public transport between the parishes and the Town Centre?

Response from Cllr Mrs McKinlay:

“The Borough Council works closely with Brentwood Community Transport which provides those people who cannot access mainstream public transport with transport to the town centre due to age, illness or geographical isolation. They provide a number of services, one is a Social Car Scheme which provides local journeys for residents who can access standard vehicles but are unable to use public transport.  There is a Hospital/Shopper Bus – which transports members of the public from rural areas of Brentwood to/from hospitals.

The Hospital/Shopper service is currently funded by Essex County Council but I understand this funding ends in March 2016. Brentwood Community Transport are working with the Bus and Rail Users Association to look at other ways to deliver the service and funding streams that could continue to support these services”.

Question 3 from Ms Kortlandt :

‘As today is Holocaust Memorial Day, will the Council celebrate the thousands of British families who saved the lives of Jewish refugees from the Nazis?  In view of the grave refugee crisis now facing Europe, will they reconsider their decision to house only 1 refugee family, in particular, will they consider offering places to unaccompanied children and set up a network so that Brentwood residents can support them?’

Response from Cllr Mrs McKinlay:

“Thank you for the question which is particularly timely given the Holocaust Memorial Day.

Also, it has greater significance when we look daily at our television screens and see what’s happening across Europe.

Do I think that we should be taking more than one refugee family?  What I actually said, back in the summer when we started to look at this was that we would look in the beginning at just one family.  The position at the moment is not as easy as it may appear from the outside in as much as Brentwood does not have excess Council housing stock, we have about fifteen hundred people on the waiting list. We have a sizable  number of people  who are classified as homeless.

The first challenge is where we could  possibly house  these families, which inevitably puts us into the private sector.  I did hold a meeting before Christmas with partners who have different things that they can bring to the table.  We made clear last year that we cannot  deal with this alone and I think that is broadly accepted.

So we have met with religious groups, interpreters and people with experience of working with refugees.

The next piece of work that is currently underway, is to try to find somewhere in the private sector where we  could house a family.  The reason I say that we will be starting  with one  is because I think that it is absolutely crucial that we get this right and that we can then learn from that and build on it.

So do I intend that we would stop at one, no. 

In regards to the unaccompanied children, I know that has been in the news  a lot recently and we need to see what comes forward from the Government.

There is unfortunately a reality around it all in terms of how these things are funded and it is not even as straightforward as just finding somewhere for people to live which is a challenge in itself  but it is all additional services that will be needed.  For example, education, social services and GP’s particularly, given the dreadful experiences that some of these people will have gone through.

So we are working together with partners across the board to see how we can deliver the services and bring the first family to Brentwood and see how that goes.  Once we have done that we will look at what else we can do”.