Eight Notices of Motion had been received.

1.         Cllr Aspinell MOVED and Cllr Clarke SECONDED the following Motion:

‘This Council resolves to investigate the possibility of installing electric charging stations for electric powered vehicles at various strategic positions within the Borough. We would suggest the ideal sites for these could be the major junctions with the M25 (A12 / A127). Such charging stations would be powered by green energy, i.e., windmill, solar panel or heat source. We believe this would generate much needed revenue to the Council and be a major contributor to reducing carbon emissions. Obviously, these stations would not be the only provision of charging within the borough but they would provide facilities for vehicles travelling through the road network. As technology advances towards 2030, where the Government had decided only electric vehicles will be permitted on our roads, it may not be just charging points required, but a facility to exchange fully charged units’.

 

The Leader, Cllr Hossack, proposed an AMENDMENT whereby a section of wording was omitted and Cllr Aspinell ACCEPTED the proposed AMENDMENT.

 

Following a discussion a vote was taken on a show of hands and it was

 

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY:

 

‘This Council resolves to investigate the possibility of installing electric charging stations for electric powered vehicles at various strategic positions within the Borough. As technology advances towards 2030, where the Government had decided only electric vehicles will be permitted on our roads, it may not be just charging points required, but a facility to exchange fully charged units’.

 

 

2.         Cllr Fryd MOVED and Cllr Aspinell SECONDED the following Motion:

This Council resolves to remove the Authority’s preferred site of 75 houses in Priests Lane from our submission of our Local Development Plan and allocate this number of dwellings to an alternative site within the borough such as the Dunton Hills development. The Priests Lane site would then be changed to a Conservation and wildlife area. The benefit of this status would aid the reduction of carbon dioxide monoxide emissions from an already over polluted and heavily traffic congested area.

 

Following a discussion a recorded vote was requested in accordance with the Constitution and Members voted as follows:

 

FOR:  Cllrs Aspinell, Dr Barrett, Chilvers, Clarke, Sarah Cloke, Mrs Davies, Mrs Fulcher, Fryd, Haigh, Keeble, Kendall, Lewis, Naylor and Mynott (14)

 

AGAINST:  Cllrs Bridge, Jon Cloke, Hirst, Mrs Hones, Hossack, Jakobsson, Kerslake, McCheyne, McLaren, Mrs McKinlay, Nolan, Parker, Mrs Pearson, Poppy, Mrs Pound, Reed, Tanner, Mrs Tierney and Tumbridge (19)

 

ABSTAIN (0)

 

The MOTION was LOST.

 

 

3.         Cllr Mrs Fulcher MOVED and Cllr Haigh SECONDED  the following Notice of Motion:

This Council resolves to commission a report from a suitably qualified organisation to carry out a study of HGV journeys to and from local businesses and to explore what beneficial changes could be made to improve weight restriction enforcement and to report on the environmental and commercial benefits from any potential changes.

 

Following a discussion a vote was taken on a vote of hands and the MOTION was LOST.

 

Cllr Fulcher declared a non-pecuniary interest by virtue of being a member of the Local Highways Panel.

 

4.     Cllr Mynott MOVED and Cllr Naylor SECONDED the following Motion:

 

In 19th December 2017 Lichfields, the Brentwood Council consultants who had produced the Economic Futures Study in support of the Local Plan, advised the council to consider gaining an Article 4 direction "to stop the conversion of offices to residential uses through permitted development rights". The clear object of this advice was to prevent the worrying erosion of town centre unemployment uses.

 

LGA analysis also shows that "councils have potentially missed out on more than 10,500 desperately needed affordable homes in the past three years as a result of government rules allowing developers to bypass the planning system". Office conversions which do not go through the planning system include "no affordable housing or supporting investment in infrastructure such as roads, schools and health services".  The LGA are campaigning for councils to be given back control over office conversions "to ensure they are good quality and help build prosperous places.

The council resolves to consult on the introduction of an Article 4 restriction on office conversion in an area to be confirmed but probably including Brentwood North, West South and Warley wards.

 

Cllr Hossack proposed an AMENDMENT, changing the wording of the final paragraph of the Motion which Cllr Mynott ACCEPTED.

 

Following a discussion a vote was taken on a show of hands and it

 

            RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY

 

 

In 19th December 2017 Lichfields, the Brentwood Council consultants who had produced the Economic Futures Study in support of the Local Plan, advised the council to consider gaining an Article 4 direction "to stop the conversion of offices to residential uses through permitted development rights". The clear object of this advice was to prevent the worrying erosion of town centre unemployment uses.

 

LGA analysis also shows that "councils have potentially missed out on more than 10,500 desperately needed affordable homes in the past three years as a result of government rules allowing developers to bypass the planning system". Office conversions which do not go through the planning system include "no affordable housing or supporting investment in infrastructure such as roads, schools and health services".  The LGA are campaigning for councils to be given back control over office conversions "to ensure they are good quality and help build prosperous places.

The Council resolves to seek legal advice on the process of introducing an Article 4 restriction on office conversion on an area to be confirmed.

 

At this point the Mayor proposed a variation in the order of the agenda – see Minute 82.

 

5.       Cllr Dr Barrett MOVED and Cllr Keeble SECONDED the following Motion:

 

Brentwood Plastic-free Pledge

 

1) Single-use plastics, or disposable plastics, are used only once before they are thrown away or recycled. These items are things like plastic bags, straws, coffee stirrers, soda and water bottles and most food packaging.

2) The Local Government Association estimates that only a third of single use plastic can be recycled with the rest sent to landfill.

3) The Council has been committed to a sustained programme of reducing waste for a number of years through service developments, raising awareness and encouraging householders to reduce, reuse and recycle.

 

4) The work by the local volunteers to establish Refill Brentwood as a method of creating a community and business model to reduce the amount of single-use plastic bottles in our community. 

 

5) The government has proposed to ban the use of certain single-use plastic, although there is no confirmed legislative date for these to become law.

 

This Council believes that:   

1) What seem like small measures can have an impact through setting a clear example and encourages residents and local businesses to follow in minimising their use of single-use plastic.

2) The ongoing climate and environmental crisis caused by the growth in single-use plastics must be addressed by all practical means. 

Therefore this Council resolves that:

1) A plan is presented to the Housing, Environment and Enforcement Committee outlining a programme to ensure all the council’s buildings avoid using single-use plastic by the end of 2020 or as soon as contracts allow, and all events organised by the Council or on Council land will be required to show how single-use plastic will be eliminated, replaced by alternatives, or reduced to an absolute minimum. 

2) As a starting point this will include phasing out of all sale and use of single use plastic bottles, plastic cups, cutlery, stirrers and drinking straws in council owned and managed buildings as soon as practically possible, with a report to the appropriate committee and a press release to confirm this announcement.

3) That through the Council’s representatives on the Brentwood Business Partnership a proposal for a ‘Plastic Free Pledge’ for Brentwood be developed to further develop this proposal in the community.

Cllr Hossack proposed an AMENDMENT, removing a paragraph from the proposed resolution which was ACCEPTED and following a discussion it was

 

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY that

1) A plan is presented to the Housing, Environment and Enforcement Committee outlining a programme to ensure all the council’s buildings avoid using single-use plastic by the end of 2020 or as soon as contracts allow, and all events organised by the Council or on Council land will be required to show how single-use plastic will be eliminated, replaced by alternatives, or reduced to an absolute minimum. 

2) That through the Council’s representatives on the Brentwood Business Partnership a proposal for a ‘Plastic Free Pledge’ for Brentwood be developed to further develop this proposal in the community.

6.      Cllr Hossack MOVED and  Cllr  Mrs Hones SECONDED the following Motion:

 

This council recognises the serious problem across Essex of several thousand empty homes. We call upon all Essex Councils to establish a collaborative working approach to tackle the problem Countywide.

 

Following a discussion a vote was taken on a show of hands and the MOTION was CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

 

 

7.     Cllr Clarke MOVED and Cllr Chilvers SECONDED the following Motion:

 

This Council resolves to review access for day time and night time car parking within the town centre.

 

Struggling shops in Brentwood are further impeded by parking restrictions and fees for their customers, whilst night time outlets benefit from less stringent fees as well as lack of enforcement of these with cars parked freely along double yellow lines and pavements.

 

Following a brief discussion a vote was taken on a show of hands and the MOTION was LOST.

 

 

8.      Cllr Tumbridge MOVED and Cllr Hossack SECONDED the following Motion:

 

“The council hereby revokes the changes made unilaterally to its constitution by the Monitoring Officer in January 2017, save for the amendment relating to Chapter 5, Part 2, Registration of Interests and the Members’ Planning Code of Good Practice”.

A vote was taken on a show of hands and the MOTION was CARRIED.