a)    Question submitted by Councillor Beer to Councillor D Wilson, Lead Member for Planning

 

An Airports Commission Report stated a Heathrow Third Runway would generate 112,400 jobs needing 70,400 new houses, 5,000 in RBWM.   Please explain the appalling failures to inform residents about the enormous problems this would create above the 12,000 homes we are already struggling to accommodate, and why no objection has been made to the Commission or Parliament?

 

 

b)   Question submitted by Councillor Rayner to Councillor Cox, Lead Member for Environmental Services

 

What progress is the Royal Borough Council making in installing dust, pollution and noise monitoring devices in the area of a Waste Transfer Station in Hythe End Wraysbury?

 

 

c)    Question submitted by Councillor Rayner to Councillor D. Wilson, Lead Member for Planning

 

If the RBWM was to receive incontrovertible evidence that the original Certificate of Lawful Use for Hythe End Farm was applied for unlawfully, what steps would the council take?

 

 

d)   Question submitted by Councillor Lenton to Councillor Coppinger, Lead Member for Adult Services & Health

 

Following Berkshire East PCT’s failure to implement the provision of a replacement surgery in Wraysbury, promised in 2006, and  the PCT’s subsequent withdrawal of support for the minor ailments scheme, would the Lead Member please confirm that the Council will vigorously oppose any proposed down grading of the Pharmacy service in Wraysbury to the residents of Horton and Wraysbury.

 

 

e)    Question submitted by Councillor D Evans to Councillor D Wilson, Lead Member for Planning

 

Could the Lead Member inform me as to how many residential dwellings (houses, flats, and apartments) were completed in the Royal Borough in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015?

 

 

f)     Question submitted by Councillor E Wilson to Councillor Cox, Lead Member for Environmental Services

 

Will the Lead Member join the Dedworth Spring Day on Saturday 5th March?

 

g)   Question submitted by Councillor Rankin to Councillor Rayner, Lead Member for Highways and Transport

 

The residents of Frances Road have collected a petition expressing concerns about traffic speeds and vibration to houses in Frances Road and have requested the introduction of effective traffic calming. Can the Lead Member please give a commitment that the petition will be fully considered and traffic calming options be prepared for consideration by the Residents' and Ward Members?

 

 

h)   Question submitted by Councillor Grey to Councillor Ms Stretton, Principal Member for Culture and Communities

 

Will the Lead Member investigate the state of the Royal Plaques on Victoria Bridge and Albert Bridge which are in need of some attention, as many residents and visitors pass these on the bridges?

 

(The Member responding has up to 5 minutes to address Council. The Member asking the question has up to 1 minute to submit a supplementary question. The Member responding then has a further 2 minutes to respond)

Question submitted by Councillor Beer to Councillor D Wilson, Lead Member for Planning

 

An Airports Commission Report stated a Heathrow Third Runway would generate 112,400 jobs needing 70,400 new houses, 5,000 in RBWM.   Please explain the appalling failures to inform residents about the enormous problems this would create above the 12,000 homes we are already struggling to accommodate, and why no objection has been made to the Commission or Parliament?

 

Councillor D. Wilson responded that Councillor Beer had long requested this in standing up for the borough in relation to Heathrow. The council had been at the front of campaigning. As a leading member of 2M, the council had made  a strong and co-ordinated challenge to the third runway at every step. This had intensified since the deeply flawed report had been published. Following this a detailed technical critique had been sent to all MPs, expressing the report’s weaknesses. Ministers had been lobbied through joint correspondence and submitted to committee. The council was determined to do all it could to prevent expansion.

 

Councillor Beer, by way of a supplementary, commented that there was concern that the bodies mentioned had been challenged on air quality and noise but not on infrastructure. He would like to see a joint submission against runway three on the grounds of the stress on the housing structure. He asked if the Lead Member would agree?

 

Councillor D. Wilson responded that he would like to look at the information Councillor Beer had before moving forward. The council would continue to lobby the government. He had had conversations with the other Berkshire authorities in the reference group.

 

Councillors C Rayner and S Rayner left the room for the duration of the discussion on this question

 

 

Question submitted by Councillor Rayner to Councillor Cox, Lead Member for Environmental Services

 

What progress is the Royal Borough Council making in installing dust, pollution and noise monitoring devices in the area of a Waste Transfer Station in Hythe End Wraysbury?

 

Councillor Cox responded that Royal Borough officers were actively investigating noise and dust complaints associated with the operation of a concrete crusher on the site in question.  Officers were undertaking visits to the area of the site to assess noise levels.  Using noise recording equipment in this location could be difficult due to the high ambient noise levels and other noise sources in the location, for example it would be very difficult to determine that recorded noise, without the officer being present to hear it at the time, was attributable to the activity in question.  The Environment Agency was investigating noise complaints from activity on the site generally that was covered by the Environmental Permit.

 

Council officers were also investigating dust complaints when they undertook their visits.  The Environment Agency notified residents in their newsletter of 26 November 2015 that they had installed a dust monitoring unit near to the site.  This was a six month study so would conclude in May 2016.

 

Councillor Rayner, by way of a supplementary, asked for updates on actions over the last 12 months in writing that he could send to residents.

 

Councillor Cox agreed to provide this.

 

Question submitted by Councillor Rayner to Councillor D. Wilson, Lead Member for Planning

 

If the RBWM was to receive incontrovertible evidence that the original Certificate of Lawful Use for Hythe End Farm was applied for unlawfully, what steps would the council take?

 

Councillor D. Wilson responded that he was aware of the concerns from local residents regarding the site and understood that the planning enforcement team had been involved alongside other colleagues in environmental protection and highways.  A Certificate of Lawfulness was issued in 1998 for the storage and processing of materials; the certificate was based on evidence submitted by the applicant to support the fact that the use had been continuing for a 10 year period before the application was submitted.

 

S193(7) Town and Country Planning Act 1990 permitted a local planning authority to revoke a certificate granted under s191 or 192 where:

 

(a)a statement was made or document used which was false in a material particular; or

(b)any material information was withheld.

 

No compensation was payable in the event of revocation and the site may be subject to enforcement action.

 

It would be necessary for the Council to consider if a false statement had been made in light of any information provided. It would therefore be necessary to review the old file to which the certificate related as well as the evidence submitted to the Council relating to the site.  To comply with s193(7)(a) the LPA must identify precisely the statements said to be false when revoking the certificate. There was no provision to appeal to the Secretary of State the LPA’s decision to revoke but the decision may be judicially reviewed. The decision could therefore be contested in the High Court on the grounds that the LPA has acted unreasonably in making the decision to revoke the certificate. Any court action must commence within three months from the date of the decision. Court costs may be incurred and depending on the outcome of any case the Council may be liable to pay the other side’s costs.

 

Councillor Rayner, by way of a supplementary, requested this be put in writing to that he could pass it to residents

 

Councillor D. Wilson responded that this could be provided.

 

Question submitted by Councillor Lenton to Councillor Coppinger, Lead Member for Adult Services & Health

 

Following Berkshire East PCT’s failure to implement the provision of a replacement surgery in Wraysbury, promised in 2006, and  the PCT’s subsequent withdrawal of support for the minor ailments scheme, would the Lead Member please confirm that the Council will vigorously oppose any proposed down grading of the Pharmacy service in Wraysbury to the residents of Horton and Wraysbury.

 

Councillor Coppinger responded that pharmacies were an essential part of the provision of health services to residents. Over the last few years their role had increased complementing the work of General Practitioners and the Public Health team. The pharmacy at Wraysbury was commissioned by the Borough to provide 3 essential services to residents in addition of course to services commissioned by the NHS. He was aware that a review of the services provided by pharmacies was being undertaken with the objective of greater integration of health providers. There was a consultation currently in progress, which would inform the final proposal. At the moment there were no proposals to close any pharmacy although he realised that the review had caused considerable anxiety. He reassured residents of both Wraysbury and anywhere else within the Borough that should a pharmacy come under threat the council would vigorously oppose it using all powers and influence that it had. He had met with the owners of the pharmacy and agreed to share information so that he could be in the best possible situation.

 

Councillor Lenton, by way of a supplementary, asked if the Lead Member was aware that the pharmacy in Wraysbury provided a delivery of prescriptions to infirm residents. If the pharmacy were closed residents would have to travel up to 5 miles away to a pharmacy in Datchet.

 

Councillor Coppinger responded that he was aware and would take this into account if he needed to present a case to protect the pharmacy.

 

 

Question submitted by CouncillorD Evans to Councillor D Wilson, Lead Member for Planning

 

Could the Lead Member inform me as to how many residential dwellings (houses, flats, and apartments) were completed in the Royal Borough in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015?

 

 Councillor D. Wilson responded with the following figures:

 

·         2011/12 – 177 residential units

·         2012/13 – 193 residential units

·         2013/14 – 360 residential units

·         2014/15 – 514 residential units

 

Councillor D. Evans confirmed that he did not have a supplementary question.

 

 

Question submitted by Councillor E Wilson to Councillor Cox, Lead Member for Environmental Services

 

Will the Lead Member join the Dedworth Spring Day on Saturday 5th March?

 

Councillor Cox responded that he was more than happy to accept and would be attending the event in March.

 

Councillor E. Wilson, by way of a supplementary, asked the Lead Member to take away any learnings from the day to replicate at events year on year.

 

Councillor Cox responded that he would be happy to do so.

 

 

Question submitted by Councillor Rankin to Councillor Rayner, Lead Member for Highways and Transport

 

The residents of Frances Road have collected a petition expressing concerns about traffic speeds and vibration to houses in Frances Road and have requested the introduction of effective traffic calming. Can the Lead Member please give a commitment that the petition will be fully considered and traffic calming options be prepared for consideration by the Residents' and Ward Members?

 

Councillor Rayner responded that he would be pleased to deliver a better parking system for residents in Frances Road. He had asked officers to examine the concerns about vibrations. Frances Road was due to be resurfaced in the new financial year. He pledged to work with Ward councillors and residents to come up with options.

 

Councillor Rankin confirmed that he did not have a supplementary question

 

 

Question submitted by Councillor Grey to Councillor Ms Stretton, Principal Member for Culture and Communities

 

Will the Lead Member investigate the state of the Royal Plaques on Victoria Bridge and Albert Bridge which are in need of some attention, as many residents and visitors pass these on the bridges?

 

Councillor Stretton responded that she had already identified on the Victoria Bridge that there were coat of arm plaques and some construction information plaques. On the Albert bridge there were plaques on the pier on either side. Therefore there may be 6 or 8 plaques which would need to be phased in a certain order. She had agreed with the Mayor for her to arrange an opportunity for relevant officers to meet with Ward and Lead Members and potential partners to discuss the need to refurbish the bridge plaques.  Once a clear understanding of the extent of the renovation required was obtained, appropriate sources of funding for the works would be explored along with a suitable timeline.

 

Councillor Grey confirmed that he did not have a supplementary question.