Agenda and minutes

            The Minutes of the meeting held on 22 June 2022 having been circulated were signed as a correct record.

            It was confirmed that no public questions had been received.

            The Board considered the Minutes of the meetings of the Executive Board relevant to the Environment and Urban Renewal Policy and Performance Board.

            RESOLVED: That the Minutes be received.

The Board received a report from the Operational Director – Policy, People, Performance and Efficiency, which presented the Performance Monitoring Reports for Quarter 1 of 2022/23.

The reports related to the following functional areas which reported to the Board and detailed progress against service objectives and milestones, and performance targets and provided information relating to key developments and emerging issues that had arisen during the period:

·       Development and Investment Services;

·       Highways and Transportation, Logistics and Development Services; and

·       Waste and Environmental Improvement and Open Space Services.

          RESOLVED: That the first quarter performance monitoring reports be received and noted.

          The Board considered a report of the Operational Director – Planning, Policy and Transport, that provided an update on activities relating to the Council’s Climate Change Action Plan. The Action Plan for 2022-2027 provided a clear direction for the Council and:

·       set a target to be carbon neutral by 2040 which included both short term and longer term action;

·       provided an initial focus on decarbonising energy use by buildings, transport, waste and enhancing the Borough’s blue/green infrastructure; and

·       sought to embed climate change in Council decision making and develop partnership working as a lead into a borough wide approach to tackling climate change.

          Members were advised on the action taken by the Council to reduce its carbon emissions, the introduction of electric vehicle charging, steps taken to embed climate change into decision making, the Big Halton Forrest Project, progress on Council climate change web pages and climate change training for members and officers. In addition, the report provided information on how the Council was facilitating to help climate change projects relating to private and social housing and green growth projects in the business and public sector.

          It was noted that at this stage there were elements of the plan which were difficult to cost and a careful balance would need to be struck between the Council’s carbon ambitions and the requirements it had placed on it delivering its statutory responsibilities. It was clear that significant resources would be required to enable the Council to reach its 2040 objective, much of which it did not have presently at its disposal. For these reasons actions would need to be prioritised in terms of resourcing, deliverability and cost.

          In addition, the Council was also part of the Liverpool City Region Hydrogen Strategy for the region. Members received a presentation from *** representatives from Cadent, who advised the Board on Cadent’s HyNet North West Hydrogen Pipeline. The presentation updated Members on the project work to date and the statutory consultation process which would run from 29 September to 10 November 2022.

          RESOLVED: That

1.     the Board receives the update on progress towards the Corporate Climate Change Action Plan 2022-2027 to be provided at the meeting; and

2.     the set of priority actions set out in Section 5.0 be endorsed.

          The Board received a report of the Operational Director – Planning, Policy and Transport, which detailed the controls available to regulate Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs).

          The Board considered information provided from Councillors regarding the problems currently being experienced by the community who lived near to HMO’s in their Ward and the powers available to the Council to tackle these issues. In addition the Board discussed the use of Article 4 Direction to remove ‘permitted development rights’ thereby preventing the change of use from Class C3 (dwelling house) to Class C4 (houses of multiple occupation) without planning permission.

          Following consideration of the information presented the Board agreed that a Working Party would be set up to discuss the issues raised and to consider the draft policy which had been produced (Appendix 1) to set out the relevant licensing requirements and property standards for HMOs.

          RESOLVED: That a Working Party be established to discuss the issues raised and to consider the draft policy which had been produced (Appendix 1) to set out the relevant licensing requirements and property standards for HMOs, with the following Membership:

Councillors S. Hill, A. Lowe, Stretch, Philbin, Thornton, Wallace and Woolfall.

          The Board received a report which provided Members with a progress report on the work of the Working Party that was established to review the Council’s coppicing works programme. The first meeting of the Working Party took place on 12 July and Members received a presentation on what structure planting is and how the Council managed its plantations, including some of the issues the Council faced.

          Following a discussion on the Council’s programme for the management of structure planting and a number of matters raised by Members, it was agreed that the next step would be for a field study visit to be arranged for Members to observe previous structure planting works that had been carried out at a number of locations across the Borough. The field study would take place by the end of September 2022.

          RESOLVED: That the report be received.