Agenda and minutes

6 March 2024

It was moved by Councillor Marilyn Franks, seconded by Councillor Peter Dobbs and

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting of the Community and Environment Committee held on 06 March 2024 be approved as a correct record.

Voting

11 For

00 Against

03 Abstained

The Chair declared the motion CARRIED.

To receive the minutes of the following Sub-Committee meetings:

-       Local Plan Sub-Committee – 17 April 2024

-       Biodiversity Sub-Committee – 18 April 2024

It was moved by Councillor Peter O’Brien, seconded by Councillor Gareth Gee and

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the following Sub-Committee meeting be received:

-       Local Plan Sub-Committee – 17 April 2024

Voting

13 For

00 Against

01 Abstention

The Chair declared the motion CARRIED.

It was moved by Councillor Peter Slack, seconded by Councillor Matt Buckler and

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the following Sub-Committee meeting be received:

-       Biodiversity Sub-Committee – 18 April 2024

Voting

12 For

00 Against

02 Abstentions

The Chair declared the motion CARRIED.

To enable members of the public to ask questions, express views or present petitions, IF NOTICE HAS BEEN GIVEN, (by telephone, in writing or by email) BY NO LATER THAN 12 NOON OF THE WORKING DAY PRECEDING THE MEETING. As per Procedural Rule 14.4 at any one meeting no person may submit more than 3 questions and no more than 1 such question may be asked on behalf of one organisation.

There was no public participation.

Members are required to declare the existence and nature of any interests they may have in subsequent agenda items in accordance with the District Council’s Code of Conduct. Those interests are matters that relate to money or that which can be valued in money, affecting the Member, her/his partner, extended family and close friends. Interests that become apparent at a later stage in the proceedings may be declared at the time.

There were no declarations of interest.

To answer questions from Members who have given the appropriate notice.

No questions were received.

This report provides a further update in relation to the Ashbourne Air Quality Management Area Action Plan following the meeting of the Community and Environment Committee held on 6 March 2024 and a final warning letter received from DEFRA in respect of the late submission of the Action Plan.

The Environmental Health Manager introduced a report which provided a further update in relation to the Ashbourne Air Quality Management Area Action Plan following the meeting of the Community and Environment Committee held on 6 March 2024 and a final warning letter received from DEFRA in respect of the late submission of the Action Plan.

It was noted that the December meeting of the Committee recommended to Council that a supplementary budget estimate of £10,000 be approved in order to facilitate a 12-month subscription to the Earthsense real-time monitoring system. This approval was confirmed at the meeting of Council held on 25 January 2024. Provision had been made to carry forward this planned expenditure into the new financial year and officers were poised to procure the system. Further information about the implementation of the system would be submitted to a future meeting.

Members were advised the Council received a final warning letter from DEFRA dated 21^st March 2024. A copy of the letter was included at Appendix 5 and Member attention was directed to paragraph 2 of the letter. Officers had now completed the AQAP review with County colleagues and the final draft was included at Appendix 6 for Member consideration with a view to submission to DEFRA prior to the specified 21^st May 2024 date.

It was moved by Councillor Peter Dobbs, seconded by Councillor Robert Archer and

RESOLVED (unanimously)

1.    The response from Derbyshire County Council Highways on matters of a 20mph cone and weight limits in Ashbourne is noted.

2.    The content of the Highways Interventions and Position Summary for Ashbourne provided by Derbyshire County Council is noted.

3.    That the final warning letter from DEFRA is noted.

4.    That the amended Air Quality Action Plan is approved for submission to DEFRA.

5.    To note that an approved Air Quality Action Plan shall be subject to formal annual reporting to DEFRA and subsequently to the Community and Environment Committee, alongside ongoing monitoring by officers and partners.

The Chair declared the motion CARRIED.

The Spring Budget included an announcement concerning Household Support Fund Round 5 (HSF5). Further details have only just been published and the scheme will operate in a very similar fashion to the previous rounds, though it is only for the first 6 months of 2024/25. Derbyshire County Council have indicated they will pass on a proportion of their £5m allocation, with around £900,000 for district and borough councils. As with the previous rounds it is proposed to deliver grants directly to residents through the Housing Team and Revenues and Benefits service. The HSF has been a significant factor behind the District Council’s ability to perform its homelessness prevention duties.

The Housing Operations Manager introduced a report noting that the Spring Budget included an announcement concerning the Household Support Fund Round 5 (HSF5). Further details had only just been published and the scheme would operate in a very similar fashion to the previous rounds, though it was only for the first 6 months of 2024/25. Derbyshire County Council had indicated they would pass on a proportion of their £5m allocation, with around £900,000 for district and borough councils. As with the previous rounds it was proposed to deliver grants directly to residents’ trough the Housing Team and Revenues and Benefits service. The HSF had been a significant factor behind the Councils ability to perform its homelessness prevention duties.

Members were informed that the additional Household Support Fund allocation would complement the existing financial support measures available, including those from the Derbyshire Discretionary Fund. It was noted that all payments provided by the HSF5 must be made by the end of September 2024.

The District Council’s proposed bid to Derbyshire County Council for the Household Support Fund Round 5 was attached at Appendix 1. In summary the proposal focused on continuing the Council’s previous approach as set out in HSF rounds 1 to 4. The focus would be on helping with rent arrears, utility costs, food, transport, council tax and housing benefit arrears.

It was moved by Councillor David Chapman, seconded by Councillor Joanne Linthwaite and

RESOLVED (unanimously)

1.    That approval be given to the delivery of Round 5 of the Household Support Fund as set out in the report.

The Chair declared the report CARRIED.

The Council housing stock of 40 homes includes a property built in 1883. The elderly tenant who had lived at the property for over 40 years recently passed away. The property needs considerable renovation and retrofit to meet modern standards. Such a scheme is considered to be unviable and approval is sought to dispose of the property.

The Director of Housing introduced a report informing members that the Council housing stock of 40 homes included a property built in 1883. It was noted that the elderly tenant who had lived at the property for over 40 years recently passed away.

Members were informed that in 2019 the Housing Department received an email from solicitors acting for the Janet Wadsworth Trust. In her will she left 2 properties in Over Haddon, the rents from which were to support her loved ones. When those people passed away, the will required the properties pass to the Council in whose area the properties reside. At some point during the early 2000s one of the properties was sold.

The Council became responsible for 2 Dale View in 2021 and this was the Council’s first property of the new Council housing program. The property had a sitting tenant who had lived there for 40+ years, sadly the tenant died in January 2024. Members were informed that the property needed considerable renovation and retrofit to meet modern standards. Such a scheme was considered to be unviable and therefore approval was sought to dispose of the property.

It was moved by Councillor Andy Nash, seconded by Councillor Peter Dobbs and

RESOLVED (unanimously)

1.    That 2 Dale View is sold on the open market with two restrictions;

a.    Preventing use as a second/holiday home in perpetuity and

b.    For a period of 3 months the Derbyshire Clause is included. If the property remains unsold then the Derbyshire Clause will be removed.

2.    That the proceeds from the sale are combined with the associated investment fund.

3.    That £10,000 is allocated from the proceeds of the sale of the property to Over Haddon Parish Council and that officers work with the Parish Council to agree a suitable project for investment of the funds.

4.    That the remaining fund is ring fenced within the Council’s capital program for the delivery of affordable homes, preferably council owned, and that the original contribution of Janet Wadsworth is recognised in that new scheme.

The Chair declared the motion CARRIED.