Agenda item
Member Questions
A Member of the Council may ask the Chair, the Leader, a Cabinet Member or the Chair of any Committee a question on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties or which affects the Cotswold District. A maximum period of 15 minutes shall be allowed at any such meeting for Member questions.
A Member may only ask a question if:
a) the question has been delivered in writing or by electronic mail to the Chief Executive no later than 5.00pm on the working day before the day of the meeting; or
b) the question relates to an urgent matter, they have the consent of the Chair to whom the question is to be put and the content of the question is given to the Chief Executive by 9.30am on the day of the meeting.
An answer may take the form of:
a) a direct oral answer;
b) where the desired information is in a publication of the Council or other published work, a reference to that publication; or
c) where the reply cannot conveniently be given orally, a written answer circulated later to the questioner.
The following Member questions have been submitted for response:
Question from Cllr Daryl Corps to Cllr Juliet Layton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning
Please confirm how much money is currently held in the Council’s Planning Appeals Reserve, often described as the planning 'fighting fund'? How much of that sum is ring fenced specifically for defending planning appeals, and how much, if any, has been spent or committed since the fund was established?
Question from Cllr Gina Blomefield to Cllr Juliet Layton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning
The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) provides important additional funding for Town and Parish Councils and arises from statutory levies on new build housing and extensions to existing properties. If a Town or Parish has an existing Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) they receive 25% of the CIL amount with the rest going to the District Council funds and without a NDP they receive 15%.
With the prospect of a huge increase in new developments across Cotswold District this could provide a useful additional revenue stream for local infrastructure projects.
I understand that the criteria for CIL applications is being reviewed.
It would be helpful if Town and Parish Councils could be briefed on this so that they can make plans in an organised way to spend their CIL money to best benefit their communities.
Can you give me an update on when the new CIL criteria will be published?
Question from Cllr Laura Hall-Wilson to Cllr Andrea Pellegram, Cabinet Member for Environment and Regulatory Services
While persuading residents to recycle more is a noble ambition, the overall waste a household produces is unlikely to go down.
With smaller black bins what increased provision will there be to hold recycling (i.e. replacing the white and blue bags).
Additionally in my ward almost fortnightly recycling is left because the truck is full before it has finished its round, again with an anticipated increase in materials to be recycled, what provision will there be in the fleet to accommodate the extra needed to be collected?
Question from Cllr Daryl Corps to Cllr Juliet Layton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning
Residents across the district raised serious concerns during the Local Plan
consultation.
For transparency and openness for residents, can the administration provide any examples at this point of where public feedback has resulted in material changes to the emerging plan?
Question from Cllr Gina Blomefield to Cllr Juliet Layton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning
Housing associations play an important role in the Cotswolds providing social and affordable housing to residents.
Bromford is CDC's largest provider but there are a number of other smaller players. There is a deep concern that the supply is insufficient for the demand.
Can I have an update of the amount of new stock added to Cotswold District
Council's affordable and social housing?
Please also provide the number of social housing units sold on by social housing associations on the open market?
Question from Cllr David Fowles to Cllr Andrea Pellagram, Cabinet Member for Environment and Regulatory Services
Prior to your appointment we expressed concern that following the removal of waste bins in lay-bys across the Cotswolds, residents have complained, that contrary to the administration’s view that if there were no bins, visitors and residents would take their waste home; the waste is being left behind in lay-bys.
Your administration undertook to do a review with Ubico, Please could you provide an update?
Question from Cllr David Fowles to Cllr Juliet Layton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning
During the recent by election for Cirencester Park division, residents asked questions about plans to improve the town.
Please could you update me on the status of the Cirencester Town Centre master plan and the working group which was set up to drive the plan forward?
Supporting documents:
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