Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Nicky Dykes and Paul Lynch.  Apologies for lateness were received from Councillors Julian Benington and Michael Tickner.

The following declarations of interest were received:-

The Chairman   -  Personal interest as a Governor of Bromley Adult Education College.

Councillor Morgan  -  Personal interest as his daughter was a Director of Kier Property.

Councillor Reddin  -  Personal interest as a member of the Biggin Hill Battle of Britain Supporters Club.

Councillor McBride  -  Personal interest in the Biggin Hill Battle of Britain Trust.

Councillor Benington  -  Personal interests as his daughter was employed by Affinity Sutton and he knew the Director of The Land Group who were involved with the development of Site C (Item 8 - Town Centres Development Programme).

In accordance with the Council’s Constitution, questions to this Committee must be received in writing 4 working days before the date of the meeting.  Therefore please ensure questions are received by the Democratic Services Team by 5 pm on Wednesday 26 September 2012.

No questions were received.

No questions were received.

Item 5 - Matters Arising (page 6) - As a result of tender negotiations on the Norman Park Multi-Hub site, a final offer was received on 1 October 2012.  A detailed report would be submitted for consideration at the PDS meeting to be held in November 2012.

Item 7c - Renewal and Recreation Business Plan (page 8)

Paragraph (ii) - Bid for Heritage Lottery Funding to Restore the Priory in Orpington - Permission for Phase 1 of the deverlopment was granted in June 2012 and permission to begin the work was due on 3 October 2012.  The next step would be to appoint conservation architects.  A Ward Member meeting would be convened once the permission to start work had been granted.

Paragraph (iv) - Proposals for Cray Valley Gymnastics/Cotmandene Sites - An internal review of the site would be undertaken and a meeting held in the coming week to resolve any outstanding issues.  Whilst it was too early to submit a planning brief, an updating report would be submitted for Member consideration before the end of 2012.

Paragraph (v) - Create a Penge Master Plan and Consider Options for a New Library Service in the Area - A report would be submitted to a meeting of the Executive in October 2012 for Members to consider outstanding structural issues and to consider an exclusivity arrangement.

Item 7d - Town Centre Development Programme Update (page 9) - With regard to the Outer London Fund Round 2 bid, Members were informed that the Environmental Services Department was responsible for the variable messaging system which was currently on order and would be installed by the end of November 2012. 

Item 7h - Membership of the Local Joint Consultative Panel for Tutors in Adult Education (page 13) - As a point to note, Members were informed that Bromley Adult Education College now came under the remit of the Education and Care Services PDS Committee.

Item 9 - Libraries Survey - Outcome of Consultation (page 15) - With the reluctant agreement of Trade Unions, a scheme to support library staff with the use of volunteer workers had taken place during the summer months.  As a result of its success, the Council intended to continue using volunteers and would consider expanding the scheme to cover the museum service.

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting held on 10 July 2012 be confirmed and signed as a true record.

Members noted the position with regard to matters arising from previous meetings.

To note decisions of the Portfolio Holder made since the previous meeting of the Committee.

RESOLVED that the decisions taken by the Portfolio Holder at the previous meeting held on 10 July 2012 be noted.

The Renewal and Recreation Portfolio Holder to present scheduled reports for pre-decision scrutiny on matters where he is minded to make decisions.

Report DRR12/113

Members considered the latest budget monitoring position for 2012/13 based on expenditure and activity levels up to 31 July 2012.  The controllable budget for the Renewal and Recreation Portfolio was projected to be balanced at the year end.

The Chairman noted the projected shortfall of £350k as a result of the reduction of income from planning applications which was being partly offset by savings from management action including holding the equivalent of 6.6fte posts vacant (Cr £325k).

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder be recommended to endorse the latest 2012/13 budget projection for the Renewal and Recreation Portfolio.

Report Res12152

On 25 July 2012, the Executive agreed the 1^st quarterly capital monitoring report for 2012/13 and agreed a revised Capital Programme for the period 2012/13 to 2015/16.  This report covered detailed issues relating to the 2011/12 Capital Programme outturn which had been considered in summary form by the Executive in June.  Members also considered the changes agreed by the Executive in respect of the Capital Programme for the Renewal and Recreation Portfolio.

The Chairman noted what she considered to be the minor changes agreed by the Executive in July 2012.

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder be recommended to confirm the changes agreed by the Executive in July 2012.

Report RR12/101

Members considered the Renewal and Recreation Business Plan 2012/13 Monitoring Report for Quarter 1 including a new action with milestones and targets relating to the development of a volunteer programme to add value to and improve the Council's library service offer.

In relation to the reported actions for the 2011/12 academic year at Bromley Adult Education College (paragraph 3.3, page 41), Members noted that due to restructuring, the College would, in future, be reporting to the Education and Care Services Portfolio.

The current position was reported on Capital Shopping Centres' (CSC) planning application for the expansion of leisure facilities at Queens Gardens (page 47).  Members were informed that a price for the land had been agreed subject to planning permission being granted.  However, whilst  the planning application had been refused twice, CSC still wanted to proceed with the sale and the Council believed this would be inappropriate.  Councillor Morgan was concerned that should planning permission be granted on appeal by the Planning Inspectorate, CSC could claim that the contract was binding.  For this reason he urged the Council to withdraw the offer if it had not already done so.

With regard to the Heritage Lottery Fund to restore the Priory Museum (page 49), it was the Council's intention to rent out the vacant office space.

The bid submitted to the Portas Scheme by the town team for Bromley North Village with a view to driving footfall and establishing the area's identity had unfortunately failed (page 51).

As a result of the soft market testing exercise to appoint a proficient service provider to deliver a youth employment project (page 59), Members were informed that from a total of 103 pre-qualification questionnaires sent to a cross-section of potential providers, 35 had been returned.  The scheme is now out to tender and a report detailing the results would be submitted to a meeting of the PDS Committee in the New Year.

Concerning plans for the provision of a new library service (page 54), it was reported that at a meeting of the Executive in October, Members would be asked to decide whether or not to proceed with the merge of Penge and Anerley Libraries.

Updates on the monitoring visit for Penge (page 8) and on the meeting of the Penge Traders Association (page 9) would be sent to Councillor Bance.

The Kentwood Work Club still operated one day per week (page 60) and Councillor Peter Fookes (Ward Member for Penge and Cator) was looking to extend the programme or implement a similar scheme in his Ward. 

With regard to LBB staff training (page 56), Members were informed that a new Committee report writing software system had been implemented for which all report writing staff required training.  Costs for this training were significantly reduced by using an in-house provider.

Further Member comments and questions concerning adult education would be passed onto Education and Care Services under whose remit adult education now rested.

Referring to aim 2a (page 53), it was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27c

Report DRR12/114

Members considered an updating report on activities undertaken by the Council’s Town Centre Management and Business Support Team for the period end June until mid September 2012.

The Chairman drew Members’ attention to an error in the recommendation on page 69 of the report which requested that £8.2k be reallocated from an earmarked S.106 fund to assist with the Orpington BID project.  The actual amount requested should be amended to read £7.2k (as stipulated in paragraph 5.3).

Councillor McBride asked how the  BIDS Steering Group reacted to the suggestion that Carlton Parade be included in the Orpington Bid District.  He was informed that the general consensus of the Group was that the inclusion of Carlton Parade was just a step too far however they had discussed the possibility of including it as part of a business club.

With regard to the provision of Christmas lights, it was reported that all towns which had received them in previous years would receive them in 2012.  Potential providers would be required to follow the Council's financial procurement procedures and would be selected via a tender process.  It was difficult to predict what would happen beyond 2012 as there was a need to encourage towns and businesses to manage and pay for their own lights in future years. 

RESOLVED that:-

1)  the actions undertaken during Quarter 2 2012/13 and planned for Quarter 3, in the town centres served by the Town Centre Management and Business Support Team be noted; and

2)  the Portfolio Holder be recommended to approve the reallocation of £7.2k from the Nugent Centre Section 106 agreement (total £45.3k) to assist with the Orpington BID.

Report DRR12/115

Members considered a report which outlined the progress made in delivering the Town Centres Development Programme.

The Head of Town Centre Planning gave an update on the current position with regard to site G: West of High Street.  It was reported that the procurement stage to find a developer had been completed and a report would be prepared for consideration at a meeting of the Executive in October.  It was anticipated that the preferred developer would be announced in April 2013.  

Planning permission for the development of the Walnuts had been granted.

With reference to the demolition of Westmoreland Road Car Park, work had commenced to provide the area with additional car parking spaces.  The variable messaging system would be installed in November and operational by December.  It was unlikely that the developer would complete the paperwork to allow closure of the car park until after Christmas.  Councillor Morgan emphasised the need for Bromley residents to be kept informed of changes as they were led to believe the car park would close in October.  Councillor Benington requested that Members be provided with an informative to assist them with questions received from members of the public.  The Head of Town Centre Planning reported that the Council's web site had been updated with the current progress and agreed to provide Members with a communications plan when the Minutes of the meeting were circulated (appendices 1 and 2 attached).  The Council's aim was to focus on user groups and to send a plan (including a map), to season ticket holders informing them of the additional car parking spaces some six weeks before the serving of a notice and closure of the car park. 

Members were informed that all car parks (with the exception of supermarket car parks)  would have the variable messaging system installed. 

In response to Councillor Morgan's observation that the Bromley North Car Park sign had not yet been changed, the Head of Town Centre Management gave his assurance that this issue would be resolved.

Councillor Tunnicliffe asked when the repairs needed in Orpington High Street would be carried out.  The Director of Renewal and Recreation informed Members that major works were in hand and letters had been written to people concerned with this issue.  Councillor Tunnicliffe also reported the outdated advertising attached to Orpington Village Hall.

Member views pertaining to phone charging for parking and street cleaning would be conveyed to officers in the Environmental Services Department.  Councillor Morgan suggested that a joint working group with Environmental Services may be the best way forward to resolve outstanding issues.  It was agreed that a report outlining the formal remits of the Renewal and Recreation Department and Environmental Services Department would be submitted for Member consideration at a future meeting. 

Concerning the retail aspect of site G: West of High Street, Councillor Benington suggested that if major stores such as John Lewis were not interested in trading from the location, it may be worth approaching El Cortes Ingles, a Spanish  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28.

Report RES12138

Members considered the Committee’s work programme for the remainder of the Municipal Year.  No additions or amendments were made.

It was anticipated that a report containing budget options for 2013/14 would be submitted for consideration in January 2013.

RESOLVED that the Work Programme for the remainder of the Municipal Year be agreed.

The Chairman to move that the Press and public be excluded during consideration of the items of business listed below as it is likely in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings that is members of the Press and public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information.

RESOLVED that subject to an amendment by Members, the exempt Minutes of the meeting held on 10 July 2012 be confirmed and signed as a true record.

The Renewal and Recreation Portfolio Holder to present scheduled reports for pre-decision scrutiny on Part 2 (Exempt) matters where he is minded to make decisions.

Report DRR12/025

Members considered the report and supported the recommendations.