Minutes of the monthly meeting held on Wednesday 14th September 2016 at 19.30
Present Bob Reid (BR) Chairman
Terry Stewart (TS) President
Tracy Holmes(TH) Planning Officer for Branksome Park
Cllr Mohan Iyengar(MI) Ward Counsellor
18 wardens and members.
Welcome and Apologies
Roger Vice-Chairman, and Zofia Allen, Carol (CP)and Mike Parkin Secretary and Membership Secretary, John Gunton magazine editor, Paul Fernley Treasurer, and members Vivienne Evans, Dawn Goodson, Christine Norman, John Cribb and Sarah Holt.
Cllr May Haines (MH) Ward Councillor
BR thanked Julie Reid for helping to make notes for the minutes of the meeting, in the absence of CP
2 Minutes of meeting 13th July 2016
These had been circulated and a few were available at meeting for new members or reference.
3 Matters arising
William Mutlow (WM) pointed out that his comments had not been included in the minutes regarding Julian Osgathorpe as the Executive Director for Corporate Services for Bournemouth Borough Council and the Borough of Pool.
Submitted by John Sprackling (JS) with reference to item 7. We are still waiting to learn the official outcome of the Licencing Sub Committee on26 July 2016.
MI Agreed they should be online by now and explained that the confidential element would probably be due to requirements of the Legal Department.
BR pointed out that Martin Heath (MRH) has had a letter confirming that the Licence was granted with an end time of 11pm rather than 1am and restrictions on noise levels. Copies of the letter were available.
BR pointed out that the membership forms, separate from the magazine are already available and comply with ICO data protection requirements.
BR also announced that following from the June meeting when questions were asked about the four empty shops in Canford Cliffs. There has been a development in that Mandy Payne, Economic Development Officer at Borough of Poole came to a meeting with JS, BR and George Perrins of the Land Society and discussed ways in which the appearance of the shops could be improved.
Various options were discussed and it is hoped some progress can be made.
She hopes to set up a Traders Collective.
MI filled us in with the information that he has been talking to Mandy about this and she has great experience in the field business promotion professionally, He did advise caution as the four shops pay full business rates and there will be legal restrictions on what can be done. The shops are family owned and their accountant baulked at spending £2000 on improving them.
On completing the matters arising TS proposed accepting the minutes and JS seconded.
4 On Road Parking Charges, Update after the Cabinet meeting.
BR informed that the Steering Group had been meeting regularly and is awaiting to hear when the Poole Cabinet will next consider the proposal. Cllr May Haines had indicated that it probably would not be at its October meeting.
We are carrying out preliminary work for a Judicial Review if necessary should the decision be to go ahead with the meters. And have started preliminary enquiries on legal advice to that end. Any such action would be referred to members for approval.
Roy Pointer(RP) reminded members that we have issued a newsletter, on our strategy and objections copies of which are available on the website. Following a number of unsatisfactory responses to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, RP had referred them to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for review. The latter had instructed Poole Council to provide better answers by 12th October. This £1/2 million project is claimed to ease congestion in Sandbanks area and to contribute to the 25 year Seafront Development Plan the only part of has been approved are some new beach huts.
RP explained that the public meeting in March and Poole Committee meetings had been filmed for a TV programme called “Parking Wars” to be screened on Tuesday next.
MI said that he could not add to what Janet Walton or MH have said and he said that Council would keep this proposal alive as it is their duty to consider all proposals that could raise money.
Martin Heath (MRH) said that Cabinet have never discussed congestion in detail and the project was simply about making money.
A member pointed out that the only congestion is on Sandbanks and most of the roads earmarked for meters are not congested
RP confirmed that when asked, the Council, admitted they had not recorded any complaints about congestion or the lack of parking.
A member said that living in Bingham Avenue for 15 years parking congestion had never reached their road.
Several members pointed out that you cannot legally use parking charges on roads simply to bring in funds.
Several other members spoke against the proposed scheme but no one spoke in favour.
A member said that the congestion at Sandbanks became worse after the Council took away the feeder lane to the car park.
He had also talked to the senior transport officer who told him that ‘people needed to change their attitude to the car and make more use the buses’ but all agreed that a family going to the beach would not do that, the buses are very infrequent and the “equipment” needed for a family day at the beach made the bus impractical.
5 Neighbourhood Watch
BR announced that Neighbourhood Watch had a coffee morning at Sandbanks Hotel last Friday 9th September and Pat Halliday invited us to take a table to promote what we do. BR, RP, JS attended and as a result we found some new residents who have now joined up. And we explained to others how we are opposing the parking scheme and other areas we help with. We work closely with N. W. as some of our concerns overlap e.g. Party Houses
BR also pointed that their Newsletter is available and has dates for future events.
6 New Council Options
BR said that the consultation for the amalgamation/reorganisation of councils started at the end of August and he outlined some of the options currently proposed and that there are “roadshow” drop in sessions, and the next one is outside Budgens in Broadstone on Friday. Also that the questionnaire and more information is online at BOP website.
Several members pointed out that the survey is available in local libraries and that only 20,000 have been posted out to individual homes.
BR pointed out that some of the cards giving the options were available provided by MH on Monday.
While the objective is to reduce costs and save money it was noted that over 70% of the budget is spent on child, and elderly services so savings by reducing some staff will not make a huge saving.
MRH said the financial basis on which the reorganisation is based has many flaws and does not show how the savings will be made unless you read the Local Partnerships’ Financial Analysis report which is difficult to follow.
Several members pointed out that there is little information available on which we are meant to make a decision.
A member was concerned that the financial planning was not properly done and that the planning and information available is very poor.
MRH pointed out that the Financial Analysis report shows that new Town Councils
for Christchurch and Weymouth were being considered, but none for Poole and
Bournemouth. It appears that existing Town and Parish Councils across Dorset are to
remain. A member observed that if ceremonial Mayors were to be retained, then it
would be necessary to have Town Councils.
A member queried whether there would be extra funding from the Government, but
MRH said that this has happened with the creation of Combined Authorities with
elected Mayors and extra responsibilities, but was not applicable to the proposed
Local Authority mergers.
BR mentioned the ORS firm doing the consultation, and MH pointed out that it is more market research than consultation.
A member noted that there had already been a consultation on a combined
authority for Dorset.
Suggestions were made to combine the whole area as a unitary council but BR explained, and MI confirmed that the whole area would be too big.
MH discussed the funding around having Mayors.
TS clarified that there are two totally different exercises here. One is the merging of the nine councils into two Unitary Authorities, one urban and one rural. Separate from that there is the Dorset Authority which is linked in with the LEP. The LEP is the source of funding from Government but the LEP was being run my commercial managers with little democratic input so now they have made the leaders of the nine councils on the board and they have two responsibilities, one is transport for the whole county, and two the economic development for the whole county.
RP informed the meeting that on Monday MH had suggested the plan was to reduce staffing and other costs and save millions but that is unlikely to save very much.
BR suggested that MH, who had offered to talk to our committee could perhaps talk to our members at a meeting.
MRH was concerned that the harmonisation of council taxes was based on the assumption that Poole’s council taxpayers would be paying annual increases of 3.99% for the next 20 years, doubted the calculations and suggested that Poole residents will be paying an extra 3.99% for the next 20 years.
WM had also said that it would fall to the Tax payers to make up any shortfall.
The general feeling expressed by several members was that we had insufficient evidence on which to make a judgement so the consultation is largely irrelevant.
John Sprackling (JS) suggested we may need a public meeting to be more informed.
7 Planning issues
Report from Tracy Holmes was read out by BR
1 Beaumont Road, Poole, BH13 7JJ
Application: Demolition of the existing building and construction of three detached houses with associated parking and access (revised scheme)
9 Elmstead Road
Application: demolish existing dwelling and erect two new dwellings. Grant subject to conditions
The Gatehouse, 6 Tower Road West, Poole, BH13 6LA
Application: Use of The Gatehouse as a self-contained and non-ancillary unit of accommodation
33 Cliff Drive, Poole
Planning Committee : Grant with conditions installation of flue stack
5-7 Chaddesley Glen
Application for flats ongoing
14 Chester Road
Application for side extension: Appeal lodged
30 Tower Road
Application for 12 flats: Ongoing
15 b Bury Rd
Tree work application: Hearing today
HMO at 14 Pinewood
Following from my correspondence with Stephen Thorne, he has made an appointment to see BR.
2 Martello Park the original approved plan has been modified to raise the height by what appears to be 1 metre. Looking into this.BR
8 Residents parking scheme
BR informed the meeting that Roger Allen had contacted Stephen Dean (SD) regarding the parking problem at Ormonde, Chester roads and that area.
BR referred to SD’s reply, thanking Roger for his introduction and said that POB council would want a positive and constructive relationship with the Residents Association and that he would pass the email to our ward councillors and to the Portfolio Holder for Transportation Drew Mellor
BR read out the final line of the email “I’ll look into the background of the situation and get back to you.”
Mike Wriggley (MW) introduced Himself and Fanchea Clarke who live in Chester Road heard about us from Neil Denning and told the meeting that the problem of parking in Chester Road has increased dramatically over the last 4 years.
He further told members that since Zone K was implemented there has been no survey of the present situation and when contacting the Council they feel fobbed off. Every 6 months it goes round in circles.
MI pointed out that he has met with Neil and Mike and filled in the background.
Originally Chester Road residents did not want to join the scheme and forest road had Yellow lines painted.
MW responded that time has moved on and LV employees, and the Nursing Home staff are causing congestion now.
MI explained that in the current climate this is a very minor issue which Officers are not likely to reconsider the original decision.
BR suggested LV run a Park and Ride from the underused Beach Road carpark.
Julie Reid explained that from her daily commute, the current LV park and ride goes through the narrow railway bridge and causes congestion to which MI said without it the on road parking would be much worse.
BR also added that since the item of parking had appeared on the Agenda there has been a huge number of emails regarding this and where yellow lines should and should not be.
9 Accounts
BR said the balance on the accounts is still healthy at £30457.78 and members could take a copy of the details if they wished.
AOB
JS had brought to the Chairman’s attention that at the March Cabinet Meeting it was announced that Members were keen to ensure that work was started on the process of developing a commercial approach to the use of Council Assets as soon as possible.
At last weeks Cabinet meeting, we learnt that (a) the tender process had now been concluded and the Project will be moving forward with Deloitte as the council advisors and (b) Officers have produced an issue log- which enables specific actions agreed by the group to be progressed and reported back to the Regeneration Working Group.
The tender document included the “Poole Town Centre” and Sustaining Poole’s Seafront Supplementary Planning Documents. Are we permitted to know what Council-owned assets in Canford Cliffs Ward appear on the Council’s issue log.
JS explained that not all the Council properties are listed in the issue log. The question is what Assets in the Canford Cliff Ward are included.
MRH was concerned that items that had been ruled out for development in the SPD might come back in for consideration.
Terry Stewart (president) then briefed the members on The Draft Local Plan for Poole, put out for consultation. In this there has been an increase in the number of houses to be built, 11000 or 12000 houses and the whole conurbation would be 30000 houses which if you calculate is over 40000 cars in the borough. This seems over-development in an area bounded on the south and west by the sea and Bournemouth to the east, with protected heathland to the north.
So this will result in 12 story towers along the river. Higher density for many areas and encroaching onto Green Belt land such as at Canford Magna, and there is a campaign group to prevent this happening on green belt. TS thinks that 450 houses a year would be more realistic and not the 710 suggested by central government.
He went on to explain the problem of the brown field sites which developers find too uneconomic to build on so they lie derelict. He suggested the Developers have us “over a barrel” as there are over a million sites countrywide with planning permission but no developer will take them on.
We will circulate the details of the campaign to protect Poole’s green belt to those interested.
Meeting closed at 8.45, The next meeting will be on 12th October 2016