Issue - meetings

(i)         By Councillor Gaw to Councillor Gillbe, Executive Member for Planning and Transport

(a)        Can the Executive Member give an update on the progress of the Draft Local Plan, relative to its previously agreed timetable for consultation and implementation?

(ii)        By Thomas Parker to Councillor Temperton, Leader and Executive Member for Council Strategy and Climate Change

(a)        As part of the last administration a review of the Member’s Code of Conduct was completed. Whilst this made some slight progress, the behaviours of members towards other Councillors and Officers did not substantially improve as the Code lacked teeth and the ‘tone from the top’ did not sufficiently ensure that it was embedded and that the culture changed.

Will the new Council administration commit to the following?:

·        A full review of the Member’s Code of Conduct so that it is strengthened and reinforces a higher standard of behaviour that the public expect from their elected officials;

·        Strengthening the rules on disclosable interests so that all there is more transparency of any member’s personal financial gain derived from their position at the Council (excluding their allowances);

·        Ensuring that a new culture is fostered both at the member and officer level so that the new Code can be properly embedded; and

·        A more robust process for holding members to account where these standards are not met

Councillor Gaw asked Councillor Gillbe, Executive Member for Planning and Transport the following published question:

Can the Executive Member give an update on the progress of the Draft Local Plan, relative to its previously agreed timetable for consultation and implementation?

In response, Councillor Gillbe, Executive Member for Planning and Transport provided the following published response:

Following the decisions of the Executive 21 March 2023, officers have been working on the Modifications to the Local Plan in line with the Local Plan Inspectors letter received 19th January. I have agreed with the Executive Director Place Planning and Regeneration that the draft modifications should be forwarded to the Planning Inspectorate, for agreement prior to public consultation. 

The Inspectors have been provided with the modified plan and will be reviewing the Council’s modifications and will come back to the Council in due course, confirming whether the Council should consult, or whether further modifications are required. It is anticipated that due to the Inspectors workloads and holidays that they will come back to the council over the summer period. It is likely that consultation on the modifications will take place following the summer holiday period. This is broadly in accordance with the timeframe set out in the report to the Executive in March, albeit the Council is now in the hands of the Inspectorate as to when consultation can commence.

Councillor Gaw asked Councillor Gillbe, Executive Member for Planning and Transport the following supplementary question:

What, if any, site additions, deletions or amendments in addition to those demanded by the Inspector, have been included and submitted with the modified plan?

In response Councillor Gillbe confirmed that the draft only differed to the original draft under the emerging Local Plan in as so far that it removes the Jealott's Hill site allocation as per the Inspectors letter and therefore followed the agreement of the Executive in March under the last administration.

Resident Thomas Parker asked Councillor Temperton, Leader and Executive Member for Council Strategy and Climate Change the following published question:

As part of the last administration a review of the Member’s Code of Conduct was completed. Whilst this made some slight progress, the behaviours of members towards other Councillors and Officers did not substantially improve as the Code lacked teeth and the ‘tone from the top’ did not sufficiently ensure that it was embedded and that the culture changed.

Will the new Council administration commit to the following?:

1.   A full review of the Member’s Code of Conduct so that it is strengthened and reinforces a higher standard of behaviour that the public expect from their elected officials;

2.   Strengthening the rules on disclosable interests so that all there is more transparency of any member’s personal financial gain derived from their position at the Council (excluding their allowances);

3.   Ensuring that a new culture is fostered both at the member and officer level so that the new Code can be properly embedded; and

·     A more robust process for holding members to account where  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16