To receive any questions from members of the Council, of which due notice has been given pursuant to Council Procedure Rule 10, to be submitted and answered.
Minutes:
The Deputy Mayor advised that there were seven questions in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 10.
1. Question from Councillor Munn
“The poor state of our roads is a major concern of our residents and the current efforts of Kent County Council are abysmal. Spending £10 million when there is an admitted backlog of £500million is clearly inadequate.
Although this Council has no direct responsibility for these road repairs, what action is it taking to put pressure on Kent County Council to step up its efforts to deal with the thousands of potholes that are causing damage to vehicles and are posing danger to people’s lives?”
Answer from Councillor McDermott
“Tunbridge Wells is a successful and economically busy part of the county with heavy road usage and we expect roads to be kept in a good state of repair. You also quite rightly raise the issue of public safety from poorly maintained roads.
On the 19 March I chaired a joint member briefing between the Cabinets of this Council and Kent County Council. This was to build awareness of current and future challenges within Tunbridge Wells and to facilitate a discussion on how we could work more effectively together and ultimately agree shared priorities. We also used this briefing as an opportune time to raise our concerns regarding the unacceptable condition of some parts of the roads following the spate of bad weather.
The KCC Director of Highways gave assurances that they were working hard to make repairs as a matter of urgency. Some repairs can only be made temporarily until timetabling of other considerations and the giving of sufficient notice has occurred.
Residents and businesses should continue to report problems directly to the KCC website and to track the progress of repairs.”
Supplementary question from Councillor Munn
Councillor Munn asked whether KCC had provided any indications as to the amount or value of repair work being undertaken in Tunbridge Wells. He added that road safety was one of the priorities under the Community Safety Partnership Plan.
Response from Councillor McDermott
Councillor McDermott advised that he had received a comprehensive schedule of works which he would make available to members.
2. Question from Councillor Hill
“One of the Council’s aims in the Five Year Plan is to ‘support the development of Community Centres in the borough’. One of these centres is the Southborough Community Hub which is jointly managed by a Project Board representing three equal partners: Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, Kent County Council, and Southborough Town Council. Nearly two years after signing a Collaboration Agreement what are the best current estimates of: 1) when the project will be completed; 2) the overall cost of the project; 3) the cost of the building housing the theatre/community hall, council offices, library, and medical centre; 4) the cost of the football pavilion; and 5) the contribution being made in cash or kind by each of the three partners?”
Answer from Councillor Jukes
“We anticipate the project being completed at the end of 2020. KCC are currently out to tender to appoint a design and build contractor to deliver the new hub, and it isn’t possible to quantify costs or contributions until a finalised design is agreed.”
Councillor Hill noted a lack of information but there was no supplementary question.
3. Question from Councillor Hill
“In view of the lack of previous information provided by the Project Board to this Council on the Southborough Community Hub what plans are there in future for the Board to provide regular progress reports and detailed financial updates, including the publication of a fully costed business plan?”
Answer from Councillor Jukes
“It is difficult to provide open information when land sale negotiations are underway and build contractors are assessing prices. We all want to get the best deal for Southborough, and that cannot be achieved by conducting negotiations in public or providing projected costs to developers. Once land sales are complete and a contractor is appointed, I will ask that the Project Board provide a comprehensive update to the Town and other Councils.”
Supplementary question from Councillor Hill
Councillor Hill asked why there was no business plan for the hub development, particularly given that the previous buildings had already been demolished.
Response from Councillor Jukes
Councillor Jukes noted that the project’s client was Southborough Town Council, of which Councillor Hill was a member.
4. Question from Councillor Hill
“In view of the lack of availability of public information on progress on the Southborough Community Hub what is our representative on the Project Board doing to ensure that there is a communication plan that details how, in future, residents of Southborough and High Brooms are going to be kept informed of developments, taking into account that many people do not have access to a computer or use email? When will this communication plan be published?”
Answer from Councillor Jukes
“The Project Board are aware of their responsibility to share information when they can, and I will ask that they develop a communications plan that includes traditional outlets as well as electronic means.”
He added that some of the information was commercially sensitive and to make it available would damage the Council’s negotiating position.
Supplementary question from Councillor Hill
Councillor Hill asked whether Councillor Jukes was on the Project Board.
Response from Councillor Jukes
Councillor Jukes noted that he represented Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and not Southborough Town Council.
5. Question from Councillor Chapelard
“The Portfolio Holder for Planning and Transportation, Councillor McDermott, said that Tunbridge Wells Borough Council could not implement a permit parking scheme based on pollution levels. This scheme would see owners charged for permits on a sliding scale based on their environmental impact. In effect, the more you pollute the more you pay. The reason given for a lack of implementation is that Tunbridge Wells Borough Council would be taken to court. What evidence does Councillor McDermott have to make such a statement?”
Answer from Councillor McDermott
Councillor McDermott noted that this question had been asked in the past where the previous response was correct. Since such time, matters had progressed and a new position was available.
“We are in the process of acquiring a new virtual parking permit system which will have the functionality to set charges based on the data held by the DVLA such as CO2 levels.”
Supplementary question from Councillor Chapelard
Councillor Chapelard welcomed the change of policy and asked when such a scheme was likely to be implemented.
Response from Councillor McDermott
Councillor McDermott advised that discussions were underway but were subject to the Government making changes.
6. Question from Councillor Lidstone
“Following May’s Borough election, Councillors will be appointed to various Committees, including the Planning Committee. How will the Leader ensure appointments to the Planning Committee are not unduly influenced by a Councillor’s prior voting record on the proposed Civic Development?”
Answer from Councillor Jukes
“No account is made of how any member has voted in the past when determining who will sit on the Planning Committee. The Monitoring Officer has regularly issued clear advice to members on pre-determination and that decisions of the Planning Committee must only be made on planning grounds. Appointment of members to committees is arranged in line with relevant legislation together with the need for committee members to attend training.”
In response to a further comment from Councillor Jukes, Councillor Lidstone responded that he would be keen to be involved with the Planning Committee but was unable to attend the parts of the function that occurred during the working day. There was no supplementary question.
7. Question from Councillor Chapelard
“Please could the Portfolio Holder for Civic Development Communications provide a breakdown of the total costs of the Civic Development communication plan to date?”
Answer from Councillor Moore
“With such an exciting cultural and place shaping project it is important that as many people as possible are made aware of the project and how to find out what it means for them and the future of the borough. It is also important to strike the right balance between raising awareness, promoting engagement and being prudent with tax payers’ money.
The cost for communications activities to date is £39,358.75. All work was placed with local businesses and in accordance with the Council’s procurement procedures. I will write to Councillor Chapelard with a breakdown of that spend which included the provisions of a dedicated website, venue hire, video and digital media and roadshow events.
In terms of output, we had over 30,000 website views, 3,800 views of the video, held over 50 community meetings, 4 events aimed at young people, roadshow events across the Borough and briefings for over 70 businesses, representative groups and networks. In total, we spent over 130 hours communicating and explaining the proposals. We tried to use existing resources where possible, including the use of Local Magazine which is delivered to every household in the Borough for just 9p per issue.”
There was no supplementary question.