Up to 60 minutes is allowed for this part of the meeting unless extended by the Chairman of Council on a motion moved, duly seconded and approved by the Council. Members may ask one supplementary question in addition to their original question.
(a) To Chairmen/Vice-Chairmen of Committees
To receive answers in respect of questions from Members of the Council to the Chairman or Vice-Chairman of the Council or the Chairman of any Committee or Sub-Committee asked in accordance with Rule 12 of the Council Procedure Rules.
(1) Councillor B Gardner will ask the Chairman of the Planning Committee:
Now that Kent Highways have clearly stated that they regard it as their purpose to promote development, how does the Chairman of the Planning Committee think that the people of Middle Deal and Sholden will understand the reasons why the Minters Yard applications and both of the Sholden Housing applications were so favourable to development?
(2) Councillor A S Pollitt will ask the Chairman of the Planning Committee:
Given the recent severe weather, what measures does the Chair of Planning propose to introduce other than minimum 'green' standards as a requirement to ensure more sustainable and ecologically friendly house building in the Dover District?
(b) To the Executive
To receive answers in respect of questions from Members of the Council to a Member of the Executive asked in accordance with Rule 12 of the Council Procedure Rules.
(3) Councillor P Walker will ask the Leader of the Council:
Given the progress that has been made in securing planning consent, commercial interest and the publication of the Compulsory Purchase Orders for the St James town centre development, could the Leader and Portfolio Holder for Regeneration advise on the next steps and the timescales for the likely delivery of the scheme?
(4) Councillor P Walker will ask the Portfolio Holder for Environment, Waste and Planning:
What action has the Portfolio Holder for the Environment, Waste & Planning taken to determine whether changes have taken place before necessary planning permission has been obtained at the Lydden Racing Circuit and what action will he take if it is shown that material changes have taken place without necessary permissions?
(5) Councillor P M Brivio will ask the Portfolio Holder for Housing, Children's Services and Safeguarding, Youth and Community Safety:
Can the Portfolio Holder for Community, Housing etc advise members whether the budget for discretionary housing benefit to assist those affected by the bedroom tax is likely to be oversubscribed this financial year and how many Dover District tenants have been unlawfully charged or obliged to move due to the bedroom tax provisions?
(6) Councillor R J Thompson will ask the Portfolio Holder for Housing, Children's Services and Safeguarding, Youth and Community Safety:
According to the minutes (item 7) of the Youth Advisory Group meeting held on 16 January 2014, Dover District Council is providing financial support to the new build Youth Centre in Deal, what financial assistance will this Council be giving to the people of Aylesham and their representative bodies to enable them to acquire the Aylesham Youth Centre which will otherwise be disposed of by Kent County Council?
(7) Councillor M R Eddy will ask the Portfolio Holder for Health, Well?being and Public Protection:
Could the Portfolio Holder for Health and Public Protection comment on the impact of the intervention by Mr Charles Elphicke which resulted in a considerable delay in building a new hospital in Dover?
(8) Councillor S J Jones will ask the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Resources and Performance:
As councillors will shortly be receiving iPads for their work, when does the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Performance believe the Council will start to make savings by sending agendas and minutes electronically, as opposed to sending them in the post? In his reply, could he also indicate where the money for the iPads will come from and how much does the Portfolio Holder believe it will cost the Council to update the council chamber with power sockets so councillors can use their iPads throughout a meeting?
Minutes:
In accordance with Rule 12(1) of the Council Procedure Rules, Chairmen of Committees responded to the following questions:
(1) Councillor B Gardner asked the Chairman of the Planning Committee, Councillor F J W Scales, how, now that Kent Highways have clearly stated that they regard it as their purpose to promote development, does he think that the people of Middle Deal and Sholden will understand the reasons why the Minter’s Yard applications and both of the Sholden housing applications were so favourable to development.
(2) In the absence of Councillor A S Pollitt, the Chairman of the Council advised that a written response would be sent to him in respect of the following question:
“Given the recent severe weather, what measures does the Chair of Planning propose to introduce other than minimum 'green' standards as a requirement to ensure more sustainable and ecologically friendly house building in the Dover District?”
In accordance with Rule 12(1) of the Council Procedure Rules, Members of the Cabinet responded to the following questions:
(1) Councillor P Walker asked the Leader of the Council, Councillor P A Watkins, if, given the progress that had been made in securing planning consent, commercial interest and the publication of the Compulsory Purchase Orders for the St James’s town centre development, he and the Portfolio Holder for Regeneration could advise on the next steps and the timescales for the likely delivery of the scheme.
(2) Councillor P Walker asked the Portfolio Holder for Environment, Waste and Planning, Councillor N S Kenton, what action he had taken to determine whether changes had taken place before necessary planning permission had been obtained at the Lydden Racing Circuit and what action would he take if it was shown that material changes have taken place without necessary permissions.
(3) Councillor P M Brivio asked the Portfolio Holder for Housing, Children’s Services and Safeguarding, Youth and Community Safety, Councillor S S Chandler, to advise Members whether the budget for discretionary housing benefit to assist those affected by the bedroom tax was likely to be oversubscribed this financial year and how many Dover District tenants had been unlawfully charged or obliged to move due to the bedroom tax provisions.
(4) Councillor R J Thompson asked the Portfolio Holder for Housing, Children’s Services and Safeguarding, Youth and Community Safety, Councillor S S Chandler, that, according to the minutes (Item 7) of the Youth Advisory Group meeting held on 16 January 2014, Dover District Council was providing financial support to the new build Youth Centre in Deal, therefore what financial assistance would this Council be giving to the people of Aylesham and their representative bodies to enable them to acquire the Aylesham Youth Centre which would otherwise be disposed of by Kent County Council.
(5) Councillor M R Eddy asked the Portfolio Holder for Health, Wellbeing and Public Protection, Councillor P G Heath, to comment on the impact of the intervention by Mr Charles Elphicke which resulted in a considerable delay in building a new hospital in Dover.
(6) Councillor S J Jones asked the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Resources and Performance, Councillor M D Conolly, as councillors would shortly be receiving iPads for their work, when did the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Performance believe the Council would start to make savings by sending agendas and minutes electronically, as opposed to sending them in the post. In his reply, could he also indicate where the money for the iPads would come from and how much did the Portfolio Holder believe it would cost the Council to update the Council chamber with power sockets so Councillors could use their iPads throughout a meeting.