Council and democracy

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 1, Civic Offices, New Road, Grays, Essex, RM17 6SL. View directions

Contact: Wendy Le, Democratic Services Officer  Email: direct.democracy@thurrock.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

22.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 217 KB

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the Local Development Plan Task Force meeting held on 20 January 2020.

Minutes:

The minutes of the Local Development Plan Task Force held on the 20 January 2020 were approved.

 

Councillor Kerin questioned whether the Sports Facilities referred to on page 8 of the agenda was reference to the proposed visit by Grays Athletic Football Club to a task force meeting. Leigh Nicholson stated this had been discussed and agreed that Grays Athletic Football Club should present at this meeting rather than at the Planning Transport and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee. Democratic Services agreed to pick this action point up and report back.

23.

Items of Urgent Business

Minutes:

There were no items of urgent business.

24.

Declaration of Interests

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

25.

Thurrock Active Place Strategy pdf icon PDF 127 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair agreed to change the order of the agenda so that Item 6 could be heard first.

 

Clare Macleod, Knight Kavanagh and Page Representative, gave a detailed presentation to accompany the report provided within the agenda. The presentation can be found from the following link:

 

https://democracy.thurrock.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=441&MId=5627&Ver=4

 

Members thanked Clare Macleod for the presentation and made the following comments:

 

Councillor Rice asked for reassurance that open spaces such as Blackshots and Orsett Health playing fields would not be built on. Leigh Nicholson stated playing fields on green belt had protection with Fields in Trust protecting parks and green spaces such as sport pitches.

 

Councillor Rice questioned whether East Thurrock United would be relocating to another site. Leigh Nicolson stated there were no proposals for this football club to be relocated.

 

Councillor Kerin questioned how accessible the amenity green spaces were to residents. Claire Macleod stated that a strategic look would be undertaken on how to invest, to look at those less accessible spaces and those green spaces used dually or multi used and confirmed this information would be covered in the full report.

 

Councillor Redsell questioned how many sites had been visited. Claire Macleod stated the number of site visits had been agreed with Officers before the work commenced and those open spaces such as football and hockey pitches and indoor amenities had been visited.

 

Councillor Rice questioned how funding could be obtained for a private individual to erect an outdoor gym on Orsett Heath. Grant Greatrex suggested that the individual contacted the Parks Engagement Team.

 

Councillor Rice questioned why no golf clubs had been included in the consultation. Claire Macleod stated that the scope of the consultation had been agreed with Officers.

 

Members discussed the findings from the Playing Pitch Strategy:

 

           Councillor Kerin questioned whether the significant shortfalls would be fed into the Local Plan to identify land for this purpose.

           Councillor Redsell stated the shortfalls of youth 11v11 had been the impact of Blackshots playing fields closing.

           Councillor Rice stated that the facilities at Palmers College need to be updating.

           Councillor Redsell stated the Tennis Club no longer used the tennis courts at St Clere’s School as the charges were too high.

           Councillor Rice stated Chadwell had lost their cricket ground facility following the pavilion fire and needed to be addressed.

           That Section 106 monies should be used as a priority and strategically back into the Local Plan to address such findings.

 

Members discussed the findings from the Indoor Facilities:

 

           Councillor Rice reminded members that the Civic Hall and Blackshots were built in the 1960s and had concerns on the age of the buildings.

           Councillor Redsell stated that as a ward member she was beginning to get a lot of complaints about Blackshots swimming pool.

           Councillor Kerin questioned the reliance of indoor and outdoor facilities in schools and was informed these would be itemised in the full report.

           Councillor Rice stated that larger industries in the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.

26.

Thurrock Local Plan - Next Steps pdf icon PDF 374 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 Sean Nethercott, Strategic Lead of Strategic Services, summarised some the steps the Council proposed to take to prepare the Local Plan over the next two years. This included the technical work that needed to be undertaken, and the assessment of options leading to the production of a preferred spatial strategy. This work would be undertaken with the community and community engagement would be built in at an early stage. The Council were working with scheme providers and their agents on the master planning of new development and infrastructure planning work.

 

Councillor Kerin questioned whether these plans had been based on the assumption of the current Lower Thames Crossing route. Sean Nethercott stated that broadly yes but there had been some alignment changes.

 

Councillor Rice raised concerns that the east of the borough were calling out for new homes and this should be included within the proposal to build 32,000 new homes in the borough. Sean Nethercott stated that the proposed 32,000 new homes would include a cross section of homes across the borough and these options would be included in the Local Plan.

 

Councillor Rice questioned whether retirement villages had been considered as part of the Local Plan.

 

Councillor Rice stated that more council homes should be considered on a bigger scale. Sean Nethercott stated the Housing Needs Strategy would identify community needs including specialist housing needs such as the elderly and to look at what support and infrastructure was required. Members agreed that this was a key piece of work to bring back to the group to include infrastructure study on today’s needs v. future needs and what the costs would be.

 

Councillor Kerin questioned the waiting lists for social housing as part of the Housing Needs Strategy. Sean Nethercott confirmed that this was the approach across all local authorities and would be based on need.

 

Councillor Redsell stated it was good to see the wider transport plan would include river taxis which would take traffic off roads.

 

Councillor Redsell questioned why paragraph 3.4 of the report had no mention of residents or members. Sean Nethercott stated the context was for the technical production of the plan and not a community or member engagement.

 

Councillor Rice questioned when the correct provisions of the partial plan would be in place to meet the development needs of the borough and specifically mentioned when the plans would be in place for a relief road in Chadwell to ease the traffic at the Cross Keys Junction. Sean Nethercott stated it would take 24 months to draft the technical plan, followed by a 6 to 8 week consultation period, and then a further 12 to 16 month period before a Regulation 19 Local Plan would be consulted upon and submitted to the Secretary of State, Following examination and the Plan would then be formally adopted by the Council in 2024.

 

Councillor Rice asked when the draft Local Plan would be presented at Council for sign off. Sean Nethercott stated that after a period of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26.

27.

Work Programme pdf icon PDF 112 KB

Minutes:

As this was the last committee for the 2019/20 municipal calendar the Chair thanked officers and members for their contribution.