Council and democracy

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Civic Offices, New Road, Grays, Essex, RM17 6SL

Contact: Kenna-Victoria Healey, Senior Democratic Services Officer  Email: Direct.Democracy@thurrock.gov.uk

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 252 KB

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the Planning, Transport, Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committeemeeting held on 9 February 2021.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The minutes of the Planning, Transport, Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 13 October 2020 were approved as a true and correct record.

2.

Items of Urgent Business

To receive additional items that the Chair is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency, in accordance with Section 100B (4) (b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no items of urgent business.

3.

Declaration of Interests

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

4.

Approval of Naming & Numbering of Streets and Highway Assets Policy pdf icon PDF 131 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Strategic Lead of Highways and Infrastructure presented the report to Members and in doing so explained the Council had statutory obligation to administrate the process of street naming and numbering. He continued to explain the process in place was currently being updated, however it was not contained within a policy. The aim of the report was therefore to formalise the process and take the opportunity to include the process of naming rights of individuals.

 

Members heard that the Council was responsible for the administration of the street naming and numbering process to ensure that all properties within the borough were addressed officially. With addresses of a property becoming ever more of a more important issue, organisations such as Royal mail and the emergency services required an efficient and more accurate way of locating properties.

 

The Committee were advised that within the policy there was also the ability to enable the Council to formally name and register elements of the highway such as bridges and roundabouts. The Strategic Lead of Highways and Infrastructure further advised, the policy was to be administered by the highways infrastructure team and key decisions relating to the naming of highway ethics would be referred to the Portfolio Holder for Highways and Transportation and would then be submitted for Cabinet approval. Members heard that any changes would also be reported to the relevant Ward Members before decisions are made.

 

Councillor Kerin asked if there was scope for future roads to be named after people such as those working in the NHS especially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in a way to thank those people. The Strategic Lead of Highways and Infrastructure advised this could be considered and taken through the application process however when naming a road after a person who may be deceased the relevant criteria would have to be followed.

 

Councillor Watson enquired as to whether new developments with no street names could be considered to honour those people such as in the NHS as these developments had not been named yet. Officers thanked Members for their suggestions and confirmed they would look into the suggestions.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That Planning, Transport, Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee note the above named Policy and processes contained therein for implementation and recommend to Cabinet for approval.

5.

Highways Street Lighting Central Management System pdf icon PDF 144 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Strategic Lead of Highways and Infrastructure addressed Members informing them the report was for their approval to commence the tender process and award of contract for installing a central management system for highways street lighting. Members heard funding had been secured as part of the Councils internal capital bid program for the implementation of a highway street lighting central management system, mentation of this system meant that the Local Authority could remotely monitor all the street lighting assets.                       

 

Members heard the bid included the provision of the installation of seven bass stations which would interact with the existing lighting infrastructure and enabled officers to monitor and adapt the lighting levels across the borough. It was further explained the project would generate future energy and CO2 savings as the majority of the light in assets owned by the Council could be remotely controlled and monitored. It was further explained the project would generate financial savings through a reduction in maintenance costs such as reduced callouts. All in all the project would assist officers in managing the system and offering a better customer service to residents. It was explained that officers had to go out to tender in September and award contract in January therefore six months before creating the base stations.

 

The Chair of the Committee thanked officers for the report commenting he felt it was positive and had many benefits. He went on to enquire as to whether there were any disadvantages to the new scheme. The Strategic Lead for Highways Infrastructure explained a lot of Local Authorities already had a similar system in place. The system itself would enable real-time calculations to be used therefore making it more efficient.

 

Councillor Kerin also thanked officers for the report and enquired as to why the Council was going out to tender and not completing the work in house. It was explained this was due to the specialist software and as far as officers were aware there were no Local Authorities currently using this system, which was in house. He explained once the software and bass stations had been installed officers would be running the day-to-day working of the system.

 

During discussions it was confirmed that the £1 million grant received through the capital bid was to assist with the installation of the software and once in place the Councils annual savings were predicted around £125,000 along with maintenance costs for the CMS system estimated to be £25,000 per annum.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That Planning, Transport, Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommend to Cabinet the commencement of the tender process and subsequent award of a contract to install a Central Management System for Highways Street lighting.

6.

Grays South: Delivering the Pedestrian Underpass – Project Progress and Grays South: Delivering the Pedestrian Underpass - Land Assembly pdf icon PDF 582 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Strategic Lead for Regeneration explained both items (seven and eight) related to Grays and as such interlinked. It was suggested it might be easier to present both items together and then answer any questions, the Chair agreed to this approach.

 

The Strategic Lead for Regeneration continued to explain the first item (item seven) was in relation to project progress, and commented that Members were maybe aware of the budget set by Cabinet in 2017 of £27.4 million for the Grays underpass scheme, which included the underpass itself, steps to allow people to go over the train line and the public realm which was wrapped around the site.

 

Members heard that in July 2020 officers presented Cabinet with a report explaining it was felt they would exceed the budget and proposed it be extended to £37.9 million, this was based on officers having additional information at that stage than they did in 2017. Officers agreed to report back to Members with further details in relation to the cost plan, and it was explained that in the interim officers would continue to work on option C of the scheme which was chosen by Cabinet as the preferred option in 2020.

 

It was explained savings had been found in the cost plan produced by Network Rail, however it was important to note that in some instances costs had been transferred between the parties so reductions were not always genuine savings. The total cost of the project is now estimated at £37.3 million, which was a slight improvement on where officers were last year however it was noted this was still an excess on the original budget.

 

The Strategic Lead for Regeneration moved onto item eight and explained officers had decided to report as a separate report as it related to land assembly for the scheme and to specific legal requirements when entering into a CPO. It was still the aim of the Council to be able to purchase the land required by private treaty without the use of compulsory purchase powers, however compulsory purchase would create a framework which would give the topics for discussion and hopefully enable officers to acquire the land within the timescales of the scheme.

 

Councillor Anderson Chair of the Committee commented that in a previous report it has mentioned the towns fund had been applied for however in the current report it mentioned that the towns fund has been explored. He asked for an update on where the application was for this. Officers explained that grants for the towns fund had been applied for and submitted, with the final decision resting with the government officers were still awaiting their announcement which had been postponed.

 

Councillor Kerin commented he was concerned with the increase in budget cost and this caused him concerns as to the deliverability to the scheme. He sought assurances from officers for the completion of the project. It was commented officers were as confident as they could be at this stage of the scheme, the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Parking Policy and Strategy and Parking Design & Development Standards pdf icon PDF 154 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

As per the Chairs announcement at the start of the meeting this item is to be deferred.

 

8.

Flooding in Thurrock – January 2021 pdf icon PDF 423 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

As per the Chairs announcement at the start of the meeting this item is to be deferred.

 

9.

Planning, Transport, Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2021/2022 pdf icon PDF 117 KB

As part of the Work Programme item, Democratic Services will discuss the potential for an overview and scrutiny project, and how this will be implemented within the Planning, Transport, Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee plus the use of briefing notes, if suitable, throughout the year.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Senior Democratic Services Officer advised Members of the Overview And Scrutiny Review which took place last year and two of the recommendations agreed by Cabinet, which where the use of briefing notes and the potential for an Overview And Scrutiny Project. It was explained to Members that briefing notes were to be used to reduce the amount ‘to note’ reports and to enable Members to receive updated information instead of a report in a timelier manner for big projects such as the Local Plan.

 

The Chair of the Committee welcomed the use of briefing notes as did Councillor Kerin who commented he was pleased to hear that although briefing notes could be used this would not take away a full report should Members require one. Members asked if the Democratic Services Officer could look at dates of the committee and its proximity to Cabinet meetings.

 

On discussing items to be presented during the municipal year Members asked for the following:

 

  • An update on cycling and tranche funding - February 2022,
  • An update on the towns fund - February 2022,
  • A briefing note on a trams-network and noted on the work programme,
  • A briefing note update on East Facing Slips and noted on the work programme

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the following items be included on the Planning Transport Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme:

 

  • An update on cycling and tranche funding - February 2022,
  • An update on the towns fund - February 2022,
  • A briefing note on a trams-network and noted on the work programme,
  • A briefing note update on East Facing Slips and noted on the work programme