Issue - meetings

Report of the Cabinet Member Built Environment

Resolved that:

1. There be engagement with local partners and stakeholders, including the voluntary and community sector, parish councils, Local Strategic Partnership, Business partnership, Civic Society, Architects Panel, developers and users of the services within scope to bring them up to date with the review so far on the direction of travel, priorities for further work and emerging outcomes.
2. There be engagement with other providers to understand more fully the opportunities for different delivery models and where the market may need to be developed in the longer term.
3. Cabinet receive a further report on 26 September 2011 setting out the findings from the above and a draft action plan.

The Cabinet Member Built Environment introduced the report as circulated with the agenda, which was not unduly detailed as there were no specific proposals given the initial stage of the review. 

The review presented an opportunity to ask the question “what do we want our built environment services to achieve” and to date the review had involved consideration of current service delivery and its effectiveness.  Other delivery models were available to the council, outsourcing was not popular amongst councillors, but there were examples elsewhere in the country where services had been outsourced.  There were also examples of where decision making had been devolved to other public sector bodies such as parish councils, though there was an issue locally that not all areas within Cheltenham were parished and shared-services with other authorities was another option. 

A benchmarking exercise against similar authorities elsewhere was being undertaken to establish the cost effectiveness of the service.  Consideration of finances was however, hindered by the Government proposal that councils may be able to set their own planning fees to more closely reflect the costs of running the service.  The legislation and finer detail was yet to be finalised and the hope was that this would be announced as soon as possible in order that it could be considered as part of the review. 

There had been a significant amount of engagement so far but the next steps included engaging local partners and stakeholders, etc, which would include workshops funded through English Heritage funding.  This would allow for review of the direction of travel, priorities for further work and outcomes. 

The Cabinet Member Finance and Community Development summarised the scope of the review and suggested that the inclusion of housing enforcement would facilitate synergy.  The Leader agreed. 

RESOLVED that;

1. There be engagement with local partners and stakeholders, including the voluntary and community sector, parish councils, Local Strategic Partnership, Business partnership, Civic Society, Architects Panel, developers and users of the services within scope to bring them up to date with the review so far on the direction of travel, priorities for further work and emerging outcomes.

2. There be engagement with other providers to understand more fully the opportunities for different delivery models and where the market may need to be developed in the longer term.

3. Cabinet receive a further report on 26 September 2011 setting out the findings from the above and a draft action plan.