Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence from those Members who are unable to attend the meeting.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Gwen Lowe and Eilidh Ogden.

To approve the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 21^st  January 2021

The minutes of the meeting of the Panel held on the 21^st January 2021 were agreed as a correct record.

The Councillors will be asked to say if there are any items on the Agenda in which they have disclosable pecuniary interests, which would prevent them from participating in any discussion of the items or participating in any vote upon the items, or any other interests.

No interests were declared.

Most debates take place in public. This only changes when there is a need to consider certain issues, for instance, commercially sensitive information or details concerning an individual. You will be told at this point whether there are any items on the Agenda which are to be discussed in private.

All items were considered in public session.

The Panel will receive any petitions and hear any deputations from members of the public. A deputation is where up to five people can attend the meeting and make a presentation on some particular issue of concern. A member of the public can also hand in a petition at the meeting but that petition should relate to something on which the body has powers and responsibilities.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 10 (2), Members of the Public should provide at least 24 hours’ notice of presenting a deputation.

No deputations or petitions were received, but several submissions from members of the public were received in respect of agenda Item 8 Major Transport Schemes.

The Board will hear any questions from the general public.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, questions should be emailed to executive.governance@kirklees.gov.uk  no later than 10am on 3 March 2021.

Two questions were submitted by a member of the public, Sarah Newton, in respect of the ‘A629 Halifax Road Phase 5 Scheme’ included under Item 8.

Sarah Newton asked how the alterations at the Blacker Road Junction will contribute to the overall objectives of the Phase 5 scheme? She also raisedconcerns in respect of damage to the conservation area and it was asked why the Council would risk the loss of mature trees and the architectural heritage at the Blacker Road junction?

The Chair requested that Richard Hollinson, Head of Major Projects, Economy and Skills, responded.

In his response, Richard Hollinson advised that it was the view of officers that the improvements will bring benefits to air quality, congestion, provide noise relief, would leave the area in a better state of repair as well as providing journey time savings along the corridor and wider network improvements.

Regarding the public consultation of 2018, Richard Hollinson informed the panel that most of the objections related to the removal of a right turn between Edgerton Road into Edgerton Grove Road. In response to the objections, the proposal to remove the right turn had been removed in designs to limit the impact on land take from adjacent properties and consequently there was a reduction in harm to the conservation area. He advised that many of the walls and heritage features needed maintaining in this area, and that a benefit of the scheme was that it will leave these features in better condition. The scheme was also to be subject to a full planning application through the Local Planning Authority where such issues would be given full consideration.

The Chair also invited Cllr Peter McBride, who was in attendance as the responsible Cabinet Member for Regeneration, to respond to the questions. He explained how the scheme would improve the area visually as well as making small travel time savings per vehicle travelling on the road, which accumulatively would lead to a significant improvement in terms of carbon admissions.

The Panel will consider a report providing information on the support offered to the private rented sector by the Council’s Housing Solutions Service as a result of and during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Contacts:

Helen Geldart, Head of Housing Services
Stephen Cale, Operations Manager, Housing Solutions Service
Sarah Holmes, Operations Manager, Housing Solutions

The Panel considered the Private Rented Housing Sector (Support as a result of Covid-19) report which was presented by Helen Geldart, Head of Housing Services.

The report set out the ways in which Councils Housing Solutions Service supported and continued to support, the private rented sector during the Covid-19 pandemic. Helen Geldart summarised the information in the report and highlighted the following key points:

·       In response to the Covid-19 pandemic most staff worked from home and services were adapted to be delivered either online or over the phone.

·       During the national lockdown in March, all non-essential home visits/inspections in the private rented sector were suspended.

·       This was except any emergency visits which were carried out in accordance with safe working guidelines and bespoke Covid-19 risk assessments.

·       Throughout the pandemic new and safe ways of working continued to be developed within the Housing Solutions Service and the approach to complaints and queries had been revised in line with national and Corporate guidance. 

·       There had been a reduction in the number of ‘disrepair enquires’ and enquires related to tenancy issues received from the proceeding 12-month period.

·       The ban on evictions, which was implemented during the pandemic, had been extended to the 31st of March.

·       It was predicated that once the ban was lifted that there may be an increase in the number of residents and landlords from the private rented sector who would approach Housing Solutions due to difficulties in paying rent and the risk of repossession.

·       Targeted bespoke communications were used to make sure that messages around Covid-19 and keeping safe were being heard, understood and to support residents to access the national Covid-19 vaccination programme.

·       Private rented sector turnover had been a lot lower than in the social rented sector, but Housing Solutions expected to receive more enquires as Covid -19 restrictions begin to lift.

The Panel requested to understand the property inspection process during the pandemic, and the subsequent action taken in instances where disrepair was found.

In response Stephen Cale, Operations Manager (Quality Homes), provided the panel with an overview of the process and advised that:

·       During the pandemic any home visits were carried out following a risk-based assessment.

·       All inspections were carried out in accordance with the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.

·       The inspection usually facilitated the action required to rectify any hazards or disrepair identified.

·       In cases where the responsible party, usually the landlord, failed to rectify any issues following inspection, a notice would be issued, under the relevant legislation which would stipulate a timescale for the hazard/disrepair to rectified.

·       Failure to rectify hazards within the issued timeframe would result in the issue of a Fixed Penalty Notice or possible prosecution in court.

·       Where hazards were not rectified by the responsible party Housing Solutions would commission Property Services to carry out the relevant repairs to keep residents safe.

A question was asked by the Panel in relation to a particular issue within the Newsome Ward,  where the Landlord of a privately rented property had passed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

The Panel will be presented with an update on major transport projects being developed by Kirklees Council.

Contacts:

Richard Hollinson, Head of Major Projects

Keith Bloomfield, Major Transport Projects

Andrew Higson, Transforming Cities Fund Programme Lead

Tim Lawrence, Transport Strategy/Policy Group Leader

Richard Hollinson, Head of Major Projects, Keith Bloomfield, Programme Manager, Major Projects, Tim Lawrence, Transport Strategy and Policy Manager and Andrew Higson, Transforming Cities Fund Programme Lead were in attendance to present a report in respect of the major transport schemes being developed in Kirklees.

Also in attendance was Councillor Peter Mcbride, the Portfolio Holder for Regeneration as well as Councillor Nigel Patrick and Councillor Donald Firth who were in attendance to speak under the item in respect of the Holmfirth Town Centre Access Plan on behalf of local shop keepers.

Several representations and submissions were received under the item which the Chair read out on behalf of Kirklees Cycling Campaign, Huddersfield Civic Society, Richard Stow, Sarah Newton, and the Friends of Earth as well summarising the content of a video which was submitted by Hannah Longbottom. All submissions, including a link to the YouTube video,  were circulated in full to the Members of the Panel prior to the meeting.

To follow, Richard Hollinson presented the report on the Major Transport Schemes being developed by Kirklees Council  which set out an update on theoverall aims and objectives of the schemes, the different transportation programmes and their funding sources, the processes to develop the schemes and a  position statement on each transportation project. He also welcomed all the comments made in the submissions and addressed the questions and concerns raised throughout the presentation.

Questions and comments were invited from Panel Members. In relation to the Holmfirth Access Plan, the Panel noted that: 

·       It was important that the location of the Loading Bay did not affect trade to businesses.

·       The Panel wanted to know if the position of the Loading Bay had been considered from a health and safety point of view after hearing shop keepers concerns about carrying heavy deliveries across two lanes of traffic.

·       The opportunity for businesses to have their say was important, and the Panel wanted to know what had been done it terms of holding consultation on the scheme.

In response, Keith Bloomfield, Programme Manager, Major Projects presented a plan showing the proposed changes to be made by the scheme. He advised that:

·       Public consultations had taken place in March 2019 and September 2019 and consultation was held with the business forum in early 2020.

·       The current plans, informed by the consultations and the business engagement forum, intended for the Loading Bay to be located on the South side of Victoria Street.

·       The plans had been analysed from a health and safety point of view.

·       Discussions with ward Councillors about the position of the Loading Bay had taken place recently.

·       The information from these discussions, with the Loading Bay report and details of the travel time benefits, as declared in the Outlined Business Case (OBC), would be provided to Panel Members.

In the discussion to follow the Panel raised a range of issues relating to specific schemes as well as discussing matters in relation to the overarching approach to transport schemes,  such as  the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Members of the Panel will consider the work programme and agenda plan for the 2020/21 municipal year and will consider issues for inclusion during the 2021/22 municipal year.

Contacts:

Jodie Harris, Principal Governance and Democratic Engagement Officer

The Panel noted the provisional work programme for year 2021/22 and there were no further updates.