Agenda and minutes

Members are asked to declare any interests in the items under consideration and in doing so state:

(1) the type of interest concerned; and

(2) the nature of the interest concerned

If any member requires advice on declarations of interests, they are advised to contact the Head of Democratic Governance in advance of the meeting.

Councillor Green declared a non-specified interest in agenda item 6(a) ‘Notice of motion – Classification of holiday flats’ as he had friends in the holiday sector.

To agree the minutes of the last meeting held on 17 September 2014 as a true and correct record.

Resolved:  That the minutes of the Council held on 17^th September 2014 be signed by the Deputy Mayor as a correct record.

The Deputy Mayor welcomed Councillor Derek Robertson BEM to his first Council meeting, following the recent Waterloo by-election.

To receive reports from the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Members and consider matters arising from councillors.

a) Leader of the Council - Councillor Blackburn

b) Cabinet Member for Urban Regeneration - Councillor Jackson

c) Cabinet Member for Housing, Public Safety and Enforcement  -  Councillor Campbell

d) Cabinet Member for Children’s Services – Councillor I Taylor

e) Cabinet Member for Tourism and Leisure - Councillor Cain   

f) Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care - Councillor Rowson

g) Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Equality and Diversity - Councillor Jones

h) Cabinet Member for Public Health - Councillor Collett

i ) Cabinet Member for Street Scene and the Environment – Councillor Cross

j) Cabinet Member for Culture and Heritage – Councillor Wright

Cabinet Members presented reports to the Council on work undertaken within their portfolio areas.  Councillor Blackburn presented the report on behalf of Councillor Taylor, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services.  All the reports covered decisions taken, work in progress and work to be undertaken in the near future.  Questions, comments and debate were invited from all councillors on each of the report areas.

Notes:

(1)                Councillor Blackburn agreed to provide Councillor Clapham with details of the amount of the 3% reduction in the Business Rate collection and its financial implications.

(2)                Councillor Jackson agreed to investigate the concerns raised by Councillor Clapham in relation to reports of the heating and air conditioning systems conflicting with each other at Number One, Bickerstaffe Square and the action being taken to resolve the issue.

(3)                In response to a request from Councillor Williams, Councillor Campbell agreed to clarify why the new homes at Foxhall Village were being let only to working families.  She also agreed to provide Councillor Mrs Callow with a definition of a working family.  Councillor Campbell also agreed to provide Councillor Mrs Callow with details of external organisations being used by the Council to telephone canvass residents, how these were being funded and the reasons for their use.

(4)                Councillor Jones agreed to provide Councillor Robertson with the start date and completion date for the road repairs on Bond Street.  He also agreed to provide a written response to Councillor Galley on the costs of the additional street lighting columns being installed in the town and the methodology used to identify those areas deemed as vulnerable.

(5)                Councillors Peter Callow and Ian Coleman left the meeting during consideration of the above item.

To consider a review of the political balance calculations following the election of Councillor Derek Robertson at the recent by election for Waterloo ward.

Members were aware that at the September Council meeting, it had been agreed that a review of the political balance calculations and the effect on committees would be required following the Waterloo by-election in October 2014.

The Council considered proposals for political balance calculations which took into account the election of Councillor Robertson.

Motion:  Councillor Blackburn proposed (and Councillor Williams seconded):

‘1.        To re-appoint the following committees, in line with the political balance calculations and adjustments at Appendix 5(a) to the Council report.  These are:

·           Scrutiny Committee (membership of fifteen and with a composition of ten Labour and five Conservative)

·           Health Scrutiny Committee (membership of nine and with a composition of sixLabour and three Conservative)

·           Planning Committee (membership of ten and with a composition of seven Labour and three Conservative)

·           Appeals Committee (membership of six and with a composition of four Labour and two Conservative)

·           Finance and Audit Committee (membership of seven and with a composition of five Labour and two Conservative).

·           Standards Committee (membership of six and with a composition of four Labour and two Conservative).

·           Chief Officers Employment Committee (membership of six and with a composition of four Labour and two Conservative).

2.         To agree that the powers and duties of those committees remain as set out in the Constitution.

3.         That the Scrutiny Committee be requested to appoint a ‘Call In’ Sub Committee, (membership of nine and with a composition of six Labour and three Conservative), to meet as and when required, with the powers and duties, as set out in the Constitution.

4.         To note that the Licensing Committee and the Public Protection Sub Committee do not need to be re-appointed as the political balance calculations do not change.

5.         To note the appointment of members to committees as set out in Appendix 5(b) to the Council report. 

6.         To confirm the re-appointment of the Chairmen and Vice Chairmen for those committees and the six Scrutiny Lead Members identified at Appendix 5(b) to the Council report based on the above recommendations.

7.         To agree that the Director of Governance and Regulatory Services be authorised to amend the Constitution accordingly.

Motion carried:  The motion was submitted to the Council and carried.

To consider the following motions which have been submitted in accordance with Procedure Rule 12.1 :-

a)      CLASSIFICATION OF HOLIDAY FLATS.  Councillor Smith to propose.

“Blackpool Council is concerned that holiday flats and permanent flats fall within the same use class in terms of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended).  Both currently fall within use Class C3 - 'dwellinghouses' and hence there is no material change of use involved if a holiday flat changes to a permanent flat (unless there is a condition or conditions attached to the planning permission which preclude the change).

This is a problem in Blackpool for a number of reasons. Many holiday flats were approved in the 1960's, 1970's and early 1980's when it was never envisaged that there would be a reduced demand for this type of accommodation and hence no conditions were applied to the planning permissions to restrict them solely to holiday flats.

The Council considers that holiday flats would be more appropriately classed as C1 which comprises the following 'hotel, boarding house or guesthouse'.  This would allow holiday flats to be converted to hotels and guesthouses without requiring planning permission whilst retaining the holiday character of streets in the town whilst preventing the creation of further one bed flats in the town of which there is already a substantial stock.

The Council therefore requests the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to seek a change in the legislation so that holiday flats fall within use Class C1, rather than C3, for the reasons outlined”

Motion:   Having submitted notice, Councillor Smith proposed (and Councillor Williams seconded):

‘Blackpool Council is concerned that holiday flats and permanent flats fall within the same use class in terms of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended).  Both currently fall within use Class C3 - 'dwellinghouses' and hence there is no material change of use involved if a holiday flat changes to a permanent flat (unless there is a condition or conditions attached to the planning permission which preclude the change).

This is a problem in Blackpool for a number of reasons. Many holiday flats were approved in the 1960's, 1970's and early 1980's when it was never envisaged that there would be a reduced demand for this type of accommodation and hence no conditions were applied to the planning permissions to restrict them solely to holiday flats.

The Council considers that holiday flats would be more appropriately classed as C1 which comprises the following 'hotel, boarding house or guesthouse'.  This would allow holiday flats to be converted to hotels and guesthouses without requiring planning permission whilst retaining the holiday character of streets in the town whilst preventing the creation of further one bed flats in the town of which there is already a substantial stock.

The Council therefore requests the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to seek a change in the legislation so that holiday flats fall within use Class C1, rather than C3, for the reasons outlined.’

Motion carried:  The motion was submitted to the Council and carried.