Agenda and decisions

To receive any apologies for absence.

To receive and note any declarations of interests in respect of any matters included on the agenda for consideration at this meeting.

(The other registrable interests of Councillors of Somerset Council, arising from membership of City, Town or Parish Councils and other Local Authorities will automatically be recorded in the minutes: City, Town & Parish Twin Hatters - Somerset Councillors 2023 )

No declarations of interested received.

To approve the minutes from the previous meeting

Resolved that the minutes of the Scrutiny Committee - Climate and Place held on 17^th January 2024 be confirmed as a correct record.

The Chair to advise the Committee of any items on which members of the public have requested to speak and advise those members of the public present of the details of the Council’s public participation scheme.

For those members of the public who have submitted any questions or statements, please note, a three minute time limit applies to each speaker and you will be asked to speak before Councillors debate the issue.

We are now live webcasting most of our committee meetings and you are welcome to view and listen to the discussion. The link to each webcast will be available on the meeting webpage, please see details under ‘click here to join online meeting’.

There were two members of the public registered to speak at the meeting.

1)     Nick Hall – Glastonbury Festival Traffic Management

2)    Eva Bryczkowski- Full Council meeting venue and Bus Services

The committee heard the public questions and the verbal responses from Somerset Council officers, and both members of the public were advised that they would receive a full written response within 5 days of the meeting.

To receive an update from the Service Manager, Governance Scrutiny. To assist the discussion, the following documents are attached: -

(a)   Outline of Approach to Forward Plan for Climate and Place Scrutiny

(b)  The Committee’s Outcome Tracker

Please use the following link to view the latest Somerset Council Executive Forward Plan of planned key decisions that have been published on the Council’s website:

Somerset Council Executive Forward Plan

The Committee received and noted the Forward Plan, Outcome tracker and Executive Forward Plan.

The Scrutiny Manager advised that:

·         An additional meeting to discuss ‘Water Quality in Somerset’ has been confirmed for Friday 26^th April to be held at 1.30pm in Deane House, Taunton.

·         The schedule of meetings for the year 2024/2025 has not yet been finalised, but when it has this detail will be included in the committee’s Forward Plan.  

·         The intention is that the Forward Plan will include quarterly budget monitoring and performance reporting going forward.

To note the report.

The Scrutiny committee received the Annual Report of the Trading Standards Service. A brief question and answer session took place, during which members were reminded that the detail around casework could not be discussed in public session, and the committee noted the report.   

To consider the reports

The committee received a presentation on the Section 19 Reports from 2020-2022 Flood Events and the officer invited comments and questions from members.

During the discussion there was concern regarding the difficulties faced when applying for planning permission to install flood defences on listing buildings.  At the end of the debate the committee unanimously agreed to recommend that:

1.     The Scrutiny Committee- Climate and Place recommends that the Somerset Council Planning Service review its policies and advice to residents regarding the application of flood defence mechanisms to listed buildings.

Proposed by Cllr Henry Hobhouse, seconded by Cllr Steve Ashton.

To consider the report

The committee noted the Preliminary report for the 2023 Flood events, and were advised that this report sets out the methodology for the full S19 Flood Investigation report.   

To consider the report

The committee noted the report from the Task and Finish Group, chaired by Cllr Mansell.

The committee unanimously agreed to accept the recommendations as set out in the report, with the addition of:

1.     The Scrutiny Committee - Climate and Place recommends that the Planning Service reports back to this committee on the efficacy of providing;

a)    A supplementary planning document on how we approach energy efficiency developments in listed buildings, as per BANES. (Bath and Northeast Somerset Council)  

b)    A policy like Bristol City Council’s BCS14: The heat hierarchy.

To consider and comment on the report.

The committee noted the Month 10 Budget monitoring update.

This is a standing agenda item and refers to information that has been requested and/or shared with the committee, that cover the Committee’s policy areas.

Since the last meeting the following information has been supplied

a)    Background information on regeneration and UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

b)    SRA Funding – Briefing note

If Committee members have any questions or comments on this information, please contact the Committee Administrator on democraticservicesteam@somerset.gov.uk in the first instance.

The committee noted the items for information.