Agenda and minutes

Venue: Conference Room, Argyle Road, Sevenoaks. View directions

Contact: Democratic Services Email: democratic.services@sevenoaks.gov.uk  01732 227199

Items
No. Item

1.

Appointment of Chairman

Minutes:

Resolved: That Cllr. Lowe be appointed as Chairman of the Committee for the ensuing municipal year.

 

 (Cllr. Lowe in the Chair)

 

 

2.

Appointment of Vice Chairman

Minutes:

Resolved: That Cllr. Parkin  be appointed as Vice-Chairman of the Committee for the ensuing municipal year.

 

 

3.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 28 KB

To agree the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 22 March 2016, as a correct record.

Minutes:

Resolved: That the Minutes of the meeting held on 22 March 2016 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

 

4.

Declarations of Interest

Any interests not already registered

Minutes:

No additional declarations of interest were made.

 

5.

Actions from Previous Meetings

Minutes:

There were none.

 

6.

Update from Portfolio Holder pdf icon PDF 40 KB

Minutes:

The Portfolio Holder’s update was noted. 

7.

Referrals from Cabinet or the Audit Committee

Minutes:

There were none.

 

8.

Role of the KCC Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee (HOSC)

Minutes:

Cllr. Brookbank was unfortunately unable to attend and had submitted his apologies.  This item was therefore not taken.

9.

Swanley as a Dementia Friendly Town

Minutes:

Cllr. Searles was unable to attend and had submitted his apologies, this item was therefore not taken.

 

In Cllr Searles absence however, the Head of Health & Housing gave a presentation on Dementia Friendly Communities. 

She also tabled a ‘Shop safe, stay safe’ leaflet a scheme that businesses were being encouraged to join after a successful pilot in Dartford and Gravesham.  Vulnerable residents who signed up provided details of a family member, friend or carer to contact in the event of an emergency and were given a keyring with a unique code that should they need help, shop workers in those shops displaying a Shop Safe, Stay Safe sign could call the Council with the unique code and who would call the emergency contact.  Leaflets would be supplied in Members’ pigeon holes. 

 

10.

The West Kent Health Integration Update pdf icon PDF 26 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chief Officer Communities and Business gave a presentation on potential devolution of public health preventative services.  The Council was part of a West Kent cluster group which consisted of Kent County Council (KCC), Tunbridge Wells (TWBC)and Tonbridge & Malling Borough Councils (TMBC).

 

The Sevenoaks District Health Deal had been presented to to the KCC Director of Health.  The Chairman reported that this document had been presented to KCC, TWBC and TMBC who had not changed a word, which demonstrated what an excellent document it was and would now form the basis for the West Kent integrated deal. 

 

The Committee demonstrated their appreciation to the Officers for all their hard work in producing it. 

 

The Chief Officer Communities and Business advised that there had been a meeting that day and more work would be ongoing that week.  The process felt much more inclusive than previous years.  There would be a report to Cabinet in July, but no time for it to come to the Committee first.  Members acknowledged and expressed a wish to demonstrate their strong support for this work.

 

Resolved:  That Cabinet be advised that the Committee strongly supported all progress made on the West Kent deal and requested that Cabinet support it.

11.

Housing Needs Survey - Progress Report pdf icon PDF 31 KB

Minutes:

The Housing Policy Manager presented the report which advised that in recent years, and with the advent of the SHMA, local authorities have typically resorted to the use of secondary data when developing lower level housing strategies, policies and plans to ensure that the District Council’s new housing strategy prioritises those most in need of support and assistance, the District Council had agreed to commission a new Housing Needs Study (HNS) – the first of its kind in almost a decade (Housing Market and Needs Assessment, 2006). 

 

The Chairman expressed thanks to the Chief Planning Officer and staff for the s.106 agreements which secured funding gains which would fund the survey.

 

Resolved:  That the report be noted.

12.

Interim Housing Strategy Measures pdf icon PDF 29 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Housing Policy Manager presented the report for consideration.  The Group A action sheet (Maximising Affordable Housing Output) arising from the Members work shop in December 2015 had been supported by the Committee at the last meeting and Group D (Tying in Housing, Health and Leisure) was appended to the report for similar consideration.  The remaining groups (B: Making Best Use of the Existing Housing Stock/C: Managing Housing Needs) would be developed further and presented to the next Committee for the same consideration.  The plan was to then develop any agreed options and to either introduce as interim measures (in developing planning policy, for instance) or to have prepared and ready for inclusion in the new housing strategy, which was due for completion in early 2017.  Any delayed (but previously agreed and prepared options) would be adjusted, where required, to take account of any subsequent developments in national policy and updated evidence, as would be provided through the upcoming HNS.  With such a wide and varied range of options, and several having very different considerations and consequences, there would likely be a number of different approaches to the taking forward of approved actions/objectives.          

 

Members considered the Group D recommendations arising from the Members workshop in December and

 

Resolved:  That Officers be supported in further exploring and/or implementing related objectives as agreed by the housing strategy workshop working group D and set out in Appendix A to the report.

13.

The Housing and Planning Act 2016 pdf icon PDF 22 KB

Minutes:

The Housing Policy Manager presented the report which updated Members on the Housing & Planning Act 2016 that had received Royal Assent in May.  Briefly running through some of the changes: Members discussed ‘starter homes’ and what that meant; Right to buy was being extended to housing associations though there may be rural exceptions; and it would not be compulsory for Housing Associations to get rid of lifetime tenancies.

 

Resolved:  That the report be noted.

14.

Health Improvement Annual Report pdf icon PDF 43 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Health and Housing presented a report which detailed information of the work delivered on the action plan in 2015/16.

 

Resolved:  That the report be noted.

15.

To note minutes of the Health Liaison Board pdf icon PDF 32 KB

To note the minutes of the meeting of the Health Liaison Board held on 11 May 2016.

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting of the Health Liaison Board held on 2 March 2016, were noted.

Members discussed how difficult it was to achieve the Kent Healthy Business Award and wondered whether there was a way of recognising ‘working towards’  or even having own awards.  Members also discussed the possibility of healthy eating ratings on takeaways or healthy food award.

16.

Work Plan pdf icon PDF 18 KB

Minutes:

The work plan was noted.

 

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