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Minutes of a meeting of the Cabinet |
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held on Friday 29 September 2023at 10.30 am
in Meeting Room 1, Abbey House, Abbey Close, Abingdon, OX14 3JE
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Open to the public, including the press |
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Present in the meeting room: |
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Cabinet members: Councillors Bethia Thomas (Chair), Neil Fawcett (Vice-Chair), Mark Coleman, Andy Crawford, Debra Dewhurst, Andy Foulsham and Helen Pighills |
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Officers: Steve Culliford (Democratic Services Team Leader) and Simon Hewings (Head of Finance)
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Remote attendance: Cabinet member: Councillor Sue Caul Officers: Samantha Allen (Senior Conservation Officer), Patrick Arran (Head of Legal and Democratic), Andrew Busby (Head of Development and Corporate Landlord), Ore Idowu (Trainee Solicitor), Jeremy Lloyd (Broadcasting Officer), Suzanne Malcolm (Deputy Chief Executive – Place) and Tim Oruye (Head of Policy and Programmes) |
28. Apologies for absence
None
29. Minutes
RESOLVED: to approve as a correct record the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 11 August 2023 and agree that the Chair signs them as such.
30. Declarations of interests
None
31. Urgent business and chair's announcements
None
32. Public participation
Mr Raleigh Hullock made a statement seeking Cabinet’s support in calling for the review of hackney carriage fares to involve the South and Vale Taxi Drivers’ Association. He reported that adoption of the tariff used in Guildford would be acceptable.
Mr Jason Atherton also made a statement in support of Mr Hullock, calling on Cabinet to instigate a review of the hackney carriage fares. The current fares’ structure did not allow the taxi trade and its drivers to earn a fair living.
Councillor Helen Pighills, the Cabinet member responsible for the licensing service, thanked the speakers for their statements and appreciated the valuable service that they and the local taxi trade provided to the public. Councillor Pighills undertook to ask the licensing team to reply to both speakers in writing as a matter of urgency.
Other members commented that the current fare structure should be reviewed, all options should be explored, and a paper should be brought to Cabinet on this matter. The chair asked the Cabinet member to consider that suggestion.
33. Recommendations and updates from other committees
Cabinet received an update from Joint Scrutiny Committee on the performance of the car parks management and leisure centres management contracts.
34. Drayton Conservation Area Appraisal and Boundary Review Adoption
Cabinet considered the head of planning’s report on the Drayton Conservation Area Appraisal and Boundary Review.
Drayton Parish Council, in conjunction with the Neighbourhood Plan review, had commissioned a review of the conservation area. Officers worked with the parish council and local people to prepare a draft appraisal and management plan document, which was the subject of public consultation in early 2023. Detailed changes had been made to the document as a result of the consultation. The revised draft appraisal and management plan were presented to Cabinet for adoption.
During the review of the existing conservation area boundary, the Parish Council had identified three areas that were of sufficient interest and significance to be considered for inclusion within the designated boundary. The Conservation Team had reviewed the proposed areas for inclusion within the boundary and concurred with the parish council that these areas met the tests to be included in the designated area. These areas were shown on the map in Appendix 1 to the report and included:
· the historic core of Sutton Wick and Millennium Green, to the north;
· an area east of Church Lane; and
· a small area west of Abingdon Road, across from High Street.
Cabinet considered that the Drayton Conservation Area, as proposed to be extended, was of special architectural and historic interest, and that the whole area should be designated as a conservation area and the accompanying appraisal should be adopted. Cabinet noted that the local ward member was in support of this also.
RESOLVED: to
(a) adopt the Drayton Conservation Area boundary as per the proposed revisions shown at Appendix 1 to the head of planning’s report to Cabinet on 29 September 2023;
(b) adopt the Drayton Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan, as amended following public consultation, as a Supplementary Planning Document as part of the Development Plan evidence and is a material planning consideration; and
(c) authorise the head of planning, in consultation with the Cabinet member for corporate services, policy and programmes, to make minor changes, typographical corrections or non-material amendments to the Drayton Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan document prior to formal publication and statutory notification requirements.
35. Stanford-in-the-Vale Conservation Area Appraisal and Boundary Review Adoption
Cabinet considered the head of planning’s report on the Stanford-in-the-Vale Conservation Area Appraisal and Boundary Review.
The council was required to periodically review all conservation areas throughout its district. The appraisal for Stanford-in-the-Vale formed part of that rolling programme.
Officers had worked with the parish council and local people to draft the appraisal and management plan document, which had been subject to public consultation early in 2023. Detailed changes had been made to the document as a result of the consultation. The revised draft appraisal and management plan were presented to Cabinet for adoption.
During the review of the existing conservation area boundary, some areas had been identified as areas of sufficient interest and significance to be considered for inclusion within the designated boundary. The review had also identified some areas that no longer met the tests and were proposed for removal. The proposed changes were shown on the map at Appendix 1 to the officer’s report and included:
· extension to include verges at western end of High Street;
· extension to include curtilage and dovecote of Cox’s Hall;
· extension to include 15 High Street;
· extension to include the former orchard and orchard walls of Orchard House as defined by Green Lane, including 9 Horsecroft;
· extension to include 10, 16-24, 15-27 Horsecroft and their curtilages;
· extension to include former orchard adjacent to 1 Upper Green (also known as The Old House);
· correction at Penstone’s Court, formerly Penstone’s Farm; and
· removal of 25 and 27 High Street.
Cabinet considered that the Stanford-in-the-Vale Conservation Area, as proposed to be extended, was of special architectural and historic interest, and that the whole area should be designated as a conservation area and the accompanying appraisal should be adopted. Cabinet thanked officers and the local people who had worked hard to conduct this review, which had produced a good outcome.
RESOLVED: to
(a) adopt the Stanford-in-the-Vale Conservation Area boundary as per the proposed revisions shown at Appendix 1 to the head of planning’s report to Cabinet on 29 September 2023;
(b) adopt the Stanford-in-the-Vale Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan, as amended following public consultation, as a Supplementary Planning Document as part of the Development Plan evidence and is a material planning consideration; and
(c) authorise the head of planning, in consultation with the Cabinet member for corporate services, policy and programmes, to make minor changes, typographical corrections or non-material amendments to the Stanford-in-the-Vale Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan document prior to formal publication and statutory notification requirements.