Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Abdul Khan and Trystan Lewis.

None reported.

Members raised concern regarding the workload of the Economy and Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee and requested a review of the terms of reference and workload at the earliest opportunity.  In response, the Cabinet Member for Democracy, Law and Modernisation advised that as part of the new Overview and Scrutiny Committee arrangements, agreed at Council 02.03.17, a review would take place in the New Year.

None reported.

The Senior Planning Officer, presented Members with Supplementary Planning Documents (SPG) ‘LDP26 Llanelian Conservation Area Management Plan and LDP29 Colwyn Bay Town Centre Conservation Area Management Plan’ to support policy contained within the adopted Local Development Plan (2007 – 2022).

Approval was sought to adopt the documents now that a round of consultation had taken place. 

The report contained the following appendices:

Appendix 1: LDP26 - Llanelian Conservation Area Management Plan SPG.

Appendix 2: Representations Responses Report (Llanelian).

Appendix 3: LDP29 - Colwyn Bay Town Centre Conservation Area Management Plan SPG.

Appendix 4: Representations Responses Report (Colwyn Bay).

The Conwy Local Development Plan (LDP) was adopted on 24 October 2013.  Local Development Plans (LDPs) contained policies and proposals that provided a basis for decision-making on planning applications and for framing conditions on consented applications. An ongoing task associated with delivering the LDP was to progress Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) and Site Development Briefs.

The purpose of the SPGs was to provide guidance to planning applicants, agents, businesses and property owners on the type of acceptable development within the two Conservation Areas, bearing in mind their unique characters; and identify problems that could be addressed through the development process, general maintenance programmes and by raising public awareness.  

Both SPGs had been prepared, in consultation with key Conwy County Borough Council (CCBC) Officers.  They had also been subject to a period of 6 weeks public consultation, where a number of consultation comments had been received (Appendices 2 and 4 of the Committee report detailed consultation responses).

Members were supportive of the adoption of the LDP26 Llanelian Conservation Area Management Plan and LDP29 Colwyn Bay Town Centre Conservation Area Management Plan’ as SPG.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet be requested to adopt Local Development Plan (LDP)26 Llanelian Conservation Area Management Plan and LDP29 Colwyn Bay Town Centre Conservation Area Management Plan’ as Supplementary Planning Guidance.

The Senior Planning Officer, presented Members with the Ty Mawr Development Brief Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) and sought endorsement for public consultation. The report provided the opportunity for Members to comment on the draft Development Brief and put forward amendments to inform the draft for consultation.

The report was supported by the following appendices:

            Appendix 1: Ty Mawr Development Brief.

Appendix 2: Equalities Impact Assessment Screening Report.

The Ty Mawr Development Brief had been prepared by the Conwy County Borough Council’s (CCBC) Strategic Planning and Communities Service (SPCS), with input from planning professionals at Lichfields, and in consultation with CCBC Estates and Asset Management.

The brief would be a key document that would inform the submission of development proposals and financial submissions, and ultimately planning applications on land within the allocation at Ty Mawr, located in the Old Colwyn Local Development Plan (LDP) settlement boundary and Llysfaen electoral ward.

The Brief proposed 237 dwellings (71 of which were affordable, being 30% of the total number), the proposal for one retail unit (300m2 in size), 3,500m2 of allotments, 1,450m2 of children’s play space and 5.58 hectares of major amenity open space, all of which would be subject to financial viability. The site was allocated for 255 dwellings in the LDP. However, Lichfields, who prepared the masterplan layout, considered that this was not possible, given the house types proposed, topography of the site and the inclusion of a retail unit for sustainability.

Members welcomed the 6 week consultation and indicated that they would respond accordingly via the consultation process in relation to such concerns as traffic management and affordable housing provision.

RESOLVED:

(a)  That Cabinet be recommended to endorse the Ty Mawr Development Brief Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) for a period of 6 weeks statutory consultation.

(b)  That the comments from the Ty Mawr Development Brief Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) consultation be bought back to a future meeting of the Economy and Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee for consideration.

The Waste Manager (Jon Eastwood), together with the Head of Neighbourhood Services (Andrew Wilkinson), presented a report describing the findings of the Improved Recycling Task and Finish Group, following the 4 weekly refuse collection trial, and provided Members with information to make a recommendation with regards to a sustainable long term solution for waste collection in order to help residents waste less, recycle more, and increase savings.

The Waste Manager provided some background to the report as follows:

·         Conwy County Borough Council (CCBC) had statutory obligations to manage waste responsibly, based upon the principles of sustainability. The aim was to deliver a sustainable recycling and waste collection model to benefit the environment for current and future generations, help residents do the right thing by wasting less and recycling more, and was economically viable.

·         A trial of 4 weekly refuse collections was implemented during September/October 2016, involving 10,900 properties throughout the County, over a twelve month period. At the same time, 3 weekly collections were introduced as standard for all other households.

·         The move from fortnightly refuse collections to less frequent collections had increased recycling and reduced refuse in the County.

·         In 3 weekly areas recycling increased by 5%, in comparison to an increase of 14% in the 4 weekly areas. The households in 4 weekly areas reduced the amount of refuse placed in their wheelie bins by 31%, in comparison to 20% in the 3 weekly areas.

·         Since collection changes had been implemented, there was evidence to support that, in addition to householders embracing recycling and wasting less, there had been no significant issues, with regards to side waste or fly-tipping, and there had not been an increase in the requirement for additional refuse bins, or requests for assisted collection services.

·         An independent householder survey found that attitudes to the service change had become more positive since implementation, with the proportion of householders saying they were negative towards the change decreasing from 41% pre-change to 26% to date.

·         In addition to the significant environmental benefits, the financial difference between operating 3 weekly (17 collections per year) and 4 weekly (13 collections per year) was £390,000 per year.

·         The Improved Recycling Task and Finish Group considered all the evidence of the trial, including tonnage data, the independent householder research, financial models (and savings) and feedback from individual Local Electoral Division Members.  Based on the results, the Task and Finish Group recommend that 4 weekly refuse collections be implemented throughout the County, as an opportunity to provide a sustainable long term solution to recycling more, wasting less and increasing savings.

·         Year upon year, CCBC continued to recycle more than ever. However, upon realisation that over half the contents of residual wheelie bins (black bag waste) in Conwy still contained recyclable materials that could have been recycled at the kerbside (losing Conwy £1.6m per year) a major change project was initiated to increase recycling and identify savings from refuse collection.

·         Over 6 months, officers planned collection service changes for nearly 57,000 households. This  ...  view the full minutes text for item 508.