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Decision details

Draft Planning & Sustainable Transport Portfolio Plan 2012/13

Decision Maker: Executive Councillor for Planning, Building Control, and Infrastructure

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: No

Decision:

Matter for Decision:  

Approval of the Planning & Sustainable Transport Portfolio Plan setting out strategic objectives and performance measures for 2012/13.

 

Decision of Executive Councillor for Planning and Sustainable Transport:

Approved the Planning & Sustainable Transport 20/12/13 Portfolio Plan.

 

Reason for the Decision:

Portfolio Plans allow Executive Councillors to set out, in agreement with the lead officers, their key priorities for delivery in the year ahead.

 

Any alternative options considered and rejected:

Not applicable.

 

Scrutiny Considerations:

The Executive Councillor for Planning and Sustainable Transport gave a brief overview of the Draft Planning & Sustainable Transport Portfolio Plan 2012/13.

 

Members of the Scrutiny Committee were invited to comment on and discuss the Plan.

 

In response to Member’s questions the Executive Councillor for Planning and Sustainable Transport, Director of Environment plus Streets and Open Spaces Asset Manager confirmed the following:

 

(i)                A budget allocation was required to ensure funding was available to implement 20 mph schemes. Officers would work up proposals and undertake consultation as required to ascertain stakeholder’s specifications and the practicability of these. Work could not be undertaken without funding being allocated, so the budget included an estimated figure.

(ii)              A specific tree work management strategy was being worked up to supplement the review of the Local Plan. This would focus in particular on consultation and canopy coverage. The strategy should be complete by Spring 2013.

 

Consultees included Councillors, ‘Friends’ and Neighbourhood Groups, previous tree strategy consultees, plus complementary strategy consultees (eg wildlife strategies). An on-line consultation facility would be available.

(iii)            The planning and delivery of quality green spaces (strategic objective PST2) would be more robustly enforced in future.

(iv)            There were concerns over the direction of national planning policy, particularly its emphasis on growth. The Council should be unaffected as it would have a robust Local Planning Policy process in place to guide its decision making within the next two years; following the Local Plan Review. This would ensure Local Policies covered any gaps left by the retraction of national ones.

(v)              Options to repair or replace the Park Street Car Park were being considered.

(vi)            Pedestrian schemes such as walkways needed to be factored into the design of new city areas. The County Council have a Cycling and Walking Steering Group to facilitate this.

(vii)          The Executive Councillor undertook to report back to Committee on the progress against Portfolio Plan objectives.

 

The Scrutiny Committee considered and endorsed the Portfolio Plan unanimously.

 

The Executive Councillor approved the plan.

 

Conflicts of interest declared by the Executive Councillor (and any dispensations granted)

Not applicable. 

Publication date: 07/02/2012

Date of decision: 10/01/2012