Questions on Notice
To deal with any questions on notice from Members of the Council, in the order in which they have been received.
A period of up to 15 minutes is allocated for the asking and answering of questions. This may be extended at the discretion of the Chairman with the agreement of the majority of those present.
Minutes:
Questions submitted by Councillor M. Thompson
“What has been the revenue lost from town centre car parks since the opening Lidl and Aldi?”
The Leader responded by advising that Aldi opened on 9th August 2018 and Lidl opened on 11th October 2018. Comparison of 3 months’ figures to October 2018 showed that there was a decrease year on year of approximately £8,000. The largest decrease was in August, although the Leader noted that this might be as a result of a lack of signage or policing on the Aldi site. The Council would continue to monitor those figures closely, alongside the wider economic and commercial factors like new jobs and businesses in the town.
Question submitted by Councillor S. Peters
“Can the Leader of the Council inform me whether any artefacts belonging to Bromsgrove Museum are still in storage at the Council’s premises and, if so, is a charge being levied for such storage?”
The Leader responded by informing Members that the museum had a license with the Council for 3 years which required a nominal fee of £1 per month. This was only ever intended to be a temporary situation. There was no risk to the local authority from an insurance perspective as the requirement was for the Trustees to ensure cover and the Council had expressly excluded any liability for loss or damage to the items in storage. The Leader confirmed that the storage was not causing any difficulties, though the agreement would soon be up for review.
Questions submitted by Councillor S. Shannon
“With news of the dangers of obesity and the diabetes ticking time bomb appearing daily the threat of a collapse of the NHS is emerging as a real possibility. Examining BDC Local Plan Health and Wellbeing Policy sections BDP 25.6 and 25.7 related to % numbers of hot food takeaway shops and distances from schools, parks, or youth centres and recognising that this councils policies, although only ratified in 2017 are nowhere near strong enough to control the siting of hot food takeaway shops close to schools etc.
Does the Leader of the Council agree with me that this Council should examine and modify policy parts BDP 25.6 and 25.7 relating to % numbers of hot food takeaway shops and where they can be sited, this Council needs to play its part in reducing the national obesity and diabetes crisis.”
The Leader referred the answer to the Portfolio Holder for Planning Services and Strategic Housing who responded by explaining that the position in respect of fast food outlets was addressed in planning policy documents. The Strategic Planning Steering Group had been reviewing planning policies and it was suggested that the points raised in Councillor Shannon’s question could be added to the consultation responses along with any other points that Councillor Shannon might want to add.
Question submitted by Councillor R. Jenkins
“In relation to the Issues and Options Public Consultation which Council recently ran from 24th September to 19th November, having spoken ... view the full minutes text for item 63