Issue - meetings

To place before Cabinet, a Petition reported at the meeting of the Council held on 5^th September 2017.

That the previous decision taken by the Cabinet at its meeting held on 14 July 2017 (Minute 76) on this matter be rescinded.      

Councillor Bucke had earlier declared an interest in this item insofar as he was also a member of Frinton and Walton Town Council.

Cabinet was aware that, at the meeting of Council held on 5 September 2017, the Chief Executive had reported the receipt of a petition submitted by Mr Brian Green (the lead petitioner) from Walton-on-the-Naze.  The petition had been signed by 75 residents of the District and stated:

“Say no to plans for Millennium Square – Save our trees & save the £90,000”.

In a covering letter, the lead petitioner referred to the Cabinet’s recent decision to alter the configuration of the Millennium Square in Walton-on-the-Naze at a cost of £90,000.  The letter had stated that the scheme necessitated the destruction of two mature horse chestnut trees (with Tree Preservation Orders on them) and the loss of 10 parking spaces in the area that desperately needed parking provision in order to bring more trade to the shops in the High Street.  Reference had also been made to a lack of consultation with the effected residents.

In accordance with the Council’s scheme for dealing with petitions this matter would be reported and presented to the Cabinet on the basis that it had contained between 30 and 249 signatures.  Mr Green, as the lead petitioner, had been invited to address the Cabinet, present the petition and outline the action that the petitioners wanted the Council to take.  Subsequently, Cabinet would discuss the petition and decide what action, if any, should be taken.  Mr Green would then be informed, in writing, of the Cabinet’s decision and the decision would also be published on the Council’s website.

Cabinet recalled that, at its meeting held on 14 July 2017, it had received a report by the former Portfolio Holder for Commercialisation, Seafronts and Parking (Report A.7), which had sought its approval for public realm improvements to the Millennium Square, Walton-on-the-Naze, including funding from the Regeneration and Growth Budget.

Cabinet further recalled that the Millennium Square located within the High Street Car Park, Walton-on-the-Naze had been conceived and developed in order to provide a meeting place for visitors to the town centre and a focal point for events.  The original design and concept had created a shared area of public space used primarily for car parking, but which could also be used for local events on an ad hoc basis but the reality had been that the result had compromised both and did not perfectly meet either of the Council’s ambitions.

Therefore, the proposal that Cabinet had considered at its meeting on 14 July 2017 was:

·           an enhanced and more attractive public area designed to encourage increased use of high quality public realm in the heart of the town centre; and

·           to provide options for year round outdoor market pitches or other uses of the public area that would also provide more effective year round use of the car parking area.

·           the specifications for construction, the preferred design and mood board of materials were attached  ...  view the full minutes text for item 93