Agenda item

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That the previous decision taken by the Cabinet at its meeting held on 14 July 2017 (Minute 76) on this matter be rescinded.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 to the aforesaid report as Appendix A for Cabinet’s consideration.

It was reported that the estimated cost for delivering this project was £90,000. Project costs could be reduced if required, or met as outlined in the financial section of the aforementioned report.

Having considered the information submitted and the advice of Officers contained within the report, Cabinet had decided to note the contents of the portfolio holder’s report and had:-

a)     approved the principle of public realm improvements to the Millennium Square Walton on-the-Naze, as outlined in Appendix A to item A.7 of the Report of the Portfolio Holder for Commercialisation, Seafronts and Parking;

b)     authorised the seeking of statutory or other consents and agreements as may be required;

c)     authorised a contribution of £50,000 towards delivery of the proposed scheme to be funded from the Regeneration and Growth budget;.

d)     requested that the Head of Public Realm completes the design and costing of the project; and

e)    authorised the Corporate Director (Operational Services), in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Commercialisation, Seafronts and Parking and the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Regeneration, to invite tenders, enter into contracts or commission works by the Engineering Services Team in order to complete the project within the budget and approvals.

Mr Green, as the lead petitioner, addressed the Cabinet, presented the petition and outlined the action that the petitioners wanted the Council to take. A copy of the petition together with a covering letter submitted by Mr Green was before members of the Cabinet.

Having heard Mr Green’s address Cabinet was aware that there were several courses of action available to it, including:

·           taking no action (with reasons as to why no action was proposed);

·           taking the action requested in the petition;

·           undertaking research into the matters raised (this could include referring the matter to the relevant Portfolio Holder, or officer of the Council) and holding a meeting with the petitioners;

·           referring the petition to the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committee; and

·           holding a public meeting.

Having considered the petition and the address made by Mr Green and in the light of the fact that the Council’s regeneration aspirations for Walton-on-the-Naze would no longer be met by this project:-

It was moved by Councillor Stock, seconded by Councillor G V Guglielmi and:

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