Agenda item

Pursuant to the provisions of Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 13, the Committee will review any new and/or amended published forthcoming decisions relevant to its terms of reference and decide whether it wishes to enquire into any such decision before it is taken.

Matters may only be raised on the Forward Plan at Committee meetings where the Member has notified the Committee Services Manager in writing (or by personal email) of the question they wish to ask, no later than Midday, two working days before the day of the meeting.

Pursuant to the provisions of Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 13, the Committee reviewed any new and/or amended published forthcoming decisions relevant to its terms of reference with a view to deciding whether to enquire into any such decision before it was taken. The relevant forthcoming decisions were before the Committee.

Further to the provisions of Rule 13 Councillor Baker raised the following matters:-

“(A)   When is a report likely to come forward, with reference to Honeycroft and Spendells Sheltered Housing Scheme, to Cabinet as both were agreed to be closed in January/February this year and given that on this Committee’s Work Plan this matter is not shown for further scrutiny?

(B)     Underwater CCTV Dovercourt Bay Lifestyles - Why is this proposed and what is the potential cost? Also what are the implications for clients/visitors privacy? And finally, why only at this particular site?

(C)    What exactly are TDC intending to do with regard to Beacon Hill Fort, Harwich. Could the Committee be advised in detail of any future plans?”

Answers to those questions were submitted to the Committee as follows:-

“(A) formal report on this matter will be considered by Cabinet at its meeting due to be held on Friday 13 July. The report will be published by no later than Thursday 5 July.”

“(B) The report produced by Officers in order to assist the Portfolio Holder in making his decision is tabled at this meeting.”

“(C) Beacon Hill Fort is a Scheduled Ancient Monument described in its Listing as a ‘Late 19th and 20th Century Coastal Artillery Fortification’ and the extent of the area subject to the Listing is edged in purple on the plan attached.

The Council purchased its parts of the Fort, which are shown hatched red on the Plan from The Secretary of State for Defence in stages between 1974 and 1984.

Over the last five years TDC has tried to purchase the privately owned parts of the Fort which are hatched blue on the Plan and the former Pumping Station which is hatched green.  Neither of these negotiations proved successful and both properties were sold separately to new private owners.

Access to the privately owned part of the Fort is by way of the land coloured brown on the Plan.  A right of way exists to the former pumping station over the same brown coloured land, however this is exclusively for the purposes of a pumping station and does not extend to a private dwelling or for any other purpose.

The radar tower on the site has been looked after and opened to the public by the Harwich Society for some years.

For many years the Council has held a desire to acquire the remainder of the fort and to conserve it in accordance with the management plan created many years ago. However, in reality the Fort has lain unused since it was purchased 45 years ago and the potential to acquire the balance now seems remote. Additionally the realisation of the management plan would require substantial investment which has not yet been identified.

The new owner of the central part of the site has made enthusiastic process with clearing the site and buildings and has proposals for a number of potential uses that were not envisaged in the management plan.

If the Fort is held under one-ownership, it will be easier to put into practice a plan for the site that is achievable and acceptable to Historic England.  It may be the time to step back and sell the Council’s part of the site in order to facilitate a viable future for the fort. 

No firm proposals are in place for a disposal at present. At the time of writing a report is being prepared for the Portfolio Holder to initiate the disposals process. That process will include valuations detailed consideration and negotiation with interested parties prior to future decision(s) on actual proposals.”