Cllr Michael Jones, Leader of Cheshire East Council, gave a speech at a meeting of Full Council yesterday in which he told members that Cheshire East Council does have a 5 year supply of housing and that they will be using the "best planning lawyer in the country" for a forthcoming appeal.
In addition to speaking about planning issue, Cllr Jones discussed the new Alternative Service Delivery Vehicles, new committee arrangements, care for the vulnerable, education and HS2.
Below is his speech in full.
Members of Council we are at the start of a new civic year.
It promises to be another exciting year for Cheshire East Council and a year of continued transformation and improvement. It will be a year where it will be clear to everyone that Cheshire East is leading the way. Where Cheshire East is going now, others will follow. It will be a year when we should put the residents first and foremost.
I have talked previously about our ambition to become a strategic commissioning Council and to deliver to residents in an ever smaller financial envelope.
At our last meeting I was delighted to be able to tell Council that on April 1st our new Environmental Operations company ANSA and Bereavement service company Orbitas 'went live. I can now confirm that our Everybody Sport and Leisure Trust has now also 'gone live'.
However, becoming a commissioning Council is a marathon and not a sprint, we are taking a 'best fit' approach to developing a raft of new service delivery options, these will be guided by our underlying principle of being a 'resident first' Council, working to develop even better outcomes for the Local people of Cheshire East.
I am pleased to inform you that there are excellent signs that the new Alternative Service Delivery Vehicles (ASDVs) are working. Innovation and good practice is becoming evident, ensuring that we are putting residents first. This is testament to the work of our management team and staff from the new delivery companies and I think bodes well for the future but we will be vigilant.
We are now moving to introduce three new companies to enhance our services to our residents.
I am pleased to announce that 13/14 has seen another strong year for both financial and operational performance for services across the authority. Detail will be published in June but I wanted to raise the point now as a timely reminder to you all that without fiscal stability we would be unable to do what we do best which is to deliver a 'resident first' approach to service delivery. So I am delighted that for the second year in a row we have delivered a balanced budget with a small surplus.
To ensure that we are delivering for residents I have always believed that members should lead the way and I am grateful to Professor Leach and the Constitution sub committee for all the help they have given to this process. We will abolish PDGs forthwith.
Being a resident first council is about more than providing great services and balancing the budget, it is also about ensuring there is appropriate scrutiny of Council decision making.
For this reason I will be asking you all to support my new overview and scrutiny committees. These Committees will be cross party, Member led and will be vital to ensuring that Cabinet decision making is held to account. I will ask that we become resident inclusive, with the addition of two members of the public on each committee. They will not have a vote, but will have minority reporting ability.
My Administration will continue to deliver better outcomes for residents and including members of the public will ensure that we are indeed a 'resident first' council.
On the subject of our new Committee arrangements, I can announce the following detail:
Over arching "Corporate" scrutiny - Chair: Steve Wilkinson and Vice Chair: (Other Parties) Brendan Murphy;
Communities overview and scrutiny - Chair: Gordon Baxendale and Vice Chair: (Other Parties) Mo Grant;
Jobs, regeneration and assets overview and scrutiny - Chair: Peter Groves and Vice Chair: Frank Keegan; (this will include Engine of the North).
Children and Families, adult Safeguarding overview and scrutiny – Chair: Phil Hoyland and Vice Chair : (Other Parties) Arthur Moran;
Commissioning ASDV's overview and scrutiny– Chair: Bill Livesley and Vice Chair : Other Parties (Ken Edwards); (this will include ANSA, Orbits, Transport Services Solutions, an energy ASDV and a planning services ASDV)
Health and Adults in the Community overview and scrutiny – Chair: Margaret Simon and Vice Chair Jos Saunders;(this will include responsibility for the new CEC CQC and also scrutiny of the Health and Wellbeing board).
With regards to Deputy Portfolios, I can announce the following support members:
Deputy Portfolio Holders
Safeguarding Children's and Adults - Rhoda Bailey - to Rachel Bailey;
Service Commissioning - Louise Brown – to David Topping;
Care & Health in the Community - Stewart Gardiner – to Janet Clowes;
Strategic Outcomes- Lesley Smetham - to David Brown.
A full job description will be drawn up in consultation with all members and hence there will be a two week period for changes if suggested.
The new ASDVs will be introduced shortly to ensure that we have greater flexibility in addressing our residents and members needs.
These will be the following:
Planning and Building Services ASDV - To be Chaired by Andrew Kolker with Vice Chair Olivia Hunter
Energy ASDV - To be chaired by Peter Mason and Vice Chair Derek Bebbington
Transport service solutions - To be chaired by Rod Menlove and Vice Chair Gail Waite
Members; you do not need me to tell you that planning is an important and emotive issue. As ward councillors we are all, probably on a daily basis, approached by members of the public with concerns and issues. Many people are speculating about our five year land supply. They are asking the question, do we have an adequate supply or don't we?
If only Planning were that simple!
It is vital that we send a message across the Borough and to London that we are doing our job which is to deliver the homes that the Borough and country need. Since March 2013 we have added over 6000 permissions (3800 since October 2013) and signed off more 106's than ever before.
We are also top of our peer group in bringing empty homes back into use – 1236 in 2013 – the next authority in the league table was only half of this.
This means we bring in housing supply and improve the overall environment for our residents.
Whilst it is important that we do deliver on housing, it is also crucial that we continue to fight developers who put profit ahead of people, and development ahead of our countryside. That is why we are continuing to push hard on appeals for Cheshire residents. We believe that we can evidence at least a Five Year supply as was outlined in detail at Council in February but this is not an exact science.
We are working hard to prevent against unplanned, unsustainable development.
So what I set out below is an update on what this Council has done to protect our beautiful countryside:
We have passed our local plan with one of the highest housing numbers in the region and we are about to submit this to Government later this month – this means that by the end of this year we will have a fully adopted plan and expect a late summer examination.
We have approved over 6000 new homes with planning permissions over the last twelve months to further boost our Housing Land supply.
This council has always tried to refuse unwanted development, as reflected in the appeals we face.
These developers have extensive financial and legal resources and often trade information between themselves and start off with the advantage that we have to prove our position.
At appeals, developers challenge the Council in every way. This includes an analysis of all sites, what the build rates are on sites and also whether a site has a signed 106 agreement.
The Council is duty bound to show its evidence to the developer and to include only those sites that either have planning permission or will have permission within the next five years.
In October 2013 a Planning Inspector announced that we had failed to prove our five year supply, stating that we had a 4.2 year supply at the Sedgefield methodology and a 20% buffer, (the buffer is dependent on the "persistent under supply" on whether you have a 5% or 20% buffer).
We were very disappointed and we set about reviewing our position and we added 3800 new permissions since October 2013 and completed nearly all our outstanding 106 agreements, all making our numbers robust.
Furthermore, in March, the Secretary of State, after much campaigning by me, our local MPs and by a number of local authorities in a similar position to ourselves, introduced the National Planning Practice Guidance – the NPPG, effectively adding hundreds of permissions. We would say that the NPPG should include accommodation for older people and student accommodation. Both groups, at the two ends of the age spectrum, help make up our diverse society. It would be perverse not to include these categories. Including these groups makes our five year supply extremely robust.
So here are the numbers presented to you in a very detailed way.
To summarise, Cheshire East Council maintains that we do have a 5.10 years supply taking account a 20% buffer, 5.83% taking account of a 5% buffer and when we take account of provision within residential institutions (known as C2) as advised within the recent NPPG the supply is 7.9 years.
| 5% buffer | 20% | With NPPG Advice | |
| 5 Year Target (dwellings) | 1150 x 5 = 5750 | 1150 x 5 = 5750 | 1150 x 5 = 5750 |
| Target (5750) including Shortfall (2130 + 122) | 7880 + 122 (122 is allowance for Jan, Feb and march 2014) = 8002 | 7880 + 122 (122 is allowance for Jan, Feb and march 2014) = 8002 |
5750 +558 + 28 ** (558 is revised shortfall; 28 is allowance for Jan, Feb and March 2014) = 6336 |
| Buffer | 5% | 20% | 5% |
| Requirement including buffer | 8402 (1680 units per annum) | 9602 (1920 units per annum) | 6653 (1331 units per annum) |
| Supply (dwellings)* | 9787 | 9787 | 9787 plus additional C2 supply of 727 = 10514 |
| Supply (years) | 5.83 | 5.10 | 7.90 |
The vagaries of the system means that we may still continue to lose appeals, often with developers co-operating from appeal to appeal and with every planning committee being attended by representatives of developers scrutinising Member actions and comments. But we also continue to build our case and evidence base and I can announce that in a forthcoming appeal we will be using the best planning lawyer in the country.
We have to recognise in this system that the wealth of resources sits with the developers against Cheshire East Council, and indeed there are many instances where developers often put forward contradictory evidence – for example stating that they can only deliver very low build rates to support their position in planning appeals – but then when challenging our Local Plan housing numbers, state that the housing need and housing market demands far more housing than the 27 000 homes we are proposing – this is clearly a position we are pointing out to the Inspectorate.
This is an issue that affects all areas of the Borough and there is not a Member in this room who is not being undermined by speculative developers. I only support plan-led growth and we should expect consistency from Inspectors at the very least.
You have my commitment that my administration will work tirelessly to move this issue forward so that we protect our communities.
These issues are clearly putting stress into our planning system and I congratulate the team for their performance this year.
Given the volume of applications, the number of appeals and exceptional pressures in handling applications we have still retained performance of determining 49% of major applications within 13 weeks and minors/others within 68% and 82% respectively. I ask all the team and planning committees to keep pushing hard.
We are also introducing new arrangements for Member communication and engagement in the planning process. As part of our new planning structure we will have a team dedicated to liaison with the public and Members – this will be fully operational later this month. Also I have stated previously that all Members will be invited to pre-application discussions – it has taken some time but this will now happen and further details will be confirmed later this month also.
On a personal note, my family is currently struggling with the impact dementia on a growing elderly family and I know other families are experiencing this. It has been and continues to be, a tough time, but it has also been a very informative time. I have learnt that we must do more for the vulnerable. As such I will be bringing a paper to Cabinet on the subject of how Cheshire East currently engages with and supports both people living with dementia and their families and carers.
I personally feel that we must do more, we must engage earlier and focus on early intervention and we must equip our care teams, external partners and our communities to with the right skills to support residents with dementia. I believe that we must stop internal provision on dementia and look to ensure that we tackle dementia earlier ensuring that sufferers are within the community and at home for longer, whilst we allow the private sector, which has capacity and expertise to do the keeping.
This is a moral charge and one that I am passionate about and I hope you are to. To this point I would also like to mention our wonderful Mental Health Re-ablement Team. We have a service in place that works well, transforming dementia with activities, compassion and experience. They are a vital service which we will support. This is an example of early intervention in action which is something we as a Council should be striving towards for all service areas.
I would also like to announce that we will be introducing a cross service crisis team to assist with the essential support that helps our vulnerable to live in the community. Some of the day to day things we take for granted dementia and mental health sufferers find most challenging. It can be paying bills, finding accomodation, telecare products, day care or simply knowing what services exist.
Cheshire East will lead the way, continuing to develop best practice and embedding the principle that every patient matters. We will continue to commit to a resident first approach, tied into our new community hubs, and we will continue to make health work for us.
Today I would also like to announce that I am extremely confident that we can introduce the Cheshire East wide care accreditation scheme. This will ensure the best provision for all residents, and will seek to ensure value for money, particularly looking at the issue of top up fees to providers.
This will be vital role of the Health and Adults in the Community Committee, as Vice Chair Cllr Saunders will be lead member on this piece of work and we are currently recruiting the Officer Team to support Cllr Saunders with this work.
I also want to inform you of potentially challenging issue. On Dols, (deprivation of Liberty), a new supremre court ruling has meant that Dols are applicable to a wider group and that means we have seen in the last month a years Dols application. This will mean a minimum of £500,000 extra costs.
As all adults matter, then surely every child matters just as much. In this summer, Tony Crane will come to this Council with a report on far reaching ambitions for every child a young adult. It will be a programme of 0 to 25 success for all.
We have a lot of excellent schools across Cheshire East, these schools set the bar high and really deliver for our young people. We must learn from those primary and secondary schools that are doing the best for young people and from the best education providers from across Cheshire East to deliver on education for all of our young people and not just those children lucky enough to attend one of our great schools. This should aim to be more than closing the gap but eradicating it.
In order to do this, we will have to be radical, we will have to challenge the status quo and we will have to work hard to support those schools that do need to develop.
Improving education for all will in turn lead to better life chances for all our young people ensuring they are able to access apprenticeships and higher education opportunities, and will ensure that they are equipped with the skills they need for the world of work and future life.
This review will not only include formal education, it will be look to bridge the gap in life chances that starts from a very young age. It will bring in Early Years, Health and a range of early intervention approaches to ensure that each child and their family and carers receives the support that they need to get on in life. We want all children to feel a part of society and grow to be a contributor to society.
I am proud to announce that this year we have achieved a high success for pupil allocation with 93% of pupils getting there first choice of secondary school. Whilst the latest national data has not yet been published, last year the figure was 87% across the UK.
I am also determined that we must work closer with our outstanding colleges, including South Cheshire college and Macclesfield College. They are both fantastic and I want to involve both of them in Tony's vision and work.
Alongside with these colleges we will develop our UTC proposals for Crewe. We have placed on the table a fantastic bid fully supported by key corporates and our University.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Bentley, OSL, MMU and the other bid partners that have supported us in putting forward such a compelling case.
I am also pleased to tell you that we have put forward a joint bid with Manchester for a HS2 academy which supports our ambitious plans to bring HS2 to Crewe.
This is just one example to the Government and any future Government that this Council will work with any one we need to, in order to build our economy, and to deliver the jobs and growth that our residents need. We are the engine of the North West and this is something that the Government are beginning to realise.
I am confident that the government will choose Crewe for HS2. Whilst no decision has yet been made I can assure you that we have made a compelling case to Government and which is backed by Manchester and partners from across the country.
Our ambitious plans for HS2 and rail improvements dovetail with plans for growth and jobs which will not only impact Cheshire East but will provide a boost to growth across Liverpool, Manchester, Wales and Staffordshire.
Regardless of the outcomes of HS2 we will be working with Stoke and Staffordshire to deliver a new fast route to Stoke, giving them connectivity to London within 1hr and ten minutes, but more importantly we will include them in our M6 corridor of growth.
This is the right thing to do as strong regional growth across the country is good for Cheshire and good for the UK economy.
To deliver jobs we are working with Manchester and as already stated we are standing together with University partners to provide a unique platform for engineering in Crewe, to the north of the Borough we are building a strong science corridor which is supported by a range of partners from across the North West.
We have completed on the sale of Alderley Park and this vital national centre for science is now owned by local businesses and councils. It is important that the task force, introduced by the local MP, has worked fantastically and I thank all members, including AZ colleagues, for expediting the sale to MSP. I think all members will recognise, in light of the Pfizer bid that for this to be achieved was vital, especially as I believed a bid was likely as early as last summer.
However, I want more so today I announce that I shall be asking Cabinet to agree to the Council investing up to £5 million into a fund to support companies at Alderley Park and to assist in developing the best science centre in Europe, particularly in the area of Oncology. This will be producing a return on the investment but more importantly it will bring new science to the UK, to Cheshire and radical treatments of Cancer for our residents. I have asked for a detailed business case to be brought forward for my Cabinet colleague Peter Raynes to rigorously appraise over the coming weeks and months.
The Waters Corporation in Wilmslow will formally open this summer – by our Local MP. The Waters Corporation is a company that has great significance globally and in the UK – it chose Cheshire East for its HQ and research and manufacturing base because of our connectivity, science base and highly skilled workforce.
As I have stated to Council on a number of occasions, openness and transparency are at the heart of everything we do.
This is why I have appointed our Chief Operating Officer (COO) Peter Bates, as Transparency Champion. In this role the COO will work to drive the transparency agenda, ensuring transparency is embedded into Council processes and to work with all our heads of service, in particular the Chief Monitoring Officer and Head of Democratic Services to ensure democratic oversight of the transparency programme.
As part of this work, we are working with the London Borough of Redbridge and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) to deliver a new information portal for staff and the public to access the data and information that the Council hold.
Our new portal will not only support the public to scrutinise what we spend and how we spend public money, it will also underpin a virtuous cycle of business intelligence: good data leads to good information, leads to good decision making which all leads to better outcomes for our residents.
This approach will be integral to our 'resident first' approach to commissioning services, targeting resources where they are needed most.
As always we are looking to work with the best in field, the Redbridge solution is recognised by the LGA as leading the way in terms of making Council held data and information available to the public.
Transparency will also be central to our new delivery companies. Through strong governance and oversight the role of elected members will be strengthened, Members will provide a strong voice and provide input into commissioning decisions, ensuring the proper use of public money.
Members, in a few minutes Council will be discussing the report of the Constitution Committee in relation to the Council's Decision Making and Governance Arrangements. This is a long and detailed report; but the themes that I have outlined above are reflected in the recommendations from Constitution Committee.
I am pleased to say that following helpful discussions with Opposition Leaders prior to Council, and assuming Council approves the recommendations, flexibility will be built into the way in which vice chairmanships will be allocated to the new Scrutiny Committees to accommodate opposition groups.
I have agreed with the group leaders that we will take two weeks to agree job descriptions including and possibly importantly, for Deputy Portfolio Holders.
As we approach the Centenary of the start of the First World War this August I can announce that Cheshire East has developed a very appropriate and fitting programme of events and activities to mark this important anniversary. Indeed, the programme; details of which you will have found on your chair; will run from August 2014 to November 2018.
I am delighted to be able to tell Council that on 31st may the Queens Commonwealth Games Baton will be visiting Cheshire East, one of the few stops around the Country. I am delighted that the Borough has been selected for this honour. The Baton will be visiting Congleton. Mr Mayors; I understand you will be officiating at this prestigious event.
Whilst we are here in Tatton, It is only right that I mention the fantastic news that Tatton won Gold at the Visit England National Tourism Awards earlier this week.
This complements the overall strength of our tourism economy with visitor numbers swelling to 13.9 million last year and the Borough's visitor economy worth a record £737million!
I could stand here and say that we have won awards, because we have. I could say that we have a balanced budget, which we do, with a small surplus, that we are filling potholes and repairing roads, and that we are the best council in the Northwest, which we are. But I say to you all, that we have started the journey to excellence. The staff, in their thousands, are on board and I believe that the people of Cheshire will also be on board, despite the political letters denouncing the positive and representing the negative.
I leave the negativity to others. I am proud to lead a council that has seen no Council Tax increase in the last FOUR years, but is that enough? NO! We have a large proportion of our residents that are fiscally restricted due to energy costs having increased by 300% in the last six years. Too many of our residents are in energy poverty. Let me finish by saying that we must tackle this and we will tackle this! I think that is something this year I will be announcing, along with our strong social landlords and new partners. It is right we should tackle poverty and this council will tackle this head on.
