Agenda item

·         Accredited planning agents scheme - Pat Reid (Development Management Services Manager)

·         Fuel oil/single utilities supplier – Paul Stokes (Head of Community Assets)

·         Car parking, parking orders and electronic payment – Neil Cucksey (Head of Property Development)

Waste and Recycling – taxi MOT testing

·         Previously the PDG had considered discount schemes to encourage taxi and private hire companies to get their vehicles checked using the Council’s MOT testing facility. This idea had been withdrawn over concerns about fair access to discounts for small and large firms and accessibility for companies across the district.

Development Management – accredited agent scheme

·         Officers were awaiting feedback on whether Cornwall Council was extending its scheme and if so, how. Further updates would be brought to a future meeting of the PDG.

Property and Facilities – Single utilities supplier

·         At a previous meeting the PDG had recommended officers investigate opportunities around a single utilities supplier for all council properties. It was suggested this could achieve better rates for tenants and reduce the time taken to bring void properties back into use (officers had previously reported delays as a result of identifying and settling issues relating to utilities).

·         Officers reported that the Council was working with Peterborough Environment City Trust. The Council notified the Trust when a property became empty. They dealt with utilities closure arrangements on behalf of the Council at no cost to the authority. Incoming tenants were given the chance to purchase their utilities from the Trust’s preferred supplier. The decrease in the void rate was partly attributed to this scheme.

·         Authorities in Norfolk had energy contracts which were rolled out to whole districts as part of a switch and save scheme. Officers highlighted the administrative burden this would place on the council, as the scheme would be open to all residents, not just council tenants.

·         It was suggested that Procurement Lincolnshire could look into the bulk purchasing of gas.

Property and Facilities – fuel oil provision for villages

·         Councillors had previously suggested that the Council register as a buying group with an oil supplier. Officers reported that very few council tenants’ properties were fuelled by oil.

·         An increasing number of villages were being connected to the gas network. The council was exploring funding opportunities to switch properties in those villages from solid fuel to gas.

Property Development – car parking orders and payment

·         The PDG had recommended at a previous meeting that car parking orders should be put in place for Bourne introducing a maximum stay to encourage turnover of parking spaces.

·         The Property Development Manager advised members he had met with Bourne Town Council on 12 March 2013 where the level of support for Parking Orders was mixed. Further information was needed to understand car parking patterns. The PDG agreed to use some of its support fund to commission the additional work.

·         Since the introduction of civil parking enforcement (CPE) officers had monitored patterns in off-street parking ticket sales. Analysis of this information would help identify the most appropriate payment methods.

·         Brief reference was made to recent survey work amongst residents in Stamford town centre about residents’ parking schemes. Results did not meet the thresholds required by the Council’s car parking strategy to trigger a scheme. Some members expressed concern over the results of the study and advocated a parking scheme for town centre residents.

Building Control

·         The Property Development Manager informed the PDG that a review had been carried out on the Building Control service. The review included working with Rushcliffe Borough Council, with whom South Kesteven shared a manager.

Recommendation:

Utilities

1.  The PDG recommends that Procurement Lincolnshire should be asked to look at opportunities for the bulk-buying of gas products.

Car parking

1.    That the PDG authorises funding from its support fund to carry out a study of car parking patterns in Bourne

2.    Subject to the car parking study revealing no contradictory evidence, the Resources PDG recommends that parking orders should be got ready stipulating a maximum stay should be introduced for Bourne.