Questions asked by members under Standing Order 7(3) and 7(5).
Minutes:
Mr John Legrys asked the following questions of the Chairman under Standing Order 7(3):-
A.
General County Wide Policy
The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 Section 62A-E give the
police powers to remove travellers trespassing, providing a suitable pitch was
available on a local authority managed site in the same LA area. The Housing Act 2004 Section 225 ten years
later required councils to carry out an assessment of need for traveller sites
and, if a shortfall was found, to prepare a strategy in respect of the meeting
of such needs and to identify land for new sites.
1.
What
was the result of the assessment for the
2.
When
was this assessment carried out?
3.
How
many sites/pitches are needed in total across the County?
4.
In
which districts are they needed?
5.
How
many sites/pitches are needed in each of these districts?
6.
Is it
the intention eventually to have a least one transit site per district?
In 2004 a Joint Officer Working Party of the County Council, all District
Councils, Leicester City Council and
7.
Where
were the
8.
What
has happened to these sites?
The following have been given as criteria for the selection of suitable
transit sites
·
The
areas of greatest concentration of unauthorised encampments
·
Traveller
routes
·
Location
of doctors' surgeries and other amenities
·
Near to
established Traveller sites
·
Good
but safe access to major roads
·
Access
to services (water, electricity)
·
Sites
with as low as possible impact on local communities
·
Accessible
to most of the relevant District
9.
What is
the origin of each of these criteria?
10.
Are
there any other important criteria which have should be included in this list?
B. With respect to a proposed site in
the District of NW Leicestershire
1.
How many
pitches are being sought for the proposed site?
2.
How
many caravans will this include?
3.
What is
the total population estimated for this site?
4.
How
many adults in total will this include?
5.
Has
there been any estimate of the number of children this will include?
6.
Can you
list the sites that were initially surveyed for the transit site in NW
Leics?
7.
Was
land in the ownership of British Coal and other large landowners considered?
8.
Were
British Coal and the NFU approached regarding sites?
9.
What factors
led the Council's property department to recommend the Lockington/Hemington
sites?
10.
Why was
it decided not to proceed with these sites?
11.
Mention
was made of feedback from a consultation meeting with North West Leicestershire
Parish Councils in March 2007. Can you
list who was invited to this meeting?
12.
Were
invitations sent to the Parish Councils of Ravenstone, Swannington and
Coleorton?
13.
If so
who were they addressed to?
C. With respect to the current
consideration of the three sites in NW Leicestershire
1.
Were
any soundings taken before these 3 sites were selected? If so what?
2.
Have
surveys (soil tests etc) been made of any of the proposed sites? If so, where and when?
3.
Is the
property dept working on other sites in NW Leics?
4.
Why
wasn't Scrutiny consulted on the non site specific bid?
D. With respect to the consultation
process
1.
Who is
being consulted on these three sites (list organisations please)?
2. Are the police, doctors, schools, PCT ... view the full minutes text for item 39