Agenda and minutes

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests.

The minutes of the meeting held on 8 December, 2015, were signed as a true record.

There were no matters arising.

To consider whether to exclude the press and public for the item of private business for the reasons shown in the report.

RESOLVED that approval be given to exclude the press and the public under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 for consideration of the private report relating to “Release of Restrictive Covenants” on the grounds that that item involves the disclosure of exempt information, as defined in Paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of that Act as it contains information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) and that in all circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. 

Report of the Executive Director of Place

To consider the above petition bearing 293 signatures, submitted by Councillor A Khan, who has been invited to attend the meeting for consideration of this item, along with the Petition Organiser.

The Cabinet Member for Business, Enterprise and Employment considered a petition bearing 293 signatures, together with a report of the Executive Director of Place which responded to the petitioners’ request that “Coventry City Council release the freehold land located behind Eagle Street Play Centre to Jamia Mosque, Eagle Street to enable users to park cars and keep on street parking to a minimum”. The petition spokesperson attended the meeting and spoke on behalf of the petitioners.

The report indicated that the petitioners request was primarily to permanently change the use of land from public open space to off street parking to deal with on street parking pressures associated with prayers at the Mosque on Friday lunchtimes. This would require planning permission for change of use and the declaration of this land as surplus to open space requirements before it could be disposed of by the City Council. Foleshill is under-provided for all types of greenspace and officers’ advice is that planning permission for a change of use and declaring the site surplus to requirements on the basis of lack of need is unlikely to be forthcoming. Therefore the Council is unlikely to be in a position to sell the land to the Mosque for off-street parking.

The Council does not have any other land in the vicinity of the Jamia Mosque that could be used to help with parking during busy prayer periods. Consideration had also been given to a request from the petitioners to de-adopt a section of Eagle Street. However Highways officers had indicated that they would not support any such application because of access issues.

The report indicated that the Council could assist the Mosque with off street parking during busy prayer periods if they wanted to run a park and ride service at their expense from a nearby public car park.

The Cabinet Member expressed his sympathy for the petitioners, noting that the Mosque had been in its current location since the 1960’s and had experienced a significant increase in its usage numbers during that period. The Cabinet Member also noted that the land in question would only provide a small number of the parking spaces that were required to alleviate the parking problem and that a more comprehensive solution was needed.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for Business, Enterprise and Employment:-

  (1)  Receives and notes the petition

  (2)  Refuses the petitioners request on the basis detailed in the

report

(3)  Offers to help the Mosque with its parking pressures through the use of public car parking if they want to run a shuttle service at their expense during busy prayer periods. 

Report of the Executive Director of Resources

The Cabinet Member received a report of the Executive Director of Resources that identified those items which the Cabinet Member had requested further reports on.

The Cabinet Member noted that there was currently no progress to report on options for The Employment Support Service and that therefore the amended date for consideration of this item would be 21 March, 2016.  

There were no other items of urgent public business.

Report of the Executive Director of Place

(Listing Officer: D Cass, Tele: 0247683 2793)

The Cabinet Member for Business, Enterprise and Employment considered a report of the Executive Director of Place that sought approval to the release of restrictive covenants.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for Business, Enterprise and Employment:-

  (1)  Approves the terms negotiated for the release of covenants

 as detailed in the report.

(2)  Delegates authority to the Executive Director of Place and the Executive Director of Resources to conclude the documentation required to release the covenants.

There were no other items of urgent private business