Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

(a)  To agree the minutes of the Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure, Sports and Parks meeting held on 12 November 2015.

(b)  Matters arising

The minutes of the Cabinet Member for Culture Leisure, Sports and Parks meeting held on 12 November 2015 were signed as a true record. There were no matters arising.

Report of the Executive Director of Place

NOTE: Councillor Andrews, an Earlsdon Ward Councillor and the petition organisers have been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item.

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Executive Director of Place which provided an update report in response to a petition concerning a property in Earlsdon Ward.

The report provided an update on actions taken since the Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities meeting held on 23 July 2015 in response to a petition received on 3 July 2014 (Minute 8/15 refers). The petition bearing 71 signatures was sponsored by Councillor Andrews, an Earlsdon Ward Councillor and requested the City Council to take action regarding the poor condition of a property on the Earlsdon Ward and the adverse impact it was having on the surrounding neighbourhood.

The Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities had previously endorsed actions taken under Section 215 of The Town & Country Planning Act, authorised by Planning Committee on 21 August 2014, requiring the owner to carry out improvements to his property.

Following non-compliance with the Section 215 Notice, the owner of the property was prosecuted and he pleaded guilty to the offence at Nuneaton Magistrates Court on 12 May 2015. He was fined £1500 and ordered to pay £892 costs plus a victim surcharge of £120. The Court commented that the matter had gone on for far too long and any materials which were stored in the garden and were not immediately needed, should be stored elsewhere.

Since the prosecution the owner of the property has been in regular contact with officers from the Planning Enforcement Team and considerable progress has been made towards complying with the requirements of the Notice. The vast majority of the building materials and equipment previously stored across the site have been removed, the partially demolished bay window has been reinstated, the herris fencing removed and the land levels within the rear garden area returned to those which existed previously.

Councillor Andrews, an Earlsdon Ward Councillor and the petition organiser attended the meeting and expressed their sincere gratitude for the work undertaken by Council Officers in resolving this matter. They were grateful that officers would be monitoring the site to ensure that it did not start to deteriorate.

Furthermore, Councillor Andrews and Mr Ali paid tribute to the work undertaken by the late Councillor Townshend Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities in initiating the work and progressing the matter and requested that this be formally recorded.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure Sports and Parks:

1.  Endorses the action already taken to address the conditions at this property.

2.  Requests that officers from the Planning Enforcement Team continue to monitor the property and work with the owner to achieve full compliance with the Notice.

3. Requests that officers from the Planning Enforcement Team keep Councillor Andrews briefed on an informal basis to ensure that the situation is being monitored and does not deteriorate.

Report of the Executive Director of Resources

The Cabinet Member noted a report of the Executive Director of Resources that identified those issues on which further reports had been requested and were outstanding so that progress could be monitored.

To consider any other items of business which the Cabinet Member decides to take as a matter of urgency because of the special circumstances involved.

There were no other items of business.