Consideration was given to the verbal update
on the Untidy Sites Policy Document Handbook which was given by the
Assistant Director – Strategic Projects.
The Assistant Director – Strategic
Projects introduced the update and thanked Councillor Booth and
Councillor Redgate for their
contribution to the document. The update included the following key
points:
- that the Untidy Sites Policy
Document Handbook had been a new policy. It was still in draft and
was 90% completed;
- a policy of this nature had not
existed within Boston or East Lindsey.
- Research had found policy documents
where enforcement was the main emphasis, but none existed which had
specified interventions which this policy had aimed to address for
English Council. Officers would
continue to look for other examples;
- sites had come forward for
development in Donington and
Holbeach but others had been
problematic due to ownership and viability issues;
- the intention was to bring the draft
policy to the Policy Development Panel on 18 January 2021, to
include:
- an overview of why the policy was
needed;
- the policy aims, which included the
need for a single process reference document;
- that a single point of contact was
needed; communications would be captured through SHDC website
electronic forms and a dedicated email address;
- the process for how complaints would
be managed which would be monitored by a new Performance
Indicator;
- input received from Ward members and
Executive Members;
- links to relevant legislation;
- sample site information;
- a flow chart for information capture
which included best practice cases;
- the process setting out how
landowners would be informed of the policy and opportunities that
may exist to work collaboratively with the Council; and
- how site review work might be
funded;
The Assistant Director – Strategic
Projects concluded that the document would be the first of its kind
which included implementation, intervention and enforcement in one
policy.
Members considered the update and made the
following comments:
- Members welcomed the policy and
thanked officers and councillors who had worked on it.
- Members who had worked on the policy
thanked the Assistant Director – Strategic Projects and
stated that the policy had been ambitious and demonstrated how
seriously the Council was wishing to deal with the issue.
Opportunities existed for the policy to be implemented across the
partnership and to become a strategy across South
Lincolnshire.
- Members stated that developers for
Holbeach and Donington sites had already come forward and there
had been developer interest for sites at Long Sutton, all of which
had been positive.
- Members stated that untidy sites had
been an issue for residents which had included The Bull and
Monkie site, the site of the old Post
Office Sorting Office, and the Johnson Hospital site. Would the
policy address these long-standing problems?
- The Assistant Director –
Strategic Projects responded that the policy had not been in place
to solve specific issues but that it had set out a process to be
followed which would assist engagement between officers and
landowners. The process would encourage positive engagement where
opportunities existed, and make it clear to landowners that there
were a range of enforcement options open to the Council if they did
not engage, and continued to own sites that were causing nuisance
and attracting anti-social behaviour.
- Members questioned whether adequate
resources would be in place to handle the potential increase in
enquiries when the policy was eventually implemented.
- It was not anticipated that this
would be highly resource-intensive, but a threshold would exist in
the process to prioritise cases and establish the resource
needs/person dealing with matters.
AGREED:
1)
That the verbal update be noted; and
2)
That the Untidy Sites Policy
Document Handbook be planned to be presented to the Panel at
its next meeting on 18 January 2022.