{Disestablished Committee} - Physical Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Read the Minutes

6 February 2007 

Present: 

• Councillor Wheale - In the Chair 
• Councillors Ali, Amesbury, Barnes, Carroll, Gallagher, Helsby, Kane, Lewis, Loughman, McCulley and Risby 

Also Present: 

• Councillor Cowell - Assistant Executive Member for Planning and Environment 
• Councillor Hackett - Executive Member for Culture and Leisure 
• Councillor P Murphy - Executive Member for Direct Services 
• Councillor Swannick - Executive Member for Planning and Environment 
• Councillor S Newman - Assistant Executive Member for Direct Services

PE/07/08 Urgent Business 

The Chair reported that he had agreed to the report 'Planning Gain Supplement Consultation' being submitted for consideration as urgent business. 

Decision 

1. To agree to consider the report as urgent business in order to retain the ability to pass comments on to the Executive, which was due to consider the report later in the month.

PE/07/09 Minutes 

The Chair thanked the staff involved for their assistance with the informative visit to Southern Cemetery and Blackley Cemetery. 

Decision 

1. To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 9 January 2007.

PE/07/10 Cemeteries and Crematorium Service Improvement Project

A report of the Director of Neighbourhood Services was submitted updating the Committee on the Cemeteries and Crematorium Service Improvement Project and the proposed implementation plan. 

The Director of Neighbourhood Services commented that the proposals aimed at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the service and providing world-class cemeteries for Manchester's residents. 

The Technical Services Manager delivered a presentation in which he informed the Committee that the proposals were the result of extensive consultation with all stakeholders, including stonemasons, faith groups and funeral directors, which had been chaired by the Executive Member for Direct Services. He outlined the following changes to the service: - · 

• the tasks of ground maintenance and burials would now be undertaken under the same role. Staff would be allocated to the service, rather than a specific cemetery, and directed to the site where there was greatest need. · 
• the new Burial And Cremation Administration System (BACAS) replaced previous paper based systems and the Burial Records Online search facility had experienced a good early take-up from the public, particularly amongst genealogists. · 
• the pricing structure had been revised and simplified so that there were now 'packages' of distinct burial services. · 
• infrastructure improvements had commenced which would include improvements to the chapel at Southern Cemetery · 
• new mercury abatement equipment was planned to be installed at Blackley cemetery to reduce levels of harmful emissions. · 
• the service improvements and revised pricing structure would provide financial savings of £259,000. 

In relation to the charge for searching burial records online, members requested that the option of an annual license fee, to be paid by funeral directors, who would allow members of the public to conduct searches through them, should be investigated. The Executive Member for Direct Services undertook to take this suggestion on board as part of the consultation. 

During a wide reaching discussion Members made the following comments: - ·

• signage on the sites needed to take into account the needs of visually impaired users. The Executive Member for Direct Services undertook to look into this. · 
• that the options for areas still suffering from the drainage problems on the Blackley site needed to be addressed as part of the improvement project. · 
• members questioned who owned the Manchester crematorium and whether they paid rent for usage of the land on Southern Cemetery. · 
• members inquired whether a basic Manchester funeral service could be provided for local residents. · 
• concern was expressed regarding action taken at the expiry of a 50-year lease for a plot. · 
• members expressed surprise that the Council charged stonemasons to enter the cemetery to carry out vital repair work. 

The Head of Technical Services and Executive Member for Direct Services responded to comments raised. 

The Head of Technical Services stated that the proposed drainage solution would rectify areas of land that would provide grave spaces for approximately 25 years, but other areas were still experiencing difficulties; options for these were being reviewed. He further informed the Committee that the crematorium was privately owned and undertook to report back on the rent subject to which the land was leased. 

The Executive Member explained that fees were set for Manchester and non-Manchester residents according to the level of service provided but that he would look further at the possibility of reintroducing a basic Manchester funeral service as part of the consultation. In relation to fees for Stonemasons he reassured the Committee that this was a national practice, and no objections had been voiced by stonemasons during the consultation. He further reassured the Committee that negotiations would be undertaken at the expiry of the lease of a grave to extend it and agreed to report back to the Committee with a clear policy in this regard. 

Questions were also raised about staffing arrangements at Southern and Blackley cemeteries and it was explained that flexible arrangements were being introduced which would ensure that staff were available for customers at both offices during standard office hours; with the ability to move additional staff between the offices to meet changing levels of demand. 

Decision 

1. To thank the officers for the thorough briefing.

2. To note the aspirations for a world-class bereavement service. 

PE/07/11 Road Safety

The Traffic Manager and Head of Engineering Services delivered a presentation informing members of the Committee on recent innovations in road safety, which included: - · 

• The safer routes to school programme, which featured 20 mph speed limits and traffic calming features around the schools where most kills or serious injuries had taken place. The programme had been recognised with the Community Award at the Institute of Civil Engineers' (North West) awards ceremony. · 
• Road safety education was being developed by quizzes and engaging activities aimed at young people. · 
• Streetscape designs aimed at changing layouts to accommodate pedestrian and cyclist activity to encourage modal shift at the Ancoats Urban Village, Old Mill Street and on New York Street. 

Significant reductions in kills and serious injuries had been achieved over the past few years, and the Council was now approaching Local Transport Plan targets. 

Members raised the following questions in response to the presentation: - ·

• whether the reflectors on posts on chicanes in 20 mph zones could be replaced by lights. The Head of Engineering Services undertook to look into this. ·
• how, and how soon, would follow-up studies be conducted after the implementation of a traffic scheme? ·
• that the state of major pedestrian underpasses and footbridges was often so dilapidated that it discouraged usage and diverted pedestrians to more dangerous crossing places. 

The Head of Engineering Services advised the Committee that follow up work would concentrate on examining vehicle speeds over the area and reviewing the number of casualties before considering additional traffic calming measures; this would usually take place some time after the implementation of the original scheme. 

He added that the frequency of inspection of footbridges and underpasses depended on the frequency of use. Although this approach could lead to a spiral of decline in some locations, an improvement plan for public Rights of Way was underway and would address such issues. A report on this would be brought back to a future meeting. 

The Executive Member for Planning and the Environment commented that where shared services were introduced they needed proper investment to work properly and that whilst the authority would continue to pilot new ideas, the safety of all concerned remained paramount. He agreed that a high quality Streetscene was crucial in promoting both regeneration and safety issues. In discussion of displacement of traffic caused by safety measures and the potential dangers this could have particularly in residential areas, it was explained that works followed the number of casualties in the area. 

Decision 

1. To note the presentation 

PE/07/12 Planning Enforcement 

The Chair reported that Item 7 'Planning Enforcement' had had to be removed from the Agenda due to an unfortunate injury to the Planning Enforcement Team Leader. 

The Head of Planning delivered a brief update to the Committee in lieu of a formal report, which would be submitted to the Committee in March. 

He informed the Committee that all vacant posts in the Planning Enforcement Team had now been filled and that contact details of the staff would shortly be supplied to members. 

Decision 

1. To defer 'Planning Enforcement' until March and to wish the Planning Enforcement Team Leader a quick recovery. 

PE/07/13 Planning Gain Supplement Consultation

A joint report of the Chief Executive and City Treasurer was submitted seeking approval on the response to the Secretary's of State's consultation documents on Planning gain Supplement (PGS), "Changes to Planning Obligations" "Valuing Planning Gain" and "Paying PGS." 

The essence of PGS was to capture a modest uplift of the increase in value of land when a development is granted planning permission, to enable the local community to cater for and benefit from the development. However the funding would not be ring-fenced but would form a tributary to the revenue stream. 

Further clarity would be sought from the Secretary of State regarding the extent of the funding from PGS that would be made available to local communities and what the destination of the remaining funds would be. 

Members responded to the report by expressing reservations regarding the future of s. 106 agreements, which ensured that funds from the agreement were recycled to the local community involved in their totality. Developers might be unwilling to form s.106 agreements where they were already paying PGS. 

Decision 

1. To endorse the response to the content of the consultation documents on Planning-gain Supplement, and in particular the need to retain Section 106 contribution to ensure that developments retain a financial link to local communities.