To receive questions from members of the public who wish to ask a general question in respect of matters within the Council’s area of responsibility or influence.
Subject to the Chair’s discretion, members of the public may ask one question and one supplementary question, which should relate to the original question and answered received.
Councillors may also ask questions under this agenda item.
Minutes:
(1) Mr. David Smith stated that in 2020, a CCG report had been heavily referred to in the RMBC Infrastructure Delivery Study and the final report was published in March 2021. The report stated that pressures would come in future in areas of anticipated high patient growth which included services in Dinnington and Anston where services were already operating over capacity and practices could not proactively respond to increased demand, specifically doctors. Two significant housing developments were well underway in the area, Mr. Smith asked what the Council was doing to address the serious and potentially critical situation?
The Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment agreed to respond in writing regarding the issues in that particular locality. Councillor Lelliott explained that there were trigger points with developments that meant once a number of houses had been delivered, additional doctors had to be provided by the CCG. It was also explained that the provision of doctor’s surgeries by the CCG was outlined in the National Planning Policy Framework. Councillor Roche explained that it was the CCG that operated doctor’s surgeries, not the Council. The CCG did keep the Council informed about progress and concerns could be raised by the Council with the CCG.
Mr. Smith explained that the matter was referenced in RMBC’s Infrastructure Delivery Study with data from 2018 which showed that the practices were already over capacity. It was currently 2022 and there were hundreds more houses being built. Mr. Smith highlighted Appendix B of the Study which stated that a new health centre would be built in Dinnington at a cost of £3.5m. He asked if he could be told when this would be built and also whether a meeting could be held with him, as Chair of Dinnington St. John’s Town Council, the three Ward Members, the Cabinet Member and relevant officers, to discuss the possibility of putting the health centre in the Levelling Up Fund bid rather than the idea for a row of shops that was being proposed.
The Leader explained that a written response would be provided but reiterated that the CCG was responsible for the provision of GP’s.
(2) Councillor Elliott referred to page 4 of the agenda, item 3: “to note the details of the consultation in respect of this scheme and approve the decision”. He stated that Councillor Beck had reassured him at the last Council meeting that the results of the consultation would be taken into consideration. Councillor Beck had since confirmed that the results would be shared with Councillor Elliott once they were available. The matter had been on the Forward Plan of Officer Delegated Decisions and had been discussed at the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board meeting and Councillor Elliott had sent emails requesting the consultation results. He had not yet been provided with the results. He asked what the results were as he had spoken to businesses around Wellgate and Moorgate and understood that the Ward Members for Boston Castle were against the scheme? He asked for some openness and requested that the scheme be put on the backburner pending further discussions.
The Leader explained that the Wellgate Active Travel Scheme was not before Cabinet for decision at the meeting. The details of the consultation had not been shared yet but would be shared with Councillor Elliott when they were available. The matter was still under consideration.
(3) Councillor T. Collingham asked when the Neighbourhood Concern Fund would be reviewed?
Councillor Beck explained that Neighbourhood Concern Fund (Road Safety Fund) would be discussed at a seminar in the next couple of weeks [23rd May, 2022] and information would be published about how Ward Members could raise concerns and discuss options on how road safety in their Wards could be improved.
In his supplementary question, Councillor T. Collingham explained that he had already made a number of submissions on road safety but had not received any feedback. He asked if matters that had already been submitted had been reviewed or if matters had to wait for an annual review? He said residents did not want to wait 12 months for reviews of road safety.
Councillor Beck explained that Members were welcome to put forward suggestions and concerns throughout the year as the process for addressing concerns/dealing with suggestions was tied to the budget available for this fund. The new programme had a bigger budget and officers and the Cabinet Member where in the process of working through the programme. Councillor Beck explained that Councillor T. Collingham should have received a response but believed that his suggestions had been noted and would be taken into consideration for the programme. He asked Councillor Collingham to get in touch if there were any specific issues.
(4) Councillor Castledine-Dack asked,
in relation to the Levelling Up Fund bid in Dinnington, what had
the Council done since November 2021 to explore options to close
the funding gap that had been highlighted in the feedback on Round
1?
The Strategic Director for Regeneration and Environment explained that part of the feedback from Round 1 had related to match funding and the scale of the process and programme that had been put forward under the first round of bidding. Work had been done in terms of private sector options, private sector match, the marketplace linked to commercial, residential and more retail-led schemes. The revised scheme was still based on the principles of the original submission as the feedback was that it was a strong bid. However, it was important to make it affordable. Since the first bid was put in, cost increases had been seen in the construction market and as such it was vital that any scheme put forward was deliverable.
In her supplementary question, Councillor Castledine-Dack asked if the information and evidence regarding the work that had been done in relation to the research could be shared? She stated that it would be helpful to discuss that information at the regular meetings that were held.
Councillor Lelliott explained that, in addition to the Levelling Up Fund, work continued on the Masterplan for that area which would allow for further funding opportunities.
It was agreed that the Strategic Director would share any available information with Councillor Castledine-Dack and other Dinnington Ward Members.