Strategy Committee Preview - 10 July
Some early comments, that may be of interest:
a) Item 3 - Risk Management
Councillor Gordon-Bullock can cover the techie side, but my comment is that this item again does not cover the impact of the collapse of BHCH and the slow down in Health and Social Care integration.
b) Item 5 - Service User and Carer Involvement in Older People's Services
This seems sensible and is part of a strategy which should eventually take us to "personalised care budgets" a bit like "Direct Payments" (a "voucher scheme" you can like). This will need a further development of the independent advocacy sector to support the effectiveness of increased choice.
c) Item 6 - Building Schools for the Future
I think the Stanley Park Option is sensible, but the Committee should also agree it will lobby for Carshalton Sports College to receive the next lot of available funds.
d) Item 7 - Rosehill Section 106 Funds
Whilst the recommendation is an improvment, it does not excuse the fact that this all the money should be spent on the Rosehill shopping area as was previously agreed, rather than on a consultants study, which told us very little we did not know already. I appreciate Colin Hall seems to want to protect every derelict site (Pobjoy Mint, Paynes site) there is, but my view is that we should focus on Kimpton, Felnex, and actually expanding the size of the Beddington Lane site for Green inductries. I hope the new Ward Councillors and Tom Brake MP lobby for this recommendation to be reversed, so we can see a further £20,000 to be spent on Rosehill. This would then show Rosehill's omission from the Lib Dem 2006 manifesto was a genuine mistake.
e) Item 10 - Political Assistants
The principle is a fair one, but should have been agreed 12 or more years ago. I have separately commented on the position of local Tories on this item.
f) Item 11 - Heating Charges
Perhaps if we had opposition Councillors on Strategy Committee, this reduction might have been agreed last time?
g) Item 13 - Leisure Facilities Study
It is ironic that Westcroft is probably in greater need of repair than Cheam. The Study is vital to decide how we proceed. I welcome the delay in procurement of the leisure contract. Can't we just get on and facilitate the inevitable takeover of SCL by Greenwich Leisure (GLL) for the coming period. I also have some further suggestions for the current Cheam site as a joint Health and Sport facility for a future posting.
h) Item 14 - Core Planning Strategy
I have previously commented on this, but during the summer will set out my preferred view and suggested amendments to this. I welcome the three development approaches suggested and hope this will lead to a serious debate on the choices we face.
i) Item 15c - Affordable Housing
Generally agree. I have previously suggested that the Council look at the idea of Community Land Trusts to protect land in perpetuity. We already have a hybrid scheme in that St Helier Hospital is leased long-term by the NHS from the Council for health purposes and thus reduces the incentive to flog the land off. We should have more of this form of protection.
j) Item 15d - Hackbridge
I have already commented on this under the title of "Tesco v Bedzed?" as the proposed retail option is likely to go down really badly with Hackbridge's bio-regionalists. Will Strategy Committee members, Ward Councillors and the local MP spot this before they dig themselves a large hole?
k) Item 15e - Sutton Garden Suburb
Who is the "core vote" asset rich but income poor Tory who is leading young Darren and not so young Cliff astray on the windows issue? As a positional good (Cllr Scully will like this point), Garden Suburb houses will surely be worth more with posh window frames? I thought the Council has CPO'd the allotments so can't we get CEI to sort out the allotments for the money we give them?
l) Item 19 - Kimpton ProjectThis should be an improvement for Mr Hilldrup and his neighbours. One might now speculate that a marginal Stonecot Ward may now mean this gets done quicker through a lower capital receipt for the Council. That's democracy for you! Hopefully there will be some work done to tackle the levels of fly-tipping in the area near residents in Ridge Road. I will post a series of ideas on how we can improve the Kimpton project during the summer.
a) Item 3 - Risk Management
Councillor Gordon-Bullock can cover the techie side, but my comment is that this item again does not cover the impact of the collapse of BHCH and the slow down in Health and Social Care integration.
b) Item 5 - Service User and Carer Involvement in Older People's Services
This seems sensible and is part of a strategy which should eventually take us to "personalised care budgets" a bit like "Direct Payments" (a "voucher scheme" you can like). This will need a further development of the independent advocacy sector to support the effectiveness of increased choice.
c) Item 6 - Building Schools for the Future
I think the Stanley Park Option is sensible, but the Committee should also agree it will lobby for Carshalton Sports College to receive the next lot of available funds.
d) Item 7 - Rosehill Section 106 Funds
Whilst the recommendation is an improvment, it does not excuse the fact that this all the money should be spent on the Rosehill shopping area as was previously agreed, rather than on a consultants study, which told us very little we did not know already. I appreciate Colin Hall seems to want to protect every derelict site (Pobjoy Mint, Paynes site) there is, but my view is that we should focus on Kimpton, Felnex, and actually expanding the size of the Beddington Lane site for Green inductries. I hope the new Ward Councillors and Tom Brake MP lobby for this recommendation to be reversed, so we can see a further £20,000 to be spent on Rosehill. This would then show Rosehill's omission from the Lib Dem 2006 manifesto was a genuine mistake.
e) Item 10 - Political Assistants
The principle is a fair one, but should have been agreed 12 or more years ago. I have separately commented on the position of local Tories on this item.
f) Item 11 - Heating Charges
Perhaps if we had opposition Councillors on Strategy Committee, this reduction might have been agreed last time?
g) Item 13 - Leisure Facilities Study
It is ironic that Westcroft is probably in greater need of repair than Cheam. The Study is vital to decide how we proceed. I welcome the delay in procurement of the leisure contract. Can't we just get on and facilitate the inevitable takeover of SCL by Greenwich Leisure (GLL) for the coming period. I also have some further suggestions for the current Cheam site as a joint Health and Sport facility for a future posting.
h) Item 14 - Core Planning Strategy
I have previously commented on this, but during the summer will set out my preferred view and suggested amendments to this. I welcome the three development approaches suggested and hope this will lead to a serious debate on the choices we face.
i) Item 15c - Affordable Housing
Generally agree. I have previously suggested that the Council look at the idea of Community Land Trusts to protect land in perpetuity. We already have a hybrid scheme in that St Helier Hospital is leased long-term by the NHS from the Council for health purposes and thus reduces the incentive to flog the land off. We should have more of this form of protection.
j) Item 15d - Hackbridge
I have already commented on this under the title of "Tesco v Bedzed?" as the proposed retail option is likely to go down really badly with Hackbridge's bio-regionalists. Will Strategy Committee members, Ward Councillors and the local MP spot this before they dig themselves a large hole?
k) Item 15e - Sutton Garden Suburb
Who is the "core vote" asset rich but income poor Tory who is leading young Darren and not so young Cliff astray on the windows issue? As a positional good (Cllr Scully will like this point), Garden Suburb houses will surely be worth more with posh window frames? I thought the Council has CPO'd the allotments so can't we get CEI to sort out the allotments for the money we give them?
l) Item 19 - Kimpton ProjectThis should be an improvement for Mr Hilldrup and his neighbours. One might now speculate that a marginal Stonecot Ward may now mean this gets done quicker through a lower capital receipt for the Council. That's democracy for you! Hopefully there will be some work done to tackle the levels of fly-tipping in the area near residents in Ridge Road. I will post a series of ideas on how we can improve the Kimpton project during the summer.
posted by Charlie Mansell at 12:27 pm
2 Comments:
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Your are Nice. And so is your site! Maybe you need some more pictures. Will return in the near future.
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