Report of the Environment, Housing and Planning Overview and Scrutiny.
TITLE:
Feedback from the meeting held on Monday 15 October 2007.
Recommendations: None.
Actions:
Scrutiny Support will; invite officers from the Environment Directorate to
the December meeting to discuss allotments, following a question raised by
a member of the public.
Scrutiny Support will; invite United Utilities to the April 2008 scrutiny
meeting.
Urban Vision will; clarify allocation of monies for each community
committee.
Urban Vision will; inform community committees when inspection of
highways are due to take place in their area. Reports are captured and are
also available.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This report informs Members of the matters considered by Environment, Housing and
Planning Overview and Scrutiny on 15 October 2007. Issues considered were: Monitoring of targets and recommendations from the United Utilities meeting.
 Urban Vision.
BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS:
Reports to Scrutiny can be found on SOLAR
CONTACT OFFICER: Karen Lucas, Senior Scrutiny Support Officer.
Tel: 793 3318 E-mail: karen.lucas@salford.gov.uk
WARD(S) TO WHICH REPORT RELATE(S):
All
KEY COUNCIL POLICIES:
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DETAILS
Attendance – Councillors Lightup, Broughton, E Burgoyne, Hill, Howard, McIntyre,
Salmon and Smyth.
Apologies – Councillor E Burgoyne, Ryan and O’Neill
Issues considered:
1. Public question time.
Michael Mouldon honorary secretary of Swinton and District Allotments and Leisure
Gardens Association raised the following concerns:

All active allotments sites in the District of Salford have waiting lists, some
extremely long in years for waiting.

In support of the Healthy Living Agenda, the environment and anti-poverty, what is
Salford City Council doing to try and meet the demand for allotments that so
clearly now exists?

Is the Council updating its Allotments Strategy and will this strategy include
identifying potential new sites and resources needed to invest in a decent
allotments provision that meets demand?
Members agreed to invite officers to the December 2007 meeting to respond to the
following issues:
 How many disused allotment sites are there in Salford and what are future plans?
 What allotments do we have available and what are the waiting lists for each site?
 What is the procedure for allotments in a state of disrepair?
 Do we have any new land assigned for allotments?
 Do we have an allotments strategy?
Response from the directorate - The timing is somewhat opportune, as we’ve been
discussing all the issues, which you highlight, with our Lead Member, and we are in
the process of developing a draft Allotment Strategy, with a timescale of December
2007, for presentation to Lead Member. As part of developing this strategy, we are
reporting, on a regular basis, as regards the practicalities, in your bullet points.
Obviously, the 17th December 2007 Scrutiny Meeting is unlikely to allow enough time
for Lead Member to have considered development of the draft report into a
consultation document, and therefore could I suggest that we propose January 2008,
for presentation of the outcome of the exercise.
2. Monitoring of targets from the United Utilities meeting.
An update was circulated from United Utilities on the issues arising from the scrutiny
meeting held earlier this year. Queries raised which Chris agreed to follow up:
 Point 2 - To clarify when United Utilities liaised with Barratts.
 Point 12 - to clarify ‘no comment’ it states that this usually refers to the fact that UU
have not been consulted.
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Chris Findley provided a verbal update. The following issues were discussed:
 From the AGMA Planning Group all local authorities are producing their Core
Strategies which will link borders and include an infrastructure for planning with
United Utilities.
 U.U. cover water, waste and power. There are bids to take over the power side
of the business from U.U.
 Prices are set by regulators, local authorities do not have any input into the
negotiations, this is carried out by NWDA.
 United Utilities will by 2010 have responsibility for some of the un-adopted
sewers. It appears that during the intervening year’s responsibility for repairs
etc will remain as they are now.
Members asked whether we are able to time limit the adoption of sewers i.e. 3 years
from development, with a penalty clause if delayed. Chris explained that unfortunately
we do not have any powers to implement such a sanction.
It was felt this may be a lobbying issue, scrutiny support to research this subject and
feedback at the next meeting. (NHBC scheme does not apply to underground work).
It was agreed to invite United Utilities to the April 2008 scrutiny meeting.
3. Urban Vision.
Information presented by Steven Lee, Bill Taylor and Stuart Whittle.
The highway inspection criteria has been adopted by cabinet, of which officers
provided an overview.
The following points were highlighted:
 United Utilities are responsible for replacing missing man hole covers, Urban
Vision carry out emergency works i.e. cordoning off the manhole.
 The intervention criteria that identifies all potholes over 50mm in the
carriageway is to be reviewed, as the criteria is 40mm in other local authorities.
 Jobs are carried out by batches/area.
 With regards to the call centre, a log number is issued when a report is
received from a member of the public; it is then logged with the appropriate
directorate etc whereupon the report is then allocated a different log number.
Work is underway to implement a compatible system to enable easy tracking
for feedback purposes. As previous concerns have been raised regarding the
call centre system, members requested a further update on progress.
 Consideration is also being given to a traffic light system, to enable on-line
checking.
 A Highway Asset Plan is presently being compiled and will be completed in the
next 6 months. Highways are the council’s biggest asset.
 Payouts for tripping claims are less than forecasted, the majority of cases are
taken to court and challenged.
Agreed:
 Officers to clarify allocation of monies for each community committee.
 Officers to inform community committees when inspection of highways are due
to take place in their area. Reports are captured and are also available.
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4. Report from the last meeting.
Page 2 – to add to ‘agreed’:- Officers to look at involving residents with allocation
policies.
5. Work programme.
Agreed.
6. Forward Plan.
No issues raised.
7. The next meeting will be held on 15 October 2007, members briefing at 1pm.
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