Agenda item

To consider the report of the Estate Infrastructure Task & Finish Group.

The Committee considered the report of the Adoption of Estate Infrastructure Task and Finish Group. The report, set out at Agenda pages 65 to 102, stated that the Task and Finish Group had aimed to produce recommendations to the Executive resulting in the adoption of high quality estate infrastructure (roads and open space) and positive outcomes for residents across the Borough.

The report stated that the Task and Finish Group had sought evidence from a range of stakeholders including residents, Town and Parish Councils, housing developers, Thames Water and Council Officers. The feedback had indicated that Council Officers already delivered excellent work which ensured that high quality infrastructure was delivered in the majority of cases. However, there was always scope for improvement and the Task and Finish Group made recommendations in a number of areas, as follows:

1.         That the Council considers measures to increase public awareness about the adoption of new estate infrastructure, for example through the provision of general advice and Frequently Asked Questions on the New Residents section of the Council website.

2       That the Council considers measures to improve and expand the current interactive maps on its website, for example by including more details on S38 roads and roads not due to be adopted.

3       That the Council considers measures to provide more regular briefings for Town and Parish Councils, especially in relation to new housing developments in their areas and the rights and responsibilities of different stakeholders.

4       That WBC Officers provide regular updates to the Borough Parish Liaison Forum on the process for adopting new estate infrastructure and the impact of new development arising out of the Local Plan Update.

5       That the Council considers the resources available for managing the adoption process in non-SDL areas in order to ensure a consistency of outcomes for residents across the Borough.

6       That the Council reviews the process for developing and agreeing S106 agreements relating to the adoption of open space, specifically to:

·           ensure that agreements are more detailed, specific and rigorous;

·           explore the potential for including financial penalty clauses linked to key milestones, with any penalties being added to agreed commuted sums;

·           encourage high quality design for new play facilities.

7       That Officers consider potential improvements to secure earlier engagement from Highways at the initial planning or pre-application stages of the process.

8       That the Council works with developers to build on the proactive work of Officers in improving the level of tree survival rates on new housing developments.

9       That the residents and Town and Parish Councils who responded to the Call for Evidence (Annex B) receive feedback and responses to the issues raised.

10     That the Council consider measures to ensure the recruitment and retention of key staff working on the adoption process, with appropriate succession planning.

11     That WBC Members receive annual training on the adoption process for new roads and open space linked to updates on the emerging Local Plan.

12     That an annual update on the adoption process be submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee.

The Task and Finish Group report would be submitted to the Executive for consideration. Any recommendations that were implemented would then be monitored by the Committee with a report back in 2020/21.

It was proposed by Pauline Helliar-Symons that Recommendation 1 be amended by adding the following words:

“It also underlines the onus on homeowners to take expert legal advice to ensure that they are aware of the risks and responsibilities involved.”

After discussion, the Committee agreed that the amended words should be added to Recommendation 1 in the report.

RESOLVED That:

1)            the report of the Estate Infrastructure Task and Finish Group be noted;

2)            the Task and Finish Group Members be thanked for their efforts in producing the report;

3)            the report, as amended, be submitted to the Council’s Executive at its meeting on 26 March 2020.