Agenda item

Questions from the Public

Minutes:

The Chair informed the Council that two questions had been received for the meeting.

 

Mr Tough was in attendance to ask his question.

 

On 9 October 2024 the Members, our Town Councils and the Public were presented with a document which showed that the Council had the power to apply Article 4 directions to limit any potential proliferation. The document also provided robust evidence as to why Council should apply article 4 directions across East Durham, for example to prevent any further increases in crime in East Durham. Would the Council apply immediate article 4 directions? If not specifically in detail, why not?

 

The Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Resources, Investment and Assets, Councillor James Rowlandson provided the following response:

 

The Council recognised the role that HMOs could play in providing accommodation and the Council also acknowledged that some communities were expressing concerns about the introduction of HMOs in some areas.

 

The Council were aware that an Article 4 Direction, in specific circumstances, could be made to extend the need for planning permission to smaller HMOs. It was important to note however that under national guidance, the tests to implement an Article 4 Direction would require a level of impact that was not currently evidenced for the area proposed. It should also be noted that an Article 4 direction would apply to a specific area. Council should also note that the need for planning permission does not mean that HMO’s would not be supported, they would simply be subject to planning approval. Members of this Council would also be aware that we were under pressure to meet the housing needs of all of our residents, which might be exacerbated by the recent proposals from government to deliver on higher housing targets going forward.   However, as a proactive step, and following concerns raised by some residents in relation to HMO’s, the Council had submitted comments in response to the recent consultation on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework, and had written separately to Angela Rayner MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government regarding the process for Article 4 directions being granted.

 

HMO’s were also subject to licencing requirements, which remained the key mechanism that local authorities had to ensure that HMO’s operated appropriately. If members of the public had any specific concerns regarding any issues they should be reported through to the Council for further investigation.

The second question had been submitted by Mr Williamson. Mr Williamson was unable to attend the meeting and therefore the Chair put his question to the Council:

 

My question relates to Freemans Quay and was asked on behalf of some of my fellow concession members using this facility. Could we ask the Council how they could justify raising the membership fees for concession members (in some cases over £100) when nearly half of the equipment was not in full working order? For example, the pool floor had been unable to used correctly since 2022 and the steam room had been unable to be used for the past 6 months. These were just two of several issues at Freemans Quay.

 

The Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Resources, Investment and Assets, Councillor James Rowlandson provided the following response.

 

Freeman’s Quay was an extremely popular centre with just over 3,000 members. Naturally this led to inevitable wear and tear, especially in high traffic areas across the facility. Officers across the Council and the facility staff did everything possible to prevent maintenance issues arising and when they did happen to rectify them as quickly as possible.

 

The pool had been set at a fixed depth since December 2022 as there had been an issue with the mechanics on the floating floor. This allowed the pool to remain open to the public and ensured that swimming activities were not affected.  The sauna had been subject to considerable investment in repairs over the last 6 months, including the installation of a new generator, however there had been new issues identified which had delayed plans to re-open it to the public. 

 

The gym equipment was serviced annually, it was checked daily by staff and a contractor was employed to undertake responsive repairs.  Although there maybe occasional times when an individual piece of equipment was out of use, this would not result in a disruption to the gym experience.

 

The Chair announced that the questions and responses would be posted on the Council’s website following the meeting.

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