Issue - meetings

The Council has responsibilities as guardian for common land and as land- and property-owner. The Council receives approaches for granting consent to use land within the Borough for a variety of purposes, and having a formal policy will ensure that proper consideration is given to all impacts that granting consent for use could cause.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Executive approves the Land Use Consent Policy.

53.1    Cllr Merryweather introduced the proposed policy that set out at a high level the approach the Council would take in considering requests for consent to use common-land and council-owned land and property. Having a formal policy would ensure that proper consideration was given to all potential impacts of granting consent.

53.2    Cllr Hyman raised a number of concerns regarding the proposed policy, especially its scope in relation to common land, and referred to the email Executive members had received from the Open Spaces Society setting out detailed concerns. Cllr Hyman noted that the draft policy had not been considered by Overview & Scrutiny, and had not been consulted on.

53.3    In response to Cllr Hyman, Cllr Follows proposed that delegated authority be given to the Head of Service in consultation with the Portfolio Holder to address any necessary drafting issues, including inserting definitions of key terms. The amendment was seconded by Cllr Beaman and agreed by the Executive.

53.4    The Executive thus RESOLVED to:

1.    approve the Land Use Consent Policy, and

2.    delegate authority to the Head of Finance and Property, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder, to address drafting issues with the Policy, including definitions of key terms.

Reason: The Council has responsibilities as guardian for common land and as land and property owner and in seeking to protect its interests in all land and property assets within the Borough.  The Policy is to ensure consideration is taken of all impacts granting consent could cause.