Fosse Highcross Ward Blaby District Councillors Monthly Report

Tuesday, 6 June, 2023

Local News

Fosse Highcross Ward Blaby District Councillors Monthly Report

June 2023

This is the first monthly report from your recently elected District Councillors representing Fosse Highcross Ward. After the May 4th election, the new boundary changes have come into effect with
the villages of Aston Flamville, Elmesthorpe, Sapcote, Sharnford, and Wigston Parva forming the new ward of Fosse Highcross, represented by two district councillors – Ben Taylor and Mike Shirley.

Your Councillors have been selected for the following district council responsibilities and/or
committees:

Cllr Ben Taylor – Planning Delivery and Enforcement & Corporate Transformation – Cabinet Executive Scope: Local Plan, Blaby Growth Plan, Planning Policy & S106, Planning Enforcement, Development Control, Customers Services / Transformation, ICT Partnership, Web Development / Digitalisation, Equalities Champion, Youth Champion, Armed Forces Champion, Delivery of Green Agenda in conjunction with Green Champion.

Cllr Mike Shirley – Audit & Corporate Governance Committee (Vice Chair), Grievance & Standards Committee, Staff Joint Consultative Committee, Planning Committee (Vice Chair)

This report will follow the old format but, going forward, your councillors would like to know what information you want to receive and what can be left out or summarised.

Councillor Activities
During May the following meetings/functions have taken place attended by one or both of your
councillors:
• Blaby District Council Essential Business Event
• Sapcote Parish Council Meeting
• Blaby District Council IT & Democratic Services Support
• Fosse Villages Together
• Sharnford Parish Council Meeting
• Blaby District Council & Extraordinary Meeting
• Elmesthorpe Parish Council Meeting
• Member Reference Group – HNRFI
• Planning Training
• Members ‘Drop-in’ IT Support Session
• LGA Planning Virtual Training Session
• Aston Flamville Parish Meeting

During June one or both of your councillors are expected to attend the following meetings/events:
• Planning Committee – 1st June
• Sapcote Parish Council – 1st June
• Members ‘Drop-in’ IT Support Session – 6th June
• Member Training Growth & Development – 7th June
• Blaby District Parishes Group Meeting – 7th June
• Essentials of Effective Strategic Scrutiny – 14th June
• Sharnford Parish Council Meeting – 15th June
• Rural Policy and Implications for Rural Communities – 19th June
• Meet the BDC Services Event – 20th June
• Blaby District Council Meeting – 20th June
• EMC Planning Reform 22nd June
• Wigston Parva Parish Meeting – 28th June
• Planning Committee – 29th June

News Releases
• Community Grants Scheme
• 5G Mast in Braunstone Town approved by Planning Inspectorate despite BDC concerns
• Fine for landowner for not complying with a Planning Contravention Notice
• New Safeguarding Leaflet for Town and Parish Councils

Appointment of Honorary Alderman
Iain Hewson and Christine Merrill, former District Councillors, having rendered eminent services to the Council over many years have been appointed as Honorary Alderman.

Licensing Act 2005
Blaby District Council Statement of Licensing Policy 2023 - 2028
The Licensing Act 2003 requires Blaby District Council as the Licensing Authority to prepare and publish a Statement of Licensing Policy at least every five years. The policy details how the Licensing
Authority, over the next five years, will exercise its functions under the Licensing Act 2003 in the administration and compliance of licences and notices issued under the Act.

The current policy is due to expire in September 2023, the revised document is for 2023 – 2028. Please see the revised policy on the Councils website: Consultations (blaby.gov.uk)
Consultation ends on: 9th June 2023. Thereafter, if agreed, the revised policy will be published and will come into effect on 1st September 2023.

How to comment on the Statement of Licensing Policy
If you wish to comment on the proposed Statement of Licensing Policy, please do so in writing to:
The Licensing Department Address:
Council Offices, Desford Road, Narborough, Leicester, LE19 2EP

Or by email: [email protected]
Should you wish to discuss the content of this email, please do not hesitate to contact Licensing.

HNRFI Update

The application was initially submitted in February before being withdrawn for further work and was resubmitted to the Planning Inspectorate on 17 March. The Council submitted an Adequacy of
Consultation Representation for both the first and second submissions. The Council’s representations for the pre-application and acceptance phases can be found on the Councils website.

On 13th April the Planning Inspectorate accepted the application, which has now moved into the pre-examination phase. During this phase, the scheme’s documents will be made public on the Planning Inspectorate’s website. There will be a period where all stakeholders (including the Council and the public) can register as interested parties and make Relevant Representations, summarising the main issues and impacts plus points of agreement and disagreement.

Main stages and dates* of the process when the Council will be involved:

• April – May 2023:
        o Relevant Representation, summarising the main issues and impacts plus points of agreement and disagreement.
• August – September 2023:
        o Local Impact Report (technical report of the likely impacts of the development).
        o Written Representations (the Council’s summary representation on the development).
        o Statement of Common Ground (points of agreement and disagreement with the Applicant).
• August 2023 – February 2024:
        o Attend and participate at hearings and accompanied site visits.
        o Respond to written questions and requests for further information, and comment on other parties’ representations and submissions.
        o It will be necessary for the Council to negotiate and enter into a Section 106 agreement with the Applicant, securing relevant planning obligations in conjunction with statutory consultee responses. 2024 and beyond: if the Development Consent Order is granted, the Council will be required to discharge and monitor the formal requirements and provide an enforcement function accordingly.

*Some dates are subject to change
Any questions on this or other district matters please contact your district councillors.

New Joint Contact Details

We have setup a joint email that goes to both of us and a joint social media account to share the work we do across Fosse Highcross,