Agenda item

(Copy attached)

The Head of the JPU submitted a report that set out a proposed budget for the JPU for 2011/12 and noted that the word “provisional” should be inserted into the first recommendation before “2011/12”. In answer to a question he commented that the proposed Site Allocations DPD and Developer Contributions DPD would be dealt with in different ways that would allow a saving to be made on the Budget. In answer to another question he stated that some generic costs had been calculated on the basis of each partner authority producing it’s own Joint Core Strategy. These costs were higher than the current arrangement.

County Councillor Robin Brown queried the situation if South Northamptonshire were to withdraw from the current arrangements and whether the JPU would continue and therefore was consideration of next year’s budget, premature. The Head of the JPU commented, and the Chief Executive of South Northamptonshire Council confirmed, that South Northamptonshire had agreed, at a Council meeting, to write to the Secretary of State expressing their wish to withdraw from the Joint Committee but that they wanted the JPU to continue and to continue to work jointly towards the production of a Joint Core Strategy that would have common elements but that in which there would be elements identifiable to each partner Council. Next year’s budget had been predicated on this basis.

County Councillor Robin Brown queried whether the County Council would need to continue to be involved if the Joint Committee was dissolved. Councillor Church commented that once the Secretary of State had received the letter from South Northamptonshire Council he would have to consult the other partner councils and make a decision. If he agreed to dissolve the Joint Committee then the Order that set it up would need to be revoked and that had to be done through a Parliamentary process. None of this was likely to happen quickly. Councillor John Townsend commented that South Northamptonshire envisaged that the Joint Committee would be replaced by a working party of something similar: they just wished to see sovereignty returned to each Council. The Head of the JPU observed that the County Council would continue to need to be involved because of the transportation issues that were fundamental to the Joint Core Strategy.

Councillor Mary Clarke confirmed South Northamptonshire’s desire to work co-operatively with the partner Councils and believed that good progress was being made. The abolition of the RSS helped considerably. Her Council would suggest to the Minister a Joint Core Strategy as described earlier but that there should be a single Examination in Public. She referred to a similar situation in Nottingham and was seeking a similar solution. She agreed that it was appropriate for a budget for 2011/12 to be considered.

Comment was made that if South Northamptonshire wished to co-operate then it needed to be part of the Joint Committee. All the partner Councils concurred about the sovereignty issue however the real issue was about timing. The effect on the public and developers also needed to be considered. 

County Councillor Brown commented that Northampton had synergies with Kettering and Wellingborough and would benefit from the improvements to the A43: the Secretary of State would welcome Councils working together. The Head of the JPU commented that the proposed Northamptonshire Arc was being taken account of in the JCS.

County Councillor Brown suggested that in the first recommendation the word “ratified” should be substituted by the word “considered”.

RESOLVED:    1. That the provisional 2011/12 reduced base budget of   

                             £921,970 for the JPU be approved to be forwarded on to

                             partner Council’s for their consideration.

2.      That the carrying forward of some £140,000 from 2010/11

To the 2011/12 financial year subject to further review at the end of the financial year be approved in principle.