There were changes to Committee Membership for this meeting: Councillor Derbyshire replaced Councillor Greenslade and Councillor Jeffree replaced Councillor Hofman.

Apologies were received from Councillor Martins

There were no disclosures of interest.

Members of Overview and Scrutiny Committee will also receive the Part B report as presented to Cabinet.

The Chair asked the Head of Legal and Property to explain the process for the Call-in meeting.

Councillor Bell then addressed the meeting.  He drew attention to the reasons for the Call-in of Cabinet’s decision of 3 December 2012 and explained that many people were concerned that the Farm Terrace Allotments would be included in the plans for the New Health Campus.  He said that the allotment holders were not convinced of the reasons for this inclusion although they approved the intention to build a new hospital; they considered the hospital to be a necessity for Watford and the wider community.  It was not clear, however, why the allotment land was needed. 

Councillor Bell noted section 3.7.9 of the report and specifically the extract which stated that

‘Without the allotments our advisors believe that the scheme is viable.  However . . . . there is not a significant level of comfort’. 

He advised that the area at Willow Lane should be considered more seriously as a viable alternative.

Councillor Bell then addressed the subject of the consultation.  He advised that at the consultation stage for planning consent the allotments had not been included in the plans as the proposal for houses on the site had not been added until later in the process.  He referred to the Government’s Autumn Statement of 5 December 2012 and asked why PFI 2 could not be used to finance the hospital rather than Watford Borough Council doing so. 

Councillor Bell advised that he had asked two residents to attend as witnesses to personally explain the views of the allotment holders.

Mrs Marion Harvey, from the Allotment Stakeholder Group, was then invited to address the meeting.

Mrs Harvey said that whilst she fully supported the construction of the Health Campus she could see no valid reason for the inclusion of the Farm Terrace Allotments within the site.  She advised that, at the public meeting she had attended, it had been unclear what would happen to the allotments and that the Farm Terrace Group had consequently been formed. 

Mrs Harvey considered that there had been a lack of involvement for the wider community and advised that local residents had not been included in the consultation meetings.  She asked in what way the inclusion of the allotments would comply with the Council’s green infrastructure policy.

Mrs Harvey then referred to the latest meeting of allotment holders where it had been acknowledged that the Health Campus could be built without the allotment site. 

Mrs Harvey pointed out that, since neither plans nor finance for the hospital were yet determined, it would be wise to leave the decision regarding the allotments until the final plans had been completed.   She reiterated that she had no objections to the building of a new hospital but that the decision on the allotments should be left until later in the process. 

Mrs Mary Reid, from the Farm Terrace Allotment Action Group, then addressed the meeting.

Mrs Reid said that green infrastructure was important  ...  view the full minutes text for item 52.

·               Tuesday 15 January 2013 (For call-in only)

·               Wednesday 23 January 2013

·               Thursday 7 February 2013 (For call-in only)

·               Tuesday 15^th January 2013 (For call-in only)

·               Wednesday 23^rd January 2013

·               Thursday 7^th February 2013 (For call-in only)