Agenda and minutes

An apology for absence was received from Councillor J C Bayliss.

In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the City and County of Swansea, no interests were declared.

To approve, as a correct record, the Minutes of the Economy and Investment Cabinet Advisory Committee held on 29 April and 19 May, 2015.

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Economy and Investment Cabinet

Advisory Committee held on 29 April and 19 May be approved as

correct records.

The Economy and Investment Cabinet Advisory Committee Terms of Reference were provided for information. 

The Divisional Officer, Trading Standards provided the Committee with a detailed and informative presentation regarding legal highs.

He outlined the history relating to legal highs, including their availability and use locally.  The involvement of Trading Standards and the Police in protecting the public was also outlined, along with consumer protection laws and proposed forthcoming legislation.

He highlighted the dangers that legal highs pose to the community, particularly young people and he emphasised the ongoing need to communicate the dangers of legal highs to the community.

RESOLVED that:

(1)       the contents of the report be noted;

(2)       a more detailed report be provided to the next scheduled meeting.

The Senior Planner (Policy) provided a detailed and informative presentation regarding planning and a healthier urban environment.  Details included within the presentation included the following:

·         Health and Swansea.

·         Healthy Cities Movement.

·         Healthy City Context.

·         Swansea Healthy City Context.

·         Healthy Cities and Planning.

·         Health and LDP.

·         Development Plan Basics.

·         Local Development Plan Stages.

·         Policy - UDP and LDP.

·         Health Impact Assessment (HIA) (non-statutory).

·         The HA Story so far.

·         Healthy Urban Planning in Swansea.

·         Next Steps.

The Committee asked a number of questions of the officer who responded accordingly.  Discussions centred around the following:

·         The failure of the Authority to agree an Open Space Strategy which had an impact on wards within the Authority’s boundary such as Castle which was 95% down on recreational space and affected health and wellbeing.

·         The importance of Section 106 Agreements in relation to largescale planning applications was emphasised.

·         The ongoing importance of healthy cities and the need to reduce obesity in both adults and children throughout the UK and how planning policies can assist this process.

RESOLVED that:

(1)       the contents of the presentation be noted;

(2)       the draft LDP Report be reported to the Committee in due course.

The Chair reported that the site visits to Gorseinon and Pontarddulais had to be postponed and further site visits to Morriston, Gorseinon and Pontarddulais will be rescheduled. 

The Chair presented an updated Work Programme for 2015-2016. 

RESOLVED that the contents of the report be noted.