Due to the six week cycle of District Council meetings – compared with the monthly cycle of Southwell Town Council meetings, there was little to report directly tot he Town Council this month. The Cabinet meeting is to be held on Thursday Oct 18 and there are a number of important issues on the agenda then.

Unfortunately, I am unable to report back on these as the Cabinet has decided to take a number of items in secret. For example, the provision of a new Leisure Centre, and the costs of this are not to be made public.

Similarly, issues relating to the Millgate Museum, are also not allowed to be circulated. This is wrong – as some of these matters will be of considerable importance to residents of Southwell. I have requested that elements of the debate which are not matters relating to tenders should be made public immediately, but I await with interest whether the Cabinet decide to do this.

Interestingly, soon the Council will have to inform residents which matters are to be discussed and decided upon behind closed doors, and residents can object to this and the Cabinet forced to reconsider the matter. They may decided to continue to exclude press and public, but it may lead to reports that separate matters of public interest away from the details of contract information which could still be taken as a closed matter.

However, one matter which is concerning me is the outcome of a Planning Appeal on Halam Road. This is the first appeal heard in Southwell under the new LDF. Members will recall that the STC advised N&SDC to alter the wording to say that all housing should address the housing need in Southwell ie small housing, affordable housing and housing for the elderly.

N&SDC chose to ignore that and the LDF says that this should be ‘mainly’ of this type. Citing the loose wording in the LDF the Inspector has allowed the building of a four bedroomed house on Halam Road, one the STC, N&SDC and I objected to. This does not bode well for the implementation of the N&SDC’s Local Development Plan to achieve the smaller housing that the community has agreed to.