Issue - meetings

This report sets out the matters considered by the council’s Environment Committee on 23rd January 2024 in respect to the options available to respond to complaints of noise from Epsom Chalk Pit.

Following consideration, as funding could not be found from existing budgets and internal resource could not support the work, the Environment Committee resolved that Strategy and Resources Committee be requested to identify funds of £140,000 to instruct external noise consultants to conduct a fresh investigation into activities at Epsom Chalk Pit.

The £140,000 is the total sum anticipated to be needed and is made up of £40,000 for the work to be carried out, £50,000 to support any enforcement action/litigation and a further £50,000 payable to the Appellant in the event of a successful appeal. These amounts can not be considered in isolation from each other in considering the potential total cost to the council.

Members should note that such further external investigation would only proceed if a significant level of complaints continued, despite the required buildings being constructed and commissioned and officers agreed that, in their professional judgement, such work was warranted.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to:

(1)       Consider the request from Environment Committee for additional funding, as set-out in the report, and:

(2)        Agree to reserve £40,000 for independent noise investigation and £100,000 for subsequent potential enforcement and litigation work, both funded from the corporate project reserves. To replenish the reserves, Environment committee must identify new or not previously identified savings or income for an equivalent amount by the end of the 25/26 financial year.

(3)       Authorise, and nominate the Head of Housing and Community, in consultation with the Chair of Environment Committee, to commence this work only when in their professional opinion the level of noise and complaints warrant such action following completion and commissioning of the required buildings with current or amended planning permission.

The Committee received a report setting out the matters considered by the council’s Environment Committee on 23 January 2024 in respect to the options available to respond to complaints of noise from Epsom Chalk Pit.

Following consideration, as funding could not be found from existing budgets and internal resource could not support the work, the Environment Committee resolved that Strategy and Resources Committee be requested to identify funds of £140,000 to instruct external noise consultants to conduct a fresh investigation into activities at Epsom Chalk Pit.

The following matters were considered:

a)             Financial position. The Chair informed the Committee of the cost breakdown of a noise investigation as follows: £40,000 expenditure was required in order to undertake an independent noise investigation, but that this would not include any enforcement action. To take enforcement action would require an additional budget of £50,000 and it was recommended that a further £50,000 be budgeted for use in the event of an appeal.This was a total of £140,000. The Chair reminded the Committee that the Council faced a budget gap in 2024-25 which would be funded through the use of reserves. The Chair informed the Committee that the Council had a plan to address the continuing future budget gap, but that it held a small amount of financial reserves. These were: a General Fund of £3 million (of which £2.5 million was the minimum level by which the Council should operate) and the Corporate Project Reserve of £1.5 million (of which £1 million was the minimum level). The Chair informed the Committee that the £500,000 available in the Corporate Project Reserve would be reduced by nearly one third if a decision to support expenditure of £140,000 on a noise investigation was made.

The Chair informed the Committee that the Council did not have assets which could be easily sold to fund the budget gap. The Chair also informed the Committee that other Councils had issued a Section 114 notice due to having insufficient funds to operate.

The Chair reminded the Committee that it was responsible for the financial wellbeing of the Council, for the benefit of all residents.

b)             Complaints received. The Head of Housing and Community provided the Committee with an update on the number of complaints received by the Council in relation to the Chalk Pit site following the publication of the agenda. The complaint profile included in the report detailed complaints up to week 10. In week 11 there had been 3 complaints, in week 12 there had been 4 complaints and in week 13 there had been 6 complaints.

The Committee was informed that Surrey County Council had taken some planning enforcement action in relation to development on the site by Skip-it and Reston Waste. The Committee was also informed that the Environment Agency intended to assess the noise and dust management plans for both Skip-it and Reston Waste’s use of the site.

c)             Residents’ concerns. Members of the Committee expressed support for the need to address the concerns  ...  view the full minutes text for item 48