Agenda

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the General Public Services and Community Engagement meeting held on 23 June 2026.

Items of other business notified under Council Procedure Rule 30 to be announced, together with the special circumstances that justify their consideration as a matter of urgency.  The Chair to rule on the admission of such items.

To receive any declarations of interest.

The Committee is asked to receive a petition which requests that the Council extends permit parking around the perimeter of the green spaces within Greenbury Close in Chorleywood, and that such permits be required between 12 noon and 1pm.  The petition has been signed by 28 residents.

‘We, the undersigned, petition Three Rivers District Council to extend permit parking around the perimeter of the green spaces within Greenbury Close in Chorleywood, and for such permits to be required between 12 noon and 1pm.  Residents are requesting these parking restrictions because there has historically, and more recently, been an influx of commuter parking that is restricting access for residents, Three Rivers District Council refuse vehicles and, should they be needed, emergency service vehicles.’

This report recommends the adoption of a Parking Management Policy to formalise working practises within the parking team and adjust previously set Parking Management Programme Scoring Criteria.

Recommendation:

That the Committee agrees that the Parking Management Policy at Appendix A is progressed to Policy and Resources committee for approval.

This report reviews the progress of the current Parking Management Programme and proposes additions to the programme for the financial years 2026/27.

Recommendation:

That:

1.        Members note the report and approve the proposed additions, as detailed in section 7 of this report, to the Parking Management Programme;

2.        Officers continue to develop the Parking Management Programme as outlined in this report into financial year 2026/27 with a further full report being bought in early 2027 to determine the 2027-2029 Parking Management Programme;

3.        once the programme has been set it shall be adhered to as the current Parking Management Programme, with any significant additions being limited to exceptions to the prioritisation procedure requested by the Lead Member, to be delegated to the Director of Finance;

4.        the programme will be progressed in line with all relevant current practice, policy and standards; and

5.        decisions on schemes, including the consideration of objections to Traffic Regulation Orders developed through this programme of works and to any items remaining from earlier programmes of works, be delegated to the Director of Finance in consultation with the Lead Member.

This report presents the outcome of a review of Cemetery rules and regulations.

The review recommends a number of minor amendments to improve wording and clarity, together with several substantive changes which require Committee approval. These amendments are intended to provide greater clarity for grave owners, funeral directors and visitors, whilst ensuring that the regulations reflect current working practices and support the effective management of the Council's cemeteries.

Whilst reviewing the Rules and Regulations, officers also undertook site inspections and identified several cemetery management matters requiring attention. These include tree management, memorial benches, activities within the woodland burial area and the Council's ongoing responsibilities in relation to memorial safety.

Recommendation:

That the Committee:

1.       approves the revised Cemetery Rules and Regulations attached at Appendix A;

2.       authorises officers to implement the revised Cemetery Rules and Regulations and publish them on the Council's website;

3.       approves the removal or cutting back of trees identified as causing damage to memorials or requiring significant maintenance, with works being carried out sensitively and, wherever practicable, following communication with affected families; and

4.       approves the removal of redundant and unsafe benches and confirms that replacement memorial benches will not be permitted in accordance with the Council's current policy.

Following a motion to the 13 January 2026 committee meeting, this report presents the outcome of a review of burial service provision within the district, specifically to consider whether same-day, 24-hour, weekend and out-of-hours burials could be facilitated where required by faith communities.

Recommendation:

That the Committee:

1.       notes the findings of the review into burial service provision;

2.       notes the findings of the public engagement exercise undertaken through the Have Your Say Three Rivers platform;

3.       notes the findings of the benchmarking exercise undertaken with neighbouring authorities;

4.       notes the operational, staffing, cemetery capacity and health and safety constraints affecting burial provision at Woodcock Hill Cemetery;

5.       supports the continuation of the current burial service arrangements whilst officers continue to work with funeral directors, faith leaders and bereaved families to accommodate burial requests wherever reasonably practicable; and

6.       notes that any future enhancement to service provision, including routine weekend, same-day or out-of-hours burials, would require additional staffing resources, revised operational arrangements and consideration through the Council's budget-setting process.

To note and comment on the Committee’s work programme.

If the Committee wishes to consider any items in private, it will be appropriate for a resolution to be passed in the following terms:

“that under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act. It has been decided by the Council that in all the circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.”

(Note:  If other confidential business is approved under item 3, it will also be necessary to specify the class of exempt or confidential information in the additional items).