EXCO REPORT – TUESDAY 20 DECEMBER 2016

This morning’s ExCo meeting covered a wide range of issues.

On the Open Agenda, Council considered the Welfare of Children (Official Foster Care) Regulations 2016.  These Regulations deal with the situation when a child is subject to care proceedings, and the Court decides that the child cannot remain with its parents and makes an order for the child to be placed in the care of the Safeguarding Directorate. Under the Regulations, arrangements can be made for an official foster parent to care for the child, as an alternative to the Family Centre.

The Regulations set out how a Register of Official Foster Carers will be created, how potential foster carers will be assessed and approved, and how children will be placed.  Council recognised that the overriding factor to consider is the care of the child, and noted that this does not affect current family fostering arrangements.

Council then acted as Planning Authority for a Development Application for a High Voltage Electricity Line from Sandy Bay to Blue Hill.  The Locum Chief Planning Officer, David Taylor, and Ronal De Reuck from Connect Saint Helena Ltd were in attendance.  Council heard that the new lines, over four miles long, would form part of a ringed network arrangement to ensure the security of supply for the western part of the Island.   Recognising that this application related to the Green Heartland, and following consultation, it had been decided that a significant portion of the line would be underground, and an Environmental Impact Statement supported the application.  The application was approved subject to a number of conditions recommended by the Locum Chief Planning Officer.

Council then considered an amendment to the rules under the Burials Ordinance.  This had been brought forward by the Environment & Natural Resources Committee to designate an area of land in Rupert’s Valley (Plot 0082) as the ‘Liberated Africans Re-Burial Ground’.  This is an important step in making arrangements for the eventual return of these remains to Rupert’s after many years of storage in the Pipe Store in Jamestown. Council supported the necessary change to the rules.

The meeting concluded at 12 noon.

ExCo

20 December 2016

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