Agenda and minutes

to approve as a correct record and authorise the Chairman to sign the minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 13 December 2018;

E.63/18           

The minutes of the Executive meeting held on 13 December 2018 were confirmed as a true and correct record and signed off by the Chairman.

By way of an update, the Chairman made reference to minute E.62/18:  Commercial Development Opportunities, whereby it was stated that an update would be provided at the meeting on 7 February 2019 in respect of the proposals for Leonard’s Road Car Park, Ivybridge, and he advised that a full report would be presented to the meeting of the Executive on 14 March 2019.

Members are invited to declare any personal or disclosable pecuniary interests, including the nature and extent of such interests they may have in any items to be considered at this meeting;

E.64/18           

Members and officers were invited to declare any interests in the items of business to be considered during the course of this meeting but none were made.

It should be noted that in light of Executive Procedure Rule 1.9.4 (below):

‘Where a decision relates to an Executive Members’ local ward, that Member may take part in the discussion, but will abstain from any vote on the item.’

The Council’s Deputy Monitoring Officer had previously granted the Leader and Cllrs Bastone, Gilbert and Wright a Dispensation to be able to take part in the vote on agenda items relating to the Public Toilet Review (Agenda Item 16: ‘Public Toilet Project’ (Minute E.76/18 below refers).  It was noted that this Dispensation would be in force until the next Annual Council meeting in May 2019.

a period of up to 15 minutes is available to deal with questions submitted to the Council in accordance with the Executive Procedure Rules;

E.65/18           

It was noted that no public questions had been received in accordance with the Executive Procedure Rules, for consideration at this meeting.

E.66/18          

Members were presented with the Executive Forward Plan setting out items on the agenda for Executive meetings for the next four months and noted its content without any comment. 

E.67/18          

The Lead Executive Member for Customer First provided a verbal update on the actions being implemented by officers to address customer satisfaction issues.  He provided a number of statistics in respect of call volumes that evidenced how numbers were reducing, enabling more calls to be answered inside target timescales.  The website now had a feedback button for customers, and solutions were being investigated that would enable customers to be contacted to assess feedback.  There was a focus on the high volume areas including waste.  In Development Management, measures were being introduced that would see more communication with customers.  Next steps were to make status updates available as an online function.

A new process was being rolled out in respect of how complaints were dealt with, and more detail would be shared in the coming months.

One Member stated that it would have been helpful to have received the update as a written report in advance of this meeting.  Another Member asked that Ward Members and Town and Parish Councillors have access to the status updates on planning applications. 

Finally, the Lead Member for Customer First confirmed that this had been an interim update and a full report would be presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Panel in due course.

a) Joint Development Management Committee and Overview & Scrutiny Panel – 24 January 2019; and

b) Overview & Scrutiny Panel – 24 January 2019

E.68/18        

RESOLVED

That the following be received and that any recommendations contained therein be approved:

a)     Joint Development Management and Overview and Scrutiny Panel – 24 January 2019

                             i.          OSDM.2/18  DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT – PERFORMANCE UPDATE

It was then:

RESOLVED

That Council be RECOMMENDED that: 

                            ii.       OSDM.3/18 REVIEW OF FEES AND CHARGES

                          iii.       OSDM.4/18  BUDGET PROPOSALS FOR 2019/20 ONWARDS UPDATE

The Executive noted the recommendations under this item for consideration with the Budget report later on the agenda (Item 9:  Revenue Budget Proposals 2019/20)

It was then:

RESOLVED

That Council be RECOMMENDED that the joint meeting supports:-

E.69/18           

The Executive was presented with a report that enabled Members to monitor income and expenditure variations against the approved budget for 2018/19, and provided a forecast for the year end position. 

The Deputy Leader introduced the report and responded to a number of queries.

It was then:

RESOLVED

1.  That the forecast income and expenditure variations for the 2018/19 financial year and the overall projected overspend of £62,000 (0.7% of the total Budget £8.983 million) be endorsed; and

E.70/18           

Members were presented with a report that advised them of progress on individual schemes within the approved Capital Programme, including an assessment of their financial position. 

It was noted that the monitoring of the Capital Programme at Month 9 (end of December 2018) had not highlighted any significant areas of concern to report to Members.  The majority of capital projects were within the existing capital budgets approved by Members.  One of the schemes was overspent £2,342 (this equated to 0.08% of the 2018/19 capital budget of £2,991,486 and was detailed in Appendix A of the presented agenda report.

The Deputy Leader introduced the report.

It was then:

RESOLVED

1.  That the content of the report be endorsed; and

E.71/18           

Members were presented with a report that set out the budget proposals for a balanced budget for 2019/20.  The Council was currently forecasting a budget gap of £0.47 million for 2020/21.

The Leader introduced the report and stated that all Members had the opportunity to input into the process at the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Panel and Development Management Committee meeting held on 24 January 2019.

During discussion, one Member raised that surplus New Homes Bonus Funds should be invested back into areas of the community that needed social and affordable housing.  In response, the Leader advised that he expected a report to be forthcoming to the next meeting of the Executive in March 2019 that related to housing projects.

Members then agreed that the letter written by the Leader to Ministers in respect of the council tax loophole was excellent.  The Deputy Leader advised that copies had been sent to the MPs and the Housing Minister and would be followed up.  One Member felt that the Council could go further and support a proposal to double council tax on second homes.

It was then:

RESOLVED

That Council be RECOMMENDED:

E.72/18          

Members were presented with a report that set out the Capital Bids to the 2019/20 Capital Programme totalling £15,291,000 and a suggested way that the Bids could be funded.  All items within the proposed Capital programme were based on budget estimates and would be subject to the normal project appraisal procedures.

The Leader introduced the report and he and the s151 Officer responded to questions.

It was then:

RESOLVED

That Executive support:

1.  The content of the Capital Programme Proposals for 2019/20, which total £1,290,000 (Appendix A of the presented agenda report refers);

2.  The content of the Capital Programme Proposals for 2019/20, which total £14,001,000 (Exempt Appendix B of the presented agenda report refers); and

3.  The proposed financing of the 2019/20 Capital Programme of £15,291,000 from the funding sources set out in Section 4 of the presented agenda report.

E.73/18           

Members were presented with a report that sought approval to amend the Memorandum of Understanding to enable the mobilisation of the contract, since the Council approved the award of a partnership contract for the delivery of the services in scope, in December 2018.

The report also set out the details of the setting up of a Partnership Board, as required under the terms of the contract.

The Lead Member for Commercial Services introduced the report.

It was then:

RESOLVED

(i)     That the recommendation of the Frontline Services Project Board that the Memorandum of Understanding be amended to include the mobilisation of the contract be approved; and

(ii)    That the setting up of a Partnership Board as outlined in principle and as required under the terms of the contract be noted.

E.74/18           

Members were presented with a report that presented a Business Continuity Strategy and Work Programme for recommendation to Council for approval.  The report set out how the Council was under a legal duty through the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 to have a suitable and sufficient Business Continuity Strategy to ensure that at times of an emergency the Council could continue to support the emergency services.

The Leader introduced the report and advised that in reviewing the situation following the ‘Beast from the East’ storm, and in view of a recent Internal Audit report, that Business Continuity arrangements were revised.  The Senior Specialist responded to questions.

In response to a question regarding Brexit, both the Leader and the Group Manager Customer First and Support Services updated Members on how matters relating to Brexit were cascaded to local authorities and information shared.

Finally, the Deputy Leader thanked the Senior Specialist for his experience and knowledge in respect of Business Continuity matters.

It was then

RESOLVED

(i)  That the Business Continuity Management Strategy, and proposed work programme had been considered; and

E.75/18        

TheDeputy Leader introduceda reportthat informed Members of thedebtwrittenoff forrevenuestreamswithinthe Revenueand Benefitsservice.  Debtsupto thevalueof £5,000werewrittenoffby the s151Officerunderdelegatedauthority.  There were noindividualdebts witha valueof morethan £5,000.  

It wasthen:

RESOLVED

That it be noted that, in accordancewithFinancialRegulations,the s151Officerhasauthorisedthe write-offofindividualSouth Hams DistrictCouncildebtstotalling£64,820.21as detailedinTables1 and2 of the presented agenda report.

E.76/18         

Members were presented with a report that asked for consideration of the recommendations for each facility and approval to proceed.

The Lead Executive Member for Commercial Services introduced the report and responded to questions of clarity. It was confirmed that the final report on this matter would be presented to the Executive at the next meeting on 14 March 2019.

It wasthen:

RESOLVED

1.  That work continues with Totnes Town Council and Kingsbridge Town Council to find suitable funding proposals to recover Pay on Entry projected income at the following locations:

-     Totnes – Civic Hall, Coronation Road and Steamer Quay; and

-     Kingsbridge – Fore Street

(Unless suitable funding alternatives are offered locally before the 28 February 2019, then Pay on Entry (PoE) equipment should be installed at these facilities.)

2.    That the proposed approach of Salcombe Town Council (working in partnership with the Salcombe Harbour Board) to take over the management and running of the Salcombe Estuary Toilets for a 2 year trial period be endorsed. This proposal requires a transfer of the service budget to facilitate the pilot being agreed in detail.

(NB. Full details of the proposal are outlined in amended Paragraph 2.4ii of the presented agenda report and Appendix B.)

3.    That the £9,000 request for the repair to the roof at Mill Bay in recognition that this maintains a facility which would otherwise have been permanently closed be considered. (NB. This will need to be funded from the central building and maintenance budget which the Council has for all its assets.)

4.    That the position be noted in respect of public toilet facilities at:

•      Holbeton;

•      Newton Ferrers (Newton & Noss Parish); and

•      Staverton.

E.77/18         

Members were presented with a report that considered the recommendation to amend Pay and Display charges in accordance with the schedule at Appendix 1.

It wasthen:

RESOLVED

(NOTE: THESE DECISIONS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF E.69/18 (2), E.70/18 (2), E.71/18 (2), E.74/18 (2) and E.77/18 WHICH WERE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COUNCIL MEETING TO BE HELD ON 21 FEBRUARY 2019, WILL BECOME EFFECTIVE FROM 5.00PM ON MONDAY 18 FEBRUARY 2019 UNLESS CALLED IN, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SCRUTINY PROCEDURE RULE 18).