Items
No. |
Item |
E.57/17 |
Minutes PDF 110 KB
to approve as a correct record and authorise
the Chairman to sign the minutes of the meeting of the Executive
held on 7 December 2017;
Minutes:
E.57/17
The minutes of the Executive
meeting held on 7 December 2017 were confirmed as a true and
correct record and signed off by the Chairman.
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E.58/17 |
Declarations of Interest
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;
Minutes:
E.58/17
Members and officers were
invited to declare any interests in the items of business to be
considered during the course of this meeting and the following were
made:
Cllr R F D Gilbert declared a
Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in para. 6.24 of Item 9: Budget
Proposals Report 2018-19, and he left the meeting for the debate
and vote on this specific aspect of the Budget item.
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E.59/17 |
Public Question Time PDF 6 KB
a period of up to
15 minutes is available to deal with questions submitted to the
Council in accordance with the Executive Procedure Rules;
Minutes:
E.59/17
It was
noted that the following public questions had been received from Mr
Rick Gaehl:
Question 1: The stated cost to SHDC of the 'One
Council' consultation is £12,828, but this figure does not
appear to include any staff costs. Can the Committee discover and
confirm:
a)
details and costs of work by Council
staff on the merger?
b)
details and costs of any new staff
required to work on the merger?
In
response, the Leader advised that the costs of the consultation
exercise were reported to the Overview and Scrutiny Panel on 12
October, 2017. This was for the
website, postcards, telephone survey and events. In addition to these costs, a further £4,000
was spent on advice on council tax equalisation and £6,188
was spent on project officer time.
These costs are the South Hams share only of the costs. Council officers are not required to complete time
sheets or to time-record. The projects
that Council officers were involved in were all part of their
everyday role and duties which were set out in their job
descriptions. The Council employed
officers to carry out these roles e.g.
Strategic projects.
Question 2: Council reports indicated the merger
would save SHDC £0.5M pa from "staff efficiency reductions"
and that these would affect 'less than 10 [staff] roles'. Can the
Committee confirm the affected roles, how they would have been
affected and the salaries of those roles?
In
response, the Leader advised that by removing the complexities
inherent in serving two Councils; a single Council would have had a
less complex and costly administration.
Becoming
One Council would have meant releasing some capacity absorbed by
serving two bodies. This would have
reduced the amount of time spent on complex or duplicated
processes. Financial systems would be
simpler, with single reporting requirements and a removal of the
complexities of recharging money between both Councils and the need
for two sets of Accounts and reconciliations (such as bank
reconciliation, control account reconciliations, shared service
reconciliations).
The main
areas of duplication were in finance, case management (support
services), senior management team, democratic services and areas
such as elections. The staff efficiency
reductions were anticipated to generate £370,000 of savings
per annum. It was not felt appropriate
to specify individual roles and salaries as it was hoped that the
reduction in posts could have been largely addressed through
natural turnover in these areas.
In addition
to these savings, savings from having one financial ledger
(£25,000) and a reduction in subscriptions/memberships and
audit fees would have saved another £60,000. Further savings of £85,000 per annum were
also projected from a 20% reduction in Members.
Question 3: Officers reportedly had 'severe concerns
over the future financial stability' of SHDC if the merger did not
occur. Is the Committee able to confirm:
a)
predicted deficits for 2018/19, 2019/20
and beyond 2020/21?;
b)
how the Council proposes to
reorganise?;
c)
how the merger would have avoided
deficits?;
d)
if there is any plan for a Council Tax
referendum? ...
view the full minutes text for item E.59/17
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E.60/17 |
Reports of Other Bodies PDF 120 KB
Joint Development Management Committee and
Overview & Scrutiny Panel – 18 January 2018
Minutes:
E.60/17
RESOLVED
That the following be received and that any
recommendations contained therein be approved:
a)
Joint Development Management and Overview and
Scrutiny Panel – 18 January 2018
i.
OSDM.2/17 REVIEW OF FEES AND
CHARGES
The
Executive noted the recommendations under this item for
consideration with the Budget report later on the agenda (Item
9: Revenue Budget Proposals
2018/19)
That the Executive RECOMMEND to
Council that:-
1.
the proposed fees and charges set out for Parks,
Open Spaces and Outdoor Sports be approved;
2.
the proposed Environmental Health Charges that are
outside of the jurisdiction of the Licensing Committee be
approved;
3.
the proposed Fees and Charges for Development
Management (as set out in Appendix C of the presented agenda
report) be approved;
4.
delegated authority be given to the Group Manager
for Commercial Services, in consultation with the lead Executive
Member, to set the Dartmouth Lower Ferry Fees to take account of
market conditions, including competitor charges;
5.
it approves:
- an overall
percentage increase of 2% to car park charges and to delegate
responsibility of implementing the increase to the Group Manager
for Commercial Services, in consultation with the lead Executive
Member, following consultation with representative bodies
(including town and parish councils); and
- the withdrawal of weekly parking tickets;
6.
delegated authority be given to the Group Manager
for Commercial Services, in consultation with the lead Executive
Member, to set the Commercial Waste charges, once all the price
modelling factors are known;
7.
delegated authority be given to the Group Manager
for Commercial Services, in consultation with the lead Executive
Member, to set the Public Conveniences ‘Pay on Entry’
charges (which should not exceed 20 pence), following completion of
works and a review of appropriate charges; and
8.
the changes
to Boat Storage Charges (as set out in paragraph 3.7 of the
presented agenda report) be approved.
ii.
OSDM.3/17 BUDGET
PROPOSALS REPORT 2018/19
It was then RESOLVED that Executive
RECOMMEND to Council:
a)
That the views of the Joint Meeting be taken into
account during the 2018/19 Budget Setting Process; and
b)
The unfairness of Central Government Funding for
Shire District Councils be brought to the attention of our local
MPs, with them both being encouraged to ask a parliamentary
question on this point during the weekly Prime Ministers’
Question Time
iii.
OSDM.4/17 PLANNING
ENFORCEMENT SERVICE REVIEW
It was then RESOLVED that:
1.
the Local Enforcement
Plan (as outlined at Appendix 1 of the presented agenda report) be
adopted;
2.
the Planning Engagement
Member Engagement Protocol (as outlined at Appendix 2 of the
presented agenda report) be adopted;
3.
the proposed Actions (as
set out in Section 4 of the presented agenda report) be endorsed;
and
4.
authority
be delegated to the Community Of Practice Lead
Development Management, in consultation with the lead Executive
Member for Customer First, to make any minor amendments to the
Plan, Protocol and Actions prior to their adoption.
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E.61/17 |
Quarter 3 Revenue Budget Monitoring 2017/2018 PDF 109 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
E.61/17
Members were presented with a report that enabled them to
monitor income and expenditure variations against the approved
budget for 2017/18, and provided a forecast for the year end
position.
The Lead Member for Support Services introduced the report.
Relevant Portfolio Holders responded to questions of clarity, and
Members discussed the issue of the cost of agency staff,
particularly in relation to Commercial Services. The Group Manager
Commercial Services responded that the
overspend on agency costs had arisen as a result of
extraordinary circumstances and not to cover holidays and
sickness.
It was then:
RESOLVED:
1)
That the forecast income and expenditure variations
for the 2017/18 financial year and the overall projected underspend
of £103,000 (1.2% of the total budget £8.346 million)
be endorsed; and
2)
That Council be RECOMMENDED to
transfer the income surplus (of up to £20,000) into a Support
Services Trading Opportunities Earmarked Reserve at the end of the
2017/18 financial year. This is
expected to be £20,000 and was generated by HR and Finance in
providing support to other Councils on their Transformation
Programmes;
3)
That Council be RECOMMENDED to
transfer the underspend on the Leisure budget (of up to
£87,000) into a Leisure Earmarked Reserve at the end of the
2017/18 financial year;
4)
That Council be RECOMMENDED to
transfer £50,000 of the additional planning income into the
Planning Policy & Major Developments Earmarked Reserve at the
end of the 2017/18 financial year.
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E.62/17 |
Capital Programme Monitoring PDF 100 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
E.62/17
Members were
presented with a report that advised of the progress on individual
schemes within the approved capital programme, including an
assessment of their financial position.
The Lead Member for
Support Services introduced the report. During discussion, the
following points were raised:
·
The Leader
brought Members’ attention to the amount that had been spent
on coastal assets and advised that the Council was working closely
with the Environment Agency on obtaining grant funding;
·
One Member
raised concerns that the project to replace play equipment was
behind schedule. In response, officers
took responsibility for the slippage (this was due to capacity) and
confirmed that the work would proceed and consultation would take
place;
·
A local
Ward Member for Ivybridge asked that the matter of the Old Fire
Station Playgroup building be considered as the building was
situated at the gateway to Ivybridge and did not give a good
impression. The Senior Specialist
Environmental Health confirmed that this building fell within an
area currently undergoing a transport assessment, as part of a
project related to air quality management;
·
One Member
asked that the cost of wheelie bins on new developments be included
within s106 Agreements and it was agreed that this would be
investigated. The Waste Working Group had independently agreed that
any new requests for bins would result in a charge;
·
A Member
asked if there were any controls or monitoring that could be
undertaken in relation to Occupational Health recommendations for
Disabled Facilities Grants, with regard to Disabled Facilities
Grants, it was asked whether the Better
Care Fund could be spent on improving the condition of
properties;
·
One Member asked that, in considering options for
Whitestrand car park and development of
the Harbour Office, that the option of closing the car park during
July and August be considered;
·
In response
to a query regarding when work would commence at Quayside Leisure
Centre, Members were advised that the project would commence in May
2018.
It was
then:
RESOLVED:
1)
That the Monitoring Report be endorsed;
and
2)
That Council be RECOMMENDED that
£145,000 of the capital programme contingency budget of
£300,000 is approved to be allocated to the capital projects
as set out in exempt Appendix B.
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E.63/17 |
Budget Proposals Report 2018-19 PDF 200 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
E.63/17
Members were
presented with a comprehensive report that set out how the
Council’s Medium Term Financial Position was based on a
financial forecast over a rolling five year timeframe to
2022/23. The Council had continued to
work in partnership with West Devon Borough Council to achieve
savings. However, the Councils
continued to face considerable financial challenges as a result of
uncertainty in the wider economy and constraints on public sector
spending. The report set out the
options for closing the budget gap.
The Leader
introduced the report. In so doing, he
advised that the Executive were proposing to make four adjustments
to the recommendations arising from the joint meeting of the
Development Management Committee and Overview and Scrutiny
Panel. These were as
follows:
1
Community
Reinvestment Fund – would be completely removed;
2
Accepting payment by cash or cheque – would be stopped with
effect from 1 April 2018;
3 The
subscription to South West Councils would continue; and
4 The
payment to the Local Enterprise Partnership would
continue.
During discussion on this item, Members asked a
number of questions of clarity. A
number of Members were concerned at the proposal to transfer or
close public conveniences. There were
also concerns that savings made in some areas could be lost in the
increasing costs of providing front line services in Commercial
Services. The Group Manager Commercial
Services explained that there were a number of trends nationally
and locally that caused the waste budget to be
volatile. The current procurement
exercise would allow the Project team to look at the current base
budget and make comparisons against local costs, national trends
and alternative service solutions.
It was
then:
RESOLVED that Council be RECOMMENDED:
i) To
increase Council Tax by £5 (which equates to a Band D council
tax of £160.42 for 2018/19, an increase of £5 per year
or 10 pence per week – as shown in 5.12). This equates to a
Council Tax Requirement of £6,072,207.
ii) That the
financial pressures in Appendix B of £895,700 be
agreed
iii) That the
£10,000 discretionary budget bid for the Citizens Advice
Bureau be agreed;
iv) That the
schedule of savings identified in Appendix B totalling £689,350 be agreed;
v) To
approve the budget proposals for Public Conveniences as set out in
6.11, 6.23 and 6.24 (This requires a decision as part of the
2018-19 budget process, due to the implementation
timescales).
vi) That the
Collection Fund Surplus of £73,000 as shown in Appendix B be
agreed ;
vii) That the level of
contributions to reserves to be included within the
Authority’s budget, as set out in Appendix C be agreed (this
includes using £721,688 of New Homes Bonus funding to fund
the 2018-19 Revenue Budget and a contribution of £475,000
into an Economic Regeneration Projects Earmarked
Reserve);
viii) To withdraw the Community Reinvestment
Projects budget of £153,900 in 2018/19 onwards (This was
previously funded by New Homes Bonus funding as set out in Appendix
E)
ix) To delegate to
the ...
view the full minutes text for item E.63/17
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E.64/17 |
Capital Budget Proposals for 2018/19 PDF 103 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
E.64/17
Members were
presented with a report that set out the capital bids to the
2018/19 Capital Programme totalling £2,555,000 and a
suggested way that the Bids could be funded. All items were based
on budget estimates and would be subject to the normal project
appraisal procedures.
The Leader
introduced the report. One Member asked
that in refurbishing the industrial units at Garden Mill, that
consideration be given to putting solar panels on the
roofs.
It was
then:
RESOLVED
That Council be RECOMMENDED that:
1.
the Capital
Programme Proposals for 2018/19, which total £1,200,000
(Appendix A), be approved;
2.
the Capital
Programme Proposals for 2018/19, which total £1,355,000
(Exempt Appendix B) be approved;
3.
the 2018/19 Capital Programme of £2,555,000 be funded from the
sources as set out in section 4 of the presented report.
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E.65/17 |
Community Reinvestment Fund Annual Report PDF 33 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
E.65/17
Members
were presented with a report that set out a summary of applications
received to the Community Reinvestment Project Fund in 2017/18,
along with the officer assessment and recommendations.
The Lead
Member for Customer First introduced the report. During discussion, some Members raised concerns
over specific recommendations and whether the criteria for the Fund
had been met. The Lead Member for
Support Services confirmed that legal advice had been sought in
relation to the project within a church building, and it was felt
that the project was acceptable because the applicant had confirmed
that they place no restriction on which groups or individuals can
book the facility, regardless of their religious orientation or
beliefs. One Member felt that the Grant
Allocations were to towns at the expense of villages and the report
should be deferred and the applications reconsidered.
It was
then:
RESOLVED
That eight grant applications totalling
£153,900 from the 2017/18 Community Re-Investment Project
Fund, as set out in the presented appendix, be approved.
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E.66/17 |
Write Off Report PDF 100 KB
Minutes:
E.66/17
Members considered a
composite report that detailed the debts for all revenue streams
within the Revenue and Benefits Service remit up to the value of
£5,000, written off by the S151 Officer under delegated
authority.
The Lead Member for
Support Services introduced the report.
It
was then:
RESOLVED
1.
That in accordance with Financial Regulations, it be
noted that the s151 Officer had authorised the write-off of
individual South Hams District Council debts totalling
£68,188.13 as detailed in Tables 1 and 2 of the presented
agenda report; and
2.
That the write off of individual debts in excess of
£5,000 totalling £12,277.16 as detailed in Table 3 of
the presented report be approved.
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E.67/17 |
Air Quality Strategy PDF 58 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
E.67/17
Members were
presented with a report that set out a draft Air Quality Strategy,
devised in co-ordination with Devon County Council, and sought
approval to present the Strategy for consultation.
The Leader
introduced the report, and the Senior Specialist Environmental
Health responded to a number of questions. Members raised a number of points during
discussion as follows:
·
The issue
of emissions from commercial vehicles;
·
Whether the
Kingskerswell bypass had improved the
traffic and air quality issues in Totnes;
·
In response
to a question about the A38, the Executive Director (S&C)
advised Members that strategic discussions about travel routes into
the south west took place at the LEP meetings; and
·
Green
travel vouchers being a waste of time and money and should not be
considered a mitigation or solution.
To conclude, the
Leader advised that this was a consultation document and Members
were able to make their comments as part of the
consultation.
It was
then:
RESOLVED that Council be
RECOMMENDED that:
a)
A public and statutory consultation be commenced on
the proposed Air Quality Strategy (at appendix 1 of the presented
agenda report); and
b)
Authority be delegated to the Senior Specialist
Environmental Health in consultation with the Leader to make minor
amendments to the document prior to its publication.
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E.68/17 |
Local Validation List For Planning Applications PDF 49 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
E.68/17
Members were
presented with a report that sought approval of the revised Local
Validation List for planning applications, following a review that
had been undertaken. The National
Planning Policy Framework set out that local authorities should
publish a list of their information requirements for planning
applications.
The Lead Member for
Customer First introduced the report.
In so doing, he asked that an additional recommendation be added
that gave delegated authority for minor amendments to be
made. The CoP Lead Development Management responded to
questions and confirmed that the revised list was clearer, and
enabled officers to be more robust in the level of information
required.
It was
then:
RESOLVED that:
a)
The revised local validation list be approved;
and
b)
Authority be delegated to the CoP Lead Development Management in consultation
with the Lead Member for Customer First to make minor amendments to
the document prior to its publication.
(NOTE:
THESE DECISIONS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF
E.60/17,E.61/17,
E.62/17 (2), E.63/17, E.64/17 AND E.67/17 WHICH ARE RECOMMENDATIONS
TO THE COUNCIL MEETING TO BE HELD ON 22 FEBRUARY 2018, WILL BECOME
EFFECTIVE FROM 5.00PM ON MONDAY, 12 FEBRUARY, 2018 UNLESS CALLED
IN, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SCRUTINY PROCEDURE RULE
18).
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