Agenda and minutes

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.

            If Councillors have any questions relating to predetermination, bias or interests in items on this Agenda, then please contact the Monitoring Officer in advance of the meeting.

*HC 52          

Members were invited to declare any interests in the items of business to be discussed but none were made.

Minutes of meeting held on 24 January 2017

*HC 53           

The Minutes of the Hub Committee Meeting held on 24^th January 2017 were confirmed and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

HC 54

Members were presented with a report that set out how the Council would meet the requirement of the Government to maintain an up to date Local Plan, and, in accordance with the resolution of West Devon Borough Council, to prepare a Joint Local Plan with South Hams and Plymouth.

The Portfolio Holder for Strategic Planning introduced the report and took Members through the key sections.  As the report was also being presented to the Special Council meeting later in the day, Members wished to hold their views for that debate.  In concluding this item, the Leader wished to thank all those who had been involved in producing the Plan and stated that Members should be committed to it contents.

It was then RESOLVED that Council be RECOMMENDED:

(i)         That the Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan (as set out in the presented appendix to the full Council agenda) be formally approved and that the Plan is subject to a six week period for representations to be received, pursuant to Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012;

It was further RECOMMENDED that:

(ii)        following the completion of the six week period for representations the local plan be formally submitted for Public Examination;

(iii)       authority be delegated to agree minor amendments to the Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan prior to its submission, to the Community of Practice Lead (Place Making) in consultation with the Joint Local Plan Member Steering Group;

(iv)       the Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan Steering Group continue to oversee the Joint Local Plan to ensure its effective monitoring and review, and that officers be instructed to draw up a revised Collaboration Agreement to this effect between South Hams District Council, Plymouth City Council and West Devon Borough Council with responsibility delegated to the Executive Director (Strategy and Commissioning) for signing the Collaboration Agreement, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Strategic Planning; and

(v)        the Joint Local Plan be corrected prior to publication as set out in the erratum dated 27 February 2017.

HC 55             

Members were presented with a report that provided an update following the July 2016 ‘in principle’ Council approval to progress negotiations for a devolution deal and the establishment of a Combined Authority, both subject to further report and the approval of the 17 Councils.

The Leader presented the report and updated Members on the latest position. 

It was then RESOLVED that Council be RECOMMENDED that:

1.     the update about the HotSW Combined Authority/devolution deal (including noting that a Joint Committee, if established, will have responsibility for developing future ‘deal’ and combined authority proposals for recommendation to the constituent authorities) be noted;

2.     the proposals for the HotSW Productivity Plan preparation and consultation proposals (including noting that the Joint Committee, if established, will have responsibility for approving and overseeing the implementation of the Productivity Plan) be approved;

3.     And that Council be RECOMMENDED to agree:

a.     ‘In Principle’ to the establishment of a HotSW Joint Committee with a Commencement Date of Friday 1 September 2017 in accordance with the summary proposals set out in the presented report; and

b.        That the ‘In Principle’ decision at (a) above is subject to further recommendation and report to the constituent authorities after the County elections in May 2017 and confirmatory decisions to approve the establishment of the Joint Committee; a constitutional ‘Arrangements’ document; an ‘Inter-Authority agreement’ setting out the support arrangements; appoint representative to the Joint Committee and appoint an Administering Authority.

HC 56               

Members were presented with a report that requested consideration of a recommendation to make amendments to the West Devon parking permits, as considered and agreed by the West Devon Parking Strategy Group.

The Lead Member for Commercial Services introduced the report and responded to questions. 

It was then RESOLVED to RECOMMEND to Council that:

1.     The Season Tickets available in West Devon be renamed Parking Permits, and that the Off Street Parking Places Order be amended to reflect this, together with the following amendments:

2.     That the cost of a Town Centre Parking Permit be reduced from £400 to £280 per annum, to reflect the reduced Pay & Display parking charges;

3.     That the cost of a Peripheral Parking Permit be reduced from £195 to £150 per annum in order to encourage more use of this facility;

4.     That the cost of a Rural Parking Permit be reduced from £155 to £150 per annum in order to simplify the offering to our customers;

5.     That a new West Devon Permit be introduced, allowing parking in all long-stay car parks across the Borough, for a fee of £650 per annum;

6.     Permits to become ‘virtual’, ie. Customers will no longer receive a paper permit; and

7.     New permits to be limited to one vehicle registration number only.

HC 57             

Members were presented with a report that enabled them to monitor income and expenditure variations against the approved budget for 2016/2017, and provided a forecast for the year end position.

The Lead Member for Support Services introduced the report and provided detail relating to the recommendation to Council.

It was then RESOLVED that:

i.          the forecast income and expenditure variations for the 2016/17 financial year and the projected underspend of £35,000 be noted; and

ii.          Council be RECOMMENDED to transfer the 2016-17 revenue saving of £115,000 on the Leisure budget into an Earmarked Reserve for Leisure as set out in section 3.2 of the presented report.

HC 58             

Members were presented with a report that advised them of the financial position as at 31 December 2016 for the purposes of budget monitoring.  All capital projects were within the individual capital budgets approved by Members.  Therefore capital schemes were within budget.

The Lead Member for Support Services introduced the report and reminded Members that from next year (2018), the closure of accounts would be brought forward to the end of May.

            It was then RESOLVED that:

i.          the report be noted; and

ii.          Council be RECOMMENDED that the Indoor Sports and Recreation facilities capital budget of £296,728 be re-categorised towards the £1.5 million cost of the investment into the Leisure Centres as detailed in Appendix B.

HC 59             

Members were presented with a report that asked the Committee to note the Plan and more importantly, the emergency arrangements proposed to support the plan and any response that may be required, and that a recommendation of approval of these arrangements be made to full Council.

The Leader introduced the report and stated that, whilst unlikely, emergencies did happen and it was important that the right procedures were in place at that time.  It was explained that this was a Devon wide document, and in response to a question regarding the two authorities that were not in the partnership, one of which was a neighbouring authority, it was confirmed that this would not preclude working together if necessary.

It was then RESOLVED that:

1.     The Emergency Response Plan produced by the Devon Emergency Planning Service (attached at Appendix 1) be considered; and

2.     Council be RECOMMENDED that the proposed emergency response arrangements be approved.

HC 60             

Members were presented with a report that set out how, following public consultation which closed on 13 February 2017, Members were now being asked to recommend to full Council, approval of the strategy which set out how the Council would tackle homelessness within the next 5 years.

The Lead Member for Health and Wellbeing introduced the report and in doing so thanked officers and also Cllrs Leech and Yelland who had worked as part of the Health and Wellbeing task and finish group on production of the strategy.

It was then RESOLVED that Council be RECOMMENDED:

1.     That the Homelessness Strategy 2017-2022 and the 2017 Action Plan be adopted; and

2.     That the Joint Member Task and Finish Group be retained as a Homeless Strategy Monitoring Group.

            PART TWO    ITEMS WHICH MAY BE TAKEN IN THE ABSENCE OF THE PUBLIC AND PRESS ON THE GROUNDS THAT EXEMPT INFORMATION IS LIKELY TO BE DISCLOSED

The Committee is therefore recommended to pass the following resolution:

“RESOLVED that under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the Meeting on the grounds that exempt information may be disclosed as defined in the paragraph given in Part 3 of Schedule 12A to the Act.”

*HC 61           

This item was deferred to the next meeting.

*HC 62           

(Paragraph 3 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person including the authority holding that information)

Members were presented with an exempt report that updated the Committee on progress made in the procurement process for the fleet of waste and cleansing vehicles to date.

It was then RESOLVED:

1.     That progress made on the procurement of the waste and cleansing fleet be noted and that work continues on procuring a value for money, fit for purpose waste and cleansing fleet.

2.     That any changes considered necessary to the terms as highlighted be delegated to the Lead Specialist Waste Strategy in consultation with the Lead Member for Commercial Services.