Agenda and minutes

*HC 29         

There were no apologies for absence received for this meeting.

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 30         

Members were invited to declare any interests in the items of business to be discussed and the following were made:

Cllrs P R Sanders and J B Moody both declared a personal interest in Item 8:  ‘Meadowlands Leisure Centre – Legal Decision’ (Minute *HC 35 below refers), by virtue of being Members of Tavistock Town Council and they did not take part in the debate and vote on this item.

Minutes of meeting held 12 September 2017

*HC31         

The Minutes of the Hub Committee meeting held on 12 September 2017 were confirmed and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

HC32         

Members were presented with a report that set out the proposal to implement a joint local community lottery scheme to benefit the residents of West Devon and South Hams.  The scheme would be shared across both areas to widen the appeal of the lottery and reach a wider audience of participating good causes and supporters/ticket buyers.  A shared scheme recognised that the councils had a shared workforce and supported many of the same Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) groups. 

The Lead Member for Assets, who was also a member of the Invest to Earn Working Group, presented the report and introduced Cllr Derek Town and Caroline Wheller, Corporate Commercial Strategy Manager from Aylesbury Vale District Council who responded to a number of questions and provided more detail on the financial aspects of the scheme.

Members discussed the proposal and could see the benefits of the scheme as a way of supporting local charitable organisations and an opportunity to do something for the community. 

It was then RESOLVED that Council be RECOMMMENDED to:

1)          APPROVE & IMPLEMENT the proposed business case for the establishment of a joint West Devon and South Hams local community lottery scheme (subject to approval from South Hams District Council);

2)          Appoint Gatherwell Ltd as an External Lottery Manager (ELM) & Aylesbury Vale District Council (AVDC) to assist with project implementation (subject to a successful Contract Exemption application);

3)          Delegate to the Head of Paid Service to nominate two officers to be responsible for holding the Council’s lottery licence and submit the necessary application to the Gambling Commission; and

4)          Delegate to the Group Manager, Business Development in consultation with the Assets portfolio holder to approve the bespoke lottery business model policies required in order to submit a valid application to the Gambling Commission to obtain a lottery licence.

*HC33         

Members were presented with a report that set out the Council’s Medium Term Financial Position, based on a financial forecast over a rolling five year timeframe to 2022/23.

The Leader introduced the report.  The Leader and Section 151 Officer responded to a number of detailed questions. During discussion, the Lead Member for Economy PROPOSED an addition to the presented recommendation and this was SECONDED and on being put to the vote declared CARRIED, to the effect that a Working Group of Members and officers should look at further options to close the budget gap such as potential investments and to examine the extent to which statutory services are delivered and current staffing levels..

It was then RESOLVED that:

1.          The contents of the Member survey on the Budget Options attached at Exempt appendix D had been considered; and

2.          Officers undertake further work in order to set the Budget for 2018-19 in accordance with the comments in presented exempt Appendix D, to include convening a Member/officer group to examine the extent to which statutory services are delivered and current staffing levels.

*HC34         

ThePortfolioHolderforSupport Services introduceda reportthat informed Members of thedebtwrittenoff forrevenuestreamswithinthe Revenueand Benefitsservice.  Debtsupto thevalueof £5,000werewrittenoffby the s151Officerunderdelegatedauthority.  Permissionwassoughtto writeoff individualdebts witha valueof morethan £5,000.  In respectof thedebtswitha valueof morethan£5,000,Memberswere advisedof howtheyhadarisen.

In introducing the report, he advised that the second recommendation was included by error, and should be deleted.  He also advised Members that a Strategic Debt Recovery team was now in place and he would have regular meetings with them.

ItwasthenRESOLVED:

That,in accordancewithFinancialRegulations,thatthe s151Officerhadauthorisedthe write-offofindividualWest DevonBoroughCouncildebtstotalling£114,989.98as detailedinTables1 and2 benoted.

*HC35         

Members were presented with a report that set out the latest position on the negotiations and terms of the legal agreements with Meadowlands Pool, between Tavistock Town Council (TTC) and West Devon Borough Council (WDBC) having reached the stage where a decision needs to be made as to whether to enter into them or not.

The Lead Member for Assets introduced the report and set out the background.  In doing so, he advised that progress had been made on the discussions and he PROPOSED an amendment to the presented recommendation 2 which was subsequently SECONDED and on being put to the vote declared CARRIED.  In response to questions he made clear to Members that nobody had been unreasonable, but rather that both TTC and WDBC were both following their own legal advice.

It was then RESOLVED that:

1.          the Council continue to try and hold political discussions for the next 30 days and then;

2.          having considered the report and risks comparison, authority be delegated to the CoP Lead Assets in consultation with the Head of Paid Service and Lead Member for Assets, to enter into the legal agreements as drafted (or as may be revised during further negotiations with TTC), recognising that in the event of a breach by WD and TTC enforcing the terms of the agreements, WD would have to give up possession of the land, and bear the cost of the demolition of the Meadowlands Leisure Centre.

(NOTE. Cllrs J B Moody and P R Sanders abstained from the vote on this item).

*HC36         

Members were presented with a report that sought authority to delegate award of the Council’s Insurance contract to the s151 Officer, in consultation with the Leader and Lead Member for Support Services.  The existing contract was due to expire on 31 December 2017.

The Lead Member for Support Services introduced the report.

It was then RESOLVED that:

1.          The progress of the procurement be noted; and

2.          Authority to award the Insurance contract for a period of 3 years from 1 January 2018 with the option to extend up to 4 further years be delegated to the s151 officer in consultation with the Leader and Lead Member for Support Services.

*HC37          

(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 sought approval to conclude detailed negotiations of a long lease for a term in excess of 15 years, or freehold disposal of land.

It was then RESOLVED that authority be delegated to the CoP Lead Assets in consultation with the s151 Officer and Leader of Council to conclude either a freehold or a long-leasehold disposal (for a term in excess of 15 years) to Devon County Council, of a small parcel of land as detailed within the presented report.