Agenda and minutes

*HC33          

ApologieswerereceivedfromCllrW GCannOBEand CllrR FD Sampson.

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.

*HC34          

Memberswereinvitedto declareanyinterestsinthe itemsofbusinessto bediscussedbut noneweremade:

To consider those items which, in the opinion of the Chairman, should be considered by the Meeting as matters of urgency (if any)

HC35           

TheChairmanadvisedthathehadagreedforone itemofurgentbusiness to be raisedat thismeetingwhichhadbeen deemedurgentin lightofthe associatedtime constraints.  Hethen referredto alate reportthat had been circulatedto the Committee,entitled‘SyrianVulnerablePersonsScheme’. Heintroducedthereportand setout the background,andthe COPLead SpecialistHousing,Revenues& Benefitsrespondedto specificquestions.

Followingdiscussionon thisitem,itwasthenRESOLVED:

ThatCouncilbeRECOMMENDEDto voluntarilyparticipateinTheSyrian

VulnerablePersonsScheme.

Report of COP Lead Specialist Finance

HC36          

The Chairmanpresenteda reportthat setoutthebudgetproposalsfor both revenuebudgetandcapitalprogrammefor2016/17.

Membersaskeda numberof questionsandtheChairmanandSection151

Officerrespondedindetailto thequeries,includingthefollowing:

-    theCollectionFundwasexplainedindetail;

-      a verbalupdateonthesummaryof themainpointsof thespending reviewwasgiven,particularlyinrelationto the impactof potential changesto theNewHomesBonus;

-      it was confirmedthattheoutcomeof thenexttriennialpension revaluationbeingdue atthe endof nextyear;and

-    assurancesweregiventhatthe levelof reservesweresufficient. It wasthenRESOLVEDthat:

1.  Thereportbe noted;

2.  Officersbe in  ...  view the full minutes text for item *HC36

Report of Executive Director (Strategy & Commissioning)

HC37           

The  Chairman  introduced  areport  that  set  out  the  detail  of  ashared DevolutionStatementofIntentincludingtheauthoritieswithin theHeartof the SouthWestBidandtheopportunitiesthatwouldarisefor WestDevon BoroughCouncilfromdevolution.

Membersnotedthatthe DraftProposalcirculatedas Appendix1 of the presentedagendareportdidnot givesufficientweightto Plymouthbeinga marinecentrewithinthesectiononStrategicEconomy.

ItwasthenRESOLVEDthatCouncilbe RECOMMENDEDto:

1.  endorsetheLeader’scurrentapproachtodevolutionand thedrafting of proposals,theirsubmissionand negotiationof  a dealfor theHeart of theSouthWest,namely:

Working withlocalauthorities,National Parksandthe Heartof th  ...  view the full minutes text for item *HC37

Report of Support Services Group Manager & COP Lead Specialist Finance

*HC38          

TheChairmanpresenteda reportthatsetout the2015/16Quarter2 position in relationto theT18Budget.

TheExecutiveDirector(ServiceDeliveryand CommercialDevelopment) advisedthattheMobileLocalityOfficershad nowreceivedtheCivicamobile applicationthatwouldenablethemto uploadinformationwhilstoutin the field.

TheExecutiveDirector(Strategyand Commissioning)advisedthatsome membersof staffwerestillto gothroughthe Assessmentprocess.

Membersnotedthe commentson spacebeingavailableto letatKilworthyParkandwereassuredbyofficersthat stepswere beingtakento advertise thatavailabilitythrougha numberof means.

ItwasthenRESOLVEDthattheprogressto dateon theT18Transformatio  ...  view the full minutes text for item *HC38

Report of Finance Business Partner

HC39           

The Chairmanpresenteda reportthat enabledMembersto monitorincome and expenditurevariationsagainstthe approvedbudgetfor 2015/16,and provideda forecastforthe yearendposition.

ItwasthenRESOLVED:

1.  Thatthe forecastincomeand expenditurevariationsforthe 2015/16 financial yearandtheoverallprojectedunderspendof £70,000benoted;

2. That  Council  be  RECOMMENDED  to  transfer  any  unspent Homelessnessgrantinto aHomelessnessEarmarkedReserveatthe end ofthe 2015/16financialyear(thisisexpectedto be£30,000).

*HC40         

TheChairmanpresenteda reportthat advisedMembersof thefinancial positionas at31October2015forthepurposesof budgetmonitoring.

Inresponsetoquestions,thes151Officerconfirmedthatitwasexpectedto fullyutilisethe DisabledFacilitiesGrantbudgetas experiencedictatedthat a largeproportionofthe spendtookplacein Quarter4.  TheCommunity ProjectsGrantwasalsoexpectedtobe fullyspent,as againthe funding from WestDevonBoroughCounciloften‘pumpprimed’otherfundingso therewasusuallya timedelaybetweencommitmentand physicalpayment.

ItwasthenRESOLVEDthatthereportbe noted.

Report of Group Manager Business Development and Head of Building Control Partnership

HC 41           

TheLead MemberforEconomypresenteda reportthatsoughtauthorityto undertakeand chargefornewhomewarrantyinspections,in additionto its currentscopeofworks.HetookMembersthroughthekeypointswithinthe reportandsetoutthe backgroundto theproposal.

The  Head   of  Building   Control   Partnership   responded   to  Members questions.

ItwasthenRESOLVEDthat:

1.  Councilbe RECOMMENDEDthattheDevonBuildingControl Partnershipbegranteddelegatedauthoritytoundertakefeepaying new homewarrantybuildinginspectionsinadditionto theircurrent scopeof works;and

2.  a reportbepresentedinearly2016 tosetout thefuturestrategyfor DevonBuildingControlPartnership.

Report of Lead Specialist Legal

HC42           

TheLeadMemberforCustomerFirstintroducedthe reportand the COP LeadSpecialistLegalset out the backgroundandhow the policywould providea consistentapproachacrossthe Councilforenforcementmatters. ThePolicywouldallowdiscretionand negotiation,and wasnot intendedto beinflexible.

It was then RESOLVEDthatCouncilbeRECOMMENDEDto adoptthe CorporateEnforcementPolicyas presentedat AppendixA ofthe presented agendareport.

Report of Operations Manager (Environment Services)

HC43           

TheLead MemberforEconomy presenteda reportthatrequestedthat Members considerthe recommendationto makean amendmentto theWest DevonOffStreetParkingPlacesOrder in respectofthe waitingtime permittedon thetoptwodecksof BrookStreetcarpark,so thatlongstay parkingwaspermissible,usingthe £2 allday tariffcurrentlyavailableinall otherlongstaycarparksinTavistock.

Members  discussed  the  report  and  broadly  agreed  with  the recommendation,howeveritwasnoted thatthiswasfora trialperiodand shouldthereforerunconcurrentlywiththe existingschemealreadyrunning in thetown.

ItwasthenRESOLVEDthatCouncilbeRECOMMENDEDto approvethe proposalto implementlongstayparkingonthetoptwodecksof Broo  ...  view the full minutes text for item *HC43

HC44           

Theminutes  of  the  Overview  andScrutiny  (External)  Committee  were presentedforapprovalandnoted.

InrespectofUnstarredMinuteO&S(E)22 – OurPlanReview,which includeda recommendationto theHub Committee forreferenceto Council, the HubCommitteenotedtherecommendationand madethefollowing:

ThatCouncilbe RECOMMENDEDthat:

WestDevon OurPlanbe re-issuedforthestartof the2016/17financial year as a documentthat:

-     RecognisesOurPlanas thesinglecomprehensiveCouncilPlan;

-    Restatesthe Council’scorporateVisionand Objectives

-    Establishesthecommonbasisforthe Council’sFinancialPlan,Asset

ManagementPlan,LocalPlanandallotherPlansandStrategies;

-      Establisheslong-termand short-term  ...  view the full minutes text for item *HC44