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 01           

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

Minutes of meeting held 19 March 2019

*HC02          

The Minutes of the Hub Committee meeting held on 19 March 2019 were confirmed and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

*HC03

Members were presented with the Hub Committee Forward Plan setting out items on the agenda for Hub Committee meetings for the next four months. 

*HC04           

Members were presented with a report that reviewed the Council’s progress in refining the Council’s service offering under each of the Council’s six corporate themes, namely:  Efficient and Effective Council, communities, Enterprise, Environment, Home and Wellbeing.

The Leader introduced the report.  During discussion, the Leader reinforced the importance of linking the Corporate Strategy with the Joint Local Plan and accepted that the Corporate Strategy did include overlapping areas.  He asked that all Lead Members were aware of how the Joint Local Plan, a long term strategic document for the Council, impacted on their areas of responsibility.

It was then RESOLVED that:

1.      The progress made to date on refining the Council’s Corporate Strategy be acknowledged;

2.      The approach as detailed in section 5.1a of the report to further embed, promote and share the Council’s corporate Strategy with newly elected Members and their communities be supported; and

3.      Time be set aside to review feedback from the proposed Member community engagement and establish corporate strategy targets as detailed in sections 5b and 5c of the report.

*HC05         

Members were presented with a report that outlined how a Member Locality Fund might operate, not only for the current financial year, but for the tenure of the current administration, i.e. four years.

The Lead Member for Communities introduced the report.  There was a great deal of discussion on the proposal and the Commissioning Manager responded to a number of queries.  Some Members were generally supportive, but were concerned that the proposal would result in the loss of the Community Project Fund.  One Member proposed an alternative recommendation, which included specific reference to a review of the scheme and the continuation of the Community Project Fund.  On being put to the vote the amendment was declared CARRIED.  Members also asked that the review be timed to coincide with a review of partnership funding, but the Lead Member reminded Members that they had to deal with the proposal as set out and that partnership funding was a separate issue.

It was then RESOLVED that the proposed Member Locality Fund as detailed in paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of the report be approved, subject to a review in autumn of 2020 and retention of the Community Project Fund in year 2.

 *HC06       

Members were presented with a report that recommended that the current recycling service was improved in October 2019 to include plastic pots, tubs, trays and printer cartridges, cardboard drinks containers and foil.  It further recommended that these improvements were followed by a three weekly residual collection trial starting in November 2019 with a report being submitted to the Hub Committee in June 2020, detailing the results of the trial and future recommendations for the service.

The Lead Member for Environment introduced the report and, with the Commissioning Manager Waste, responded to questions.  Members were supportive of the proposal, particularly the improvements to the recycling scheme which should help to reduce the amount of waste for disposal.  In response to questions, the Commissioning Manager Waste confirmed that the Council would be learning lessons from other Devon authorities which had already commenced a three weekly residual waste collection project.

It was then RESOLVED that:

1.      The addition of plastic pots, tubs, trays and printer cartridges, cardboard drinks containers and foil to the kerbside recycling collections with effect from October 2019 be approved, and that the cost of the collection containers is met through the Strategic Waste Earmarked Reserve;

2.      The establishment of a trial of three weekly residual (black sack) collections to around 1,000 households in the Borough starting in November 2019 be approved and that the costs are met through the Strategic Earmarked Reserve; and

3.      The results of the trial will inform an outcome report to the Hub Committee that will include an officer appraisal over whether or not the committee should recommend to Council that a three weekly refuse collection should be implemented for all households in the Borough from March/April 2021.

HC07        

Members were presented with a report that sought to update the current Housing Assistance Policy with more flexible assistance packages that would be available to a greater number of vulnerable residents.

The Lead Member for Health and Wellbeing introduced the report.

It was then RESOLVED that Council be RECOMMENDED that the existing 2018-19 Homes Assistance Policy be updated with the revised 2019-2021 Devon Housing Assistance Policy.

HC08         

Members were presented with a report that set out proposals to fund construction of the first two community housing projects as outlined in the business case in exempt Appendix 1 and that the Head of Assets, in consultation with the Head of Paid Service, the s151 Officer and the Lead Member for Homes be given delegated authority to approve expenditure in accordance with the business cases.

The Lead Member for Homes introduced the report.  The Community Housing Officer and s151 Officer responded to a number of questions including the following:

·           Treasury Management advice would be sought on the exact structure of borrowing that would include fixed and variable lending

·           Contractors would be vetted and a company employed to project manage the process

·           The site at Lamerton may still come forward, work was ongoing with the Parish Council and Neighbourhood Plan groups on the site and to look at substitute sites, but an alternative site may need further funding from Homes England

·           The projects needed sites to accommodate at least 12 houses to be viable, were usually exception sites that deliver 60% affordable housing and the schemes were driven by the needs of the community

·           Grant funding from Homes England had started the projects.  The sale of properties from the specific projects proposed would provide the funding to roll over onto new projects.

Finally, a Member asked if the developers of the projects would be required to use the Devon Building Control Partnership for Building Regulations approval.  The schemes proposed were of high quality, and to use the Partnership would enable the schemes to be put forward for their annual awards, thereby generating well deserved recognition of the projects.

It was then RESOLVED that Council be RECOMMENDED:

1.      To approve community housing development expenditure of up to £4.3m to build out the first two community housing schemes delivering 29 residential units as set out in the report;

2.      To approve funding of up to £4.3m from a combination of internal borrowing and external borrowing (from the Public Works Loan Board);

3.      That specialist treasury management and legal advice is taken on the optimum way of financing the community housing schemes and the proposals within the report; and

4.      To delegate authority to Head of Assets Practice and s151 Officer to approve associated long leaseholds and disposals in consultation with the Leader of Council.

PART TWO ITEMS ARE THOSE WHICH MAY BE TAKEN IN THE ABSENCE OF THE PUBLIC AND PRESS ON THE GROUNDS THAT EXEMPT INFORMATION IS LIKELY TO BE DISCLOSED (if any)

If any, the Committee is 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 paragraphs given in Schedule 12A to the Act.”

This document can be made available in large print, Braille, tape format, other languages or alternative format upon request. Please contact the Committee section on 01822 813664 or email darryl.white@swdevon.gov.uk

* HC09       

Cllr Leech presented a comprehensive update to Members on the work and achievements of services within Environmental Health and Housing over the last 12 months.  He agreed to circulate the update to all Members.

(NOTE: THESE DECISIONS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF HC 07 and HC08

WHICH ARE RECOMMENDATIONS TO FULL COUNCIL

ON 23 JULY 2019, WILL BECOME EFFECTIVE

FROM WEDNESDAY 12 JUNE, 2019 UNLESS CALLED IN,

IN ACCORDANCE WITH SCRUTINY PROCEDURE RULE 18).