Agenda item

to receive and as may be necessary approve the minutes and recommendations of the under-mentioned Bodies

 

* Indicates minutes containing recommendations to Council.

 

 

36/18              

RESOLVED

 

That the minutes and recommendations of the undermentioned bodies be received and approved subject to any amendments listed below:-

 

(a) Salcombe Harbour Board                            16 July 2018

                                               

(b ) Audit Committee                                                                                26 July 2018

 

(c) Development Management Committee         1 August 2018

 

DM.22/18: Amendment to Public Participation Scheme

 

It was then:   

 

RESOLVED

 

1.  That the proposed amendments to the Development Management Committee Public Participation Scheme (as set out in Appendix 1 of the presented agenda report to the Committee) be approved; and

 

2.  That authority be delegated to the Monitoring Officer to make minor amendments to the Scheme as and when deemed necessary.

 

(d) Overview and Scrutiny Panel                       2 August 2018

 

O&S.23/18: Code of Conduct Hearing Panel Recommendations on the Complaints Process

 

During the debate, a Member expressed his total support for the recommendation and felt that the current rules were an expensive process with totally meaningless sanctions.

 

It was then:   

 

RESOLVED

 

That representations be sent to the Secretary of State and local MPs outlining the Council’s concerns over the current regulations (e.g. the lack of any meaningful penalties and the unfairness of District Councils having to absorb the costs of administering the scheme for its local Town and Parish Councils).

 

(e) Licensing Committee                                    23 August 2018

 

L.7/18: Adoption of Procedures and Fees in Relation to the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018

 

RESOLVED

 

1.  That the Discretionary Powers contained within the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 be adopted;

 

2.  That the Scheme of Delegation be amended whereby decisions relating to the determination of licences and enforcement action be delegated to the Community Practice Lead for Environmental Health;

 

3.  That the Constitution be amended to reflect a new Sub-Committee structure to consider objections to conditions on an Animal Licence; and

 

4.  That the proposed Fees and Charges (as outlined in the agenda report presented to the Committee) be adopted.

 

(f) Overview and Scrutiny Panel                       6 September 2018

 

(g) Audit Committee                                           6 September 2018

 

(h) Executive                                                      13 September 2018

 

E.34/18: Civil Penalties for Breaches of Housing Standards Enforcement Notices

 

RESOLVED

 

That the existing Enforcement Policy be updated with the Civil Penalty Policy.

 

E.36/18: Reports of Bodies

 

(a) Community Funding

 

Such had been the levels of correspondence on the two recommendations to reduce funding contributions to the South Hams Community and Voluntary Service (CVS) and the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) that the Chairman informed of his intention for these matters to be dealt with separately.

 

In the ensuing discussion on the CVS proposal, an alternative recommendation was PROPOSED and SECONDED as follows:

 

‘That any decision to reduce funding to the South Hams Community and Voluntary Service be deferred to enable for further consideration as part of the wider 2019/20 Budget Setting process.’

 

In support of this proposal, the following points were raised:-

 

o  A Member highlighted the support provided by the CVS towards creating positive, healthy and safe lifestyles and the important contribution that was provided by the organisation as a health co-ordinator;

o  Some Members questioned the need to make such a funding decision now and felt that it should be looked at in the wider Budget setting context.  In addition, other Members made the point that Development Management Committee Members had been alienated from what was a budgetary decision up until this point;

o  A Member emphasised the invaluable support provided by the CVS to local community groups and was of the view that the organisation provided excellent value for money.  Furthermore, another Member referenced the pressures currently facing the Voluntary Sector and felt that such a funding decision required very careful consideration.

 

Other Members did not support the proposal and made reference to:-

 

o  the fact that only 6 town and parish councils and 40 local groups provided any funding contributions.  If the work of the CVS was so valued, some Members questioned as to why there were so very few other organisations that were willing to offer any financial support.  As a result, the view was expressed that the CVS had been given a number of warnings and should therefore have been more proactive in obtaining additional funding sources;

o  the recommendation being the unanimous view of the Task and Finish Group.  Since this recommendation had subsequently received the support of both the Overview and Scrutiny Panel and the Executive, some Members felt it to be wholly inappropriate for the proposal to then be overturned at full Council.  Specifically regarding the point that the wider membership had been alienated up to this stage, a Member reminded the Council that any Member could have attended (and took part at) any meeting of the Task and Finish Group and the onward meetings of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel and the Executive;

 

 

 

 

 

o  the answers that had been provided by the CVS representatives to the Task and Finish Group had been unsatisfactory.  In addition, to counter the concerns over the timing of this decision, a Member highlighted that the intention was to provide as much advanced notice as possible of any potential funding reductions to enable for the organisation to be able to prepare accordingly.

 

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 15.5, a recorded vote was then undertaken on the motion.  The voting on this motion was subsequently recorded as follows:-

 

For the motion (17): Cllrs Birch, Bramble, Brazil, Brown, Foss, Gilbert, Green, Hawkins, Hodgson, Holway, May, Pearce, Pennington, Pringle, Rowe, Steer and Vint.

 

Against the motion (9): Cllrs Baldry, Bastone, Blackler, Cane, Hicks, Hopwood, Tucker, Wingate and Wright.

 

Abstentions (0):             

 

Absent (5): Cllr Cuthbert, Hitchins, Huntley, Saltern and Smerdon.

 

And the motion was declared CARRIED.

 

The meeting proceeded to consider the proposed reductions in project funding to the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).  In so doing, an alternative recommendation was PROPOSED and SECONDED to read as follows:

 

‘That any decision to reduce the project funding to the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty be deferred to enable for further consideration as part of the wider 2019/20 Budget Setting process.’

 

In the ensuing debate, a number of similar points over the timing and the process that had been followed by the Task and Finish Group, Overview and Scrutiny Panel and Executive were again reiterated.

 

Some Members emphasised that the proposed reductions only related to project (and not core) funding and, during the Review, the AONB Manager had seemed content with the proposals.  To counter these views, other Members highlighted the importance of the AONB that had been recently reinforced during the latest phase of the Joint Local Plan project and the close linkages with the tourism industry.

 

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 15.5, a recorded vote was then undertaken on the motion.  The voting on this motion was subsequently recorded as follows:-

 

For the motion (19): Cllrs Birch, Blackler, Bramble, Brazil, Brown, Foss, Green, Hawkins, Hodgson, Holway, Pearce, Pennington, Pringle, Rowe, Smerdon, Steer, Vint, Wingate and Wright.

 

Against the motion (7): Cllrs Baldry, Bastone, Cane, Gilbert, Hicks, Hopwood and Tucker

 

Abstentions (0):             

 

Absent (5): Cllr Cuthbert, Hitchins, Huntley, May and Saltern.

 

And the vote on the motion was therefore declared CARRIED.

 

It was then:

 

RESOLVED

 

1.  That any decision to reduce funding to the South Hams Community and Voluntary Service be deferred to enable for further consideration as part of the wider 2019/20 Budget Setting process; and

 

2.  That any decision to reduce the project funding to the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty be deferred to enable for further consideration as part of the wider 2019/20 Budget Setting process.

 

E.38/18: ICT Systems Procurement

 

RESOLVED

 

That the ICT Systems Procurement and recommendations (as set out in the exempt agenda report that was presented to the Executive meeting) be approved.