Agenda item

(i)              Development Management & Licensing Committee

Meeting held on 29 September 2020                                             

Meeting held on 27 October 2020                                                  

Meeting held on 24 November 2020                                              

Recommendations to agree:

                        DM&L 33 Review of Statement of Licensing Policy for 2021-2026

It is recommended that the Council adopt the draft Licensing Policy (as detailed at Appendix A of the presented agenda report) for the period from 7 January 2021 to 6 January 2026.

(ii)        Overview & Scrutiny Committee

            Meeting held on 6 October 2020                                                                   

(iii)       Audit Committee

            Meeting held on 13 October 2020                                                                 

(iv)       Hub Committee

                        Meeting held on 20 October 2020                                                                 

Recommendations to agree:

                        HC 27 Medium Term Financial Strategy 2021/22 to 2025/26

It is recommended that the Council:

1.     set the strategic intention to raise Council Tax by the maximum allowed in any given year, without triggering a Council Tax Referendum, to endeavour to continue to deliver services.  (NB. the actual Council Tax for any given year will be decided by Council in the preceding February);

2.     continue to respond to Government consultations on Business Rates Reform;

3.     continue to actively lobby and engage with the Government, Devon MPs, South West Councils, and other sector bodies such as the District Councils’ Network and the Rural Services Network, for a realistic business rates baseline to be set for the Council for 2022 onwards, when the business rates reset would happen;

4.     continue to lobby in support of the Government eliminating Negative Revenue Support Grant in 2021/22 (and thereafter) and continue to lobby for Rural Services Delivery Grant allocations that adequately reflected the cost of rural service provision; and

5.     maintain an Upper Limit on External Borrowing (for all Council services) as part of the Medium Term Financial Strategy of £50 million.

HC 29 Springhill Update

It is recommended that the Council:

1.     note the project aims and objectives as detailed in Section 3 of the attendant report;

2.     support the current design direction, as detailed in Section 4 of the attendant report, recognizing the opportunities for external funding, and

3.     note the draft business case in the Exempt Appendix B of the attendant report.

                        Meeting held on 1 December 2020                                        To follow

CM 21

a.       Development Management & Licensing Committee – 29 September 2020, 27 October 2020 and 24 November 2020

It was moved by Cllr J Yelland, seconded by Cllr T Pearce and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Minutes of the 29 September 2020, 27 October 2020 and 24 November 2020 Committee Meetings be received and noted, with the exception of Recommendation DM&L 33.”

In respect of the Recommendation:

i.         DM&L 33 Review of Statement of Licensing Policy for 2021-2026

It was moved by Cllr J Yelland, seconded by Cllr T Pearce and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the draft Licensing Policy (as detailed at Appendix A of the presented agenda report to the Committee meeting) be adopted for the period from 7 January 2021 to 6 January 2026.”

b.      Overview and Scrutiny Committee – 6 October 2020

It was moved by Cllr J Yelland, seconded by Cllr P Kimber and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Minutes of the 6 October 2020 Committee Meeting be received and noted.”

c.       Audit Committee – 13 October 2020

It was moved by Cllr M Davies, seconded by Cllr P Vachon and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Minutes of the 13 October 2020 Committee Meeting be received and noted.”

d.      Hub Committee – 20 October 2020 and 1 December 2020

It was moved by Cllr N Jory, seconded by Cllr L Samuel and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Minutes of the 20 October 2020 and 1 December 2020 Committee Meetings be received and noted, with the exception of Recommendations HC 27, HC 29, HC 40 and HC 41.”

In respect of the Recommendations:

i.      HC 27 Medium Term Financial Strategy 2021/22 to 2025/26

In discussion, reference was made to:

-        the financial hardship being experienced by a number of local residents.  In highlighting the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the point was made that this would need to be an important consideration for all Members during the 2021/22 Budget Setting process;

-        the prudent financial management of the Council.  A Member emphasised the importance of a robust Communications Strategy to underpin the Budget Setting process and stated that, without prudent financial management, the Council would not have been in a position to offer financial support to Fusion Leisure. 

It was then moved by Cllr N Jory, seconded by Cllr L Samuel and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that:

1.     the strategic intention to raise Council Tax by the maximum allowed in any given year, without triggering a Council Tax Referendum, to endeavour to continue to deliver services (NB the actual Council Tax for any given year will be decided by Council in the preceding February);

2.     the Council continue to respond to Government consultations on Business Rates Reform;

3.     the Council continue to actively lobby and engage with the Government, Devon MPs, South West Councils, and other Sector Bodies (such as the District Councils’ Network and the Rural Services Network) for a realistic Business Rates baseline to be set for the Council for 2022 onwards, when the Business Rates reset would happen;

4.     the Council continue to lobby in support of the Government eliminating Negative Revenue Support Grant in 2021/22 (and thereafter) and continue to lobby for Rural Services Delivery Grant allocations that adequately reflected the cost of rural service provision; and

5.     the Council maintain an Upper Limit on External Borrowing (for all Council services) as part of the Medium Term Financial Strategy of £50 million.”

ii.    HC 29 Springhill Update

In debate, a Member requested that consideration be given to amending part 2 of the Hub Committee recommendation to replace the word ‘support‘ with the word ‘note’.  The proposer and seconder of the motion confirmed that they were willing to accept this amendment and it was then moved by Cllr N Jory, seconded by Cllr L Samuel and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Council:

1.  note the project aims and objectives (as set out in Section 3 of the attendant report presented to the Committee meeting);

2.  note the current design direction (as detailed in Section 4 of the attendant report presented to the Committee meeting), recognising the opportunities for external funding; and

3.  note the draft Business Case (as set out in the Exempt Appendix B of the attendant report presented to the Committee meeting).”

iii.  HC 40 Broadband Community Support

It was moved by Cllr N Jory, seconded by Cllr L Samuel and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that approval be given to the creation of a Broadband Community Support Reserve of £100,000, to be financed by transferring:

-        £50,000 from the existing Business Rates Retention Earmarked Reserve; and

-        £50,000 from the Business Rates Discretionary Fund (Additional Restrictions Grants (ARG) Scheme).”

iv.  HC 41 Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site: Management Plan 2020-2025

When questioned, it was confirmed that, once adopted, the Plan would be taken into account as part of the planning process.

A Member also asked for her appreciation that the Plan contained significant emphasis to Climate Change and Biodiversity be noted.

It was moved by Cllr N Jory, seconded by Cllr L Samuel and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that, with immediate effect, the World Heritage Site Management Plan 2020-2025.”

e.       Invest to Earn Committee – 2 October 2020

It was moved by Cllr C Edmonds, seconded by Cllr R Cheadle and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Minutes of the 2 October 2020 and 1 December 2020 Committee Meetings be received and noted.”

In response to a Member wishing to ask a question on the exempt agenda report, it was it was moved by Cllr C Edmonds, seconded by Cllr R Cheadle and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that, in accordance with Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business as the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A to the Act is involved.”

In reply to the question, the Committee Chairman gave an assurance that, whilst it was not deemed appropriate in this instance, future proposals would be looked at on their own merits and the Committee would not rule out the potential to invest in future solar energy related schemes.

Once all Members were content that they had no further issues to raise on the exempt appendices, it was then moved by Cllr A F Leech, seconded by Cllr R Cheadle and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the public and press be re-admitted to the Meeting.”