Agenda item

(i)    Audit Committee

Meeting held on 5 July 2022

Meeting held on 6 September 2022

(ii)   Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Meeting held on 26 July 2022

Meeting held on 4 October 2022

(iii)  Hub Committee

Meeting held on 27 September 2022

Recommendation to agree:

HC 38/22 Medium Term Financial Strategy 2023/24 to 2025/26

That Council be RECOMMENDED to:

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

2.    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 2024 onwards, when the business rates reset is predicted to happen (NB. this is the earliest date it might happen);

3.    continue to lobby in support of the Government eliminating Negative Revenue Support Grant in 2023/24 (and thereafter) and continues to lobby for Rural Services Delivery Grant allocations which adequately reflect the cost of rural service provision;

4.    note the Council’s strategic intention with its Council Tax setting strategy (as set out in paragraph 3.6 of the published agenda report). (NB. the actual council tax for 2023/24 will be decided by Council in February 2023); and

5.    approve the use of the Revenue Grant Earmarked Reserve to fund the Council’s share of the costs of a two-year fixed term post that will be responsible for driving improved customer service and operational efficiency by exploiting technology and transformation (as set out in Appendix D, section 1.9 of the presented agenda report to the Hub Committee). (The total cost for West Devon is £80,000).

Meeting held on 1 November 2022

Recommendations to agree:

HC.49/22 Key Partnership Agreements

That Council be RECOMMENDED to:

1.    agree to extend the funding for the following key partners for a further two years as follows:

-         West Devon CVS £5,100;

-         OCRA Sport £1,333;

-         Okehampton Community Transport £6,533;

-         Tavistock Community Transport £6,533;

-         Young Devon £2,500; and

-         World Heritage Site £4,000;

3.    agree an increase in funding for each of the next two years’ in recognition of the additional support required by Citizens Advice;

4.    note the decision taken at its last meeting held on 27 September 2022 to continue to financially contribute £8,835 to the Tamar Valley AONB Partnership.

HC.55/22 Devon Carbon Plan

That Council be RECOMMENDED to:

1.    note the ambition and objectives set out within the Devon Carbon Plan, and

2.    revise its Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan and assess the financial and resource implications required to show how it would contribute to delivering the Devon Carbon Plan.

(iv)  Development Management & Licensing Committee

Meeting held on 11 October 2022

CM 53/22         

a.    Audit Committee Meetings - 5 July 2022 and 6 September 2022

It was moved by Cllr K Ball, seconded by Cllr Yelland and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meetings held on 5 July 2022 and 6 September 2022 be received and noted.

b.    Overview and Scrutiny Committee Meetings - 26 July 2022 and 4 October 2022

It was moved by Cllr M Ewings, seconded by Cllr P Kimber and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meetings held on 26 July 2022 and 4 October 2022 be received and noted.

c.    Hub Committee Meetings - 27 September 2022 and 1 November 2022

It was moved by Cllr N Jory, seconded by Cllr C Edmonds and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Minutes of the 27 September 2022 and 1 November 2022 meetings be received and noted with the exception of Recommendations HC 38/22 Part 1 (1-5), HC 49/22 (Parts 2, 3 and 4) and HC 55/22”.

In respect of the Recommendations:

HC 38/22 Medium Term Financial Strategy 2023/24 to 2025/26

It was moved by Cllr N Jory, seconded by Cllr C Edmonds and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Council:

1.    continue to respond to Government consultations on Business Rates Reform; and

2.    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 2024 onwards, when the business rates reset is predicted to happen (NB. this is the earliest date it might happen);

3.    continue to lobby both in support of the Government eliminating Negative Revenue Support Grant in 2023/24 (and thereafter) and for Rural Services Delivery Grant allocations which adequately reflect the cost of rural service provision;

4.    note the strategic intention with its Council Tax setting strategy (as set out in paragraph 3.6 of the published agenda report).  (NB. the actual council tax for 2023/24 will be decided by Council in February 2023); and

5.    use the Revenue Grant Earmarked Reserve to fund the Council’s share of the costs of a two-year fixed term post responsible for driving improved customer service and operational efficiency by exploiting technology and transformation (as set out in Appendix D, section 1.9 of the presented report to the Hub Committee). (The total cost for West Devon is £80,000).”

HC.49/22 Key Partnership Agreements

It was moved by Cllr N Jory, seconded by Cllr C Edmonds and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED

2. that the funding for the following key partners be extended for a further two years as follows:

- West Devon CVS £5,100;

- OCRA Sport £1,333;

- Okehampton Community Transport £6,533;

- Tavistock Community Transport £6,533;

- Young Devon £2,500; and

- World Heritage Site £4,000;

3. that an increase in funding for each of the next two years’ in recognition of the additional support required by Citizens Advice be agreed;

4. that the decision taken at the Hub Committee meeting held on 27 September 2022 to continue to financially contribute £8,835 to the Tamar Valley AONB Partnership be noted.”

HC.55/22 Devon Carbon Plan

In debate a Member questioned why the Council was being recommended to ‘note’ and not to ‘endorse’ the Devon Carbon Plan as set out in the original report to the Hub Committee meeting. In reply, the Leader stated that:

·      the Council was very supportive of the work being undertaken by Devon County Council to reduce carbon emissions, but that the Borough Council must concentrate on what it could do effectively to reduce the organisation’s carbon footprint and to support all local communities to play a role in reducing emissions and capturing carbon;

·      the Hub Committee recommendation provided an opportunity for the Council to take an in-depth look at and revise its own Action Plan and assess how the recommendations contained within it might particularly affect rural communities;

·      in addition to revising the West Devon Action Plan, this was an opportunity to assess the financial and resource implications to show how the Council would contribute to the delivery of the Devon Carbon Plan;

·      a Natural Environment Hub Advisory Group meeting had been arranged for early December to consider the Devon Carbon Plan and to bring forward specific actions that were relevant to the Borough Council’s equivalent Plan.

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

1. the ambition and objectives set out within the Devon Carbon Plan be noted, and

2. the Council’s Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan be revised and the financial and resource implications required be assessed to show how it would contribute to delivering the Devon Carbon Plan.”

d.    Development Management and Licensing Committee Meeting - 11 October 2022

It was moved by Cllr J Yelland, seconded by Cllr C Mott and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting held on 11 October 2022 be received and noted.