Agenda item

(i)         Overview and Scrutiny Committee

                        Meeting held on 11 July 2017

(ii)        Audit Committee

                        Meeting held on 18 July 2017

(iii)       Development Management and Licensing Committee

                        Meeting held on 22 August 2017

            (iv)       Hub Committee

                        Meeting held on 12 September 2017

                        Unstarred Minute to agree

            Members are recommended to agree:

HC 20 The Government’s Proposed 20% Increase in Planning Fees

That Council be RECOMMENDED that:

1.     Planning fees be increased by 20% once primary legislation was confirmed; and

2.     An appraisal be undertaken of resource and performance levels across the wider planning function to ascertain the best use of the additional resource, to be approved by the Head of Paid Service in consultation with the Section 151 officer, the Leader of Council and the Lead Hub Committee Members for Customer First and Strategic Planning.

HC 21 Street Naming and Numbering Policy

That Council be RECOMMENDED that the revised joint Street Naming and Numbering Policy (as outlined at Appendix A of the agenda report presented to the Hub Committee).

HC 22 O&S Draft Terms of Reference and Procedure Rules

That Council be RECOMMENDED that the amended Overview and Scrutiny Committee Terms of Reference and Procedure Rules (as outlined at Appendices A and B of the agenda report presented to the Hub Committee).

HC 24 Business Rates Pilot 2018/19

That Council be RECOMMENDED to:

1.      apply to become a business rates pilot for 2018-19, as part of a Devonwide business rates pilot bid, to pioneer new pooling and tier-split models; and

2.      delegate to the Section 151 Officer, in consultation with the Leader, Deputy Leader and Head of Paid Service, to agree the detail of the business rates pilot bid (in conjunction with Devon Local Authority Section 151 Officer colleagues) with respect to the financial aspects and overall governance of the pilot bid.

HC 28 Purchase of Land

That Council be RECOMMENDED to fund the purchase price (as set out in Section 1.1 of the agenda report presented to the Hub Committee) along with legal and associated costs from the Innovation Fund (Invest to Earn) Earmarked Reserve.

CM 32                                                                                                                                       

a.      Overview and Scrutiny Committee – 11 July 2017

It was moved by Cllr J Yelland, seconded by Cllr R Cheadle and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Minutes of the 11 July 2017 meeting be received and noted”.

b.     Audit Committee – 18 July 2017

In reply to a question, the Section 151 Officer confirmed that, at the end of August, housing benefit overpayment debt amounted to a much reduced £480,000.  In addition, the officer stated that all of these monies were still recoverable.

A Member proceeded to ask a further question in relation to the accumulated absences account.  In response, the Section 151 Officer advised that the sum was an accounting procedure only and gave an assurance that no members of staff lost any of their annual leave entitlement.

An Audit Committee Member also wished for his thanks to be extended to the Section 151 Officer, the Finance Community Of Practice and the Chairman of the Committee. 

It was then moved by Cllr M Davies, seconded by Cllr K Ball and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Minutes of the 18 July 2017 meeting be received and noted”.

c.      Development Management and Licensing Committee – 22 August 2017

In addition to the amendments to the minutes that were made during the Committee meeting held on 19 September 2017 (Minute *DM&L 21 refers) , it was also noted that Cllr L J G Hockridge was in attendance during this meeting and had declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in planning application numbers 1433/17/VAR and 2456/16/FUL. 

It was moved by Cllr P R Sanders, seconded by Cllr G Parker and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Minutes of the 22 August 2017 meeting be received and noted”.

d.        Hub Committee – 12 September 2017

It was moved by Cllr P R Sanders, seconded by Cllr G Parker and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Minutes of the 12 September 2017 meeting be received and noted, with the exception of Unstarred Minutes HC 20, HC 21, HC 22, HC 24 and HC 28”.

In respect of the Unstarred Minutes:

i.                HC 20 The Government’s Proposed 20% Increase In Planning Fees

It was moved by Cllr P R Sanders, seconded by Cllr G Parker and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that:

1.      Planning fees be increased by 20% once primary legislation was confirmed;

2.      An appraisal be undertaken of resource and performance levels across the wider planning function to ascertain the best use of the additional resource, to be approved by the Head of Paid Service in consultation with the Section 151 Officer, the Leader of Council and the Lead Hub Committee Members for Customer First and Strategic Planning.”

ii.               HC 21 Street Naming and Numbering Policy

In discussion, a Member was of the view that the Policy should be amended to ensure that road signs not only gave the name of the street, but also the name(s) of other streets that a road directly led on to.

As a way forward, a commitment was given to review this aspect of the Policy and Members were supportive of the suggestion whereby delegated authority should be given to the Head of Paid Services, in consultation with the Leader of Council, to investigate the merits of this point prior to the Policy being approved. 

It was then moved by Cllr P R Sanders, seconded by Cllr G Parker and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the revised joint Street Naming and Numbering Policy (as outlined at Appendix A of the agenda report presented to the Hub Committee) be approved, subject to delegated authority being given to the Head of Paid Service, in consultation with the Leader of Council, to consider whether the Policy should be amended to include the names of subsidiary roads on road signs.”

iii.              HC 22 O&S Draft Terms of Reference and Procedure Rules

It was moved by Cllr P R Sanders, seconded by Cllr G Parker and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the amended Overview and Scrutiny Committee Terms of Reference and Procedure Rules (as outlined at Appendices A and B of the agenda report presented to the Hub Committee) be approved.”

iv.             HC 24 Business Rates Pilot 2018/19

It was moved by Cllr P R Sanders, seconded by Cllr G Parker and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that:

1.      the Council apply to become a business rates pilot for 2018/19 as part of a Devonwide business rates pilot bid to pioneer new pooling and tier-split models; and

2.      authority be delegated to the Section 151 Officer, in consultation with the Leader, Deputy Leader and Head of Paid Service, to agree the detail of the business rates pilot bid (in conjunction with Devon Local Authority Section 151 Officer colleagues) with respect to the financial aspects and overall governance of the pilot bid.”

v.                  HC 28 Purchase of Land

It was moved by Cllr P R Sanders, seconded by Cllr G Parker and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the purchase price be funded (as set out in Section 1.1 of the agenda report presented to the Hub Committee) along with legal and associated costs from the Innovation Fund (Invest to Earn) Earmarked Reserve.”