Agenda item

(i)        Audit Committee

           Meeting held on 24^th February 2015                                                 

           Unstarred Minutes to agree

           Members are recommended to agree:

AC 36  Internal Audit – Revision of and progress against the 2014/15 Plan

Resolved to Recommend that the report together with Appendices A and B be adopted.

AC 37  Three Year Internal Audit Plan 2015/16 to 2017/18 and Annual Internal Audit Plan – 2015/16

Resolved to Recommend that:

1.    the three year Internal Audit Plan for the period 2015/2016 to 2017/2018 (Appendix A) be approved and adopted; and,

2.    the Annual Internal Audit Plan for 2015/2016 (Appendix C) be also approved and adopted.

AC 39     Treasury Management Strategy, Minimum Revenue Provision Policy and Annual Investment Strategy for 2015/16

RESOLVED to RECOMMEND that Council approves the:

(i)        prudential indicators and limits for 2015/2016 to 2017/2018 contained within Appendix A;

(ii)       Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) Statement contained within Appendix A which sets the Council’s policy on MRP;

(iii)       Treasury Management Strategy 2015/2016 and the Treasury Prudential Indicators 2015/2016 to 2017/2018 contained within the Appendix B; and,

(iv)      Investment Strategy 2015/2016 contained within Appendix C and the detailed criteria included in Appendix D.

AC 40     Strategic Risk Assessment – 6 Monthly Update

Resolved to Recommend that the issues identified by the Committee and detailed in items (i) to (iii) below be considered by the Council:

(i)        External funding opportunity

In response to a question by the Chairman it was agreed that the possibility of selling advertising space on the Council’s web site would be investigated;

(ii)       in relation to risk FA06 (page 142 to the Agenda) the Committee suggested that opportunities to retain and to capitalise on assets be explored before considering the sale of such assets; and,

(iii)      in relation to risk T11 (page 151 to the Agenda) it was suggested that a full presentation on the T18 Programme be presented to all new Members of the Council following the local government elections in May 2015.

Meeting held on 28^th April 2015                                              

Unstarred Minutes to agree

Members are recommended to agree:

AC 44     Annual Review of Council’s Constitution

RESOLVED to RECOMMEND that:

(i)        the amendments to the West Devon Borough Council Constitutions 2015 (as summarised above and fully outlined on the Council’s web site) be approved and adopted;

(ii)       the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make further amendments to the Hub Committee and Overview & Scrutiny Committee functions and areas of responsibility in order to reflect the emerging T18 structure; and,

(iii)       the Environmental Health Community of Practice Lead/Divisional Environmental Health Officers/Customer First Group Managers be authorised to undertake matters under the Anti-Social, Crime and Policing Act 2014 as set out above.

(NOTE: the above item appears under Agendum 9 above).

AC 45    Internal Audit – Progress against the 2014/15 Plan

RESOLVED to RECOMMEND that:

(i)        both the report and the progress against the 2014/2015 Internal Audit Plan be noted; and,

(ii)       a report on the payment and recovery of over payments of housing benefits be presented to the Committee’s next meeting.

(ii)       Community Services Committee

           Meeting held on 3^rd March 2015                                                                             

(iii)      Overview & Scrutiny Committee

           Meeting held on 24^th March 2015                                                                

(iv)      Planning & Licensing Committee

           Meeting held on 10^th February 2015                                                 

Unstarred Minutes to agree

Members are recommended to agree:

P&L 55 To determine whether to adopt a procedure for licensing  Horse Drawn Omnibuses, Drivers and Conductors to operate within the West Devon Borough Council area

RESOLVED to RECOMMEND that Council:

(i)        Adopt a procedure for the licensing of Horse Drawn Omnibuses, driver(s) and conductors within the West Devon Borough Council area and for the drafting of the related licensing procedure, conditions, code of conduct and preparation of Byelaws, together with the power to grant, revoke, suspend or refuse to transfer or renew an omnibus licence, driver, conductors licence, to the Head of Environmental Health and Housing/Service Group Manager; and

(ii)       To approve an initial annual fee of £550 for the application to grant an omnibus licence and £150 for the application to grant an annual omnibus drivers or conductors licence and to delegate the review of fees to the Planning and Licensing Committee.

In relation to the above, Members are requested to note the contents of the correspondence received from Burrator Parish Council and from the Dartmoor Access Forum.                                                          

           Meeting held on 10^th March 2015                                                     

           Meeting held on 7^th April 2015                                                         

           Licensing Panel meeting held on 28^th April 2015                              

(v)       Resources Committee

           Meeting held on 14^th April 2015 – this Meeting was cancelled                                                        

(vi)      Standards Committee

           Meeting held on 17^th March 2015                                                               

CM 9                                                              

a.        Audit Committee – 24 February 2015

It was moved by Cllr D K A Sellis, seconded by Cllr J B Moody and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Minutes of the 24 February 2015 meeting be received and noted, with the exception of Unstarred Minutes AC 36, AC 37, AC 39 and AC 40”.

In respect of the Unstarred Minutes:

i.        AC 36 – Internal Audit – Revision of and Progress Against the 2014/15 Plan

It was moved by Cllr D K A Sellis, seconded by Cllr J B Moody and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the report and appendices A and B of the presented agenda report to the Committee be adopted.”

ii.      AC 37 – Three Year Internal Audit Plan 2015/16 to 2017/18 and Annual Internal Audit Plan – 2015/16

It was moved by Cllr D K A Sellis, seconded by Cllr J B Moody and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that:

1.      The three year Internal Audit Plan for the period 2015/16 to 2017/18 (Appendix A of the presented Committee agenda report refers) be approved and adopted; and

2.      The Annual Internal Audit Plan for 2015/16 (Appendix C of the presented Committee agenda report refers) be also approved and adopted.”

iii.     AC 39 – Treasury Management Strategy, Minimum Revenue Provision Policy and Annual Investment Strategy for 2015/16

Due to date constraints associated with this Unstarred Minute, it was noted that this matter had already been determined at the Special Council meeting on 31 March 2015 (Minute CM 94 refers).

iv.    AC 40 – Strategic Risk Assessment – Six Monthly Update

It was moved by Cllr D K A Sellis, seconded by Cllr J B Moody and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that:

1.    the possibility of selling advertising space on the Council’s website be investigated;

2.    in relation to risk FA06 (page 142 to the Audit Committee agenda refers), opportunities to retain and to capitalise on assets be explored before considering the sale of such assets; and

3.    in relation to risk T11 (page 151 to the Audit Committee agenda refers), a full presentation on the T18 Programme be presented to all newly elected Members following the local government elections in May 2015.” 

b.        Audit Committee – 28 April 2015

It was moved by Cllr D K A Sellis, seconded by Cllr J B Moody and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Minutes of the 28 April 2015 meeting be received and noted, with the exception of Unstarred Minutes AC 44 and AC 45”.

In respect of the Unstarred Minutes:

i.        AC 44 – Annual Review of Council’s Constitution

It was noted that the Constitution had been adopted earlier during this meeting (CM 8 above refers).

ii.      AC 45 – Internal Audit – Progress Against the 2014/15 Plan

It was moved by Cllr D K A Sellis, seconded by Cllr J B Moody and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that:

(a)  both the report and the progress against the 2014/15 Internal Audit Plan be noted; and

(b)  a report on the payment and recovery of overpayments of housing benefits be presented to the next Committee meeting.”

c.        Community Services Committee – 3 March 2015

It was moved by Cllr R F D Sampson, seconded by Cllr K Ball and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Minutes of the 3 March 2015 meeting be received and noted.”

d.        Overview & Scrutiny Committee – 24 March 2015

It was moved by Cllr D E Moyse, seconded by Cllr D K A Sellis and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Minutes of the 24 March 2015 meeting be received and noted.”

e.        Planning & Licensing Committee – 10 February 2015, 10 March 2015 and 7 April 2015

It was moved by Cllr M J R Benson, seconded by Cllr J Sheldon and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Minutes of the 10 February 2015, 10 March 2015 and 7 April 2015 meetings be received and noted, with the exception of Unstarred Minute P&L 55”.

In respect of the Unstarred Minute:

i.       P&L 55 – To determine whether to adopt a procedure for licensing Horse Drawn Omnibuses, Drivers and Conductors to Operate within the West Devon Borough Council area

In discussion, a Member commented that, since the Council was being asked to determine a generic procedure, it would not be appropriate to note the contents of the correspondence received from Burrator Parish Council and from the Dartmoor Access Forum in this regard.  Furthermore, it was critical for any applications which were received by the Council to be considered on their own merits.

It was then moved by Cllr M J R Benson, seconded by Cllr J Sheldon and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that:

1.      a procedure be adopted for the licensing of Horse Drawn Omnibuses, driver(s) and conductors within the West Devon Borough Council area and for the drafting of the related licensing procedure, conditions, code of conduct and preparation of Byelaws, together with the power to grant, revoke, suspend or refuse to transfer or renew an omnibus licence, driver, conductors licence, to the Head of Environmental Health and Housing/Service Group Manager;

2.    an initial annual fee of £550 be approved for the application to grant an annual omnibus drivers or conductors licence; and

3.    the terms of reference for the Planning and Licensing Committee be amended to include responsibility for the review of fees.

f.         Licensing Sub-Committee – 21 April 2015

It was moved by Cllr M J R Benson, seconded by Cllr J Sheldon and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Minutes of the 21 April 2015 meeting be received and noted.”

g.        Standards Committee – 17 March 2015

It was moved by Cllr A F Leech, seconded by Cllr J Sheldon and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Minutes of the 17 March 2015 meeting be received and noted.”