Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Forde House, Brunel Road, Newton Abbot, TQ12 4XX

Items
No. Item

1.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 273 KB

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 28 November 2019.

 

Minutes:

Minutes of the meeting on the 28 November 2019, subject to minute no.95 to include seconded by the Portfolio Holder for Communities and IT, were approved and signed as a correct record.

 

2.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

None.

3.

Executive Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 250 KB

To note forthcoming decisions anticipated to be made by the Executive over the next 12 months.

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the Executive Forward Plan be noted.

 

4.

Public Questions pdf icon PDF 190 KB

Members of the Public may ask questions of the Leader or a Portfolio Holder. A maximum period of 15 minutes will be allowed with a maximum of period of three minutes per questioner.

 

The deadline for questions is no later than 12 noon two working days before the date of the meeting.

 

Minutes:

The public questions and members responses are attached to the minutes.

 

In response to the supplementary questions the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Services commented that it was the desire of the Council to ensure that the Bowling Clubs continued to operate and thrive. He would ensure that there was consultation with the Bowling Clubs on the emerging Leisure Strategy.

 

5.

Initial budget proposals 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 203 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Portfolio Holder for Corporate Services presented the report to consider the initial financial plan proposals 2020/21 to 2022/23 to be published for comments over the next six weeks and recommend to Council the council tax base for 2020/21. He brought Members’ attention to the main issues that had been taken into account when drafting these initial plans. It was proposed to increase the level of council tax by £5, the maximum allowed without having to hold a referendum. The Council currently kept 9% per week of the total council tax collected for its services, 4% went to parish and town councils for their local precepts. A council tax base of 49,714 was recommended to Council.

 

Members were advised of the budget pressures that the Council would face in the medium term, the savings that had been identified, and the significant drop in government funding and cost changes that currently and in future years would affect the Council.

 

Non-Executive Members raised concerns regarding the proposals to abolish the rural aid funding and reduce the councillor community grant funding as this would have a greater impact on the rural communities in the district who already had fewer resources available to them. Members should look at a meaningful sacrifice scheme in respect of the allowances they receive.  

 

The Portfolio Holder for Corporate Services commented that the financial plan proposals were currently out for consultation and that Overview and Scrutiny Committee would have the opportunity to bring forward their suggestions for Council to consider. Members have the option to forgo part or all of their allowance. 

 

The recommendation was proposed by the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Services and seconded by the Portfolio Holder for Waste Management & Environmental Health.

 

RECOMMENDED to Council that it approves the council tax base of 49,714 for 2020/21 at appendix 2.

 

6.

Electric Vehicles Policy pdf icon PDF 111 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Portfolio Holder for Waste Management & Environmental Health presented the report to consider the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the Electric Vehicles (EV) Policy.

 

The Portfolio Holder for Climate Change Emergency & Housing advised that following on from their original consultation response Devon County Council had raised a suggestion that new public car parks, commercial car parks and redevelopments\expansions of existing employment sites should include provision for EV charging. Therefore an amendment was proposed to the policy section that currently reads ‘requiring all future residential development proposals (with off street parking) to be “electric ready” to accommodate EV charging’ to ‘requiring all future residential development proposals (with off street parking) and non-residential developments of 10 or more off-highway vehicle parking spaces should be “electric ready” to accommodate EV charging in accordance with the local plan policies.’

 

Non-Executive Members commented on the need to ensure that there were adequate charging points by taking advantage of under used areas council owned car parks and how future advances in electric vehicles could affect the requirements and need of charging points.

 

The recommendation with the amendment was proposed by the Portfolio Holder for Climate Change Emergency & Housing and seconded by Portfolio Holder for Waste Management & Environmental Health.

 

RESOLVED the Electric Vehicles, Infrastructure and Ultra Low Emission Vehicle Policy be approved subject to the following amendment to the policy section of ‘requiring all future residential development proposals (with off street parking) and non-residential developments of 10 or more off-highway vehicle parking spaces should be “electric ready” to accommodate EV charging in accordance with the local plan policies.’

 

7.

Town and parish council service devolution and asset transfer policy pdf icon PDF 224 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Portfolio Holder for Corporate Resources presented the report to provide an update on progress to deliver the outcomes required by the Council’s Asset Management Strategy.

 

The recommendation was proposed by Portfolio Holder for Corporate Resources and seconded by Portfolio Holder for Waste Management & Environmental Health.

 

RESOLVED that the:-

 

(1)  ‘Town and Parish Council Service Devolution & Asset Transfer Policy’ be adopted; and

 

(2)  application process be made available on-line as well as in paper format.

 

 

8.

Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 - Exclusion of Press and Public

RECOMMENDED that, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of items 11 and 12 on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the relevant paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

 

Minutes:

The Portfolio Holder for Waste Management & Environmental Health proposed, seconded by Portfolio Holder for Planning that because of the financial sensitivity the meeting go into Part II session and exclude the press and public.

 

RESOLVED that under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the Press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

 

9.

Bowling club premises on Council owned land

Minutes:

The Portfolio Holder for Corporate Resources presented the report to establish the level of subsidy to be provided to Bowling Club tenants beyond 2021.

 

Non-Executive Members raised concerns regarding support for the Bowling Clubs to ensure that they remained viable and could continue.

 

The Portfolio Holder for Corporate Resources clarified that full consultation would take place with the clubs involved.

 

The recommendation with an amendment was proposed by Portfolio Holder for Corporate Resources and seconded Portfolio Holder for Waste Management & Environmental Health.

 

RESOLVED that the course of action set out in the conclusion of the circulated report, subject to the amendment, be approved.

 

10.

Howton Field Custom Build - Contract Award

Minutes:

The Portfolio Holder for Planning presented the report to approve that the Business Manager for Spatial Planning and Delivery had delegated authority to appoint a Development Partner for Howton Field following a European Union (EU) compliant tender process. This development would be a high quality energy efficient custom built housing scheme.

 

The recommendation was proposed by Portfolio Holder for Planning and seconded by Portfolio Holder for Climate Change Emergency & Housing.

 

RESOLVED the Business Manager for Spatial Planning and Delivery in consultation with the other members of the Evaluation Panel be granted delegated authority to appoint a development partner in accordance with the tender process addressed in this report and to complete the associated agreements.