Agenda and minutes

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Contact: Email: comsec@teignbridge.gov.uk  Email: comsec@teignbridge.gov.uk

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Items
No. Item

40.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 223 KB

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Minutes:

The Minutes of the meeting held on 12 January 2021 were confirmed as a correct record and authorised to be signed at the earliest convenience.

41.

Declaration of Interest

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Minutes:

None.

42.

Public Questions

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Minutes:

None.

43.

Councillor Questions

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Minutes:

None.

44.

Work Programme pdf icon PDF 217 KB

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Minutes:

The work programme as circulated with the agenda was noted.

 

At this juncture Councillor Bullivant left the meeting and Councillor Swain chaired the meeting.

45.

Executive Forward Plan

To note forthcoming issues anticipated to be considered by the Executive over the next 12 months. The Executive Forward Plan can be found here.

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Minutes:

The Executive Forward plan detailing issues to be considered by the Executive over the next 12 months was noted.

46.

Connecting Devon and Somerset Scheme (CDS)

Presentation from Matt Barrow, Devon County Council

 

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Minutes:

The Committee welcomed Matt Barrow from Devon County Council, the CDS Stakeholder Engagement Officer, who updated the Committee on the progress of the CDS scheme.

 

The project was now working with Airband to deliver the scheme. There were some 68,000 residential and commercial premises within Teignbridge. To date, nearly 83% of premises in Teignbridge had been provided with improved internet coverage through the project, some 56,000 premises.  The next phase planned to reach further properties increasing to just over 96% of premises within Teignbridge by the completion of Phase 2. The remaining 5,351 premises were in the further to reach areas of the district, and the Committee noted how coverage to these areas would be enabled.

 

The Committee considered connection to rural properties was important for home working, and home learning for children, and that the onus should be placed on developers to provide superfast broadband infrastructure for new properties.

 

In response to questions the Committee were advised that it would take some 3-5 years to connect all properties due to several issues such as the number of engineers required, road closures, and delays with landowners signing wayleaves.  

 

The full presentation can be found here.

 

 

 

47.

Final Financial plan Proposals 2021/22 to 2023/24 pdf icon PDF 225 KB

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Minutes:

The Executive Member for Corporate Resources, Councillor Keeling presented the agenda report on the final financial plan proposals for 2021/22 to 2023/24. He commended all staff for finding savings of £2million, and in particular the Chief Finance Officer (CFO) and his team for producing a balance budget for 2021/22.

 

The proposals included recommended revenue and capital budgets for 2021/22 and planned in outline for 2022/23 and 2023/24. The Executive would be considering the budget and recommendations from this Committee at its meeting on 11 February 2021, and then Council on 22 February 2021.

 

The Committee noted the current budget position and the savings that would need to be found in future years, to deal with budget gaps of £1.2m and £2.6m expected respectively for 2022/23 and 2023/24. He confirmed that the New Homes Bonus that would continue for another year was being reviewed by Government and there was no details of what could replace it going forward. Business rates were also being reviewed by Ministers, and there was no central government direction on the local government reform. 

 

The Chief Finance Officer advised that Government would be advising the 2021/22 final settlement the following day. The budget figures reflected the effects of the latest lockdown, the mid-year review of Treasury Management and costs of service areas. He reported on the income and expenditure for the revenue and capital budgets. The former would be partly funded over the medium term by savings found, additional income and use of earmarked reserves built up to cover anticipated future reductions in funding, however work was still required to identify the significant budget gaps for 2022/23 and 2023/24 amounting to £3.8m. In addition further savings were required to meet aspirations of the capital programme in future years. Contributions to capital had been reduced to zero to support the revenue budget and should be reestablished at around £0.5m per annum.

 

The 2021/22 budgets could be balanced using ear marked reserves. The CFO referred to the statutory requirement to balance the budget each year, and the potential need to issue a Section 114 notice if it was not achievable to balance the budget for 2022/23 or 2023/24.

 

A roll call was taken as attached and the following recommendation was carried by a majority vote and one abstention.

 

RECOMMENDED

 

1.      The following proposals be considered together with any subsequent consultation comments for approval by Council as the final budget for 2021/22 and the outline plan for the subsequent years 2022/23 and 2023/24.

           

The proposed budget includes:

 

·       An increase in council tax of £5 or 2.85% to £180.17

·       Continued funding for a climate change officer and enhanced planning enforcement

·       Increased provision in the capital programme for climate change projects

·       The continuing reduction in new homes bonus

·       Other central funding reductions – in particular provisional assumptions for business rates for future years and reset of the baseline

·       Reserves at 13.0 % of the net revenue budget or   just under £2.0 million

·       Increased support for housing including the Teignbridge 100 whilst backing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 47.

48.

Council Strategy Performance Monitoring Q3 pdf icon PDF 418 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee referred to the agenda report which gave an update on the delivery of the Council Strategy 2020-2030, and an overview of performance for the Teignbridge Ten Programmes for quarter 3, 1 October to 31 December 2020. It provided the detailed performance information used to track its delivery, and advised Members where performance was not on track.

 

The Council’s service performance had improved compared to the previously quarter. 7 of the Council’s ten T10 programmes were on track, along with most of the performance indicators and T10 projects.  Only 4 of 38 performance indicators were underperforming, along with 7 of 54 T10 projects.  Underperformance was due to the covid situation.  The Council was being inventive and adaptive to the situation and improving performance where possible. The appendix detailed underperformance of areas under the auspices of the Committee.

 

RESOLVED 

 

The report and actions being taken to rectify performance issues detailed in the appendix be noted.