Agenda and minutes

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Contact: Marcus Prouse Email: m.prouse@somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk and Clare Rendell Email: c.rendell@somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk 

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Items
No. Item

21.

Apologies

22.

Declarations of Interest

    To receive and note any declarations of disclosable pecuniary or prejudicial or personal interests in respect of any matters included on the agenda for consideration at this meeting.

     

    (The personal interests of Councillors and Clerks of Somerset County Council, Town or Parish Councils and other Local Authorities will automatically be recorded in the minutes.)

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Members present at the meeting declared the following personal interests in their capacity as a Councillor or Clerk of a County, Town or Parish Council or any other Local Authority:-

     

    Name

    Minute No.

    Description of Interest

    Reason

    Action Taken

    Cllr L Baker

    All Items

    Cheddon Fitzpaine & Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr M Barr

    All Items

    Wellington

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr M Blaker

    All Items

    Wiveliscombe

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr C Booth

    All Items

    Wellington and Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr N Cavill

    All Items

    West Monkton

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr S Coles

    All Items

    SCC & Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr C Ellis

    All Items

    Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr A Govier

    All Items

    SCC & Wellington

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr Mrs Hill

    All Items

    Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr J Hunt

    All Items

    SCC & Bishop’s Hull

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr R Lees

    All Items

    Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr S Lees

    All Items

    Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr J Lloyd

    All Items

    Wellington & Sampford Arundel

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr A Milne

    All Items

    Porlock

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr C Morgan

    All Items

    Stogursey

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr S Nicholls

    All Items

    Comeytrowe

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr C Palmer

    All Items

    Minehead

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr M Peters

    All Items

    Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr P Pilkington

    All Items

    Timberscombe

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr H Prior-Sankey

    All Items

    SCC & Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr M Rigby

    All Items

    SCC & Bishops Lydeard

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr F Smith

    All Items

    Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr F Smith-Roberts

    All Items

    Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr V Stock-Williams

    All Items

    Wellington

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr R Tully

    All Items

    West Monkton

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr A Wedderkopp

    All Items

    SCC & Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr D Wedderkopp

    All Items

    Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr B Weston

    All Items

    Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr L Whetlor

    All Items

    Watchet

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr G Wren

    All Items

    Clerk to Milverton PC

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

     

23.

Public Participation - To receive only in relation to the business for which the Extraordinary Meeting has been called any questions, statements or petitions from the public in accordance with Council Procedure Rules 14,15 and 16

    The Chair to advise the Committee of any items on which members of the public have requested to speak and advise those members of the public present of the details of the Council’s public participation scheme.

     

    For those members of the public who have submitted any questions or statements, please note, a three minute time limit applies to each speaker and you will be asked to speak before Councillors debate the issue.

     

    Temporary measures during the Coronavirus Pandemic

    Due to the Government guidance on measures to reduce the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19), we will holding meetings in a virtual manner which will be live webcast on our website. Members of the public will still be able to register to speak and ask questions, which will then be read out by the Governance and Democracy Case Manager during Public Question Time and will either be answered by the Chair of the Committee, or the relevant Portfolio Holder, or be followed up with a written response.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Mrs Susan Goss spoke on agenda item 7, Hinkley Point C Housing Strategy (Phase 3):-

    Stogursey Parish currently played host to the 510 bed Hinkley Campus in addition to several HMO’s all occupied by transient HPC contractors.

    The Parish had no appetite for any further housing development related as a result of the HPC construction - apart from that already specified for a Primary Settlement, as in the extant Local Plan. This community felt that it had already done more than its share to facilitate this development, having suffered at first hand from the noise, dust and traffic issues created by the largest construction site in Europe, over the last 12 years.

    Whilst understanding the use of the relatively old Housing Needs Survey to ascertain perceived local housing requirements, it should be borne in mind that this survey was innately flawed - as it incorporated the whole of Quantock Ward and not just Stogursey Parish. Having obtained the actual relevant figures for Stogursey from one of the Housing Team at the time, it appeared that the actual housing needs for this Parish alone, were relatively small.

    It should also be borne in mind that any increase on the back of an uptake in HPC Workers, over and above that permitted by the DCO, should not be used as a driver for any further housing development in the Parish - apart from that already stated in the Local Plan.

    Even when HPC becomes operational there would not be the forecast 500 extra workers moving to the area. This was due to the fact that some of the existing HPC employees were currently retraining in operational roles, plus the fact that it was planned that existing HPB operational staff would transfer to HPC when decommissioning of HPB commenced in 2023.

    Stogursey Parish would welcome further funding to improve life for residents if further monies were available but did not, under any circumstances, want or required further housing developments related to the HPC project.

    Under normal circumstances Stogursey was a quiet rural idyll - residents would like it to remain so.

    The words of a senior Government official from DECC, who made a visit to the Parish before construction began, were particularly relevant when he stated (off the record naturally) that we were the ‘sacrificial lambs for this project.  This Parish had indeed already paid the price.....

    Thank you for listening.  Sue Goss Vice Chair Stogursey Parish Council

     

    Cllr Fran Smith responded as follows:-

    The proposals themselves did not propose any new developments in the Parish. Seaward Way, Lambrook House (both in Minehead) and Canonsgrove in Taunton were the only development based activities in the plan, which targeted affordable homes and supported vulnerable customers.

    We had some funding to specifically support Stogursey, which came about because the number of workers in the Parish went over the agreed cap in the DCO (50 instead of 44). We had added some funds to take the total amount to £45k. The new Delivery Officer would work  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23.

24.

To receive any communications or announcements from the Chair of the Council

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    The Chair of the Council made the following announcements:-

    ·         The Chair had attended Eat Minehead and was pleased to see such a lovely event taking place whilst adhering to social distancing.

    ·         The Chair had attended the VJ Day Service at Wells Cathedral and laid a wreath.

    ·         A minutes silence was held on behalf of three previous councillors who had passed away, Sally de Renzy Martin, George Burnell and Brian Dennington.

25.

To receive any communications or announcements from the Leader of the Council

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    The Leader of the Council made the following announcements:-

    ·       The Leader was pleased to see life slowly returning to the area after lockdown.

    ·       She had attended the VJ Day event held by 40 Commando.

    ·       The Leader advised that Somerset West and Taunton Council had participated in Eat Minehead and had a stall to assist and engage with the community.

    ·       She thanked officers for all their hard work and how they had handled the covid-19 pandemic.

26.

To receive only in relation to the business for which the Extraordinary Meeting has been called any questions from Councillors in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 13

27.

Discretionary Rate Relief Policy pdf icon PDF 273 KB

    This matter is the responsibility of the Executive Councillor for Corporate Resources, Councillor Ross Henley and the Executive Councillor for Asset Management and Economic Development, Councillor Marcus Kravis.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    During the discussion, the following points were raised:-

    ·       Councillors thanked the Portfolio Holder for the report and were happy to support the recommendations.

    ·       Councillors requested clarification on the funds and the percentages paid by Somerset West and Taunton Council (SWT) and those paid by Central Government.

    Clarification was given.

    ·       Councillors queried the maximum figure stated for the applicable rateable values and whether that was for one or multiple premises.

    The Strategy Specialist advised that the figure set for the rateable values was based on those located in major towns and cities, so he did not believe that any of the businesses in the SWT area would be impacted by the maximum limit.

    ·       Councillors queried whether businesses were expected to make contact or whether officers would assist in the application process.

    The Strategy Specialist advised that it would be a tool for the Economic Development Team to use if they were aware of an employer in need of support.

    ·       Concern was raised on those businesses located in the rural area of the district who fell outside of the limits used for small business rate relief and discretionary relief and what support was available for them.

    The Strategy Specialist advised that those businesses were mainly shops and public houses, who were not deemed as major employers in the area.  They should have also received a business rates ‘holiday’ for the tax year.

    ·       Councillors further queried whether manufacturing and non-tourism based businesses were able to gain assistance.

    The Strategy Specialist advised that any company could apply for assistance through the hardship scheme and discretionary rate relief if they demonstrated a need for support.

    ·       Councillors were keen to support the report as it gave extra support to the major employers and businesses in the area.

     

    Resolved that Full Council:-

    1)    Approved the temporary Addendum to the Council’s existing Discretionary Rate Relief Policy; and

    2)    Noted the costs of additional discretionary business rates relief would need to be allocated as a cost to the 2021/22 General Fund Budget to repay the resulting Collection Fund Deficit, and supported in principle the allocation of business rates pooling gain to meet the costs of the scheme, underwritten by General Reserves.

28.

Hinkley Point C Housing Strategy (Phase 3) pdf icon PDF 356 KB

    This matter is the responsibility of the Executive Councillor for Housing, Councillor Fran Smith.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    During the discussion, the following points were raised:-

    ·       Concern was raised on the Stogursey area and their planning issues.

    The Strategy Specialist advised that the Strategy was not proposing any new housing in the Stogursey area.  Any items in the development process was separate to the Strategy.  Officers were restricted by the Section 106 Agreement for planning applications.

    ·       Councillors requested a new housing need survey to be carried out for the Stogursey area.

    The Strategy Specialist advised that he had sympathy with the area as the previous housing needs survey was flawed and that the demographic who had responded were from the older age ranges and that there had been a lack of responses from the working age residents.  The Strategy had money set aside to carry out work in the Stogursey area to assess the housing need.

    ·       Concern was raised that the residents would link the Strategy and Planning together.

    ·       Councillors requested that the figures were presented in a different manner that included Parish information.

    ·       Councillors welcomed Seaward Way and Lambrook House being included in the Strategy but requested assurance that a proper mix of house types were included in the development and that it would remain as social housing.

    The Strategy Specialist advised that there would be a mixture of housing types used at Seaward Way and that a report was due to go through the democratic path with more detailed information on the project. 

    ·       Concern was raised on the information included in the Equality Impact Assessment and on those that might be impacted.

    ·       Councillors wanted the Local Plan adopted to protect the local community.

    ·       Councillors understood the concern raised at Stogursey and that the Hinkley project had impacted on the area, but that the item was for the Strategy and not for Planning, so they were happy to support the report.

     

    Resolved that Full Council adopted the Hinkley Point C Housing Fund Strategy (Phase 3) and supporting project activity (Appendix 4 to the report).

29.

Access to Information - Exclusion of the Press and Public

    During discussion of the following items it may be necessary to pass the following resolution to exclude the press and public having reflected on Article 13 13.02(e) (a presumption in favour of openness) of the Constitution.  This decision may be required because consideration of this matter in public may disclose information falling within one of the descriptions of exempt information in Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.  The Council will need to decide whether, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption, outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. 

     

    Recommend that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the public be excluded from the next item of business on the ground that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 respectively of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, namely information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).  

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Resolvedthat the press and the public be excluded from the meeting for the item numbered 10 on the Agenda as the item contained exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule12A to the Local Government Act 1972, and the public interest in withholding the information outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information to the public.

30.

Leisure Contract