Agenda and minutes

SWT Executive
Wednesday, 17th November, 2021 6.15 pm

Venue: The John Meikle Room - The Deane House. View directions

Contact: Clare Rendell Email: c.rendell@somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk 

Webcast: View the webcast

Items
No. Item

52.

Apologies

53.

Minutes of the previous meeting of the Executive pdf icon PDF 149 KB

54.

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 C Booth

    All Items

    Wellington and Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr S Coles

    All Items

    SCC & Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke

    Cllr C Ellis

    All Items

    Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr L Lisgo

    All Items

    Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke

    Cllr J Lloyd

    All Items

    Wellington & Sampford Arundel

    Personal

    Spoke

    Cllr D Perry

    All Items

    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 R Tully

    All Items

    West Monkton

    Personal

    Spoke

    Cllr L Whetlor

    All Items

    Watchet

    Personal

    Spoke

     

55.

Public Participation

    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 temporary legislation (within the Coronavirus Act 2020, which allowed for use of virtual meetings) coming to an end on 6 May 2021, the council’s committee meetings will now take place in the office buildings within the John Meikle Meeting Room at the Deane House, Belvedere Road, Taunton. Unfortunately due to capacity requirements, the Chamber at West Somerset House is not able to be used at this current moment.  

     

    Following the Government guidance on measures to reduce the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19), the council meeting rooms will have very limited capacity.  With this in mind, we will only be allowing those members of the public who have registered to speak to attend the meetings in person in the office buildings, if they wish (we will still be offering to those members of the public that are not comfortable in attending, for their statements to be read out by a Governance and Democracy Case Manager).  Please can we urge all members of the public who are only interested in listening to the debate to view our live webcasts from the safety of their own home to help prevent the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19). 

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    No members of the public had requested to speak on any item on the agenda.

56.

Executive Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 95 KB

    To receive items and review the Forward Plan.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    (Copy of the Executive Forward Plan, circulated with the agenda).

     

    Councillors were reminded that if they had an item they wanted to add to the agenda, that they should send their requests to the Governance Team.

     

    Resolved that the Executive Forward Plan be noted.

57.

Scrutiny Recommendations pdf icon PDF 293 KB

    SWT Corporate Scrutiny Committee Recommended to the Executive that;

     

    A feasibility study is undertaken for the provision of an innovation hub based in Taunton and that the Council brings the results of such a study back through the democratic path when completed.

     

    The funding for this proposal is to be found within existing 2021/22 budgets where possible.

     

    Proposed by Councillor S Coles and seconded by Councillor S Wakefield.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    During the discussion, the following points were raised:-

    ·       Councillors queried whether the deadline for the conference would be achievable and whether there would be enough planning time to allow the event to take place.

    The Portfolio Holder for Asset Management and Economic Development advised that they had given a lot of thought to the deadline and agreed it would be a tight timescale but that he did not want to lose momentum on the project.

    ·       Councillors queried whether the funding for the conference work would go through the normal business case process and then onto Full Council for approval.

    The Portfolio Holder for Asset Management and Economic Development confirmed that they would follow the democratic processes for approval.  The Section 151 Officer further advised that they needed to ensure that the relevant resource was available for recommendation 2.2.

    ·       Councillors suggested a disclaimer was added to the report to advise that some businesses may no longer be ‘live’ or trading.

    ·       Concern was raised on what would happen after 2023 when the Unitary Authority was formed.

    ·       Councillors urged officers to spend money on a venue located in central Taunton.

    ·       Councillors wanted the whole district involved but highlighted that Taunton was the centre and where the emphasis should be placed.

    ·       Councillors agreed that it was an exciting opportunity for the District to capitalise on innovation.

    ·       Councillors agreed that they wanted Somerset West and Taunton to take the lead on innovation in the area.

    ·       Councillors wanted to encourage young professionals to move to the area.

    ·       Councillors wanted to promote businesses and growth.

    ·       Councillors thanked officers for all their work so far.

     

    Resolved that the Executive approved:-

    2.1To progress the work identified in the ‘Developing the Innovation Ecosystem in Somerset West and Taunton – Framework for Action’ report and not to carry out an additional feasibility study for an innovation hub in Taunton, however;

    2.2As part of Somerset West and Taunton Council’s role as an enabler to deliver the space necessary for research and innovation within the district, the Council would as part of the work of enabling the development of innovation assets to the next level, would finance and host a R&I Conference in Taunton by or during the summer 2022, which would bring together business, academia, developers, investors and the wider industries in order to progress development of R&I assets in Taunton and the wider district.

     

    Councillor Marcus Kravis left the meeting.

58.

Review of Voluntary and Community Sector Grants pdf icon PDF 475 KB

    This matter is the responsibility of Executive Councillor for Community, Councillor Chris Booth.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    During the discussion, the following points were raised:-

    ·       Councillor Ross Henley was not present for the debate.

    ·       Councillors thanked the Portfolio Holder for Community and the Working Group for all their hard work.

    ·       Councillors agreed that funding was important to the many community groups in the area.

    ·       Concern was raised that there was a lot of uncertainties for community groups in the future.

    ·       Councillors suggested that they were given 6 monthly updates, so that they could support officers and give updates to their local groups to answer any queries they might have.

    ·       Councillors agreed that although the funding was not a statutory function, it benefited those who were in need across the district and so therefore was ‘priceless’.

     

    Resolved that the Executive approved:-

    2.1The schedule of grants set out within the table ‘Proposed Voluntary and Community Sector Grants 2022/23’ in section 6.2 of the report; and

    2.2That councillors would be given 6 monthly updates on the funding review to assist with queries raised by community groups.

59.

Somerset West and Taunton Districtwide Design Guide - Review of Public Consultation and Adoption as Supplementary Planning Document pdf icon PDF 443 KB

    This matter is the responsibility of Executive Councillor for Planning and Transportation, Councillor Mike Rigby.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    During the discussion, the following pointes were raised:-

    ·       Agenda items 7 and 8 were debated together.

    ·       Councillors agreed that the Design Guides were very useful documents, which would make developers take local identity into account when drawing up their plans.

    ·       Councillors agreed that local identity was very important, and that they wanted to see well designed properties in the area.

    ·       Councillors wanted to ensure the local heritage was taken into consideration in local developments.

    ·       Councillors agreed that the quality of the built environment was very important.

     

    Resolved that the Executive:-

    1)    Approved that the Somerset West and Taunton Districtwide Design Guide be taken to Full Council for adoption as a Supplementary Planning Document and for endorsement as a material planning consideration for the preparation of masterplans, pre-application advice, assessing planning applications and any other development management purposes within the District.

    2)    Noted the outcomes of the public consultations on the draft Somerset West and Taunton Design Guide, undertaken 3 February to 30 March 2020, 11 December to 5 February 2021 and 5 July to Monday 16 August 2021 as set out in the consultation statement in Appendix 1 of the report.

    3)    Agreed that the Director of Development and Place, in consultation with the Planning and Transport Portfolio Holder be authorised to approve and make minor amendments, prior to the final publication of the Somerset West and Taunton Districtwide Design Guide.

    4)    Agreed the creation and launch of a Districtwide ‘Quality of Place’ award scheme. This would be linked to the Somerset West and Taunton Districtwide Design Guide, the Taunton Garden Town Vision, and the Taunton Garden Town Design Charter and Checklist.

60.

Public Realm Design Guide for Taunton Garden Town - Review of Public Consultation and Adoption as Supplementary Planning Document pdf icon PDF 369 KB

61.

Access to Information - Exclusion of the Press and Public - appendices 3, 6 and 7 only

    During discussion of the following item (appendices 3, 6 and 7 only) 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.  Executive 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 (appendices 3, 6 and 7 only) 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:

    Resolved that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the public be excluded from the next item of business (appendices 3, 6 and 7 only) on the grounds that it involved 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).

62.

North Taunton Woolaway Project - Authorisation to make a Compulsory Purchase Order pdf icon PDF 498 KB