Agenda and minutes
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Contact: Clare Rendell Email: c.rendell@somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk
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Apologies
To receive any apologies for absence. Additional documents: Minutes: No apologies were received. |
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Minutes of the previous meeting of the Executive
To approve the minutes of the previous meeting of the Committee. Additional documents: Minutes: (Minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 20 January 2021 circulated with the agenda)
Resolved that the minutes of the Executive held on 20 January 2021 be confirmed as a correct record. |
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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:-
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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: Mr Roger House spoke on Agenda Item 6, Draft General Fund Revenue Budget and Capital Estimates 2021/22:- The Victoria Park Action Group had been campaigning for new safer public toilets in our park for five years. The current toilets were closed having failed the Covid 19 test, we had recentlywritten tothe ExecutivePostholder, askingfor financeto beassembled tobuild anew extension withtwo newsafe andaccessible toiletcubicles. Therecent debateon FlookHouse revealed the only town public toilet north of the river had no insides, with an obvious need for new public toilets in the evolving Coal Orchard and Firepoolsectors. At the same time a new Unitary Council or Councils in some form looked likely to emerge, and as a consequence with either, a long overdue new Taunton Town Council too. From the example of Weymouth Town Council in the new Dorset Unitary reorganisation, this new Council would suddenly have duties to provide and maintain garden town green spaces, publictoilets, marketsand community halls,the latterwere nowwell belowthe standardsof our villages.As theWeymouth Councilcame intobeing, somehigh qualitytoilets werebuilt onthe· seafront and handed over tothem. Soregards thefuture creation ofthe TownCouncil, withits fairshare ofthe oldBorough area financial and builtassets: Q1 - Inthe capitolprogramme tablelast pageof thereport, couldthe councilintroduce anew line in order to build up capitol for new toilets and community halls or conversions, the key need for the successor Town Council? The December Executive meeting, financial monitoring Q2 showed a CIL projects and infrastructure budget with Community Development £500,000 slipping to the 2023/24 year, perhaps after the Town Councilformation. Q2 - Connected to the same cause, the recent schedule of S106 developer’s contributions for the Taunton Unparished Area revealed monies being collected under headings of Play, Outdoor Recreation, Allotments and Community Halls. In our parks case the toilets and community hall were both linked. Was it possible, given the need for more Town Centre Toilets, that the S106 heading could be amended to Community Buildings/Public Toilets? This would requireactionand documentation todemonstrate boththese werea leadinginfrastructure need as Taunton expands with its central residents and visitor’s numbers, bothrising.
The Portfolio Holder for Corporate Resources responded:- Q1 - Thank you for your question but at present resources wre fully committed on the current priorities within the capital programme. Table 9 in the Qtr 2 Budget Monitoring report presented to Executive on 16th December showed the indicative timing of how any CIL collected may be utilised. The figures have therefore been allocated to the years based on this indicative timing and the budget had not slipped from this financial year. The budget allocation was based upon the money that might be collected based on an estimate of new build property that could come forward and ... view the full minutes text for item 92. |
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Executive Forward Plan
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. |
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Draft General Fund Revenue Budget and Capital Estimates 2021/22
This matter is the responsibility of Executive Councillor for Corporate Resources, Councillor Ross Henley.
The report sets out the draft budget estimates for 2021/22, Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) forecasts, and 2021/22 Capital Programme and the proposed sources of funding. Additional documents: Minutes: During the discussion, the following points were raised:- · The Portfolio Holder for Corporate Resources proposed a further recommendation to add two one-off budgets into the budget proposals:- - The first was for £100,000 towards further tree planting across the district; and - The second was for £100,000 towards a Community Enhancement Fund to help support the community across Somerset West and Taunton following the impact of the Covid Pandemic. Both were seconded by the Leader and became part of the substantive motion. · Councillors thanked the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Resources and the Finance Team for all their hard work on producing a balanced budget. · Councillors queried how long it would be before the Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA) became a precepting body. The Section 151 Officer would report back with an update as to when the SRA would be able to administer their own precept. · Councillors highlighted that the Taunton Chartered Trustees had to charge a precept for the Unparished Area of Taunton until the Governance Review had been completed. · Councillors were pleased that Somerset County Council had taken back the cost of the Park and Ride, which then enabled Somerset West and Taunton to spend the money on community enhancement especially after the Covid Pandemic. · Councillors queried whether the £200,000 saving from the Park and Ride would be for this financial year only. The Section 151 officer advised that he did not expect the saving to go any further than this financial year. · Councillors queried why the Watchet East Quay Development Loan had been included in appendix B and requested an explanation. The Portfolio Holder for Corporate Resources clarified that the existing budget was originally approved by West Somerset Council, and provided a ‘last resort’ funding option to the developer if they were unsuccessful in fully funding the works from other sources. At this stage no loan had been provided, and was unlikely to be needed as the developer had been very successful in obtaining other funding, but it was sensible to retain the facility in case it was needed to complete the development as it moved through to completion. If a request for loan finance was forthcoming it would be subject to the usual due diligence at the time. He further explained that this was separate to the £5m of grant funding awarded to the developer from the Coastal Communities Fund for the project. Whilst this was not Council funds, the grant was administered by the Council as the accountable body, to reimburse the developer based on actual costs incurred. · The Chair of Scrutiny advised that the Committee had discussed the budget at length and highlighted the amount of work involved for officers to produce the budget, however, the Committee wanted to ensure that services could be delivered upon. · Concern was raised that too much reliance had been placed on the Commercial Investment Strategy. The Leader of the Council advised that the Executive had been prudent with their decisions which had also been backed by the Section 151 ... view the full minutes text for item 94. |
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This matter is the responsibility of Executive Councillor for Housing, Councillor Francesca Smith.
This report updates Members on the proposed Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Annual Revenue Budget and Capital Programme for 2021/22, the proposed Rent Setting for 2021/22 and an update on the 30-Year Business Plan Review. Additional documents: Minutes: During the discussion, the following points were raised:- · Councillors thanked the Portfolio Holder for Housing and the Finance Team for their hard work in producing the budget. · Councillors were pleased to see that the rents being charged were comparable. · Councillors thanked the Housing Team for providing a member briefing on Homefinder and the housing system. · Councillors were pleased to see new housing was being built and had been included in the budget. · Councillors thanked the involvement of the Tenants Forum in giving their feedback on the budget figures. · The Leader of the Council was pleased to see all the new housing projects coming forward, which included new developments using zero carbon and new housing in the former West Somerset area. She believed the budget provided a lasting legacy for the District.
Resolved that the Executive recommended that Full Council:- 2.1.1 Approved the HRA Annual Revenue Budget for 2021/22; 2.1.2 Approved the increase of 1.5% (CPI+1%) to Dwelling Rents for 2021/22; 2.1.3 Approved the HRA Capital Programme for 2021/22; 2.1.4 Noted the reviewed and updated assumptions in the 2021 HRA 30-Year Business Plan; and 2.1.5 Approved the minimum operational balance on HRA general reserves at £2m. |
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Access to Information- Exclusion of the Press and Public
During discussion of the following item 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 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 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 9 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. |
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Strategic Heritage Update
This matter is the responsibility of Executive Councillor for Asset Management and Economic Development, Councillor Marcus Kravis. Minutes: Resolved that the Executive approved the recommendations within the confidential report. |