Agenda and minutes

SWT Executive
Wednesday, 16th March, 2022 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

89.

Apologies

90.

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 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 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

    Cllr B Weston

    All Items

    Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke

    Cllr L Whetlor

    All Items

    Watchet

    Personal

    Spoke

    Cllr G Wren

    All Items

    Clerk to Milverton PC

    Personal

    Spoke

     

91.

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.

     

    We are now live webcasting most of our committee meetings and you are welcome to view and listen to the discussion. The link to each webcast will be available on the meeting webpage, but you can also access them on the Somerset West and Taunton webcasting website.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

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

92.

Executive Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 287 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.

93.

Annual Pay Policy Statement 2022/23 pdf icon PDF 225 KB

94.

Corporate Performance Report, Quarter 3 2021/22 pdf icon PDF 245 KB

95.

2021/22 General Fund Financial Monitoring as at Quarter 3 (31 December 2021) pdf icon PDF 435 KB

96.

2021/22 Housing Revenue Account Financial Monitoring as at Quarter 3 (31 December 2021) pdf icon PDF 696 KB

97.

Budget Approval - Electric Vehicle Charging Points pdf icon PDF 223 KB

    This matter is the responsibility of Executive Councillor for Climate Change, Councillor Dixie Darch.

     

    In line with the Council’s financial regulations, this report seeks to confirm and regularise the capital budget required for the rollout of the Electric Vehicle Charging Points.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    During the discussion, the following points were raised:-

    ·       Councillors queried whether SWT gave advice on how to buy an electric vehicle.

    The Portfolio Holder for Climate Change advised that SWT was not able to give advice on the purchase of electric vehicles as it was too complex, but there were groups out in the community where residents could gain the information.

    ·       Councillors were happy to support the report and were pleased to see an increase in the use of the charging points.

     

    Resolved that the Executive recommended to Full Council the supplementary capital budget allocation of £120k, making a total of £270k of which £136k was secured funding from OZEV.

98.

Capital, Investment and Treasury Strategies 2022/23 to 2024/25 pdf icon PDF 236 KB

    This matter is the responsibility of Executive Councillor for Corporate Resources, Councillor Ross Henley.

     

    The purpose of this report is to bring to Members three recommended strategies covering Capital, Investment and Treasury Management (CIT Strategies) for their consideration and adoption.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    During the discussion, the following points were raised:-

    ·       Councillors queried that the Strategy seemed to focus on short-term borrowing and whether SWT should be looking at more longer-term schemes.

    The Section 151 Officer stated that officers took advice from Arlingclose on borrowing and that they knew work would need to be done on what future borrowing looked like within the New Council.

    ·       Councillors queried whether SCC had a Capital, Investment and Treasury Strategy, as it would mean the consolidation of the District investments if they didn’t.

    ·       Councillors were pleased with the Strategy.

     

    Resolved that the Executive recommended to Full Council to approve the CIT Strategies and MRP Statement for adoption with effect from 1 April 2022.

99.

Wellington and Cullompton Railway Station Project - Approval of Revised Project Governance Arrangements pdf icon PDF 303 KB

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

     

    The purpose of this report is to seek approval of the project governance arrangements for the next phase of the Wellington and Cullompton Railway Station Project, for which the end product will be a Final Business Case (FBC).

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    During the discussion, the following points were raised:-

    ·       Councillors queried why the report was not going to Full Council.

    The Portfolio Holder for Planning and Transportation advised that the report was for the governance arrangements only, so therefore was an Executive decision.

    ·       Councillors advised that Wellington Town Council were pleased to support the project.

    The Portfolio Holder for Planning and Transportation thanked them for their support.

    ·       Councillors agreed it was an exciting project and would make a big difference to the area.

     

    Resolved that the Executive endorsed the governance arrangements set out in Appendix A.

100.

Wordsworth Drive and Coleridge Crescent Flats Regeneration, Taunton pdf icon PDF 314 KB

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

     

    The report proposes that the flats no longer provide the quality of accommodation, in terms of decency and thermal efficiency, which SWT tenants should expect and which the Council strive to provide.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    During the discussion, the following points were raised:-

    ·       Councillors queried when the demolishing works would start?

    The Assistant Director for Development and Regeneration advised that they needed to decant the flats first and that the shop was still under lease.  They hoped to be able to decant all the properties by April 2023 and then look to start works.

    ·       Councillors thanked the Portfolio Holder for Housing for her cooperation in the comments made at Community Scrutiny Committee.

    ·       Concern was raised that the future change in council would impact on the work.

    ·       Councillors believed that the work on the decant of residents would have benefited from the experience of the North Taunton Woolaway Project.

    ·       The Portfolio Holder for Housing advised she was keen to retain the land for housing developments but understood that it might need to be kept fallow for a period of time to attract subsidies and funding in the future.

    ·       The Portfolio Holder for Housing thanked all for their comments.

     

    Resolved that the Executive recommended to Full Council the following:-

    a)    To approve the decanting of tenants from Wordsworth Drive Flats with the awarding of gold band status in April 2022. Gold band status would support tenants secure alternative suitable accommodation.

    b)    To approve the decanting of tenants from Coleridge Crescent Flats with the awarding of gold band status at a time to be determined by the Director of Housing and Communities in conjunction with the portfolio holder for Housing.

    c)    To approve the purchase through mutual consent one leasehold property at Wordswoth Drive flats and compensate the owner in line with statutory compensation requirements.

    d)    To make available to the leaseholder the opportunity of a SWT Equity Loan to help secure alternative private accommodation.

    e)    To note officers would agree the closure date and compensation with the shop leasee to ensure Wordsworth block was available for demolition.

    f)      To approve the demolition of Wordswoth Drive and Coleridge Crescent Flats at a time to be determined by the Director of Housing and Communities in conjunction with the portfolio holder for Housing.

    g)    Officers to return to the Council with options for the future use of the site.

    h)    To approve a supplementary budget of £1,111,700 and to delegate the funding of the scheme to the Section 151 Officer.