Agenda and minutes

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

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Items
No. Item

52.

Apologies

53.

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 N Cavill

    All Items

    West Monkton

    Personal

    Spoke

    Cllr S Coles

    All Items

    SCC & Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke

    Cllr R Lees

    All Items

    Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr J Lloyd

    All Items

    Wellington & Sampford Arundel

    Personal

    Spoke

    Cllr P Pilkington

    All Items

    Timberscombe

    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 V Stock-Williams

    All Items

    Wellington

    Personal

    Spoke

    Cllr R Tully

    All Items

    West Monkton

    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

     

    Councillor S Wakefield further declared a personal interest as a director of the Community Interest Company for Toneworks and Councillor M Kravis further declared a personal interest as his partner was employed by the YMCA Dulverton Group.

54.

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:

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

55.

Corporate Performance Report, Month 4, 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 248 KB

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

     

    This paper provides the performance information for a range of key indicators for the first 4 months (April – July) of the 2020/21 financial year.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    During the discussion, the following points were raised:-

    ·       Councillors queried how customers found out when their complaint had been resolved.

    The Assistant Director for Customer advised that the process was still being constructed but that customers would be told in a timely manner.  Training on complaint resolution would be required for officers.

    ·       Councillors queried how targets were quantified.

    The Assistant Director for Customer advised that work would be needed to clarify targets and be able to quantify targets.  Officers were working on ways of getting information out to customers to assist in minimising the amount of complaints received.

    ·       Councillors were pleased to see that the targets had been met even during the Covid Pandemic.

    ·       Councillors requested a comparison against last year’s figures on complaints.

    The figures would be sent out to councillors after the meeting.

    ·       The Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services apologised for the increase in complaints received on waste services at the start of the Covid Pandemic, but advised that those figures had now lowered.

    ·       Clarification was requested on the number of appeals outlined in the report.

    Clarification was given.

    ·       Councillors requested whether the information could be broken down in ward areas.

    Officers would investigate if that would be possible.

    ·       Councillors queried what system was being used to log complaints and for the new process.

    Firmstep was being used for complaints.

     

    Resolved that Executive considered the attached performance report.

56.

2020/21 Financial Monitoring as at Month 4, ended 31 July 2020, and In Year COVID Budget Changes pdf icon PDF 587 KB

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

     

    This report provides an update on the projected outturn financial position of the Council for the financial year 2020/21 (as at 31 July 2020).

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    During the discussion, the following point was raised:-

    ·       The Portfolio Holder for Corporate Resources thanked officers for all their hard work on the budget.

     

    Resolved that the Executive:-

    2.1Reviewed the Council’s forecast financial performance and projected reserves position for 2020/21 financial year as at 31 July 2020;

    2.2Recommended that Full Council approved a supplementary estimate of £657k from General Reserves to fund the estimated overspend related to COVID;

    2.3Recommended that Full Council approved the realignment of budgets for COVID related income and expenditure to offset the reported variances that net off to zero when including the £657k in 2.2 above;

    2.4Recommended that Full Council approved changes to the General Fund Capital Programme by a total of -£1.370m for the following headings as referred in paragraph 11.3:

    a)    £295,000 reduction to Major Transport Schemes budget;

    b)    £375,000 reduction to remove budget for Creech Castle Road Improvements contribution;

    c)    £200,000 reduction to Employment Site Enabling schemes budget;

    d)    £1,000,000 reduction to Public Transport Improvements budget as Housing Infrastructure Fund bid not successful; and

    e)    £500,000 increase to Education Provision budget funded by Community Infrastructure Levy.

    2.5Recommended that Full Council approved the revised Budget Total for the Growth Programme of £3.56m to be funded by New Homes Bonus as set out in paragraph 11.7 Table 8, and CIL-funded Infrastructure Capital Programme totalling £16.262m as set out in paragraph 11.10 Table 9; and

    2.6Recommended that Full Council approved a supplementary estimate to the Capital Programme, in 2020/21, for Toneworks, up to £500k, which was the maximum value of the grant funding applied for from the Historic England.

57.

Financial Monitoring - Outturn Position 2019/20 pdf icon PDF 696 KB

58.

Financial Strategy 2020/21 to 2022/23 - Review and Update pdf icon PDF 1019 KB

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

     

    This report sets out an updated forecast of medium term funding, service costs and income, and updated proposals for the financial strategy in responding to the challenges ahead.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    During the discussion, the following points were raised:-

    ·       Councillors queried whether the Section 151 Officer had heard from Central Government on whether any more funding was available to assist with work linked to the Covid Pandemic.

    The Section 151 Officer advised that another tranche of funding had been announced for £500,000.

    ·       Councillors queried whether there had been any indication from Central Government’s on their trajectory on which direction they would take on future payments of New Homes Bonus.

    The Section 151 Officer advised that they had not forecast for any future payments to be received after this financial year.  However, there had been a hint that this might change once the Government review had taken place.

     

    Resolved that the Executive:-

    2.1Approved the updated Financial Strategy for 2020/21 to 2022/23, including agreement of the principle of using general reserves to reduce the Budget Gap in 2021/22 and 2022/23;

    2.2Recommended that Full Council approved the amended CIL Allocation Principles as set out in paragraph 21.15 of this report; and

    2.3Recommended that Full Council approved the reallocation of reserves to provide increased resilience and flexibility to mitigate COVID related financial pressures, and to support the Revenue Budget in the medium term, as follows:

    a)    To transfer £3.949m of New Homes Bonus reserve to General Reserves, noting alternative financing for relevant capital schemes through Community Infrastructure Levy and borrowing as set out in paragraph 21.7.

    b)    To transfer £1.0m from the Business Rates Volatility Reserve to General Reserves as set out in paragraph 14.6.