Use the below search options at the bottom of the page to find information regarding recent decisions that have been taken by the council’s decision making bodies.
Alternatively you can visit the officer decisions page for information on officer delegated decisions that have been taken by council officers.
Decision Maker: Economic Development, Planning and Transportation Portfolio Holder
Decision published: 06/12/2022
Effective from: 15/12/2022
Decision:
Details of decision: Refurbishment of the Crescent Carpark
That permission is granted for the Deputy Chief Executive and Director Place and Climate Change to enter contract with the preferred contractor to refurbish the Crescent car park, Taunton.
A competitively tendered schedules of work has resulted in a preferred contractor being identified and contract sum that is within the allocated budget agreed in February 2022.
The contract sum is £1,090,968. The governance arrangements require an Executive Decision, which may be taken by a Portfolio Holder, to determine the key decision when awarding a contract of this size.
Reasons for proposed decision:
The Crescent car park in Taunton needs major refurbishment and upgrading to make it a parking option of choice for people coming into town for shopping and social activities and is a step towards achieving our Garden Town ambitions.
The refurbishment will benefit our economy and the environment by making it a gateway car park for the town centre with the provision of electric vehicle charging points to encourage the uptake of electric vehicles in line with our commitment towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. The refurbishment will increase the proportion of accessible parking spaces raising it to 7.5%; it will provide a cycle shelter to encourage the uptake of sustainable transport and healthy lifestyles.
A decision by the Full Council in February 2022 provided the Crescent car park refurbishment project a total budget of £1,546,800. This budget was for the refurbishment of the Crescent Carpark, delivery of new car ticket machines across West Somerset and essential maintenance. After the car park ticket machine replacement, essential maintenance and design fees for the Crescent car park have been considered there remains £1,396,210 available for the refurbishment.
The project has been competitively tendered, and a preferred contractor identified. The contractor has passed a credit test.
Alternative funding options sourced:
Not Applicable. Within agreed SWT budget allocation for capital project.
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The below has been completed:
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Name(s) |
Date |
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Relevant ward councillor(s) consulted
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Richard Lees Simon Coles |
NOV 22 |
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The following are if appropriate / applicable: Yes/No. If yes the implications should be attached to this decision notice.
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Finance implications |
Yes
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Unitary Council and S24 Direction Implications (Contracts and Land Disposals) |
No |
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Legal implications |
YES |
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Links to corporate aims |
YES |
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Climate and Sustainability implications |
YES |
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Community Safety Implications |
YES |
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Equalities Impact |
YES |
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Safeguarding Implications |
NO |
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Risk management |
NO |
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Partnership implications |
YES |
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Any conflicts of interest declared by Leader or Executive Members consulted on the proposed decision. If Yes provide confirmation from Chief Executive to grant dispensation for the Leader’s / Executive Member’s views to be considered.
No
Decision Maker: Taunton Charter Trustees
Made at meeting: 21/06/2022 - Taunton Charter Trustees
Decision published: 29/11/2022
Effective from: 21/06/2022
Decision:
Councillor Smith proposed that Councillor Marcia Hill be appointed Civic Marshal for the ensuing municipal year. Councillor Simon Coles seconded the proposal.
RESOLVED that Councillor Marcia Hill be appointed the Civic Marshal for the Taunton Charter Trustees for the 2022/23 Municipal Year.
Decision Maker: Taunton Charter Trustees
Made at meeting: 21/06/2022 - Taunton Charter Trustees
Decision published: 29/11/2022
Effective from: 21/06/2022
Decision:
The Clerk gave a brief introduction to this item. The draft report had been presented to an earlier meeting of the Charter Trustees and members had been advised that a couple of queries were still being worked through, which is why the final report had come through so late. The Clerk stated it was important for the Charter Trustees to consider the report and any action required. He had taken on board a number of their recommendations around how to correctly complete the Annual Governance Return.
During the discussion of this item, Members made comments and asked questions which included:-
· Councillors requested further information on the recommendations that had been made.
· The Clerk clarified that in the first year of operation the Charter Trustees had been given a budget by the Council and there were ways that the information had to be presented that had to be clarified.
· The recommendations made by the External Auditor on how to complete the Annual Governance Return had been taken on board and actioned such as Staff costs.
RESOLVED that the Charter Trustees considered the Final External Auditor Report for 2020-21 and considered that no further actions were required.
Decision Maker: Taunton Charter Trustees
Made at meeting: 21/06/2022 - Taunton Charter Trustees
Decision published: 29/11/2022
Effective from: 21/06/2022
Decision:
The Clerk introduced the item which was to approve the Draft Accounting Statements 2021/2022 for submission to the Charter Trustee’s external Auditors, PKF Littlejohn LLP.
RESOLVED to approve the Draft Accounting Statements 2021/2022 for submission to the Charter Trustee’s external Auditors, PKF Littlejohn LLP.
Decision Maker: Taunton Charter Trustees
Made at meeting: 21/06/2022 - Taunton Charter Trustees
Decision published: 29/11/2022
Effective from: 21/06/2022
Decision:
The Clerk introduced this item which was to approve the Annual Governance Statement for submission to the Charter Trustee’s external Auditors, PKF Littlejohn LLP. The Clerk advised that he had had to place a negative in Box 5 which was about an undertaking of an assessment of risks, and an explanation had been provided for the External Auditors and how this would be addressed. This explainer document had also been attached to the Agenda.
RESOLVED to approve:
a) the Annual Governance Statement 2021/2022 for submission to the Taunton Charter Trustees External Auditors, PKF Littlejohn LLP.
b) That a Draft Action Plan and Draft Risk Register is circulated to the Charter Trustees and then taken to a Special Meeting of the Charter Trustees in July 2022 to ensure compliance for the 2022/23 Municipal Year.
Decision Maker: Taunton Charter Trustees
Made at meeting: 21/06/2022 - Taunton Charter Trustees
Decision published: 29/11/2022
Effective from: 21/06/2022
Decision:
The Clerk advised that he had chased the Internal Auditor for an update on the report and the expectation that it would be available for this meeting, as it would have to be submitted along with the Annual Governance Return to the External Auditor by 1st July 2022. The hope was that this would come through prior to the 1st July and the Clerk would keep the Charter Trustees updated.
· Cllr Lisgo asked for it to be minuted her disquiet over this missing report.
· A question was raised as to why South West Audit Partnership do not carry out Internal Audit function for the Charter Trustees?
· It was confirmed that they had not responded to Officer queries but this could conceivably be looked at again when a potential Town Council was created.
RESOLVED that the Charter Trustees deferred this item to their next meeting due to the unavailability of the report.
Decision Maker: Taunton Charter Trustees
Made at meeting: 21/06/2022 - Taunton Charter Trustees
Decision published: 29/11/2022
Effective from: 21/06/2022
Decision:
RESOLVED to defer consideration of this item to allow the membership of the Committee to be discussed at Group meetings.
Decision Maker: Taunton Charter Trustees
Made at meeting: 21/06/2022 - Taunton Charter Trustees
Decision published: 29/11/2022
Effective from: 21/06/2022
Decision:
Councillor Francesca Smith proposed and Councillor Lee Baker seconded the following motion, which was carried unanimously.
RESOLVED:
"That Councillor Brenda Weston be elected Deputy Mayor of Taunton for the ensuing year".
Councillor Brenda Weston then repeated and signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office.
Decision Maker: Taunton Charter Trustees
Made at meeting: 21/06/2022 - Taunton Charter Trustees
Decision published: 29/11/2022
Effective from: 21/06/2022
Decision:
The Mayor opened the meeting, and invited her chaplain, Reverend James Clapham, to open the meeting with a short prayer.
Councillor Francesca Smith proposed and Councillor Richard Lees seconded the following motion, which was carried unanimously.
RESOLVED:
"That Councillor Susan Lees be elected Mayor of Taunton for the ensuing year".
Councillor Susan Lees then repeated and signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office.
Decision Maker: Taunton Charter Trustees
Made at meeting: 21/06/2022 - Taunton Charter Trustees
Decision published: 29/11/2022
Effective from: 21/06/2022
Decision:
(Minutes of the meeting of the Taunton Charter Trustees held on 14th December 2021 and 20th January 2022 circulated with the agenda).
RESOLVED that the minutes of the Taunton Charter Trustees held on 14th December 2021 and 20th January 2022 were confirmed as a correct record.
Decision Maker: Housing Portfolio Holder
Decision published: 13/07/2022
Effective from: 16/12/2022
Decision:
Details of decision:
This decision is a re-issue of the Decision Notice issued in July 2022, with the change being a variation in the initial contract length from one to two years and subsequent options to extend the contract up to a total period of 5 years. A provision for installation of doors where deemed necessary is also included.
In the interim period since the original Decision, Officers have completed further work and a longer-term contract would provide SWT and the contractor with the basis to work as partners to develop requirements in accordance with emerging understanding of retrofit projects. The retrofit agenda is still relatively new to the sector and the ability to work through solutions with a partnering contractor over a longer period of time will be essential and beneficial to both parties.
It is recommended that SWT awards the preferred supplier a two year contract with options to extend for 1 x 24 months and 1 x 12 months (60 months in total).
SWT has a requirement for a long-term capital programme for the replacement of UPVC double glazed windows (and doors where deemed necessary) to council owned domestic properties. SWT has a need to put in place a supply and installation contract to support this.
Window replacements are integral to SWT’s retrofit programme and therefore the window specifications, and the properties to be included in the replacement programme, are closely interrelated with the broader retrofit works. Aligning the delivery with both programmes is essential. SWT’s programme of door installations is also closely linked to this programme. For technical and efficiency purposes, this contract will also provide for the inclusion of new door installations. If at any point the volume of new door installations is expected to reach the value threshold above which a key decision is required then a separate business case and key decision will be submitted to extend the contract accordingly.
The capital programme envisages a need to replace approximately 240 properties per year over the next 5 years. Funding is available within the Medium Term Financial Plan to meet this aspiration.
A compliant procurement exercise has been undertaken, whereby a direct award is able to be made under a PCR2015 compliant framework.
Reasons for proposed decision:
As the contract value for this work exceeds £500,000 pounds it was thus classified as a Key Decision for the Executive to award as it exceeds the thresholds in the SWT Constitution, thus requiring 28 days notification in the Executive Forward Plan. The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 sets out that a Key Decision is one which would result in the relevant local authority incurring expenditure which is, or the making of savings which are, significant having regard to the relevant local authority’s budget for the service or function to which the decision relates. This 28 day period was complied with in June and July 2022 with a further 5 day period for call-in and no such requests were made.
The Leader of the Council can delegate the making of Executive Key Decisions to her Portfolio Holders or Officers as under Part 3 of the Constitution – Responsibility for Executive Functions - 3.1.5 – “The Leader shall determine how all executive powers shall be discharged. The Leader may: a) discharge any of those functions; or b) arrange for the discharge of any of those functions: i. by the Executive collectively, ii. by another member of the Executive, iii. by a committee of the Executive, or iv. by an officer of the Authority.”
Alternative funding options sourced:
N/A (approvals within HRA budget ).
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The below has been completed:
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Name(s) |
Date |
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Relevant ward councillor(s) consulted
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N/A |
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The following are if appropriate / applicable: Yes/No. If yes the implications should be attached to this decision notice.
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Finance implications
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The current budget in the Medium Term Financial Plan is more than sufficient to deliver this contract based on predicted activity.
Contract provisions will be put in place to ensure approvals are obtained for future year(s) programmes prior to placing further work orders.
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Unitary Council and Assets and s24 Implications (Contracts and Land Disposals) |
The window (and doors where deemed necessary) contract costs are included within this business plan budget and projection. The General Consent 5 allows HRA capital contracts above £1m to proceed provided spend is included in the approved budget and business plan.
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Legal implications
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A formal contract will be entered into with the selected contractor.
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Links to corporate aims
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Our Corporate Strategy 2020-2024, Strategic theme for Homes and Communities includes the outcome to provide ‘A district which offers a choice of good quality homes for our residents, whatever their age and income, in communities where support is available for those who need it’.
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Climate and Sustainability implications
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Improved energy efficiency to properties and reduction in CO2 emissions. |
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Community Safety Implications |
This work is a key part of SWT’s property compliance work. |
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Equalities Impact
Safeguarding Implications |
N/A
N/A |
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Risk management
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A Public Contracts Regulations 2015 compliant procurement exercise has been undertaken, and completion of works will ensure compliance with the Regulatory Standard. |
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Partnership implications |
N/A
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