Decisions

Resolved that the Executive approved:-

1)    That the draft districtwide Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document be approved as the basis for a public consultation period of eight weeks;

2)    That the outcome of the public consultation, including any appropriate suggested amendments, be reported back to the Executive as soon as possible with a view to seek approval to adopt the draft districtwide Design Guide as a Supplementary Planning Document;

3)    That authority be delegated to the Head of Strategy in consultation with the Portfolio Holder to carry out any minor amendments of a drafting or similar nature necessary, prior to consulting on the draft Design Guide; and

4)    That the creation and launch of a District-wide ‘Quality of Place’ award scheme be explored, which would be linked to the Somerset West and Taunton Districtwide Design Guide, and the Taunton Garden Town Vision, Design Charter and Checklist.

Executive recommended that Full Council approved in relation to the VCS grants within the scope of the review:-

1)    To continue funding VCS organisations at current levels for 2020/21 whilst the key points raised during the review detailed in this paper were addressed;

2)    In June/July 2020 carried out a review of current areas of funding and set new funding objectives in line with the Councils corporate objectives and current needs within the community and report to the Scrutiny Committee in September 2020; and

3)    During 2020/21 officers should work closely with all grant recipients to ensure targets were met and grants were offering value for money.

Executive recommended that Full Council approved in relation to the Taunton and West Somerset Citizens Advice Organisations:-

1)    To agree an additional allocation of £25000 within the Councils 2020/21 budget for a ‘one off’ grant in order to help maintain the Local Assistance Scheme and to provide staffing capacity to enable Citizens Advice Managers to engage with transformation related work;

2)    To agree an additional allocation of £8000 within the Councils 2020/21 budget to enable the joint commissioning of a consultant to work alongside the Citizens Advice (CA) services;

3)    To jointly commission (with other District Councils and Somerset County Council) a consultant to work with the CAs to explore different operating models, transformation of service delivery, use of technology and interventions to reduce service demand;

4)    To undertake a comprehensive review of SWT financial support for CA services during Summer/Autumn 2020 following receipt of the consultant’s report; and

5)    To work proactively with Citizens Advice Taunton (CAT) and West Somerset Advice (WSA) to explore suitable accommodation options.

Resolved that the Executive approved:-

a)    The draft Masterplan and Development Guide be published for stakeholder and statutory consultation; and

b)    That, subject to there being no issues raised requiring substantive changes during the consultation, the Head Strategy and the Portfolio Holder for Planning be authorised to approve the document for Development Management decision making and to inform and guide pre-application discussions with prospective developers and landowners.

Executive recommended that Council approved:-

1)    The Phase 4 Action Plan for delivery from March 2020 onward; and

2)    The request for drawing down £635,594 of Hinkley Point C Section 106 allocations available for tourism to deliver the Phase 4 plan.

Executive recommended that Full Council approved:-

a)    That the Strategy should progress to the Full Council meeting for adoption, after which a detailed operational work plan would be agreed in consultation with the Portfolio Holder during March 2020 to progress during the financial year 2020-2021; and

b)    To the development of targeted messaging and communications materials for the different audiences.

Resolved that the Executive approved:-

1)    That the draft Public Realm Design Guide for Taunton Garden Town be approved as the basis for key stakeholder consultation for a period of eight weeks;

2)    That the outcome of the key stakeholder consultations, including any appropriate suggested amendments, be reported back to the Executive as soon as possible with a view to seek approval to adopt the draft Public Realm Design Guide for Taunton Garden Town a material consideration when determining planning applications and will inform discussions with our statutory consultees;

3)    That authority be delegated to the Head of Strategy in consultation with the Portfolio Holder to carry out any minor amendments of a drafting or similar nature necessary, prior to consulting on the draft Public Realm Design Guide for Taunton Garden Town.

Resolved that Executive noted the Council’s forecast financial performance and projected reserves position for 2019/20 financial year as at 30 November 2019.

Resolved that the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the item numbered 15 on the Agenda as the items contained exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A 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.

Resolved that Executive:-

1)    Noted and considered the latest Draft Budget and Medium Term Financial Plan forecasts and the areas to be finalised; and

2)    Supported the MTFP bids and savings targets/proposals, considering feedback from the Scrutiny Committee, and resolved to finalise balanced budget proposals for presentation to Scrutiny, Executive and Full Council in February 2020.

Executive recommended to Council:-

1)    In accordance with the Regulator of Social Housing’s new Rent Standard from April 2020, the Dwelling Rent for 2020/21 for existing tenants would be an increase of CPI+1% to the average weekly rent, from £80.87 per week to £83.05 per week;

2)    In accordance with the Regulator of Social Housing’s new Rent Standard from April 2020, the Dwelling Rent for 2020/21 for new tenants only would be an increase of CPI+1% plus an additional 5% for general needs to the average weekly rent, from £80.87 per week to £87.21 per week;

3)    In accordance with the Regulator of Social Housing’s new Rent Standard from April 2020, the Dwelling Rent for 2020/21 for new tenants only would be an increase of CPI+1% plus an additional 10% for sheltered/supported and extra care dwelling rents to the average weekly rent, from £80.87 per week to £91.36 per week;

4)    To increase non-dwelling rent and service charges in line with national policy by CPI+1% for 2020/21, with the exception of garages for private and shared ownerships tenants which would increase from £10.32 (including VAT) to £12.00 (including VAT);

5)    To approve the HRA Annual Revenue Budget for 2020/21; and

6)    To approve the HRA Capital Programme for 2020/21.

Executive recommended that Council:-

1)    Approved the revised 30 year Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Business Plan as set out in this report;

2)    Approved the proposed vision for the Housing service along with three new service Objectives;

3)    Approved the proposed Housing Revenue Account Rent Setting policy 2020;

4)    Increased rents i.e. social formula and affordable by CPI plus 1%, in line with the Regulator of Social Housing’s new standard; and

5)    Approved the use of flexibility on social formula rents, to be applied when properties are re-let to tenants new to the Council.

Recommended that the Executive requested Full Council approve the following additions to the Capital Programme, which would be funded through borrowing:

1)    Add the following to the Capital Programme for 2019/20

a.    The sum of £100,000 be allocated to the wall design works at Splash Point; and

b.    The sum of £100,000 be allocated to the wall design works at East Quay.

2)    Add the following to the Capital Programme for 2020/21

a.    The sum of £500,000 be allocated to reinforce the East Quay wall in the central section; and

b.    The sum of £40,000 for project management resource to deliver this project to its conclusion.

Resolved that the Executive deferred the item for further investigation.

Resolved that Executive:-

1)    Accepted the findings of the project development plan report and endorsed the recommended strategic and long term approach to the management of flood risk in Taunton, listed in section 6 of the non-technical summary;

2)    In partnership with EA to progress the identified short term priorities of: Longrun Meadow, the town centre defence improvements on the left bank of the River Tone (Frieze Hill to Town Bridge) and Firepool Lock to an appropriate design standard to secure the necessary consents and implementation;

3)    Sought the approval of Full Council for the allocation of £6,000,000 capital funding from already earmarked Community Infrastructure Levy, New Homes Bonus and s106 contributions, to be apportioned in consultation with the S151 Officer, to progress the identified short term priorities of Longrun Meadow and improvements to the left bank of the River Tone (Frieze Hill to Town Bridge);

4)    Used the project development plan as a basis for future investment planning. To develop a funding strategy to support implementation of the entire preferred approach, noting that a number of schemes had wider benefits such as increased bio-diversity and public amenity that might attract sources of funding other than flood defence related. Work with partners and stakeholders including the Environment Agency to secure appropriate national ‘Flood Defence Grant in Aid’ ((FDGiA) and Local Levy; Somerset River Authority grant; as well as partnership opportunities with Somerset County Council, Wessex Water; Natural England; Canal and Rivers Trust and others towards those schemes;

5)    Noted that consultation and engagement would take place with residents, stakeholders and partners on the individual schemes in the preferred approach as they progressed to detailed design and necessary consents for implementation; and

6)    Supported the appointment of dedicated project management capacity, to be funded from the capital allocation referred to above for an initial period of two years, to secure the necessary expertise and approvals to progress the shorter term priorities identified in recommendation 3, and to identify funding and wider opportunities as they arose.

Resolved that the Executive approved:-

1)    The Somerset Waste Partnership’s Draft Business Plan 2020-25;

2)    The projected budget for 2020-21 subject to the finalisation of the figures; and

3)    The variations to the Inter-Authority Agreement.