Agenda item

Please refer to the recommendations below.

Item 7a – Cabinet 25 May 2022 – Minute No 7 – Harbourside Park – Strategic Infrastructure Improvements to the Sluice Channel Linking Poole Park and Poole Harbour

Councillor Anderson, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Place presented the report on the Harbourside Park and outlined the recommendations as set out on the agenda.

During debate Members whilst supporting the work discussed matters relating to the funding coming from CIL rather than the futures fund and stressed the importance of coordinating work with Wessex Water to ensure the drainage issues were addressed.

RESOLVED that Council approved the use of £1.239 million of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) to Environment to detail design, obtain consents, and construct the sluice channel replacement and sluice gate upgrade and other associated activities as required to deliver the project to completion.

Voting: Unanimous

Item 7b – Cabinet 25 May 2022 – Minute No 8 – Our Museum: Poole Museum Estate Redevelopment Programme

Councillor Dunlop, Portfolio Holder for Tourism, Culture and Vibrant Places presented the report on the Poole Museum Estate Redevelopment Programme and outlined the recommendations as set out on the agenda.

Members welcomed the scheme overall whilst some members expressed concern with regards to the additional expenditure.

RESOLVED that Council approved an increase in the capital budget of up to £1.41m for the Poole Museum Programme which is to be funded by: -

(a) Grant income of £0.23m from Historic England

(b) CIL funding of £0.5m

(c) Prudential Borrowing of £0.69m

Voting: 62:1 (1 abstention)

Councillor Rachel Maidment arrived at 8.07 pm

Item 7c – Cabinet 22 June 2022 – Minute No 15 – 2021/22 Outturn Report

The Leader of the Council presented the report on the 2021/22 Outturn report and outlined the recommendations as set out on the agenda.

Members highlighted areas of concern relating to the increased deficit and risk the council is under and in addition discussion took place on areas within the report including the pay and reward strategy which it was felt should have been resolved by now and the additional money going into adult social care.

RESOLVED that Council: -

(a)     approved that the final revenue surplus for the year of £6.8 million is added to financial resilience reserve with the extra £3.5m not assumed in the 2022/23 budget being used to mitigate the emerging inflationary cost of living pressures; and

(b)    approved the capital virement as set out in paragraph 97.

Note – resolution (c) was determined by Cabinet.

Voting: 60:0 4 abstentions

Item 7d – Cabinet 22 June 2022 – Minute No 16 – Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) Update

The Leader of the Council presented the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) Update report and outlined the recommendations set out on the agenda.

Members were informed that there had been a long and detailed debate at Scrutiny. Further to this Councillor Hilliard advised that he welcomed the transparency and openness but requested that consideration be given to holding the budget café in September/ October with a further café being held in February to address the progress.

Members raised concerns with regards to the level of borrowing and associated risks. In addition, issues were raised in relation to customer services where it was highlighted that the systems don’t seem to be working correctly, the flexibility of capital receipts and the issues surrounding second homes.

RESOLVED that Council approve the second homes premium and revisions to empty homes premium subject to their confirmation via the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill.

Note – recommendations (a) to (e) were determined by the Cabinet.

Voting: 36: 21 (abstentions 6)

7e – Cabinet 22 June 2022 – Minute No 17 – BCP FuturePlaces Ltd – Revised Business Plan and Funding Mechanism

Councillor Philip Broadhead, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Development, Growth and Regeneration presented the report on the BCP FuturePlaces Ltd – Revised Business Plan and Funding Mechanism and outlined the recommendations as set out on the agenda.

Members raised a number of issues including expressing concern with regards to the lack of transparency and the complexity that is introduced by the setting up of a separate organisation.

Councillor Julie Bagwell left the meeting at 9.04 pm

Councillor Chris Rigby proposed the following amendment to the report:

‘’remove the wording ‘if appropriate’ from paragraph 13 of page 168 of the report so the last sentence reads – ‘This income flow will enable FuturePlaces to repay its debt.’’

The amendment was seconded by Councillor Vikki Slade.

Clarification was sought in terms of which recommendation the amendment referred to and Members were advised that recommendation (b) be approved subject to the deletion of the words ‘if appropriate’ within paragraph 13.

Councillor Anne Filer left the room at 9:20 pm and re-joined the meeting at 9.26 pm.

The Portfolio Holder advised that he was happy with the suggested word removal.

RESOLVED that Council: -

(a)    approved an increase in the working capital loan facility to £8m (from £400k) to support BCP FuturePlaces Ltd from July 2022; and

(b)   approve the revised BCP FuturePlaces Ltd Business Plan attached to the report and the confidential Appendix 1 subject to the removal or the words ‘if appropriate’ within paragraph 13 of the report as set out above.

Note – resolutions (c) and (d) were determined by Cabinet.

Voting: 33: 27 (3 abstentions)

The Leader and the Deputy Leader of Council were granted with dispensations from the Chief Executive in accordance with the relevant legislation by virtue of their directorships on companies in relation to this item and were therefore able to participate in the discussion and voting thereon.

The meeting was adjourned at 9.28 pm and reconvened at 9.39 pm

7f – Cabinet 22 June 2022 – Minute No 19 – Cemetery Regulations and Cemetery Fees Harmonisation for BCP Council Cemeteries

Councillor Mark Anderson, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Place presented the report on the Cemetery Regulations and Cemetery Fees Harmonisation and outlined the recommendations as set out on the agenda.

Members discussed a number of matters including issues relating to space and the rules and regulations relating to the scattering of ashes.

RESOLVED that Council: -

(a)        adopted the harmonised and updated Cemetery Rules and Regulations for all nine cemeteries to be adopted from 01 September 2022; and

(b)        adopted the harmonised cemetery fees for all nine cemeteries to be adopted from 01 September 2022.

Vote: Unanimous

Councillor Tony Trent joined the meeting at 9.50 pm

7g – The Leader 27 June 2022 – Disposal of 21 Mill Lane

The Leader of the Council presented the report on the Disposal of 21 Mill Lane and outlined the recommendations as set on the agenda.

Members were advised that options had been explored and that money would be going back into the school system.

Members questioned why the house couldn’t be used for social housing and in relation to this were advised that this had been questioned at the time but that this was the best option.

In addition Members raised the matter of the sale of the property and questioned why it was only marketed with one agent. In relation to this the Leader acknowledged the point and advised that this would be taken forwards to see if it is possible to change the process going forwards.

RESOLVED that Council: -

(a)       agreed to the disposal of 21 Mill Lane, as outlined in red on the attached plan in Appendix 2, for the purchase price detailed in the confidential appendix to the report;

(b)       delegates authority to the Corporate Property Officer to finalise the detailed terms of the disposal.

Vote:  37:5 (19 abstention)