Minutes:
Item 7a – Cabinet 27 July 2022 – Minute No 30 – Harmonising Community Infrastructure Levy
Councillor Broadhead, Portfolio Holder for Development, Growth and Regeneration presented the report on Harmonising Community Infrastructure Levy and outlined the recommendations as set out on the agenda.
Members were informed that the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a levy that local authorities can charge on development in their area, and that CIL income can be used to contribute towards the funding of infrastructure needed to support new development.
In relation to this Members were advised that BCP Council currently operates three legacy approaches in the implementation of the levy, and that this report and accompanying appendices are looking to harmonise these legacy approaches to deliver a single policy approach to be implemented across the charging authority area, and that these policy changes will be implemented as part of the Planning Harmonisation and Improvement Project.
Further to this Members were informed that internal auditors have reviewed the current CIL processes and identified a series of actions, and that the response to these actions is set out in the report, with many actions already implemented or in the process of being implemented through the Planning Harmonisation and Improvement Project.
Councillor J Butt proposed an additional recommendation to be included at (d) to read:
(d): “Acceleration of the timescale to consult on and propose a new charging schedule within 2023 that meets better the needs of local communities”
The proposer and seconder agreed that they were content to include this within the existing recommendations.
RESOLVED that Council: -
(a) approved the proposed BCP CIL Instalment Policy;
(b) approved the proposed BCP CIL Payment in Kind Policy;
(c) approved the BCP CIL Discretionary Relief Statement; and
(d) approved the acceleration of the timescale to consult on and propose a new charging schedule within 2023 that meets better the needs of local communities.
Voting: Nem.Con (2 abstentions)
Councillors M Greene and N Greene declared interests in this item and refrained from voting thereon.
Item 7b – Cabinet 27 July 2022 – Minute No 33 – Youth Justice Service – Annual Youth Justice Plan
Councillor White, Portfolio Holder for Children and Young People presented the report on Youth Justice Service – Annual Youth Justice Plan and outlined the recommendations as set out on the agenda.
Members were advised that there is a statutory requirement to publish an annual Youth Justice Plan which must provide specified information about the local provision of youth justice services, and that the report summarised the Youth Justice Plan for 2022/23.
RESOLVED that Full Council approved the Annual Youth Justice Plan.
Voting: Unanimous
Councillor Dr F Rice left the meeting at 7.19pm
7f – Cabinet 28 September 2022 – Minute No 53 – Finance Strategy Update Report
Councillor Mellor, Leader of the Council presented the Finance Strategy Update Report and outlined the recommendations as set out on the agenda.
Members were advised that the report provided the first response to the recommendations of the Finance Update and further to this included an update on the Financial Strategy and proposals to prudently position the council to deliver a balanced budget for 2023/24.
Members were informed that there had been a long and detailed debate at the Corporate and Community Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
RESOLVED that Council: -
(d) pending the presentation of new viable business cases, remove from the Capital Programme the debt commitments to the Winter Gardens and Cotlands developments; and
(e) release the earmarked reserves as set out in Appendix C.
Voting: Nem.Con (19 abstentions)
Note – resolutions (a), (b) and (c) were resolved matters by the Cabinet.
7h – Cabinet 26 October 2022 – Minute No 64 – Finance Strategy Update Report
Councillor Mellor, Leader of the Council presented the Finance Strategy Update report and outlined the recommendations as set out on the agenda.
Members were advised that the report demonstrated that the Council had made further good progress in prudently positioning itself to deliver and set out how it would achieve a balanced budget for 2023/24.
Members were informed that there had been a long and detailed debate at the Corporate and Community Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
RESOLVED that Council: -
(f) approved £1.9m of investment in 2022/23 in a specific transformation workstream in Children’s Services as set out in appendix A; and
(g) approved the further release of earmarked reserves as set out in appendix C.
Voting: Carried
7g – Cabinet 28 September 2022 – Minute No 57 – BCP Community Safety Partnership Strategy
Councillor Dove, Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Regulatory Services presented the report on the BCP Community Safety Partnership Strategy and outlined the recommendations as set out on the agenda.
Members were advised that the report summarised the Partnership’s Community Safety Strategy 2022 – 2025, including priorities, strategic principles, approach, objectives and key performance indicators.
In relation to this Members were informed that as a statutory partner of the Community Safety Partnership that the Council is required to adopt the strategy.
RESOLVED that the BCP Community Safety Partnership Strategy be approved.
Voting: Unanimous
(Councillor T Trent joined part way through the debate and therefore did not participate in the discussion or voting thereon).
7j – Audit and Governance Committee 27 October 2022 – Minute No 148 – Review of the Council’s Constitution
Councillor Beesley, Chairman of the Audit and Governance Committee presented the report on the Review of the Councils Constitution and outlined the recommendations as set out on the agenda.
In presenting the report Councillor Beesley highlighted that it had been requested that recommendation (h) be brought back to the Constitution Review Working Group for further consideration, and with that in mind therefore advised that recommendation (h) would be deferred pending further review.
Members expressed concern with regards to recommendation (i) and access to documents and in relation to this a proposition was made to remove this recommendation by Councillor Bartlett, this was seconded by Councillor Slade. Upon further discussion it was agreed that (i) would also be sent back to the Constitution Review Working Group for further consideration.
RESOLVED that: -
(a) in relation to Issue 1 (Powers of Head of Paid Service in relation to contracted workers), no changes be made to the Constitution;
(b) in relation to Issue 2 (Standing to speak at Council and associated etiquette), the proposed amendments to the existing Procedure Rule 13.4 (page 4-49) and the insertion of a new Procedure Rule 6 (Duration of meetings) (page 4- 37), be approved;
(c) in relation to Issue 3 (Process for interpretation of Procedure Rules), the proposed amendments to the existing Procedure Rule 21 (page 4-54), be approved;
(d) in relation to Issue 4 (Questions by Councillors at Council Meetings), the proposed amendments to the existing Procedure Rules 11.7 (page 4-42) and 13.5 (page 4-49), be approved;
(e) in relation to Issue 5 (Arrangements for voting from the public gallery), no changes be made to the Constitution;
(f) in relation to Issue 6 (Categories of officers falling within the definition of senior officers), the proposed amendments to the terms of reference for the Appeals Committee and the Investigation and Disciplinary Committee (pages 3-19 and 3-19), be approved;
(g) in relation to Issue 7 (Thresholds/Levels of Financial Delegation), no changes be made to the Constitution;
(h) in relation to Issue 8 (Public participation – Public Questions, Statements and Petitions), the proposed amendments to the existing Procedure Rules 12 (pages 4- 42 to 4-48), be referred back to the Constitution Review Working Group for further review;
(i) in relation to Issue 9 (Access to documents – Overview and Scrutiny Committees), the proposed amendment to the existing Procedure Rules 24.3 (page 4-17), be referred back to the Constitution Review Working Group for further review;
(j) in relation to Issue 10 (Prevent Channel – Statutory functions), the proposed amendment to Part 2, Article 12 (Decision Making) (page 2-25), be approved;
(k) in relation to Issue 11 (Co-opted and other non-Councillor members of Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee), the proposed insertion of paragraph 6.7.3 to Part 2, Article 6 (page 2-14) and Part 3A, paragraph 4.5 (page 3-13), be approved;
(l) in relation to Issue 12 (Planning process governance issues), no changes be made to the Constitution;
(m) in relation to Issue 13 (Voting by Councillors), the proposed insertion of paragraph 18.1 to existing Procedure Rule 17 (page 4-53), be approved;
(n) in relation to Issue 14 (Attendance of councillors at meetings), no changes be made to the Constitution;
(o) in relation to Issue 15 (Lead Members on Scrutiny), Part 2, Article 6 (Overview and Scrutiny), paragraph 6.4.2 (page 2- 13) be amended to read:- “Lead Members of the Cabinet may not be a member of Overview and Scrutiny Committees.”
(p) in relation to Issue 16 (Eligibility for election of office), the proposed insertion of paragraphs 2.5 and 2.5 to existing Procedure Rule 2 (pages 4-36 and 4-37), be approved;
(q) in relation to Issue 17 (Planning Committee Delegations), the proposed insertion to Part 3A, paragraph 2.4 (page 3- 9), be approved;
(r) any necessary and consequential technical and formatting related updates and revisions to the Constitution be made by the Monitoring Officer in accordance with powers delegated.
Voting: Nem.Con (7 abstentions)
The meeting adjourned at 8.16 pm and reconvened at 8.33 pm
Councillors M Haines and R Maidment left the meeting at 8.16 pm.