Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils
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Agenda, decisions and minutes

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Items
No. Item

170.

APOLOGIES

Minutes:

None received.

171.

BCa/19/15 TO CONFIRM THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 12 SEPTEMBER 2019 pdf icon PDF 268 KB

Minutes:

It was RESOLVED:-

 

That the minutes of the meeting held on 12th September 2019 be signed as a true record.

172.

DECLARATION OF INTERESTS BY COUNCILLORS

Minutes:

Councillor Arthey declared a non-pecuniary interest in respect of Item 13 in his capacity as a private landlord.

173.

TO RECEIVE NOTIFICATION OF PETITIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COUNCIL'S PETITION SCHEME

Minutes:

There were no petitions received.

174.

QUESTIONS BY COUNCILLORS

Minutes:

There were no questions received.

175.

MATTERS REFERRED BY THE OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY OR JOINT AUDIT AND STANDARDS COMMITTEES

Minutes:

There were no matters referred.

176.

FORTHCOMING DECISIONS LIST

Please note the most up to date version can be found via the website:

 

https://www.babergh.gov.uk/the-council/forthcoming-decisions-list/

 

 

Minutes:

The Forthcoming Decisions List was noted.

177.

BCa/19/16 CORPORATE PLAN (2019 - 2027) pdf icon PDF 310 KB

Leader of the Council

Decision:

It was RESOLVED:-

 

That Cabinet recommended the draft corporate plan (2019 – 2027) to Council (as visually represented in paragraph 4.5 of the report) to replace the Refreshed Joint Strategic Plan (2016 – 2020).   

 

Reason for Decision:To ensure that Babergh and Mid Suffolk have an appropriate corporate plan in place,designed to address the challenges and seize the opportunities facing the districts, and their organisations, for the foreseeable future. 

 

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  The Councils’ existing “Refreshed Joint Strategic Plan” is due to expire in 2020 and therefore needs replacing. The options that informed the development of the draft corporate plan are contained within Appendix A of the report.  

Any Declaration of Interest Declared: None

Any Dispensation Granted: None

 

 

Minutes:

The Leader of the Council presented the Joint Corporate Plan for recommendation for approval at Full Council. Councillor Ward advised Members that there would be a more detailed presentation from the Chief Executive at the Full Council Meeting on 26th October 2019.

 

The recommendations contained in the report were moved by Councillor Ward and seconded by Councillor Malvisi.

 

Councillor Osborne commented that the Corporate Plan diagram did not include specific strategies and therefore does not tell the full story to officers. The Chief Executive advised that the Corporate Plan will be supported by workshops and further video content, details of which would be presented at full Council.

 

In response to a query from Councillor Malvisi, Councillor Ward confirmed that the Working Group set up to look at climate change and biodiversity would be reporting back to Council and this will have an impact across all strategic priorities. Councillor Ward further commented that the environment is a key strategic priority.

 

Councillor Parker endorsed the plan and commented that this was a good piece of work.

 

By a unanimous vote

 

It was RESOLVED:-

 

That Cabinet recommended the draft corporate plan (2019 – 2027) to Council (as visually represented in paragraph 4.5 of the report) to replace the Refreshed Joint Strategic Plan (2016 – 2020).   

 

Reason for Decision:To ensure that Babergh and Mid Suffolk have an appropriate corporate plan in place,designed to address the challenges and seize the opportunities facing the districts, and their organisations, for the foreseeable future. 

 

178.

BCa/19/17 ALDHAM NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN pdf icon PDF 224 KB

Cabinet Member for Planning

Decision:

It was RESOLVED:-

 

1.1           That Aldham Parish Council be requested to make the necessary modifications to their Neighbourhood Plan in accordance with the Examiner’s recommendations.

1.2     That, subject to the satisfactory completion of the above (to be agreed by the Corporate Manager for Strategic Planning), the Neighbourhood Plan be advanced to a local referendum covering the parish of Aldham.

 

Reason for Decision: To enable the Council to meet its statutory obligations under Section 17A of the  Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 (as amended) and to allow the Aldham Neighbourhood Plan to proceed to a local referendum.

 

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

 

1.1     The local planning authority may propose to make a decision on a recommendation that differs from that set out by the Examiner in their report. If so, it must give its reason why and undertake further consultation before issuing a final decision. As appropriate, this may require the matter to be re-examined. For the reasons set out in section 4 below, this option has been discarded.

1.2     The recommended option as set out below is that the local planning authority agree that this Neighbourhood Plan proceed to a local referendum.

Any Declarations of Interest Declared: None

Any Dispensation Granted: None

 

 

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Planning introduced the report and confirmed that the Parish Council had made the necessary modifications to the plan and that these were awaiting agreement. The recommendations were moved by Councillor Arthey and seconded by Councillor Malvisi.

 

Councillor Arthey gave thanks to Paul Bryant, Neighbourhood Planning Officer, for his hard work.

 

Councillor Parker congratulated Aldham Parish Council and everyone involved in the production of the Neighbourhood Plan. The Neighbourhood Planning Officer confirmed he will pass this on to the Ward Member, Councillor Jamieson.

 

By a unanimous vote

 

It was RESOLVED:-

 

1.1                   That Aldham Parish Council be requested to make the necessary modifications to their Neighbourhood Plan in accordance with the Examiner’s recommendations.

1.2         That, subject to the satisfactory completion of the above (to be agreed by the Corporate Manager for Strategic Planning), the Neighbourhood Plan be advanced to a local referendum covering the parish of Aldham.

 

Reason for Decision: To enable the Council to meet its statutory obligations under Section 17A of the  Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 (as amended) and to allow the Aldham Neighbourhood Plan to proceed to a local referendum.

 

179.

BCa/19/18 EXTRA CARE SHELTERED HOUSING SERVICE PROVISION - LEASING SCHEMES TO ORWELL HOUSING ASSOCIATION pdf icon PDF 660 KB

Cabinet Member for Housing

Additional documents:

Decision:

It was RESOLVED:- That approval was given to begin the process of negotiating a long-term lease arrangement with Orwell Housing Association for the two Extra Care Sheltered Housing Schemes; William Wood House and Sydney Brown Court. 

 

Reason for Decision:  The existing contract cannot be extended any further due to the length of time it has been in existence and the extensions historically provided. A decision on the long-term future of the sites is required to give all stakeholders security.

 

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

 

1.1           Option to Re-tender

The Council could re-tender the contract to provide the services for residents at William Wood House and Sydney Brown Court. This exercise was last carried out in 2004 and the market has not been tested since then.  However, this option does not address the fundamental issues pertaining to the increasing costs and resources required to maintain and manage these properties as Extra Care facilities.

1.2           Option to sell

The Council has the option to sell the properties. It is estimated that it would take approximately 12 to 18 months to properly market the properties. 

The 2019 report estimates a sale price for each of the properties to be in the order of £2,500,000 to £3,000,000. The report warns that these estimates may need to be adjusted downwards as the rent is capped by the resident’s tenancy agreements.

 

It was assumed that any sale would take place with sitting tenants and would constitute a stock transfer.  The alternative would be to decant the tenants to other accommodation or wait for the schemes to become empty over time in order that vacant buildings could then be sold. Both options would come with significant challenges and risks, and this report has not explored them in detail.

 

1.3           Option to Lease:

If this option is agreed, then the Council’s objective would be to grant a lease on a Full Repair and Insurance (FRI) basis, whereby the leasee is made responsible for all internal and external repairs and maintenance of the buildings, other structures and grounds, together with the providing adequate insurance for the buildings and their contents.

 

A commercial rent for the care homes would be in the order of £200,000pa to £250,000pa for each care home. However, this estimate of the rent may need to be adjusted downwards:

 

·       as the rent is capped by the resident’s tenancy agreements; and/or

·       if the leasee is to be made responsible for certain planned capital expenditures to upgrade the care homes.

 

If this option is adopted, then the Council’s Strategic Assets Team has enough expertise to negotiate the terms and conditions of the lease.

 

Any Declarations of Interest Declared: None

 

Any Dispensation Granted: None

 

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Housing introduced the report which sought approval to explore a long-term lease arrangement with Orwell Housing in respect of  two extra care sheltered housing schemes. Councillor Osborne advised that the report had been revised. The Corporate Manager for Tenant Services explained the revisions contained within the report.

 

The recommendations in the revised report were moved by Councillor Osborne and seconded by Councillor Davis.

 

Councillor Busby queried the figures included in the financial implications section of the report and enquired if Internal Audit had reviewed the report. It was confirmed this had been done. The Interim Estates Manager provided further explanations of the financial forecasting.

 

Members discussed the benefits of the scheme for the tenants, future costs of maintenance of the properties, and the long-term viability of the properties. Councillor Osborne reminded Members that any proposals negotiated would come back to Cabinet before final approval by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

 

By a unanimous vote

 

It was RESOLVED:-

 

That approval was given to begin the process of negotiating a long-term lease arrangement with Orwell Housing Association for the two Extra Care Sheltered Housing Schemes; William Wood House and Sydney Brown Court. 

 

Reason for Decision:  The existing contract cannot be extended any further due to the length of time it has been in existence and the extensions historically provided. A decision on the long-term future of the sites is required to give all stakeholders security.

 

180.

BCa/19/19 DEVELOPMENT OF A BUSINESS CASE FOR A JOINT VENTURE FOR THE FUTURE DELIVERY OF BUILDING SERVICES pdf icon PDF 446 KB

Cabinet Member for Housing

Additional documents:

Decision:

It was RESOLVED:-

 

1.1           That a business case is developed by officers which explores the opportunities a Joint Venture would create to deliver Building Services.

1.2     That a business case, with a preferred option for the delivery of Building Services is presented to Cabinet, by early 2020, for a decision.

 

Reason for Decision: The delivery of an efficient and effective, value for money building service continues to present a range of challenges. To ensure we provide the highest level of service to our tenants whilst managing costs, the development of this business case would explore the opportunities and benefits to deliver services within an alternative business model in the future.

 

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

 

1.2           The first option is the ‘Status Quo’ in which officers would continue to manage and develop the Building Service in accordance to the current Business Plan.

1.3           The second option is to consider alternatives to the current business model, which could include outsourcing the service or finding an alternative partner to enter into a joint venture with. However, these have been discounted because there are no immediate opportunities to develop these options.

Any Declarations of Interest Declared: None

Any Dispensation Granted: None

 

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Housing introduced report BCa/19/19 and moved the recommendations, which were seconded by Councillor Davis.

 

In response to a question from Councillor Arthey, the Chief Executive confirmed that this was an executive decision.

 

Councillor Arthey then queried the increased costs in respect of void properties detailed in the report. Councillor Osborne advised that new regulations following the Grenfell Tower incident had led to increased costs such as asbestos checks, fire safety tests etc.

 

The costs of developing the business case for a joint venture to both Babergh District Council and Flagship Housing were discussed. The Assistant Director for Housing confirmed that the business case would be developed jointly and

that there was a cap of £10,000 in place in total for the two districts.

 

The Assistant Director for Housing provided details of a staff event which had recently taken place to provide information and reassurance to existing members of staff.

                                      

By a unanimous vote

 

It was RESOLVED:-

 

1.1  That a business case is developed by officers which explores the opportunities a Joint Venture would create to deliver Building Services.

1.2   That a business case, with a preferred option for the delivery of Building Services is presented to Cabinet, by early 2020, for a decision.

 

Reason for Decision: The delivery of an efficient and effective, value for money building service continues to present a range of challenges. To ensure we provide the highest level of service to our tenants whilst managing costs, the development of this business case would explore the opportunities and benefits to deliver services within an alternative business model in the future.

 

181.

EXCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC (WHICH TERM INCLUDES THE PRESS)

To consider whether, pursuant to Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public should be excluded from the meeting for the business specified below on the grounds that if the public were present during this item, it is likely that there would be the disclosure to them of exempt information as indicated against the item.

 

The author of the report proposed to be considered in Part 2 of the Agenda is satisfied that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

 

Minutes:

Resolution to Exclude the Public

 

To consider whether, pursuant to Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public should be excluded from the meeting for the business specified below on the grounds that if the public were present during these items, it is likely that there would be the disclosure to them of exempt information as indicated against each item. The authors of the report proposed to be considered in Part II of the Agenda were satisfied that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

 

Note: Information is exempt only if:

It falls within one of the 7 categories of exempt information in the Act and; In all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

 

182.

BCa/19/20 IMPROVING ACCESS TO THE PRIVATE RENTED SECTOR

Cabinet Member for Housing

Decision:

Resolution to Exclude the Public

 

To consider whether, pursuant to Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public should be excluded from the meeting for the business specified below on the grounds that if the public were present during these items, it is likely there would be the disclosure to them of exempt information as indicated against each item. The authors of the report proposed to be considered in Part II of the Agenda were satisfied that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.

 

Note: Information is exempt only if:

It falls within one of the 7 categories of exempt information in the Act and; In all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

 

It was RESOLVED:-

 

1.1           That Cabinet approved the implementation of a two-year pilot Guaranteed Rent Scheme to be used as a preventative tool to reducing homelessness.

1.2     That Cabinet approved the development of the Central Suffolk Lettings Partnership, including the proposed branding.

 

Reason for Decision: To agree to fund innovative new solutions to preventing homelessness, using homelessness grant and reserves funding.

 

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

 

1.1     The number of households in temporary accommodation is rising.  We need to consider innovative ways of improving access to the private rented sector to minimise stays in Bed and Breakfast and Temporary Accommodation.  Therefore, we are proposing to develop a two-year pilot guaranteed rent scheme.

1.2           We have considered taking no action, but this would fail to address the issue and we are likely to continue to see a rise in the number of households being accommodated under Homelessness Legislation.

Any Declarations of Interest Declared: Councillor Arthey declared a local non pecuniary interest in his capacity as a private landlord.

Any Dispensation Granted: None

 

Minutes:

By a unanimous vote

 

It was RESOLVED:-

 

1.1   That Cabinet approved the implementation of a two-year pilot Guaranteed Rent Scheme to be used as a preventative tool to reducing homelessness.

1.2     That Cabinet approved the development of the Central Suffolk Lettings Partnership, including the proposed branding.

 

Reason for Decision: To agree to fund innovative new solutions to preventing homelessness, using homelessness grant and reserves funding.