Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils
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Agenda, decisions and minutes

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Items
No. Item

105.

DECLARATION OF INTERESTS BY COUNCILLORS

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

106.

MCa/19/51 TO CONFIRM THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 10 FEBRUARY 2020 pdf icon PDF 264 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 10 February 2020 were confirmed as a correct record.

107.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Minutes:

None received.

108.

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

Minutes:

None received.

109.

QUESTIONS BY COUNCILLORS

Minutes:

There were no questions by Councillors.

110.

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

Minutes:

There were no matters referred.

111.

FORTHCOMING DECISIONS LIST

Minutes:

The Forthcoming Decisions List was noted.

112.

MCa/19/52 GENERAL FUND FINANCIAL MONITORING 2019/20 - QUARTER 3 pdf icon PDF 322 KB

Cabinet Member for Finance

Decision:

It was RESOLVED:-

 

1.1           That, subject to any further budget variations that arise during the rest of the financial year, the surplus funds of £879k, referred to in section 5.8 of the report, be noted;

1.2           That, subject to any further variations that arise in business rates funding during the rest of the financial year, the shortfall in funds of £332k, referred to in section 5.9 of the report, be noted;

1.3     That, the forecast position for the 2019/20 Capital Programme, referred to in Appendix E and section 5.19 of the report, be noted.

 

Reason for Decision:To ensure that Members are kept informed of the current budgetary position for both General Fund Revenue and Capital.

 

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected: At this stage in the year, the financial position is for noting only.

Any Declarations of Interests Declared: None

Any Dispensation Granted: None

 

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Finance introduced the report which provided an update on income and expenditure budget variances. Councillor Whitehead commented that the variances in the report were for noting only at this period in the year. Councillor Whitehead moved the recommendations and this was seconded by Councillor Brewster.

 

Councillor Fleming raised a question regarding the collection rate in respect of Council Tax. Councillor Whitehead commented that the current figures were in line with those for the previous year.

 

In response to a query from Councillor Fleming regarding the Disabled Facilities Grant changes, the Assistant Director for Housing confirmed that the scheme had been fully adopted and that all Suffolk Authorities were reviewing how the Disabled Facilities Grants were administered. A report would be presented to Cabinet in July for approval.

 

Following a query from Councillor Eburne regarding the income from car parking, Councillor Morley advised that this had been discussed as part of the Car Park Enforcement Policy and welcomed Councillor Eburne to provide any feedback to officers.

 

Councillor Welham enquired whether the budget figures relating to Appendix C of the report were joint figures with Babergh District Council. Councillor Whitehead advised that those projects with an accumulative spend were joint projects, and therefore funding was split between the two Councils for those projects.

 

With regard to the underspend on grants for shop fronts the Cabinet Member for Assets and Investments confirmed that the scheme was being reviewed.

 

Councillor Field raised a question regarding the Collection Fund Deficit referred to in paragraph 5.9 of the report. In response the Corporate Manager, Finance and Commissioning and Procurement, explained the timescales for submitting the figures to the Government and the impact this had on setting the budget.

 

By a unanimous vote

 

It was RESOLVED:-

 

1.1           That, subject to any further budget variations that arise during the rest of the financial year, the surplus funds of £879k, referred to in section 5.8 of the report, be noted;

1.2           That, subject to any further variations that arise in business rates funding during the rest of the financial year, the shortfall in funds of £332k, referred to in section 5.9 of the report, be noted;

1.3     That, the forecast position for the 2019/20 Capital Programme, referred to in Appendix E and section 5.19 of the report, be noted.

 

Reason for Decision:To ensure that Members are kept informed of the current budgetary position for both General Fund Revenue and Capital.

 

113.

MCa/19/53 HOUSING REVENUE ACCOUNT FINANCIAL MONITORING 2019/20 - QUARTER 3 pdf icon PDF 391 KB

Cabinet Member for Finance

Decision:

It was RESOLVED:-

 

1.1           The potential or likely variations in relation to the HRA both Revenue and Capital compared to the Budget be noted.

1.2           That, subject to any further budget variations that arise during the rest of the financial year, the in-year shortfall in funds of £218k, referred to in section 5.5 of the report, be noted.

1.3     The 2019/20 Capital Programme position referred to in Appendix A and section 5.10 of the report be noted.

 

Reason for Decision: To ensure that Members are kept informed of the current budgetary position for both the HRA Revenue and Capital Budgets.

 

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:At this stage in the year, make no recommendation for the transfer of funds from reserves.

Any Declarations of Interests Declared: None

Any Dispensation Granted: None

 

Minutes:

The report was introduced by the Cabinet Member for Finance. Councillor Whitehead moved the recommendations in the report and this was seconded by Councillor Flatman.

 

In response to a query from Councillor Welham regarding void property figures, the Assistant Director for Housing confirmed the increased figure related to the number of properties and not the number of days the properties had been empty, and advised exact figures would be provided.

 

Councillor Eburne raised a query regarding the New Build and Acquisitions Programme and sought confirmation that housing development was in line with local housing needs. The Cabinet Member for Housing confirmed that a policy was being looked at. The Assistant Director for Housing then advised that a project was planned to review the system of letting properties. The results were expected within twelve months and would be presented to Cabinet.

 

Councillor Fleming commented on the deficit in relation to repairs and maintenance and asked what action was planned to address this. Councillor Flatman advised that a review of Building Services was being undertaken and options would be presented to Cabinet in May or June of this year. The Assistant Director for Housing commented that the adverse variances against budget had been reducing over the last few years. He then advised Members of the actions which had been taken to address issues including reducing the demand on sub-contractors, training of staff and revisions to the team structure.

 

In response to a query from Councillor Richardson, the Assistant Director for Housing provided Members with examples of the improvements made to Building Services and gave credit to the staff working to make these improvements.

 

By a unanimous vote

 

It was RESOLVED:-

 

1.1      The potential or likely variations in relation to the HRA both Revenue and Capital compared to the Budget be noted.

1.2     That, subject to any further budget variations that arise during the rest of the financial year, the in-year shortfall in funds of £218k, referred to in section 5.5 of the report, be noted.

1.3     The 2019/20 Capital Programme position referred to in Appendix A and section 5.10 of the report be noted.

 

Reason for Decision: To ensure that Members are kept informed of the current budgetary position for both the HRA Revenue and Capital Budgets.

 

 

114.

MCa/19/54 QUARTER THREE PERFORMANCE OUTCOME REPORTING pdf icon PDF 147 KB

Cabinet Member for Customers, Digital Transformation and Improvement

Additional documents:

Decision:

It was RESOLVED:-

 

That the performance report and the performance outcome information tabled at Appendices A to I of the report be agreed as reflecting Mid Suffolk District Council’s performance for Oct – Dec 2019.

 

Reason for Decision: To provide assurance that the Council is meeting its performance objectives.

 

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected: It is a requirement to report this information to Cabinet, therefore there are no other available options.

Any Declaration of Interests Declared: None

Any Dispensation Granted: None

 

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Digital Transformation and Improvement introduced the report and thanked Cabinet Members in conjunction with the Assistant Directors for their efforts in reviewing and updating the measures. The recommendations in the report were moved by Councillor Morley and seconded by Councillor Richardson.

 

Councillor Fleming asked for clarity over the performance indicator relating to fly tipping. The Assistant Director for Customer Services confirmed that the figures relating to fly tipping reflect incidents reported by members of the public and advised that figures were not available to indicate if the reduction was as a result of less instances of fly tipping or less incidents being reported.

 

Councillor Fleming went on to ask about cleaning and maintenance arrangements in respect of Solar PV Panels. The Assistant Director for Housing provided confirmation that a schedule of cleaning was now in place and included within the budget. A report would be presented to Cabinet regarding this item in the future.

 

In response to a question from Councillor Field regarding the reasons for the  increase in long-term sickness figures, the Chief Executive confirmed that the majority of long-term sickness related to mental health and only a small percentage of these were work related stress.

 

Councillor Eburne requested that, following the Joint Local Plan being made, reviews of Neighbourhood Plans were included as performance reporting figures. Councillor Eburne also commented that there was no performance reporting for Shared Legal Services. The Monitoring Officer advised that the service plan for Shared Legal Services was currently being reviewed and a performance indicator would be included in the next report. The Assistant Director for Sustainable Communities confirmed that figures relating to Neighbourhood Plans would also be included.

 

Councillor Mansel queried the figures relating to garden waste subscribers and how these compared to other Local Authorities. Councillor Fleming advised that due to the complexity of the performance indicators, a response would be provided outside of the meeting.

 

Following a further query from Councillor Mansel regarding performance indicators for void properties, the Assistant Director for Housing advised that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had advised that these details did not require reporting.

 

By a unanimous vote

 

It was RESOLVED:-

 

That the performance report and the performance outcome information tabled at Appendices A to I of the report be agreed as reflecting Mid Suffolk District Council’s performance for Oct – Dec 2019.

 

Reason for Decision: To provide assurance that the Council is meeting its performance objectives.

 

 

 

115.

MCa/19/55 COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE LEVY (CIL) - CIL EXPENDITURE BUSINESS PLAN MARCH 2020 pdf icon PDF 215 KB

Cabinet Member for Planning

Additional documents:

Decision:

It was RESOLVED:-

 

1.1     That the CIL Expenditure Business Plan (March 2020) and accompanying technical assessment of the CIL Bids forming Appendices A and B of the report be approved. This includes decisions on valid Bids approved and noted by Cabinet as follows: -

Decisions for Cabinet to make: Local Infrastructure Fund

CIL Bid, Location and Infrastructure Proposed

Amount of CIL Bid and total cost of the Infrastructure

Cabinet Decision

M19-07 OCCOLD

Village Hall enhancement extension

Amount of CIL Bid

£19,190

Total cost

£57,600.00

It was resolved that the

 CIL Bid M19-07 for

£19,190 be approved.

M19-08 THORNHAM

Greening and Growing Thornham Walks

Provision of a car park

Amount of CIL Bid

£27,000.00

Total cost

£32,619.66

It was resolved that the

CIL Bid M19-08 for

£27,000.00

subject to a legal

document which

allows the car park

to be used for a

25-year period be

 approved.

M19-10 BRAMFORD CEVC Primary School – increase in capacity from 210-315 places (increase from 1FE to 1.5FE for R-Y5

Expansion of primary school

Amount of CIL Bid

£645,593

Total cost 1.504,000

 

It was resolved that the

CIL Bid M19-10 for

£645,593 be approved.

 

 

 

 

Decisions for Cabinet to make: Ringfenced Funds and  Local Infrastructure Fund

M19-14 CLAYDON Primary School Expansion - Expansion of primary school increase in capacity from 420 to 525 places (increase from 2FE to “.5FE for R-Y6)

 

Amount of CIL Bid

£499,421

Total cost £2,6000,000

 

It was resolved that the

CIL Bid M19-14 for

£499,421 (given the

unique circumstances

relating to this Bid for

essential infrastructure

(contained in the

Infrastructure Delivery

Plan - IDP) thereby

representing an

acceptable exception

to the terms of the

CIL Expenditure

Framework

concerning approval

of retrospective

CIL Bids be approved.

 

 

1.2     That Cabinet noted and endorsed the CIL Business Plan which includes the position in respect of approved CIL Bids from Rounds 1, 2 and 3 including CIL Bid M14-18 at Stowupland (determined in January 2020).

 

Reason for Decision: Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) monies have been collected since the implementation of CIL on the 11th April 2016. The CIL Expenditure Framework originally adopted in April 2018 and reviewed with amendments adopted on the 18th March 2019 requires the production of a CIL Business Plan for each District which contains decisions for Cabinet to make or note on CIL Bids for CIL expenditure.

 

These decisions relating to the expenditure of CIL monies form one of the ways in which necessary infrastructure supporting growth is delivered.

 

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected: There is a diverse spectrum of approaches to CIL expenditure across the country from Unitary Authorities who have absorbed CIL into their individual Capital Programmes to others who ringfence all funds to be spent locally. A range of different approaches was identified in Appendix A of the Framework for CIL Expenditure report provided to Cabinet’s on the 5th and 8th of February 2018 and discussed in full during the workshops with the Joint Member advisory panel. Members adopted the documents set out in paragraph 1.1 above by  ...  view the full decision text for item 115.

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Planning introduced the report and provided Members with details of the bids contained within the report. Councillor Burn then moved the recommendations in the report. The recommendations were seconded by Councillor Flatman.

 

A discussion took place regarding bids for bus stops and the potential termination of bus services. The Professional Lead for Key Sites and Infrastructure clarified that the bus stop at Gislingham referred to in Appendix A of the report was included as a consultation response and not a request for funding.

 

In response to a query from Councillor Eburne, the Leader of the Council confirmed that installation of electric vehicle charging points was under discussion.

 

The Cabinet Member for Economic Growth expressed concern over bid M19-14 - Claydon Primary School in view of the bid being a retrospective application. The Professional Lead for Key Sites and Infrastructure advised that a meeting had taken place with Suffolk County Council regarding the timing of bid application.

 

Councillor Brewster then asked what action could be taken to avoid further retrospective bids. Councillor Burn also asked for reassurance of this. In response the Assistant Director for Sustainable Communities advised that Suffolk County Council had apologised for the error on their part which was due to a misinterpretation by an officer. Members were advised that a refreshed CIL Expenditure Framework would be presented to Full Council in April which will allow members the opportunity to debate the issue of retrospective bids.

 

By a unanimous vote

 

It was RESOLVED:-

 

1.1     That the CIL Expenditure Business Plan (March 2020) and accompanying technical assessment of the CIL Bids forming Appendices A and B of the report be approved. This includes decisions on valid Bids approved and noted by Cabinet as follows: -

Decisions for Cabinet to make: Local Infrastructure Fund

CIL Bid, Location and Infrastructure Proposed

Amount of CIL Bid and total cost of the Infrastructure

Cabinet Decision

M19-07 OCCOLD

Village Hall enhancement extension

Amount of CIL Bid

£19,190

Total cost

£57,600.00

It was resolved that the

 CIL Bid M19-07 for

£19,190 be approved.

M19-08 THORNHAM

Greening and Growing Thornham Walks

Provision of a car park

Amount of CIL Bid

£27,000.00

Total cost

£32,619.66

It was resolved that the

CIL Bid M19-08 for

£27,000.00

subject to a legal

document which

allows the car park

to be used for a

25-year period be

 approved.

M19-10 BRAMFORD CEVC Primary School – increase in capacity from 210-315 places (increase from 1FE to 1.5FE for R-Y5

Expansion of primary school

Amount of CIL Bid

£645,593

Total cost 1.504,000

 

It was resolved that the

CIL Bid M19-10 for

£645,593 be approved.

 

 

 

Decisions for Cabinet to make: Ringfenced Funds and  Local Infrastructure Fund

M19-14 CLAYDON Primary School Expansion - Expansion of primary school increase in capacity from 420 to 525 places (increase from 2FE to “.5FE for R-Y6)

 

Amount of CIL Bid

£499,421

Total cost £2,6000,000

 

It was resolved that the

CIL Bid M19-14 for

£499,421 (given the

unique circumstances

relating to this Bid for

essential infrastructure

(contained  ...  view the full minutes text for item 115.

116.

MCa/19/56 APPOINTMENT OF CONTRACTOR AND REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING - NEEDHAM LAKE CAFE/VISITOR CENTRE pdf icon PDF 233 KB

Cabinet Member for Economy and Environment

Additional documents:

Decision:

It was RESOLVED:-

 

1.1           That Option 2 of the report which seeks additional funding of £200,000 from the Business Rate Retention Pilot Fund to deliver the Visitor Centre and café be approved.

1.2     That delegated authority be granted to the Strategic Director to appoint the contractor to build the facility.

 

Reason for Decision: To deliver a high quality and environmentally sustainable building to: promote quality of life for the local community; increase visitor spend in the local economy; support community capacity building and engagement; maximise a Council asset; encourage increased physical activity and improved use of open space; and ensure efficient management of the delivery of the facility.

 

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

 

OPTION ONE: To reduce the facilities at the site and provide the scheme within the original budget. This would require a reduction in both the footprint of the centre and some of the environmental sustainability features. It would also remove the Changing Places facility so that centre is delivered within the original budget. 

OPTION TWO: To approve the extra funding and proceed with a project that responds to the consultation with the public and integrates a Changing Places facility, that maximises the environmental features and is of a size consistent with the demand generated by approximately 380,000 visitors per year.

Option Two would provide added value by keeping the high quality, sustainability and size of the building, while also retaining the designed environmental features, consistent with Mid Suffolk’s strategic climate change priorities. It would future-proof the building to accommodate further growth in numbers visiting the site and retain the Changes Places facility to ensure that the Visitor Centre remained accessible to all. This Changing Places facility would be one of only a handful in Mid Suffolk. Option Two also means that the building itself would remain sensitive to its location.

Any Declarations of Interests Declared: None

Any Dispensation Granted: None

 

 

 

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Economic Growth introduced report number MCa/19/56. A working group consisting of Councillor Morley, Councillor Flatman, Councillor Fleming and Councillor Brewster, along with ward members Councillor Phillips and Councillor Norris have been working on the project over a long period.

 

Councillor Brewster reminded members that the original Cabinet decision made last year was approved with indicative costs and following further detailed surveys these costs have increased.

 

The recommendations in the report were moved by Councillor Brewster and seconded by Councillor Flatman. Councillor Flatman advised members of the inclusion of a changing place facility at the site which had been agreed following engagement with the community.

 

By a unanimous vote

 

It was RESOLVED:-

 

1.1  That Option 2 of the report which seeks additional funding of £200,000    from the Business Rate Retention Pilot Fund to deliver the Visitor Centre and café be approved.

1.2 That delegated authority be granted to the Strategic Director to appoint the contractor to build the facility.

 

Reason for Decision: To deliver a high quality and environmentally sustainable building to: promote quality of life for the local community; increase visitor spend in the local economy; support community capacity building and engagement; maximise a Council asset; encourage increased physical activity and improved use of open space; and ensure efficient management of the delivery of the facility.