Agenda, decisions and minutes

To receive the apologies of any Member who is unable to attend this meeting.

There were no apologies for absence.

There were no apologies for absence.

To invite Councillors to declare any interests they may have in items on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

There were no declarations of interest.

1.         To give notice of any items for future meetings or for the Forward Plan, including any scheduled for this meeting, but now carried forward or deleted; and

2          any other relevant announcements.

(Oral report)

The Chair advised that the following item of business, scheduled on the Forward Plan to be dealt with at this meeting, had been rescheduled to a later meeting of the Committee:

·                    Information Management Strategy

The Chair also advised that she had accepted the following matter as urgent business:

Item 9 – Leisure Contracts Advisory Panel – Abbey Stadium Redevelopment

The Chair advised that the following item of business, scheduled on the Forward Plan to be dealt with at this meeting, had been rescheduled to a later meeting of the Committee:

·                    Information Management Strategy

The Chair also advised that she had accepted the following matter as urgent business:

Item 9 – Leisure Contracts Advisory Panel – Abbey Stadium Redevelopment

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 27th January 2010.

(Minutes to follow)

RESOLVED that

The minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 27th January 2010 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

RESOLVED that

The minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 27th January 2010 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To seek delegation to Officers of additional powers with regard to Tree Protection Orders (TPO).

(Report attached)

RECOMMENDED that

1)         authority be delegated to Officers, as summarised at Appendix 1; and

2)         the Scheme of Delegation to Officers, as detailed at Appendix 2 to the report, be adopted.

Members considered a report which sought approval to amend the current scheme of delegation to Officers relating to Tree Preservation Orders in order to provide a more efficient service, with quicker response times, which would improve the natural environment of the Borough.

RECOMMENDED that

1)         authority be delegated to Officers, as summarised at Appendix 1; and

2)         the Scheme of Delegation to Officers, as detailed at Appendix 2 to the report, be adopted.

To consider changes to the charging structure for non statutory planning advice to provide consistency county-wide.

(Report and Appendix 1 attached.  Appendix 2 to follow.)

RECOMMENDED that

1)         the schedule of charges, detailed at Appendix 1, be adopted and implemented by Planning Services from 1st April 2010; and

2)                 authority be delegated to Officers to maintain the fees at a standard county-wide level in future.

(Officers were asked to circulate Appendix 2 prior to the meeting of Council on 29th March 2010.)

Members considered a report which sought approval to alter the current scale of fees for Permitted Development enquiries and pre-application advice to a common county-wide scale of charges and approach to service provision and to maintain the fees at the same level as other districts within Worcestershire.  Officers were asked to circulate Appendix 2 prior to the meeting of Council on 29th March 2010.

RECOMMENDED that

1)         the schedule of charges, detailed at Appendix 1, be adopted and implemented by Planning Services from 1st April 2010; and

2)                 authority be delegated to Officers to maintain the fees at a standard county-wide level in future.

(Officers were asked to circulate Appendix 2 prior to the meeting of Council on 29th March 2010.)

To seek approval for Redditch Borough Council’s participation in a documentary film produced by Fatum Films.

(Report attached)

RESOLVED that

participation in a documentary film produced by Fatum Films be approved.

The Committee received a report requesting approval for the Council’s participation in a documentary film which would be produced by Fatum Films.

Officers reported that following the success of the Morton Stanley Festival in 2009 an approach had been made to the Council by the owner of Fatum Films who was interested in producing a documentary, which would involve media students from NEW College as part of their work experience.

RESOLVED that

participation in a documentary film produced by Fatum Films be approved.

To consider irrecoverable debts to be written off.

(Report attached)

RESOLVED that

the debts totalling £87,773.62 (£40,557.07 General Fund; £47,218.55 Housing Revenue Account), detailed in Appendix 1 of the report be written off as irrecoverable.

(During consideration of this item, Members discussed matters that necessitated the disclosure of exempt information.  It was therefore agreed to move to exclude the press and public prior to any debate on the grounds that it included information relating to individuals; the identity of individuals; and the financial or business affairs of particular persons (including the authority holding that information.)

(There is nothing exempt, however, in this record of the proceedings.)

The Committee received a report which sought approval to write off 29 cases of irrecoverable debt amounting to £87,773.62.

Officers reported that all appropriate debt recovery action had been attempted to recover the debts and that no further action could be taken to enforce payments.

Members were asked to note that any debt that had been written off could be retrieved and pursued if it came to the Council’s attention that the debtor had the means to pay the debt.

RESOLVED that

the debts totalling £87,773.62 (£40,557.07 General Fund; £47,218.55 Housing Revenue Account), detailed in Appendix 1 of the report be written off as irrecoverable.

(During consideration of this item, Members discussed matters that necessitated the disclosure of exempt information.  It was therefore agreed to move to exclude the press and public prior to any debate on the grounds that it included information relating to individuals; the identity of individuals; and the financial or business affairs of particular persons (including the authority holding that information.)

(There is nothing exempt, however, in this record of the proceedings.)

To consider the notes of the meeting of the Leisure Contracts Advisory Panel on 1st February 2010 and associated recommendations.

(Report to follow.)

RESOLVED that

1)         progress to date on the Abbey Stadium redevelopment be noted; and

2)         Stage D design, as indicated in the separate ‘artists’ impression’ Appendices, be formally approved for the purposes of seeking planning permission.

(Officers stated that, in their opinion, no Members of Planning Committee had fettered their discretion in any subsequent Planning Committee deliberations through their involvement in the decision-making on the above matter.)

(Officers were asked to arrange a visit for Councillors to a leisure centre in Coventry, which had been subject to a similar refurbishment to that being suggested at the Abbey Stadium.)

Members received the notes of the meeting of the Leisure Contracts Panel on 1st February 2010 and were asked to approve the associated recommendations.

Officers stated that, in their opinion, no Members of Planning Committee had fettered their discretion in any subsequent Planning Committee deliberations through their involvement in the decision-making on the above matter.

Officers were asked to arrange a visit for Councillors to a leisure centre in Coventry, which had been subject to a similar refurbishment to that being suggested at the Abbey Stadium.

RESOLVED that

1)         progress to date on the Abbey Stadium redevelopment be noted; and

2)         Stage D design, as indicated in the separate ‘artists’ impression’ Appendices, be formally approved for the purposes of seeking planning permission.

To receive and consider any outstanding minutes or referrals from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Executive Panels, Neighbourhood Groups, etc. since the last meeting of the Executive Committee, other than as detailed in the items above.

There were no minutes of referrals under this item.

There were no minutes of referrals under this item.

To consider, for monitoring / management purposes, an update on the work of the Executive Committee’s Advisory Panels and similar bodies, which report via the Executive Committee.

(Report attached)

RESOLVED that

the report be noted.

RESOLVED that

the report be noted.

To consider an update on the actions arising from previous meetings of the Committee.

(Report attached)

RESOLVED that

the report be noted.

RESOLVED that

the report be noted.

It may be necessary, in the opinion of the Chief Executive, to consider excluding the public from the meeting in relation to the following items of business on the grounds that exempt information is likely to be divulged. It may be necessary, therefore, to move the following resolution:

“that, under S.100 I of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following matter(s) on the grounds that it/they involve(s) the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the relevant paragraphs (to be specified) of Part 1 of Schedule 12 (A) of the said Act, as amended.”

RESOLVED that

under S.100 I of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following matters on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 4 of Part 1 of Schedule 12 (A) of the said Act, as amended.

Irrecoverable Debts – [as detailed at Minute 245 (Item 8) above]; and

ArrowValley Countryside Centre – Review of Alternative Management Arrangements [as detailed at Minute 251 (Item 14) below];

RESOLVED that

under S.100 I of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following matters on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 4 of Part 1 of Schedule 12 (A) of the said Act, as amended.

Irrecoverable Debts – [as detailed at Minute 245 (Item 8) above]; and

ArrowValley Countryside Centre – Review of Alternative Management Arrangements [as detailed at Minute 251 (Item 14) below];

To consider the Consultant’s report on the Arrow Valley Countryside Centre.

(Report attached)

(During the consideration of this item Members discussed matters that necessitated the disclosure of exempt information.  It was therefore agreed to exclude the press and public prior to any debate on the grounds that information would be revealed relating to the financial or business affairs of any person 9including the authority holding that information and contemplated consultations or negotiations in connection with a labour relations matter between the authority and employees of the authority.)

(During the consideration of this item Members discussed matters that necessitated the disclosure of exempt information.  It was therefore agreed to exclude the press and public prior to any debate on the grounds that information would be revealed relating to the financial or business affairs of any person 9including the authority holding that information and contemplated consultations or negotiations in connection with a labour relations matter between the authority and employees of the authority.)

To consider confidential matters not dealt with earlier in the evening and not separately listed below (if any).

There were no confidential minutes of referrals.

There were no confidential minutes of referrals.