Agenda and minutes

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

An apology for absence was received on behalf of Councillor Brandon Clayton.

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

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 removed from the Plan as it was determined that the matter could be resolved without the need for a Committee decision:

• Brockhill East – New Area Name

The Chair also advised that consideration of Appendix 3 (Transport Assessment) to Item 7, Core Strategy Consultation was to be deferred to a future meeting of the Committee.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 6th December 2011.

(Minutes attached)

RESOLVED that

the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 6th December 2012 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Further to the Members’ briefing preceding the Committee meeting, to address any matters that may have arisen.

(Oral report)

The Executive Director of Finance and Resources provided an oral update and presentation on the current proposals for the prioritisation of the Capital and Revenue Bids for the coming financial year.

Members’ attention was drawn to several significant developments since the previous budget update provided by Officers. Following consultation on the localisation of the Non-Domestic Rates, the Government had reassessed the potential benefit accruing to the collecting authority with the result that around 80% of the rates were now anticipated to be received by the Borough Council, as opposed to the 20% which had previously been suggested. There had also been some movement on the reduction in provision of Council Tax Benefit with the Borough Council having the potential to share the burden with other precepting authorities. Nevertheless, the Council still faced the prospect of having to find further savings going forward.

The Committee was informed that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had considered the bids and had supported the prioritisation as determined by Officers subject to two amendments. These were for the removal of Footpath Maintenance in Morton Stanley Park from the Capital Bids and for the deferral of the bid for the Energy Advisor subject to a further report to the next meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Members supported the prioritisation of the bids and the proposal to seek further advice on the Energy Advisor bid, subject to the downgrading of the bid for Data Analysis for Procurement from High to Medium. However, it was considered that it was in the Council’s best interest to maintain its physical assets and so the bid for Morton Stanley Park was recommended for retention.

RESOLVED that

1)                 the priority levels for the Revenue and Capital Bids be supported subject to the following amendments:

a)         the bid for Data Analysis for Procurement be downgraded from high to medium;

b)        the bid for the Energy Advisor be deferred to allow Officers to obtain additional information and report back to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee; and

2)         the presentation and oral update be noted.

To consider a report regarding the setting of the Council Tax Base for 2012/13.

(Report attached)

Members received a report setting out a summary of the information provided to the Department for Communities and Local Government in October 2011, updated where necessary, that would enable the Council to notify the major precepting authorities of the Tax Base for the Borough for the coming financial year.

RESOLVED that

1)      the calculation of the Council’s Tax Base for the whole and parts of the area for 2012/13, as detailed in the Appendices to the report, be approved; and

2)      in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Tax Base) Regulations 1992, the figures calculated by the Redditch Borough Council as its tax base for the whole area for the year 2012/13 be 27,611.67 and for the parts of the area listed below be:

Parish of Feckenham               363.60

Rest of Redditch                  27,248.07

                                                  27,611.67.

To seek endorsement of the Core Strategy Consultation including:

-         Appendix 1 - Officer Responses to Core Strategy Consultation 21st January – 4th March 2011;

-         Appendices 2 to 8 - as part of the Local Development Framework (LDF) Evidence Base; and

-         Appendix 9 – Response to the Draft National Planning Policy Framework

(Report attached – Because of their size, the appendices are available via the Council’s website and, for elected Members, in the respective Group Rooms.)

The Committee considered material related to the previous consultation on the Borough’s Revised Preferred Draft Core Strategy in early 2011 and material that was to contribute towards the evidence base. Officers confirmed that, other than the Landscape Character Assessment, the documents under consideration would carry very limited weight in terms of the consideration of planning applications at present.

Consideration of Appendix 3, the Transport Assessment, was deferred to a later meeting to permit further discussion of its content with the authors.

Officers advised that some street names in Appendix 7, the Affordable Housing Viability Assessment, needed to be amended. Officers also advised that comments from external parties had been received on Appendix 4, the Employment Land Review, more recently and that Officers would consider and, if necessary, respond to these in the normal course of events.

RECOMMEND that

1)         the Officers’ responses to the Revised Preferred Draft Core Strategy consultation, as attached at Appendix 1 to the report, be endorsed as the Borough Council's responses to comments received during consultation;

2)         the Worcestershire Landscape Character Assessment Supplementary Guidance document, attached as Appendix 2, be endorsed and that it now be used as a material consideration in Development Management decision making;

3)         Appendices 4 to 8 be noted as forming part of the Core Strategy Evidence Base; and

4)         the Officers’ response to the draft national planning policy framework, as attached at Appendix 9, be retrospectively endorsed as the Borough Council’s response.

To receive the minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 29th November 2011.

There are no recommendations to consider.

(Minutes attached)

The Committee received the minutes of a recent meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. In response to a question on the outcome of the petition regarding the Time 4 U Sexual Health Service, it was reported that the Primary Care Trust were considering a number of proposals in this regard.

RESOLVED that

the minutes be noted.

To receive the minutes of the meeting of the Shared Services Board held on 10th November 2011.

There are no outstanding recommendations for the Committee to consider.

(In view of the fact that information would be revealed relating to individual employees and their personal / financial details, together with employee relations matters, disclosure of which is not considered to be in the public’s best interest, part of these minutes are Not for Publication and have been circulated to Members and relevant Officers only)

(Minutes attached)

The Committee received the minutes of the most recent meeting of the Shared Services Board. There were no outstanding recommendations for the Committee’s consideration.

RESOLVED that

the minutes be noted.

To consider the notes of the most recent meetings of the Constitutional Review Working Party held on 10th November and 12th December 2011.

There are recommendations for the Committee to consider (from 12th December meeting)

(Notes from 10th November and 12th December attached)

The notes of recent meetings of the Constitutional Review Working Party were considered by the Committee. A number of recommendations were outstanding from the meeting of the Panel in December, including items such as the Petitions Scheme, the Planning Committee Procedure Rules and the procedure rules around announcements at Council meetings.

Members acknowledged that the amended rules would allow local residents to get a better outcome in terms of easier access to public speaking at the Planning Committee or a more appropriate and timely response to any petition submitted to the Council. Officers did report, however, that the recommendation to raise the Planning Committee quorum from three to five had been reconsidered and they were now advising that the existing quorum of three be retained.

RECOMMENDED that

Electoral Matters Committee

1)         no further action be taken in respect of the proposal to create an Electoral Matters Committee;

Council Procedure Rules

2)         the minor addition to the Constitution in respect of Announcements detailed below be approved, with immediate effect:

Announcements at full Council may be made by the Mayor, Leader, and/or Chief Executive Officer.

Planning Committee Procedural Rules / Terms Of Reference / Public Speaking

3)         the amendments to the Constitution in respect of the Planning Committee, as detailed at Appendix 2 to the Panel’s Notes, be approved for implementation with immediate effect, subject to retention of the Planning Committee quorum at three; and

Petitions Scheme

4)         the amendments to the Petition Scheme, as detailed at Appendix 3 to the Panel’s Notes, be approved for implementation with immediate effect.

To receive and consider the minutes of the most recent meeting of the Worcestershire Shared Services Joint Committee.

(Minutes attached)

The Committee received the minutes of the most recent meeting of the Worcestershire Shared Services Joint Committee.

RESOLVED that

the minutes be noted.

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

There were no minutes or referrals.

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)

The Committee considered the latest Advisory Panels report. It was agreed that the Leisure Contracts Advisory Panel should be deleted and reference removed from future monitoring reports.

RESOLVED that

subject to the amendment detailed in the preamble, above, the report be noted.

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

(Report attached)

Members considered the Committee’s Action Monitoring report. It was noted that the gritting and snow clearance item could be removed from the report.

RESOLVED that

subject to the amendment detailed in the preamble, above, the report be noted.