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Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Tewkesbury Borough Council Offices, Severn Room

Contact: Democratic Services Tel: 01684 272021  Email:  democraticservices@tewkesbury.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

59.

Announcements

When the continuous alarm sounds you must evacuate the building by the nearest available fire exit. Members and visitors should proceed to the visitors’ car park at the front of the building and await further instructions (during office hours staff should proceed to their usual assembly point; outside of office hours proceed to the visitors’ car park). Please do not re-enter the building unless instructed to do so.

 

In the event of a fire any person with a disability should be assisted in leaving the building.

Minutes:

59.1           The evacuation procedure, as noted on the Agenda, was taken as read.

59.2           The Chair welcomed Councillor Cromwell to the meeting who was in attendance, as Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, for Item 7 – Performance Management Report – Quarter Two 2019/20.

60.

Apologies for Absence and Substitutions

To receive apologies for absence and advise of any substitutions. 

Minutes:

60.1           Apologies for absence were received from Councillors C Softley and R J E Vines. Councillors H C Munro and A S Reece would be acting as substitutes for the meeting.

61.

Declarations of Interest

Pursuant to the adoption by the Council on 26 June 2012 of the Tewkesbury Borough Council Code of Conduct, effective from 1 July 2012, as set out in Minute No. CL.34, Members are invited to declare any interest they may have in the business set out on the Agenda to which the approved Code applies.

Minutes:

61.1           The Committee’s attention was drawn to the Tewkesbury Borough Council Code of Conduct which was adopted by the Council on 26 June 2012 and took effect from 1 July 2012.

61.2           The following declarations were made:

Councillor

Application No./Agenda Item

Nature of Interest (where disclosed)

Declared Action in respect of Disclosure

G F Blackwell

Item 16 – Churchdown and Innsworth Neighbourhood Plan Referendum.

Had not been part of the Neighbourhood Plan work but had been in attendance at the Parish Council meeting when it had considered the Plan. However, the Plan did not affect the Parish Council financially.

Would speak and vote.

M A Gore

Item 12 – Community Grants.

Is one of the Ward Members for the areas of Dumbleton and Wormington and had attended the Parish Council meeting when the grant had been discussed but had not taken part in the discussion.

Would speak and vote.

J R Mason

Item 12 – Community Grants.

Is a Member of Winchcombe Town Council which was the grant applicant.

Would not speak and vote and would leave the meeting for the consideration of the Winchcombe Town Council grant update.

61.3          There were no further declarations made on this occasion.

62.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 140 KB

To approve the Minutes of the meeting held on 27 November 2019.

Minutes:

62.1           The Minutes of the meeting held on 27 November 2019, copies of which had been circulated, were approved as a correct and signed by the Chair.  

63.

Items from Members of the Public

To receive any questions, deputations or petitions submitted under Rule of Procedure 12.

 

(The deadline for public participation submissions for this meeting is 2 January 2020)

Minutes:

63.1           There were no items from members of the public on this occasion.  

64.

Executive Committee Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 229 KB

To consider the Committee’s Forward Plan.  

Subject To Call In:: No - Item to Note.

Decision:

The Committee’s Forward Plan be NOTED.  

Minutes:

64.1           Attention was drawn to the Committee’s Forward Plan, circulated at Pages No. 7-10. Members were asked to consider the Plan.   

64.2           The Chair explained that the Forward Plan currently only ran to the end of the Council year but the Chief Executive had assured him that there would be further items to be added for February and March and for the forthcoming Council year.

64.3           Accordingly, it was

65.

Performance Management Report - Quarter Two 2019/20 pdf icon PDF 330 KB

To receive and respond to the findings of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee‘s review of the quarter two performance management information.

Subject To Call In:: No - Item to Note.

Additional documents:

Decision:

That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s comments on the Performance Management Report for Quarter Two of 2019/20 be NOTED.    

Minutes:

65.1           The report of the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, circulated at Pages No. 11-62, asked Members to review and, if appropriate, take action on the observations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee following its review of the 2019/20 quarter two performance management information.

65.2           Attention was drawn to the observations made by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, attached at Appendix 1 to the report; the Council Plan Performance Tracker, attached to the report at Appendix 2; and the financial performance information circulated at Appendices 3-5.

65.3           Members had been provided with a summary of the key areas discussed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee which included: concerns regarding the target date being amended for a fourth time in respect of tourism provision in the Borough - the Head of Development Services had provided an update and reminded Members that the action reflected more than just the Tewkesbury Tourist Information Centre but involved a review of the broader service which was currently underway, the outcome of which should be reported back to Members in March 2020; queries about the supply of land to accommodate the five-year requirement, to which the Head of Development Services had confirmed that land supply was calculated on an annual basis and therefore remained the same each quarter which was the reason there was not a Key Performance Indicator for the action –the High Court Judge had decided not to rule on the position deeming it a matter for each decision-maker hence the Council would continue to defend its position; a question relating to the number of affordable homes delivered in quarter two, and why not as many had been delivered compared to quarter one, to which the Head of Community Services had confirmed the Council had little control over this as it was dependent on the timescales on sites; questions in respect of the progress of the programme of working with landlords and the Head of Community Services had confirmed that, whilst there had been delays, the programme was no further behind any of the other Gloucestershire authorities and, there had been development within the third quarter, with the scheme about to be adopted along with the launch event for landlords and agents which was being organised by the new member of the team; Members expressing the view that it was difficult to establish whether the Key Performance Indicators surrounding housing applications and homelessness were performing well or not and the Head of Community Services had confirmed that, following the legislative change, the information could not be compared to last year’s figures so a review of the Indicators would have to be carried out for 2020/21 in the meantime, the narrative for the section would be amended to include more informative information which clearly showed how the Indicators were performing; a Member sought further details as to the issues surrounding delays to the Council Tax paperless billing project and, in response, the Head of Corporate Services had explained that there had been  ...  view the full minutes text for item 65.

66.

Council Plan 2020-2024 pdf icon PDF 229 KB

To recommend the Council Plan 2020-24 to Council for adoption.  

Subject To Call In:: No - Recommendation to Council.

Additional documents:

Decision:

That it be RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL that the Council Plan 2020-2024 be ADOPTED subject to some of the more business-related photographs being replaced by photographs of tourism/environment related areas.  

Minutes:

66.1           The report of the Head of Corporate Services, circulated at Pages No. 63-84,  attached a new Council Plan for 2020-2024 which Members were asked to consider and recommend to Council for adoption.

66.2           Members were advised that the Council Plan was the key strategic document which established the overarching vision for the Borough and set out, in broad terms, the priorities, objectives and actions that the Council would focus on to work towards its vision. The current plan had been approved in 2016 and was due to end this year therefore a new Plan was required. A Member Workshop had been held on 5 November 2019 which had discussed the shape of the new priorities and what the supporting objectives may look like. The workshop had been very well attended with Members positively engaged. They had been generally happy to retain the current four priorities and to add two new priority areas of ‘Garden Communities’ and ‘Sustainable Environment’ – it was noted that the word ‘sustainable’ had been used a lot at the workshop but was limited within the Council Plan as it was felt that overuse may dilute its meaning. The six priority areas had been subject to a two-week public consultation period during which time 345  responses had been received and those were summarised at Appendix 2 to the report – the comments received had not affected the substance of the Plan.  

66.3           Following the Member workshop, the Heads of Service and Operational Managers had discussed the draft Council Plan and much of it had been populated in consultation with those Officers. The document had then been considered by Group Leaders and the Green Party Member with some comments received about the photographs within the Plan being too focused on manufacturing rather than on the environment of the Borough. In addition, comments had been made about the use of the phrase ‘low Council Tax’ with some Members having the view that it should refer to a ‘fair Council Tax’. Management Team had agreed that whilst a low Council tax could be evidenced, a fair Council tax was a very subjective phrase as what was fair to some would not be seen that way by others.

66.4           The Chair had been impressed with the work undertaken on the Plan and he hoped the comment made about the photographs within the Plan could be addressed as this appeared to be a valid point. Other Members agreed and suggested some of the Borough’s tourist attractions, such as Tewkesbury Abbey, Sudeley Castle, Cleeve Hill Golf Club and the Cheese Roll, could be included. The Head of Corporate Services undertook to address this. In terms of the low/fair Council Tax remarks, some Members felt the phrase should be changed and that the use of the word ‘fair’ could be quantified with some thought. Other Members were of the view that ‘fair’ was too subjective and dependent on the social spectrum which could lead to divides in the community. One Member questioned whether  ...  view the full minutes text for item 66.

Action By: CE

67.

Communications Strategy pdf icon PDF 220 KB

To approve the Communications Strategy and Media Protocol.

Subject To Call In:: Yes - No action to be taken prior to the expiry of the call-in period.

Additional documents:

Decision:

That the Communications Strategy and Media Protocol be APPROVED.  

Minutes:

67.1           The report of the Head of Corporate Services, circulated at Pages No. 85-115, attached a Communications Strategy and Media Protocol which Members were asked to approve following endorsement from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

67.2           The Committee was advised that communications had a vital role to play in helping Tewkesbury Borough Council to deliver its vision, priorities and objectives to local people. The Communications Strategy and action plan was short and simple and looked at how the Council could grow its communications from now to its aims in the future. The current strategy had been approved in 2017 and it was necessary to introduce a new strategy that developed and improved communications as well as ensuring it was in line with current best practice. Communication was at the heart of everything the Council did at all levels and helped strengthen its links with the public, residents, stakeholders, Councillors and staff. The Communications Strategy would run until 2024 and would ensure the Council embraced modern digital communications such as social media, website and email communications, whilst recognising the need to continue to include the more traditional methods of face-to-face and telephone. The Media Protocol outlined the Council’s approach to responding to media enquiries, developing press releases and identifying spokespeople. Generally, it remained much the same as in previous years with the addition of a section to clarify who should be quoted in a press release about motions to Council.

67.3           A Member questioned whether the new Strategy would be circulated to all Members and, upon being advised that it would, it was

Action By: CE

68.

Medium Term Financial Strategy pdf icon PDF 233 KB

To recommend to Council the adoption of the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2020/21 – 2024/25.

Subject To Call In:: No - Recommendation to Council.

Additional documents:

Decision:

That it be RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL that the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2020/21-2024/25 be ADOPTED.  

Minutes:

68.1           The report of the Head of Finance and Asset Management, circulated at Pages No. 116-138, attached the Medium Term Financial Strategy which Members were asked to recommend to Council for adoption.   

68.2           Members were advised that the Strategy provided the financial plan for the Council for the period 2020/21-2024/25 and set out the Council’s estimates of its commitment expenditure, identified the spending pressures faced and the budget savings needed to achieve the recommended Council Tax levels for each of the three years of the plan. It was regrettable that the estimates had been completed on limited information from the government about future funding which made it exceptionally difficult for any meaningful financial planning for future years.

68.3           Attention was drawn to the key sections of the strategy. Section four set out the local government finance settlement – this was a one year settlement so the following four years was based on the most likely projection. There was no conclusion as yet to the fair funding review so, again, there was no allowance for that in the figures. Overall, for the next five years a reasonably flat provision was expected. Section five referred to New Homes Bonus funding – this was likely to be withdrawn over the next few years – although there had been no confirmation of this intention as yet – ‘table 3’ showed the most likely way the funding would be withdrawn. Section six set out information about retained business rates – the move to 75% exemption for business rates had been delayed for a further year with a new implementation date of April 2021; whilst many questions remained unanswered it looked likely that a re-set, partial or full, of the current system would take place in 2021 and this assumption had been built into the forecast of potential business rate retention over the Medium Term Financial Strategy period. Section seven related to growth pressures – the internal growth was easier to understand and included items such as a 2% pay award, an allowance for contract growth, e.g. Ubico, and other depot related services e.g. recycling credits. There was also a general acknowledgement that growth would be needed across all service areas as a result of new Council priorities such as tackling climate change; general growth of the Borough resulting in increasing demand on all services such as the Revenues section; and tackling emerging risks such as cyber security. Section 10 set out the Medium Term Financial Projection – which included the impact of all known capital and revenue commitments between 2020/21 and 2024/25 and showed an overall cumulative deficit of £5,059,000 by 2024/25. Section 11 referred to Council Tax – table 9 highlighted the potential Council Tax strategy and what the percentage increases would look like. Section 12 showed the deficit reduction programme – some of the items were already progressing and some needed to be progressed; treasury management generated £230,000 which meant the Council did not have to rely on bank deposits; pension reductions showed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 68.

Action By: DCE

69.

Treasury and Capital Management pdf icon PDF 145 KB

To consider and make a recommendation to Council for the approval of a range of policies and strategies relating to treasury and capital management.  

Subject To Call In:: No - Recommendation to Council.

Additional documents:

Decision:

That it be RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL that the following strategies and policies be ADOPTED:

·         Capital Investment Strategy 2020/21.

·         Investment Strategy 2020/21.

·         Minimum Revenue Provision Statement 2020/21.

·         Treasury Management Strategy 2020/21.

·         Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Policy 2020/21.

Minutes:

69.1           The report of the Head of Finance and Asset Management, circulated at Pages No. 139-172, explained that the Council was required to adopt a range of strategies and policies before the start of the financial year in order to provide clarity on the plans for the financial management of the authority in the forthcoming year. The documents were attached to the report as Appendices A-E and the Committee was asked to recommend to Council that they be adopted.

69.2           The Finance Manager explained that there were five strategies and policies in total that formed the suite of documents which needed to be approved. Two were new requirements introduced in 2019; the Capital Strategy and the Investment Strategy. The Finance Manager briefly explained that the Capital Strategy showed how capital expenditure, capital financing and treasury management activity contributed to the provision of local public services and the risks involved; the Investment Strategy referred to non-treasury investments such as commercial property investments and set out how the Council invested and the risks; the Minimum Revenue Provision Statement showed how the Council set aside revenue funding for the borrowing undertaken for capital purposes; the Treasury Management Strategy set the framework within which the day-to-day and strategic treasury activities were operated; and the Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Policy – the information contained within the report was incorrect but the appendix was correct – set out that the Council had one new intention for the use of flexibility over capital receipts to support transformational projects in 2020/21 which was £40,000 to support service reform feasibility work within the waste collection and recycling service area.

69.3           Members were advised that this was a statutory requirement rather than legislation so the Council could deviate from it as long as it could provide an explanation. In terms of the Investment Strategy, the Council had chosen not to follow the guidance in respect of borrowing in advance of need; the full explanation was set out within the Strategy but, essentially, Tewkesbury Borough Council did borrow in advance of need for its commercial property purchases as, without that income, it would not be able to balance its budget. The Council remained prudent in its treasury and capital activities so was not really the type of authority the government was targeting with these rules.

69.4           Having considered the information provided, it was

Action By: DCE

70.

Community Grants pdf icon PDF 145 KB

To consider the updates provided and agree an approach to the ongoing management of the grant award.  

Subject To Call In:: No - Ongoing Matters.

Additional documents:

Decision:

1.    That it be NOTED and APPROVED that the grant for Prior’s Park Community Parking Provision be transferred into Council’s capital programme.

2.    That a six-month extension be granted to the Wormington Village Society – Village Hall grant - to enable the Deputy Chief Executive to engage with the parties concerned with a view to establishing whether the project would come forward and then, at the end of the six-month period, to prepare a report for consideration by the Executive Committee.

3.    That a 12-month extension be granted to Winchcombe Town Council for the Skate Park project to be progressed.

Minutes:

70.1           The report of the Head of Finance and Asset Management, circulated at Pages No. 173-179, provided an update on the capital grant schemes which remained outstanding since the Community Grants Working Group had been disbanded. Members were asked to consider the information provided and agree the approach for the ongoing management of each grant award. 

70.2           The Head of Finance and Asset Management explained that this was a 12-month update from the last report. There were three specific grants to consider: Prior’s Park Community Parking Provision; Wormington Village Society – Village Hall; and Winchcombe Town Council – Winchcombe Skate Park. In respect of Prior’s Park community parking provision, Tewkesbury Borough Council had identified sites within its ownership and was now at the stage of procuring design and specification services to apply for planning permission early in the New Year. Given that the project was now being progressed by the Council on its own land with no actual grant being made to a separate body, it was now essentially a capital scheme and as such would be re-designated as a capital project rather than as a capital grant – Members were asked to approve this action and the Council’s capital programme would then be updated accordingly.

70.3           In terms of the Wormington Village Hall grant, Members were advised that the project had previously been given a 12-month extension by the Executive Committee and the Village Hall Society had been told that, during that time, it was expected that the legal issues would be resolved; all funding would be secured; planning permission would be in place; a contractor would have been appointed; and works would have begun by 1 November 2019. An update from the Society had indicated that no agreement had been reached with Dumbleton Parish Council on the use of the land therefore the scheme had not been progressed. It was for the Committee to decide now whether it wanted to give the project more time; withdraw the funding; or agree a further six-month extension to try to get a solution. During the discussion which ensued, one of the local Members indicated that she had attended the Parish Council where a motion had been tabled asking for the land to be transferred to the Wormington Village Society to enable it to pursue its aim of constructing a Village Hall for the use of residents and Church functions. When transferring the land, Dumbleton Parish Council would be absolved of all liability, legal or financial, and the legal costs would be met by the Society – the proposal had been agreed by the lady who had gifted the land. The Parish Council meeting had rejected the motion in accordance with the Chair’s recommendation following legal advice received that the land could not be leased or transferred to any organisation. The local Member expressed the view that, as far as she could see, the two parties – Dumbleton Parish Council and Wormington Village Society – were at deadlock and could see no  ...  view the full minutes text for item 70.

Action By: DCE

71.

Council Tax Reduction Scheme and Council Tax Discounts pdf icon PDF 161 KB

To receive an update on the annual review of Council Tax discounts and to make a recommendation to Council.  

Subject To Call In:: No - Recommendation to Council.

Additional documents:

Decision:

That it be RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL that:

1.    The default Council Tax Reduction Scheme be ADOPTED to be effective from 1 April 2020 with a minor revision to the national working age regulations to allow for a de minimis tolerance for income changes.

2.    Authority be delegated to the Head of Finance and Asset Management, in consultation with the Lead Member for Finance and Asset Management, to agree the uprating of the working age regulations incorporated into the local Council Tax Reduction Scheme in line with those announced by the Department for Work and Pensions.

3.    The following Council Tax discounts be ADOPTED to be effective from 1 April 2020:

·         The discount for unoccupied and substantially unfurnished properties is 25% for a maximum period of six months.

·         The discount for properties which are vacant and require major repair work to render them habitable is 25% for a maximum period of 12 months.

·         The discount for unoccupied furnished properties (second home) is zero.

·         An empty homes premium of an additional 100% is levied on properties that have remained unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for more than two years.

·         An empty homes premium of an additional 200% is levied on properties that have remained unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for more than five years.

Minutes:

71.1           The report of the Head of Corporate Services, circulated at Pages No. 180-189, provided Members with an update on the annual review of Council Tax discounts and sought approval for their adoption effective from 1 April 2020. Members were asked to consider the information provided and make a recommendation to Council.

71.2           The Committee was advised that, in January 2019, Council had approved a local Council Tax Reduction Scheme for the 2019/20 financial year. The scheme had remained the same since 2013/14 and it was agreed that it would be reviewed for the 2020/21 financial year due to the impact of Universal Credit. At its meeting on 4 September 2019, the Executive Committee had given approval for consultation to take place on three options for a new scheme: an income banded scheme; a scheme where all working age claimants paid a percentage of Council Tax; or to remain on the default scheme – the response to the consultation was set out on Pages No. 186-189 but, as only 108 responses had been received, this was not indicative of residents of the Borough and Officers were proposing the Council remained on the default scheme for a further year but with a minor adjustment that, because of the difficulties with Universal Credit meaning entitlement had to be reassessed every four weeks, it was not administratively efficient or understandable by residents to reassess Council Tax reduction that often and accordingly it was proposed that a tolerance be introduced whereby any changes of £10 per week or less in income be disregarded.

71.3           In terms of Council Tax discounts, it was suggested that they be retained as existing except that unoccupied and substantially unfurnished properties that were currently discounted at 100% for one month and 25% for five months be changed to 25% for the whole six months; and the additional power of increasing the levy charge to 200% for properties that have been unoccupied and unfurnished for over five years be introduced. The Revenues and Benefits Manager explained that the initial discount of 100% in respect of unoccupied and substantially unfurnished properties caused a lot of landlord and tenant disputes which, in turn, took up a lot of officer time which could be freed up to enable them to deal with other value added tasks such as the recovery of Council Tax arrears. In terms of the 200% levy on properties unoccupied and unfurnished for over five years, this would be an additional income to the Council of approximately £4,000 but, moreover, would support the Council’s strategy to bring empty properties back into use.

71.4           Accordingly, it was 

Action By: DCE

72.

Discretionary Housing Payments pdf icon PDF 219 KB

To request additional budget for Discretionary Housing Payments.

Subject To Call In:: Yes - No action to be taken prior to the expiry of the call-in period.

Decision:

That it be AGREED that additional funding of £40,000 be funded from the expected windfall on business rates retention to supplement the Council’s allocation for Discretionary Housing Payments for the 2019/20 financial year.  

Minutes:

72.1           The report of the Head of Corporate Services, circulated at Pages No. 190-192, explained the increased pressures the Council was seeing on the Discretionary Housing Payments budget and asked the Committee to agree additional funding of £40,000 from expected windfall on business rates retention to supplement the Council’s allocation for Discretionary Housing Payments for the 2019/20 financial year.

72.2           The Revenues and Benefits Manager explained that the Council had the power to award Discretionary Housing Payments to provide additional financial assistance towards housing costs where claimants were in receipt of housing benefit or Universal Credit where housing costs were included. Annual funding for this was provided by the government and the Council was able to top-up the funding from its own resources by an additional 150%. The rollout of Universal Credit had placed particular pressure on the budget and it was anticipated that expenditure would exceed the government contribution by approximately £41,939. For the Council to continue to support its most vulnerable residents, the budget would need to be ‘topped up’. To ensure the awards made were being properly assessed in terms of policy, the Revenues and Benefits Manager indicated that she had asked Internal Audit to check all applications that had been received this year to ensure payments were being made efficiently and effectively.

72.3           During the discussion which ensued, a Member questioned whether other Councils were having similar issues and whether the government was likely to provide additional funding in 2020/21. In response, the Revenues and Benefits Manager drew attention to Paragraph 2.3 of the report which explained that, in the 2019 spending round, the Chancellor had announced additional earmarked funding of £40million for Discretionary Housing Payments to “tackle affordability pressures in the private rented sector in England and Wales”; however, that additional funding would not be received until 2020/21 so would not help with the current year. Across Gloucestershire the patterns were similar with more pressure this year than in previous years. In response to a concern that the recommendation was to use ‘expected’ windfall monies, the Head of Finance and Asset Management explained that it was not known until the end of the year exactly what would happen with business rates which was the reason the wording ‘expected’ was used; however, since the appeal by the NHS had been found in the Council’s favour there was more confidence in the amount of business rates to be received this year. It was unknown how much would be needed for Discretionary Housing Payments in the future but it was expected that the pressures on the budget would continue; the Head of Finance and Asset Management advised that the Council would have to see how much additional funding the government put in and then assess what requests were received for Discretionary Housing Payments in the forthcoming year to understand if a similar report would be required next time.

72.4           Accordingly, it was

Action By: DCE

73.

Cyber Central Garden Community - West Cheltenham Strategic Masterplan Supplementary Planning Document pdf icon PDF 165 KB

To approve the draft Cyber Central Garden Community Draft Supplementary Planning Document for consultation for a period of five weeks in line with the arrangements set out within the report and to delegate authority to the Head of Development Services to make editorial changes to the draft document in terms of formatting, presentation and accuracy prior to publication for consultation purposes.

Subject To Call In:: No - Decision taken as urgent as defined in Scrutiny Rule of Procedure 15.1 due to the fact that there would be insufficient time for the completion of the call-in process before the consultation commences.

Additional documents:

Decision:

1.      That the draft Cyber Central Garden Community Draft Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), as attached to the report at Appendix 1, be APPROVED for consultation in accordance with Regulation 13 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 for a period of five weeks.

2.      That the consultation arrangements, as set out in Appendix 2 of the report, be APPROVED.

3.      That authority be delegated to the Head of Development Services to make editorial changes to the draft Supplementary Planning Document in terms of formatting, presentation and accuracy prior to its publication for consultation purposes.

Minutes:

73.1           The report of the Head of Development Services, circulated at Pages No. 193-289, sought authority to consult on the Cyber Central Garden Community draft Supplementary Planning Document, as set out within the report, and to delegate authority to the Head of Development Services to make editorial changes to the draft document in terms of formatting, presentation and accuracy prior to publication for consultation purposes.

73.2           Members were advised that the draft Supplementary Planning Document had been subject to engagement with key stakeholders and the wider community of West Cheltenham through a series of face to face sessions as well as a technical review by specialist Officers across Cheltenham Borough, Tewkesbury Borough and Gloucester City Councils. The document had been informed by the Joint Core Strategy, the emerging Local Industrial Strategy, the Connecting Cheltenham Transport Strategy, applications for Local Green Space Designations and Hester’s Way Neighbourhood Plan together with technical reports and assessments detailing constraints and opportunities for West Cheltenham. The preparation of a Supplementary Planning Document provided the opportunity to guide, encourage and improve development within the strategic allocation to have a positive impact which was considered to be important.

73.3           Cheltenham Borough Council’s Cabinet had approved the document for consultation in late December and, subject to agreement from Tewkesbury Borough Council, the consultation would commence on 13 January for a period of five weeks. Once the consultation was complete, a full report, together with any subsequent changes, would be presented to Council in April; if approved the Supplementary Planning Document would become a material consideration to the determination of future planning applications.

73.4           During the brief discussion which ensued, a Member expressed her surprise that the website for the project was not referred to within the consultation document; in response, the Head of Development Services undertook to ensure the new website (www.cybercentralcheltenham.co.uk) was referenced. A Member indicated that the document was very impressive and the project was really exciting so she hoped it came to fruition. Accordingly, it was

Action By: DCE

74.

Churchdown and Innsworth Neighbourhood Plan Referendum pdf icon PDF 154 KB

To approve the Churchdown and Innsworth Neighbourhood Plan to progress to Community Referendum.

Subject To Call In:: Yes - No action to be taken prior to the expiry of the call-in period.

Additional documents:

Decision:

1.      That the Churchdown and Innsworth Neighbourhood Development Plan, modified according to the Examiner’s recommended amendments, be APPROVED to progress to community referendum ascribed by Regulation 18 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012, as amended.   

2.      That authority be delegated to the Head of Development Services, in consultation with the Lead Member for Built Environment, to make any necessary minor amendments prior to the referendum.

Minutes:

74.1           The report of the Head of Development Services, circulated at Pages No. 290-434, attached the examiner’s report and suggested modifications along with the amended version of the Churchdown and Innsworth Neighbourhood Plan. Members were asked to approve the Plan for a community referendum and to delegate authority to the Head of Development Services, in consultation with the Lead Member for Built Environment, to make any necessary minor amendments prior to the referendum.

74.2           Members were advised that the Churchdown and Innsworth Neighbourhood Plan had been through the required process and had now reached the advanced stage whereby it was ready, subject to the modifications recommended by the independent examiner, to proceed to a community referendum. Borough Council Officers had considered the modifications suggested and were satisfied with the examiner’s conclusions and the relevant Parish Councils had also accepted those amendments. Therefore, it was recommended that the amended Plan was progressed to a referendum.

74.3           Members noted that there were very few modifications suggested by the examiner which showed what a good Plan had been put forward. Accordingly, it was

Action By: DCE