Agenda, decisions and minutes

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.

1.1             The evacuation procedure, as noted on the Agenda, was advised to those present.  

2.1             Apologies were received from Councillors G F Blackwell and R J E Vines. Councillor A S Reece would be acting as a substitute for the meeting.  

3.1             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.

3.2             The following declaration was made:

3.3             There were no further declarations of interest made on this occasion.

To approve the Minutes of the meeting held on 3 April 2019.

4.1             The Minutes of the meeting held on 3 April 2019, copies of which had been circulated, were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.  

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

(The deadline for public participation submissions for this meeting is 6 June 2019).  

5.1             There were no items from the public on this occasion.  

To consider the Committee’s Forward Plan.  

That the Committee’s Forward Plan be NOTED.  

6.1             Attention was drawn to the Committee’s Forward Plan, circulated at Pages No. 8-14. Members were asked to consider the Plan.

6.2             A Member questioned whether there would be a workshop for Members prior to the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Governance being considered by the Executive Committee. In response, the Head of Development Services advised that this was the intention; however, it was likely that the item would not actually be considered by the Executive Committee at its July meeting. Accordingly, it was

To consider the Council’s financial outturn for 2018/19 and to approve the transfers to and from earmarked reserves.

1.      that the general fund outturn for 2018/19, the financing of the capital programme and the annual treasury management report and performance be NOTED; and

2.      that the transfers to and from earmarked reserves be APPROVED.

7.1             The report of the Head of Finance and Asset Management, circulated at Pages No. 15-40, highlighted the Council’s financial performance for the previous year including setting out the General Fund and Capital Outturn positions. Members were asked to note the General Fund Outturn for 2018/19, the financing of the capital programme and the annual treasury management report and performance; and approve the transfers to and from earmarked reserves. 

7.2             Members were advised that the report provided information on the Council’s finances and financial performance. In terms of the General Fund Outturn, the Head of Finance and Asset Management explained that, in February 2019, the quarter three outturn position had confirmed a surplus of £664,478. The full year position was reported as a £2.68 million surplus. This was a significant increase against the quarter three position and could be primarily attributed to strong performance in treasury and commercial activities; additional business rates retention, including the impact of the 100% retention pilot; and substantial external grant funding being received. Attention was drawn to Table 1 in the report which showed a summary of the General Fund Outturn and particular attention was drawn to the employees full year budget which was underspent largely as a result of staff turnover and vacancies in most service groupings; premises was underspent as a result of savings on utilities and the release of New Homes Bonus monies to support the asset maintenance programme in future years; payments to third parties was showing a significant overspend as a result of an overspend on the Ubico contract as well as payments for work undertaken in areas such as the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and the Joint Core Strategy (JCS) where partner finance or reserves existed to cover the cost; and income which was £1.48 million over the budgeted provision with the majority of fees and charges budgets, with the exception of planning, having been delivered on budget during the year with a few areas, such as garden waste, being beyond expected levels and substantial external grant income being received during the year.

7.3             In terms of corporate activity, the treasury service continued to do well with most investments achieving above target - although more had been spent on borrowing than anticipated due to the Council’s commercial activity. The Council had acquired two commercial properties in the year which had resulted in increased rental generation against the budget of £281,000; the two properties, one an office building and one a retail outlet, had a combined yield in excess of the targeted yield and had been purchased sooner than envisaged. The two new properties, combined with the existing units, would make a significant contribution to the Council’s core budget funding in the coming years. In terms of the Business Rates, the Head of Finance and Asset Management was pleased to report a positive position - the Council had seen little impact from successful appeals in year, partly as a result of a number of unsuccessful appeals but also  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

To approve arrangements in respect of a Private Rented Housing Sector Accommodation Fund Pilot.

1.      That the award of £363,408 from the Private Rented Sector Fund to Homeseeker Plus Partnership for the development and implementation of a pilot scheme to increase access to private sector rented properties for people in need of affordable housing (‘the pilot scheme’) be NOTED.

2.      That the Council’s involvement as a partner in the pilot scheme be APPROVED as set out in the report.

3.      That authority be delegated to the Head of Community Services, in consultation with the Head of Finance and Asset Management, to enter into the Partnership Agreement, Data Sharing Agreement and other related documentation associated with the pilot scheme on terms approved by the Borough Solicitor.

8.1             The report of the Head of Community Services, circulated at Pages No. 41-50, set out the details of a pilot project which sought to increase the number of properties which were available to families and individuals within the Borough who were seeking affordable rental accommodation. Members were asked to authorise Officers to enter into a pilot project along with the rest of the housing services in the County and West Oxfordshire District Council. The pilot scheme aimed to support more people into successful tenancies.

8.2             The Head of Community Services advised that there was a disparity between the number of families and individuals in the Borough who were seeking affordable rental accommodation and the number of properties available to them to rent; there were currently over 2,200 people on the waiting list but in 2017/18 there had only been 421 social housing lets within the Borough. Traditionally, private sector landlords were reluctant to let to individuals and families on lower incomes and the scheme which was being developed aimed at partially addressing that situation by encouraging and incentivising local private sector landlords to rent to those people. The scheme would not be suitable for all potential tenants or all landlords, for example, it was highly unlikely that tenants with a chaotic lifestyle would be suitable for the scheme. Officers from Community Services had led the regional funding bid which aimed to incentivise landlords, prevent homelessness and reduce the burden of costly temporary accommodation and it was likely that the Forest of Dean District Council would lead on the delivery of the project. Working on behalf of the partnership, the team had been successful in the bid for funding to pilot the project which totalled £363,000 and was shared between the Gloucestershire Districts and West Oxfordshire District Council who were all part of the Homeseeker Plus Partnership.

8.3             A Member questioned whether the Council had any control over the rents being charged as he noted that some private rents in his area were over £1,000 a month. In response, the Head of Community Services explained that there was no way for the Council to influence/control the rents charged by private landlords but Officers were using the local housing allowance as a base so they would consider landlords that were as close to that as possible. Landlords would get the rental payments from housing benefit; Universal Credit; directly from the clients; or from discretionary housing payments. A Member questioned what would happen at the end of the pilot scheme if someone was successfully renting a property that they would not otherwise be able to afford. The Head of Community Services advised that this had been the subject of much debate and discussion by the project team and it was felt there could be options available if this became an issue. All tenants would be made fully aware at the outset that the tenancy was for a 12-month period only – this meant it was a leap of a faith to a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

To receive an update on the Ashchurch bridge project; to accept the funding conditions of Homes England and to authorise the Deputy Chief Executive, in consultation with the S151 Officer and Borough Solicitor, to enter into the appropriate agreements to deliver the project.

1.      That the progress to date be NOTED.

2.      That the funding conditions of Homes England be ACCEPTED, as appended to the report, and the Deputy Chief Executive, in consultation with the S151 Officer and Borough Solicitor, be authorised to agree and enter into the Grant Delivery Agreement and associated documentation, subject to minor amendments, accordingly.

3.      That the Deputy Chief Executive, in consultation with the S151 Officer and Borough Solicitor, be AUTHORISED to enter into appropriate agreements with contractors, including Gloucestershire County Council, to support the delivery of the project.

4.      That the Deputy Chief Executive, in consultation with the S151 Officer and Borough Solicitor, be AUTHORISED to negotiate and enter into agreements with third party landowners in order to progress the project.

9.1             The report of the Deputy Chief Executive, circulated at Pages No. 51-59, updated Members on the status of the Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) funding for the railway bridge project at Ashchurch and sought agreement to enter into appropriate agreements to deliver the project. The Committee was asked to note the progress to date; to accept the funding conditions of Homes England as appended to the report, and authorise the Deputy Chief Executive, in consultation with the S151 Officer and Borough Solicitor, to agree and enter into the Grant Delivery Agreement and associated documentation, subject to minor amendments, accordingly; to authorise the Deputy Chief Executive, in consultation with the S151 Officer and Borough Solicitor, to enter into appropriate agreements with contractors, including Gloucestershire County Council, to support the delivery of the project; and to authorise the Deputy Chief Executive, in consultation with the S151 Officer and Borough Solicitor, to negotiate and enter into agreements with third party landowners in order to progress the project.

9.2             Members were advised that a pot of funding had been made available as part of the government’s drive to bring forward development schemes. The Council had applied for marginal liability funding to unlock sites that were not able to come forward due to marginal needs; in the case of Tewkesbury Borough Council money had been received for a bridge over the railway line in the Ashchurch area and the report set out the culmination of some of that work and asked Members to agree to enter into conditions with Homes England to bring that funding forward. The Deputy Chief Executive confirmed that, in order to progress the project, and due to its expertise in delivering projects of this scale and its knowledge of the statutory obligations regarding highways and bridges, the Council proposed to enter into an agreement with the County Council to support the delivery; this was considered to be an expedient approach given the fact that having the right expertise to deliver the project was critical to its success.

9.3             The conditions attached to the funding were listed within the Appendix to the report and the project would be split into two distinct phases; the first being delivery of the bridge and the second the delivery of development. One part needed to come first and it was considered far more desirable to put the infrastructure in place before the development although Officers would look to dovetail the phases wherever possible e.g. conversations had commenced with landowners in the area with a view to bringing forward residential development as close as possible to phase 1.The other key element, aside from the phasing, was the transport modelling to understand the implications of the bridge, road and infrastructure etc. There was currently some high-level indicative modelling available, but detailed work would be required to check that information and local Members would be involved with those discussions from the outset.

9.4             A Member noted that the heading of the map indicated it was the ‘Tewkesbury  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

10.1           The Chair proposed, and it was  

                  RESOLVED          That, under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act                               1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following                              items on the grounds that they involve the likely discussion of                                    exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the                          Act.  

(Exempt –Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 –Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information))

To consider options for future delivery of the Council’s Human Resources and Payroll Services.

(Exempt –Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 –Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information))

11.1           Members considered the options for the future delivery of the Council’s Human Resources (HR) and Payroll Services and agreed that a business case be developed for establishing a shared HR and Payroll Service for further consideration and decision.