The Committee resolved with 8 votes for, 1 abstention and the Chair not voting to exclude the Press and Public from the meeting in accordance with Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that the business involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act (as amended) and that pursuant to paragraph 10 of Part 2 of the said Schedule 12A the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.

Following consideration, the Committee resolved with 7 votes for, 2 abstentions and the Chair not voting to:

(1)      Approve the annual plan shown at Appendix 1 to the report for the year 2023-24.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to:

(1)      Note the progress and anticipated spend at the end of the current year 2022-23 as shown in Appendix 1 to the report.

(2)      Note the additional emergency works raised and carried out in the 2022-23 planned maintenance programme.

(3)      Approve the 2023-24 planned maintenance programme at an estimated cost of £539,000 as set out in Appendix 2 to the report.

(4)      Subject to the Council’s financial and contract requirements, to delegate authority to the Head of Property and Regeneration to make changes within the 2023-24 planned maintenance programme to cover unforeseen matters (such as tender price variances) of up to, but not exceeding £20,000.

(5)      To agree to transfer the unspent budgets back to the Planned Maintenance Reserve at the end of the financial year.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to:

(1)      Thank the members of the Constitutional Working Group for their work in preparing the amended documents approved at Council on the 14^th February; and

(2)      Transfer responsibility for the continuation of Constitutional updates to the Standards and Constitution committee

Following consideration, the Committee resolved with 8 votes for and 2 abstentions to:

(1)      Agree the draft IT Strategy and the associated plan to invest in a programme of works as set out in the draft IT Roadmap.  The works to include; a refresh of end user devices for councillors and officers, a programme of works to update infrastructure, and transformational projects to improve and increase online services to residents.

(2)      Approve the indicative funding implications for delivering the defined IT Roadmap in 2023-2024 as set out in table 1 of the report, these being; the carry forward of unspent 2022/23 capital funding of £215k and new capital funding for 2023/24 of £225k (which is inclusive of an additional £15k in order to complete the Member device refresh).

Following consideration, the Committee resolved (3 votes for, 3 votes against, the Chair not using his first vote, and exercising his casting vote in favour of the recommendation) to:

(1)          Agree the increase to the charge for home ground agreements as set out in appendix 1 of the report.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to:

(1)          Approve the procurement and installation of a toddler play area outside the library at Bourne Hall as detailed in this report.

Following consideration, Councillor Julie Morris proposed a motion to defer consideration of the matter until the next ordinary meeting of the Committee in order to allow for the opportunity for the Committee to receive comment on the matter from the Transport and Waste Services Manager, who was not present at the meeting owing to unavailability.

The proposal was seconded by Councillor Steven McCormick.

The proposal was unanimously agreed by the Committee.

The Committee unanimously resolved to defer consideration of the matter until the next ordinary meeting of the Committee.

Following consideration, Councillor Steven McCormick proposed that an additional recommendation be added asking the Committee to agree that the Tree Management Plan be reviewed and revised to ensure the absence of grammatical and spelling errors and to include further information with regard to legislation in relation to tree management, and that any revisions be reviewed and approved by the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Committee.

The Committee unanimously agreed to the addition of the proposed recommendation.

The Committee unanimously resolved to:

(1)          Agree to adopt the Tree Management Plan set out in Appendix 1 of the report.

(2)          Agree that the Tree Management Plan set out in Appendix 1 of the report be reviewed and revised to ensure the absence of grammatical and spelling errors and to include further information with regard to legislation in relation to tree management, and that any revisions be reviewed and approved by the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Committee.