Decisions

Following consideration, the Committee resolved unanimously:

(1)      To agree to an independent Planning Officers Society review of the Development Management Service;

(2)      To agree to procure consultancy support to clear the backlog of planning applications;

(3)      To agree to retain existing senior agency staff pending permanent recruitment to roles;

(4)      To agree to appoint an enforcement trainer to work with and train planning officers in planning enforcement;

(5)      To approve the allocation of up to £190,000 to the Development Management Service budget to enable the additional resource and for the review to be undertaken;

(6)      A Member Task and Finish Group to oversee the review and progress against implementation of an action plan.

This item was withdrawn from the agenda and was not considered by the Committee.

This item was withdrawn from the agenda and was not considered by the Committee.

Following consideration, the Committee resolved unanimously:

(1)      To comment on the options set out at paras 2.39 to 2.44 of the report for meeting infrastructure;

(2)      Agree for officers to investigate preferred options from Recommendation 1 for the purchase of audio & visual meeting equipment for the Council Chamber;

(3)      To delegate to the Director of Corporate Services and the Chief Finance Officer, in consultation with the Chair and the Vice Chair of Strategy and Resources Committee, the purchase of an audio visual solution for Council and Committee meetings and bring a solution back for approval at the meeting of the Strategy and resources Committee in September 2021.

Following consideration, the Committee resolved unanimously to:

(1)      Agree that officers commence consultation with the public and other interested parties as soon as possible to obtain views on the future delivery of the building control service;

(2)      Delegate authority to the Director of Environment, Housing and Regeneration to approve the final consultation document; and

(3)      Note that a further report will be brought to this Committee on the outcome of the public consultation and seek a decision on the future delivery of the service.

This item was withdrawn from the agenda and was not considered by the Committee.

Following consideration, it was resolved unanimously to:

(1)      Note and agree the Committee’s current Forward Plan as attached at Appendix 1 of the report.

Following consideration, it was resolved unanimously that the Committee:

(1)      Agreed the adoption of an updated Safeguarding Policy and Procedure for Children and Adults as set out in Annex 1 to the report;

(2)      Agreed that minor updates to the Safeguarding Policy and Procedure are delegated to the Head of Housing and Community in consultation with the Director of Housing, Environment and Regeneration and the Chair of Strategy and Resources.

Following consideration, the Committee resolved unanimously to:

(1)      Receive the report on the Council’s treasury management performance 2020/21;

(2)     Approve the 2020/21 prudential indicators.

Following consideration, the Committee resolved unanimously to:

(1)      Appoint Members to the Capital Member Group. The following Members were appointed: Councillors Colin Keane (Chairman), Neil Dallen, Alex Coley, John Beckett and 1 opposition party representative (it subsequently confirmed as Councillor Kate Chinn);

(2)      Approve the increase in budget of £185,282 for the Disabled Facilities programme, in line with the allocation of central government grant funding;

(3)      Approve the increase in budget of £8,525 and reduction in scope for the Ashley Centre Car Park Expansion Joints project;

(4)      Confirm the criteria for considering capital bids as set out in paragraph 9.1 of the report;

(5)      Confirm the criteria for assessing ‘spend to save’ capital bids as set out in paragraph 9.2 of the report.

Following consideration, the Committee resolved unanimously to:

(1)      Receive the report on provisional financial outturn for 2020/21;

(2)      Note the carry forward £2.471m budget for capital schemes to be added to the 2021/22 capital programme.

(3)      Note that the external audit of the 2020/21 Statement of Accounts is underway and is expected to complete in the Autumn. Should any material changes to outturn arise from the audit, these will be reported to this Committee in Autumn.

Following consideration, it was resolved unanimously that the Committee:

(1)      Agreed to a 3 year commercial lease for the ground floor  unit at 24 South Street to be utilised as a Food Pantry as set out in section 3 of the report.

(2)      Authorised the Head of Property and Chief Legal Officer to agree terms and complete the Pantry lease.

Under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the Committee passed a resolution to exclude the public from the meeting for Part Two of the Agenda 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.

The following declarations were made in relation to items of business to be discussed at the meeting:

Support for Leisure Services

Councillor Bernice Froud, Other Interest: In the interests of openness and transparency, Councillor Bernice Froud declared that she is a paying member of GLL but that she came with an open mind to the meeting.

Support for Leisure Services

Councillor Hannah Dalton, Other Interest: In the interests of openness and transparency, Councillor Hannah Dalton declared that she was involved in previous discussions with GLL regarding support for Leisure Services in her previous role as the Vice-Chair of Community and Wellbeing Committee, but that she came with an open mind to the meeting.

Support for Leisure Services

Councillor Lucie McIntyre, Other Interest: In the interests of openness and transparency, Councillor Lucie McIntyre declared that her children are paying members of GLL but that she came with an open mind to the meeting.