Meeting documents

To sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 17 December 2013, subject to the reference to “£5” being replaced with “£5M” in Resolution 2 (a) of Minute 78.

The Minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 17 December 2013, copies of which had been previously circulated, were approved and signed by Councillor N Rose, Cabinet Leader, as a correct record, subject to the reference to “£5” being replaced with “£5M” in Resolution 2 (a) of Minutes 78.

Councillor Mrs I A Darby declared a personal interest in Item 12 - Update on Chalfont St Peter Neighbourhood Plan - being a Member of Chalfont St Peter Parish Council.

Councillor Mrs L Smith was also in attendance at the meeting and advised that that she was also a Member of Chalfont St Peter Parish Council.

The Cabinet received a report attaching the draft 28-Day Notice which provided a forward look at the Agenda for the next meeting of the Cabinet.  The Notice would be published on 7 April 2014.

RESOLVED -

That the Draft 28-Day Notice / Forward Plan, to be published on 7 April 2014, be noted.

Councillor Mrs I A Darby - Flooding

Councillor Mrs Darby reported that as a result of the recent weather a number of residents had recently experienced flooding in their homes and businesses. Residents throughout the district had been affected, though residents in Old Amersham and Chalfont St Peter had been particularly badly affected. The Council’s teams had worked hard, including during the weekend, to hold back water where they could. The swift action of officers and other agencies had also averted a potentially serious pollution incident. The Council had distributed approximately 1,600 Floodsax (modern sandbags) and had opened on a Saturday morning to enable residents to collect supplies. Information was provided via the website, social media, and out of hours telephone message service. Officers responded to calls of potential flooding and also visited areas identified at risk.

The latest information indicated that the situation was currently stable and water levels were reducing. The Council would remain vigilant and continue to monitor those areas at risk which included working in collaboration with other agencies to deal with further emergencies. Floodsax would continue to be made available to residents.

Members expressed sympathy to communities around the country who were also experiencing flooding, in particular those in the West Country who were particularly badly affected.

The Cabinet paid tribute to the Council’s officers who had provided support to residents. Particular thanks were express to individual officers from the following sections: Health and Housing; Facilities and Customer Services; Engineering; Environmental Health, and Communications.

Note: Councillor R Burns-Green entered the meeting at 4.37 pm.

The Cabinet considered a report providing information from the Bucks Actuary following a revaluation exercise of the Fund carried out in 2013. Members considered whether to increase employer contributions or make a one off contribution to the pension fund.

The Cabinet noted the comments from the Performance and Resources Overview Committee which recommended that a one off contribution - as much as the Council could reasonably afford - should be made to the pension fund.

Councillor Stannard had met with the actuary to discuss the Chiltern figures. It was noted that Chiltern’s pension fund position was partly explained by the membership profile which had a higher proportion of retired members to contributing members, and this in part was a consequence of the reduction in the number of staff over the last six years. Members acknowledged the pension fund deficit and noted that the actuary had made a number of assumptions which could not be changed, even if they felt some of them might be overly cautious.

The Cabinet was keen to reduce the deficit, and in light of the comments of the Performance and Resources Overview Committee, it was suggested that a one off contribution of £350,000 be transferred to the pension fund from the current year’s revenue budget in line with the forecast underspend for the year, and that a further one off contribution of £650,000 be transferred to the pension fund from the General Fund Reserve in the current year. This would reduce the pension fund recovery period from 29 years to 20 years, without the need to increase the level of contributions included in the budget which was based on a zero increase in Council Tax.

RESOLVED -

That that a one off contribution of £350,000 be transferred to the pension fund from the current year’s revenue budget, and that a further one off contribution of £650,000 be transferred to the pension fund from the General Fund Reserve in the current year.

The Cabinet considered a report containing the proposed revenue budget for 2014/15 which was based on a zero increase in Council Tax. The report also outlined the: financial context and base budget position; New Homes Bonus and grants; budget requirement and Council Tax issues; Medium Term Financial Strategy Update; and advice of the Director of Resources. The Cabinet were also asked to recommend the level of Council Tax to Full Council on 26 February 2014.

After noting the comments of the Performance and Resources Overview Committee who had considered the report at the meeting on 18 January, Members then

RESOLVED -

1.         That the advice of the Director of Resources be noted.

2.         That the report be made available to all Members of the Council in advance of the Council Tax setting meeting on 26 February, and that a final report is produced for the Council meeting incorporating the information from preceptors, and final decisions of the Cabinet on the budget.

Members considered a report recommending that authority be delegated to the Director of Resources, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Support Services, to award three joint contracts for banking, insurance and payroll, due for renewal in the coming year.

It was noted that the Performance and Resources Overview Committee had endorsed the recommendation. The Cabinet at South Bucks District Council had considered a similar report and had agreed similar recommendations.

RESOLVED -

1.         That the report be noted.

2.         That authority be delegated to the Director of Resources, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Support Services, to award new joint contracts for banking, insurance and payroll.

The Cabinet considered a report requesting Members to approve the Pre-Submission version of the Delivery Development Plan Document (DDPD) for public consultation and submission to the Secretary of State. The draft Infrastructure Delivery Schedule and Sustainability Appraisal would also be subject to public consultation and examination alongside the DDPD. A Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Review had been carried out and it was proposed that the Council does not pursue a CIL to 2026, subject to further review if circumstances changed. The report also outlined the proposed public consultation and sought authority to be delegated to officers to prepare the Council’s DDPD submission documents and to undertake any necessary examination in public.

The Housing and Planning Overview Committee had considered the report at the meeting held on 21 January 2014 and had suggested some changes to the DPDD which had been incorporated into the document.

The Council had received a significant number of responses to the public consultations on the DPDD emerging main issues and Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeoples Site Options. The identification of sites was a Government requirement. The level of need was based on a needs assessment commissioned by Buckinghamshire district authorities. Sites had then been identified via a number of processes which included: dialogue with parish councils; engagement with the County Council; working with traveller families and representatives groups; two public participation events, and information from landowners.  Members noted a number of letters which had been received by the Council since the report was published, and copies of which were circulated before the meeting.

The DDPD had been prepared taking into account representations during the public participation events, on-going stakeholder engagement, advice of the Local Plan Policy Advisory Group and the Council’s evidence base comprising some 60 documents.

The Cabinet also considered a number of amendments to the DDPD which included: paragraph 9.40 amended to include reference to the Council preparing a residential space standards Supplementary Planning Document for all new types of residential development as an interim and supplement to anticipated national standards. Paragraph 5.6 amended to delete references to the provision of additional uses or space for non-essential facilities, and to include “scale of development” as a factor in determining the appropriateness of proposed facilities. The Infrastructure Delivery Schedule amended to include developer financial contributions through Section 106 Agreements where justified for specialist housing needs, and Chesham Sewage Treatment Works deleted from the Infrastructure Delivery Schedule on the advice of Thames Water that measures needed were operational.

The proposed change to paragraph 9.40 was particularly welcomed in order to ensure that space standards were in place.

A non-Cabinet Member expressed thanks to officers involved in the significant amount of work involved in developing the document, but expressed concerns regarding the proposals in relation to the review of settlements in the Green Belt and rows of dwellings in the Green Belt.

The Cabinet commended officers on all the work that had been carried out. It was advised that although no one would be happy with everything  ...  view the full minutes text for item 89.

The Cabinet were asked to provide a steer on the response to Three Rivers District Council’s consultation on the Draft Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Local Development Document (preferred options).

RESOLVED -

1.         That authority be delegated to the Head of Sustainable Development in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development to submit representations on behalf of the Council to Three Rivers District Council on their Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Local Development Document.

2.         That the Head of Sustainable Development in formulating the Council’s representations takes into account the report and any views expressed by Cabinet.

The Cabinet received a report providing an update on progress for the Draft Chalfont St Peter Neighbourhood Plan. It was noted that the Parish Council had submitted the Plan, but due to a technicality it had been rejected. Councillor Mrs L Smith confirmed that the Parish Council had re-submitted the Plan to the Council that afternoon and expressed thanks to officers for their support and help.

The Cabinet then considered a number of options including whether the draft plan should be considered: at the next Cabinet meeting on 6 May or a subsequent meeting; at a special Cabinet meeting in February/March; or that authority be delegated to the Head of Sustainable Development in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development.  

RESOLVED -

That authority be delegated to the Head of Sustainable Development, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development, to make representations on the submitted Chalfont St Peter Neighbourhood Plan.

The Cabinet received a report providing an update on the outcome of the Legal Challenge to the Government’s decision to proceed with HS2, the response prepared on behalf of the Council to the Environmental Statement, and highlighting the potential petitioning points against the High Speed Rail (London - West Midlands) Bill for approval by the Cabinet and the Council.

Following the Supreme Court judgement which found that there was no breach of the Strategic Environment Assessment Directive the Council was now focusing on mitigating the effects of HS2. As such, the report requested that additional funding be identified in order to support the next stages of the work. This included collecting expert and specialist advice regarding tunnelling issues, noise, landscaping and traffic in order to support the work associated with mitigating the effects of HS2. Demonstrating the economic impact on the local area was also important.

Members paid tribute to the sterling efforts of officers in drafting the response to the Environmental Statement within the Government’s tight timescales. Particular praise was expressed in relation to the incorporation of all the suggestions and comments that been received during the development of the document. A draft working copy had been made available before the meeting. Additional comments on the document were welcomed. A non-Cabinet Member emphasised that all tunnelling options should be included in the response.

A number of non-Cabinet Members were invited to speak. It was felt that in light of the recent flooding, a letter should be sent to the Prime Minister requesting that the allocation of resources to HS2 be reconsidered against other priorities, such as improving the country’s flood defences. The report was discussed in open session and this was welcomed. It was advised that the Liberal Democrat Group also supported the work that was being done. 

Although the Legal Challenge had been unsuccessful, the Cabinet felt that it had a duty to its residents to now focus on mitigating the effects of HS2 which it was in a strong position to do. It was also felt important that the Government continued to be encouraged to reconsider HS2, particularly in light of other priorities, such as improving the country’s resilience to flooding. Members, after considering the options detailed in the report, endorsed the draft response to the Environmental Statement and the allocation of additional resources to continue the next stages of work associated with mitigating the effects of HS2, in particular those effects caused during the construction phase. 

RESOLVED -

1.         That the responses prepared by Officers and Experts to the formal Environmental Statement on behalf of the Council be noted.

2.         That the issues raised in the report as matters of concern for the Council be noted, and that these reflect current thinking which will be developed by the officers/experts in the lead up to the submission of the petition to the Select Committee in April/May 2014.

3.         That up to £350,000 be transferred from the General Fund Reserve to the HS2 Earmarked Reserve, for the next  ...  view the full minutes text for item 92.

The Cabinet considered a report detailing the refreshed Open Space and Recreation Strategy which took account of changes since the last strategy was agreed in 2006. The process for updating the Strategy involved contacting stakeholders to identify new developments and then evaluating these to identify any shortfalls in provision which were then set out in the report. Members welcomed the links to planning in particular.

The Cabinet, after noting the updated Strategy and expressing thanks to officers for carrying out the review, then

RESOLVED -

1.         That the updated Open Space and Recreation Strategy 2014 - 17 be agreed and published for final community consultation.

2.         That the completed Open Space and Recreation Strategy to be resubmitted to Cabinet for final approval in May 2014, following community consultation.

Note: Councillor N Brown left the meeting at 6.02  pm.

The Cabinet considered a report providing the latest position regarding Affordable Housing Contributions (AHCs) and the provision of new affordable housing in the district. It was noted that the affordable homes due to be delivered as part of the proposed developments at the former Amersham & Wycombe College - Chesham Campus and The Grange / Holy Cross Convent Chalfont St Peter no longer applied. The impact of the proposals contained in the Autumn Statement regarding AHCs was also noted.

The report also set out a number of options for delivering more affordable housing which included: increasing the level of new build affordable housing; acquiring existing properties; supporting residents to become home owners; providing incentives to move, delivering improvements to stock, Real Estate Investment Trust, and delivering housing initiatives.

The report had been considered at the meeting of the Housing and Planning Overview Committee on 21 January 2014 and Members had felt that the Council should not take on the development of housing directly.

RESOLVED -

1.      That the report be noted and that officers proceed with a detailed assessment of the affordable housing delivery options set down in the report and present the findings to Members in the annual Strategic Housing Framework update.

2.      Members identify any specific areas of affordable housing delivery that they wish officers to investigate as part of their assessment.

Note: Councillor A K Bacon left the meeting at 6.08  pm.

The Cabinet considered a report attaching the proposed Treasury Management Strategy for 2014/15. The Performance and Resources Overview Committee had supported the approach in the Strategy when this was considered at the meeting held on 28 January 2014. Members had also emphasised to need to continue to explore investment opportunities.

The Cabinet supported the Strategy and recognised the need to be more proactive in exploring opportunities which provided a higher return on investment, particularly in light of the level of Council reserves.  This included continuing to be proactive in exploring invest to save capital projects which could provide a greater return than was likely from traditional cash  investment routes.

RESOLVED -

That the Treasury Management Strategy for 2014/15 be approved.

The Cabinet considered a report attaching a summary of each of the service plans produced by service areas within the Council. A number of future developments were also noted, which included: shared services, top tier business planning and a review of the Council’s Key Aims and Objectives.

RESOLVED -

That the service plan summaries be noted.

The Cabinet considered the quarterly performance indicator report which outlined the performance of Council services against national and local indicators and key objectives from October to December 2013.

Members noted the key areas of concern. This included the provision of affordable housing, and resources were being addressed in this area. It was felt that there was no single solution to increasing the provision of affordable housing, but the Council had committed additional funding in this area. It was recognised that identifying suitable sites was challenging.

The performance information for missed waste collections was discussed, and it was noted that the number of reported missed collections was the total across Chiltern and Wycombe and should be considered against a total of 4 million collections. Although this figure was higher than the Council would like, it included the period covering the roll out of the new joint waste collection service which was not indicative of normal operating conditions.

RESOLVED -

That the quarterly performance indicator report be noted.

Members considered the Minutes of the following Joint Executive Committee meetings:

·         Chiltern & Wycombe Joint Waste Collection Committee - 28 November 2013

• Chiltern & Wycombe Joint Waste Collection Committee - 9 December 2013

RESOLVED -

1.            That the Minutes of the above meetings of the Chiltern & Wycombe Joint Waste Collection Committee be noted.

2.            That the recommendations contained in Minute 29 - Joint Waste Client budget 2014/15 - of the Chiltern & Wycombe Joint Waste Collection Committee held on 28 November 2013 be adopted.

Note: the relevant paragraph number and description is included under the Minute heading.

Paragraph 3 - Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

Paragraph 3 - Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

The Cabinet considered a report outlining the provision of CCTV in the district and the reduction in Thames Valley Police’s funding for CCTV. Members also noted the work officers and partners were undertaking in this area. The Community and Environment Overview Committee had considered the report at the meeting held on 22 January 2014 and Members had reiterated their view that the Council should maintain the system as an effective deterrent as much as a tool to provide evidence. The Committee has also requested a further report when progress on the changes were known.

RESOLVED -

1.         That it be noted that Thames Valley Police is to reduce its funding for CCTV and that all local authorities in the Police Authority are working to reduce the impact of any reduction in funding.

2.         That a further report is submitted to the Cabinet reviewing its CCTV provision.

Paragraph 3 - Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

Paragraph 3 - Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

Members received a report regarding a proposal for the installation of an additional Photo Voltaic (PV) (solar energy recovery) system at Amersham Multi Storey Car Park. The Cabinet considered a number of options including the costs and benefits for: 50kWp, 100kWp, 150kWp and 193kWp PV systems. The Community and Environment Overview Committee had considered the report at the meeting held on 21 January 2014, and had recommended that the business case for the 150kWp was the preferred option.

The Cabinet were asked to consider the proposal for a 110 kWp system and after requesting further clarification on the payback period and lifetime benefits of this system, then

RESOLVED -

1.         That an additional Solar Photo Voltaic system be pursued as part of the over roofing project at Amersham Multi Storey Car Park and that a maximum budget of £150,000 for the project be agreed, subject to the optimum rate of return being demonstrated.

2.         That authority be delegated to the Head of Environment, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Asset Management (Deputy Leader), to approve the project following tendering for the Solar Voltaic system, subject to the optimum rate of return being demonstrated and the budgetary limit on the expenditure.

3.         That a further report outlining possible options for the installation of further Photo Voltaic systems at King George V House and Chesham Leisure Centre be considered at a future meeting.

Paragraph 3 - Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

Paragraph 3 - Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

The Cabinet considered a report requesting that arrears of National Non Domestic Rates be written off since all appropriate action had been taken and the debt was now irrecoverable.

RESOLVED -

That arrears of National Non Domestic Rates in the sum of £13890.62 be written off in accordance with the provision of Financial Procedure Rule 12.