Meeting documents

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 12 March 2018 be approved as a true record and signed by the Chairman, with the amendment that the apologies of Councillor D Knights for that meeting be noted.

There were no declarations of interest.

Members had before them a comprehensive report outlining the background and issues which had led to the 12 March 2018 statement of the Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government whereby he announced his intention to support a single tier council, but to have only one council covering the whole of the current administrative area of the County Council.

The report seeked approval for the method by which the wording of the representations to be made to the Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government could be made.

Throughout the period in which the District Councils’ alternative submission was prepared a working group of Members received information and presentations about the progress of the work being carried out across the four Districts to prepare the Strategic Options Case, the stakeholder engagement and the submission. It was suggested in the Report that this working group should be reinstated to consider proposed representations.

In order that final adjustments to any wording could be made quickly and in order to comply with the timetable set out by the Minister, it was proposed that the Chief Executive have the ability to finalise the wording in consultation with the Leader.

Throughout the earlier work leading up to the preparation of the submission and beyond Wycombe District Council had continued to work closely with the Leaders of the four Districts of Buckinghamshire and there had been a clear consensus that the interests of the residents of Buckinghamshire would be better served by the proposal for single tier arrangements set out by the District Councils. It was proposed that the Council continue to work with the other District Councils and to develop its responses together.

The four District Councils had agreed to jointly procure some legal advice about the proposed decision of the Minister. The legal advice had made it clear that Wycombe District Council along with the other District Councils had a responsibility to ensure that residents and others were aware of the opportunity to make representations. Some resource was therefore being allocated from contingency funds to ensure that awareness raising could be carried out.

The following decisions were made as there was a need to respond to the announcement of the Minister and to seek to secure the best arrangements for the delivery of services to the residents of the Wycombe District, and also to ensure that suitable resources were available to establish that residents and others were aware of the opportunity to make representations and to ensure that the representations were informed.  

RESOLVED That (i) the wording of the representations to be made to the Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government in relation to his ‘minded to’ decision on single tier arrangements for Buckinghamshire be delegated to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader;

(ii) an allocation from the corporate contingency as reasonably necessary be made, to contribute towards the four District Councils duty to raise awareness amongst residents and organisations in the District about the opportunity to make representations; and

(iii)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 84.

In the Report before the meeting, Cabinet was being asked to confirm the range of projects to be funded by S106 and CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) allocations which were included in the 2018/19 Capital Programme approved at 5 February 2018 Cabinet and 22 February 2018 Council; and in previous years.

Delegated authority was being sought for the relevant Heads of Service in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Members to release the funding when project plans (including implementation timetables) were in place for projects in Part 1 of Appendix A. Projects in Part 2 would need further Cabinet decisions for the release of funds.

Previous allocations of funding were outlined in the report along with planned open space projects put forward by the Council’s Community Services in Appendix B.

Members discussed the report and appendices. The following decisions being made to ensure public transparency regarding CIL and S106 funding programmes which were being implemented in order to address the impacts of developments that had taken place and to improve the infrastructure of the District.

RESOLVED That (i) the current list of projects that have been allocated CIL and S106 funding as outlined in Appendix A be confirmed. These projects having been approved by February 2018 Cabinet and Council as part of the total capital programme;

(ii) delegated authority be granted to the relevant Head of Service in consultation with the Head of Finance and Commercial and relevant Cabinet Member to release, in part or whole, funds to the outside bodies identified for the implementation of the identified projects in Part 1 of Appendix A, subject to satisfactory project plans;

(iii) the release of funds for projects identified in Part 2 of Appendix A be subject to the Financial Regulations Standing Orders as per Appendix 3 of Part 3G of the Constitution; and

(iv) S106 Open Space funding be allocated to the projects identified in Appendix B with the release of funding subject to the Financial Regulations Standing Orders as per Appendix 3 of Part 3G of the Constitution. 

RESOLVED: That pursuant to Regulation 4(2)(b) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of  Minute 86 because of its reference to matters which contain exempt information as defined as follows:

Minute 86 – Wycombe Airpark: Future Masterplan Investment Requirements

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

(The need to maintain the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure, because disclosure could prejudice the Council’s position in any future tender process or negotiations).

Members had before them a comprehensive report in respect of the future masterplan investment requirements for Wycombe Airpark. In recent years, the focus on Wycombe Airpark had revolved around the renewal of the lease to its operator. This had been agreed in October 2016, since then, the Estates team had been involved in renewing – as direct Council tenants, or re-letting sub-tenants’ leases. With this stabilised, attention had turned to further optimising the asset. This had involved positioning the Council, as landowner, to capitalise upon proposed reallocations of land in the new Local Plan.

Members discussed and considered the detail of these investment requirements outlined in the Report.

Members noted the requirement for future planning permission in respect of a number of elements of the planned development.

The following recommendations to Full Council were made as revised investment requirements were now more appropriate, the existing capital budget having been based on repair of the main site access road. It in fact required full reconstruction and extension to serve ‘Southside’.

Also the proposed lease, whilst in itself falling within delegation, included future provisions that required Cabinet approval, whilst the proposed relocation would be required as part of suite of proposals contained in the report.

Additionally the recommendations would provide an opportunity to consolidate land ownership and to provide additional leisure facilities.

Recommendations to Council

That (i) a revised capital budget for full reconstruction of the main site access road and its extension to serve ‘Southside’ of Wycombe Airpark, as referred to in paragraph 16 and plan attached as Appendix A) be approved;

(ii) commitment to entering into an Agreement for Lease of ‘Southside’, the agreement to lease being conditional upon both the Local Plan examination and a subsequent planning application, as set out in paragraph 17, with final detailed terms delegated to the Major Projects Executive be agreed;

(iii) a capital budget for the proposed ‘Northside’ relocation of Booker Gliding Club as referred to in paragraph 22 be approved;

(iv) acquisition of land adjoining, as set out in paragraph 23 be approved; and

(v)  the progression of proposals for leisure use on adjoining third party owned land be approved.