Meeting documents

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors C Etholen (Deputy Cabinet Member for Digital Development and Customer Services) and S Saddique (Deputy Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources).

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meetings of the Cabinet held on 4 February 2019 be approved as a true record and signed by the Chairman.

There were no declarations of interest.

Cabinet were asked to appoint two representatives from Wycombe District Council to the Shadow Executive for the new Shadow Council.

It was anticipated that the Draft Structural Changes Order 2019 would be laid before Parliament which would provide for 17 Members to be appointed to the Shadow Executive. The membership would consist of 2 Members from each of the four existing District Councils, 8 from Buckinghamshire County Council, plus the role of Chairman of the Shadow Executive which would be undertaken by the County Council Leader.

Cabinet agreed that in the event that the Structural Changes Order was laid that the two appointments set out below be made, subject and without prejudice to the current legal action being undertaken.

The following decisions were made to appoint representatives to sit on the Shadow Executive for the new Shadow Council.

RESOLVED: That (i) Councillors Ms K Wood and A R Green be appointed as Wycombe District Council’s representatives to sit on the Shadow Executive for the Shadow Council; and

(ii)    Councillors D A Johncock and S Broadbent be appointed as Wycombe District Council’s named substitutes for the Shadow Executive for the Shadow Council.

Cabinet reviewed a report requesting adoption of proposed amendments to the Bucks Home Choice Allocations Policy which enabled all four district authorities to access applications to the housing register. The Bucks Home Choice Partnership membership comprised of Aylesbury Vale District Council, Chiltern District Council, South Bucks District Council and Wycombe District Council.

Bucks Home Choice was the overriding policy regarding access to the statutory housing register for households and people seeking social housing. Cabinet were informed that the Policy had been reviewed in response to recent case law following the Localism Act 2011, and the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.

The following recommendation was made as the Partnership was proposing a number of amendments to the priority bandings and qualifying criteria in the Bucks Homes Choice Allocation Policy due to changes in housing legislation, recent case law and local housing pressures.

Recommended: That Council adopts the revised Bucks Home Choice Allocations Policy and that partnership working and co-operation with Aylesbury Vale, Chiltern and South Bucks District Councils continued.

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 Nos 93 to 94  and 97 to 98, because of their reference to matters which contain exempt information as defined as follows:

Minute 93 Cressex Island– Appendices A, B and C

Minute 94  Handy X Hub Phase 3B– Appendix A

Minute 97  Green Space Contract Procurement

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)

Minute 98 - File on Action taken under Exempt Delegated  Powers

Community sheet no: C/2/19

  Economic Development & Regeneration sheet nos: EDR/02/19 - EDR/09/19

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)

The report before Cabinet set out proposals for the remainder of the Cressex Island site, these included a disposal option for two-thirds of the western part of the site for speculative industrial development, and for the eastern third to be developed as a discount food store and drive thru’ restaurant, funded by the Council as a retained let investment.

The Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Regeneration informed the meeting that the last sentence of paragraph 5 of the report should be amended to read as follows: "The proposed industrial development also carries planning risk (traffic modelling and visual impact). The site has no use allocation in the local plan. However, the employment proposal would fit with mixed use nature of the area, and help to off-set some of the employment losses resulting from the conversion of offices to residential via permitted development."

Cabinet supported the overall scheme which would bring a vacant site into beneficial use with the potential to create approximately 150 employment opportunities.

The following recommendations were made as the proposed disposal of part of the site was above delegated authority levels. The proposed investment in the development of the remainder of the site was not in the Capital Programme and required a recommendation to Full Council.

Recommended: That (i) the freehold interest in the western two-thirds of the Cressex Island site be disposed of on the terms set out in confidential Appendix A of the report;

(ii)    the development of the eastern third of the Cressex Island site be funded by the Council, for retention as a let investment, on the terms set out in confidential Appendix A of the report;

(iii)   approval of the detailed terms of the disposal be delegated to the Corporate Director in consultation with the Major Projects Executive, the Head of Finance and Commercial, and their respective Cabinet Members; and

(iv)    a supplementary estimate as set out in Appendix A of the report for the development and enabling works be agreed.

Cabinet approval was sought to dispose of the freehold interest in land at the Handy X Hub site (The Prow site). The report set out proposals to establish offices at the site, which was expected to accommodate approximately 100 jobs.

The following decisions were made as the proposed disposal was above delegated authority levels.

RESOLVED: That (i) the freehold interest in Handy X Hub Phase 3B (‘The Prow’ site) be disposed of on the terms set out in the confidential Appendix A of the report; and

(ii)    approval of the detailed terms of the disposal be delegated to the Corporate Director in consultation with the Major Projects Executive, the Head of Finance and their respective Cabinet Members.

Cabinet received the following Information Sheet issued since the last meeting:

                2/2019  Response to the Recommendations of the Improvement & Review Commission 28 November 2018 concerning the River Wye - Update.

Cabinet received the following files on actions taken under delegated powers:

Finance                                                                  F/03/19 – F/05/19

Planning & Sustainability                                       PS/01/19 – PS/03/19

Cabinet were advised that the Council’s current Green Space contract was due to terminate in December 2019. Approval was sought to begin a competitive tender exercise.

The following decision was made as the Council’s current Green Space contracts expire in December 2019 and replacement contracts were required.

RESOLVED: That the Council tender for a new green space contract to run from 2020-2024 with an option to extend for a further four years.

Cabinet received the following files on exempt actions taken under delegated

powers:

Community Sheet No: C/2/19

Economic Development & Regeneration Sheet Nos: EDR/02/19 – EDR/09/19