Meeting documents

There were no declarations of interest.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting of the Improvement & Review Commission held on 18 October 2016, be approved as a true record and signed by the Chairman, with the correction that Councillor C Etholen’s apologies had been received but had been omitted in error.

The Commission had before it the report of the Regeneration Delivery Task and Finish Group featuring some 12 recommendations for consideration for onward referral to Cabinet.

Chairman of the Regeneration Delivery Task and Finish Group: Councillor Alex Collingwood guided members through the Report.

The Regeneration Delivery Task and Finish Group had been set up by the Improvement & Review Commission on 11 November 2015 with the following Terms of Reference being established at the Commission’s 13 January 2016 meeting:

To investigate and help shape the emerging arrangements for the delivery of the Council’s Regeneration and Infrastructure priority in order that the Council can make the smooth transition to financial self-sufficiency, specifically focusing on:

(a)  The prioritised regeneration programme to deliver the scale of recurring annual income required by 2018;

(b)  The organisational resources, decision-making and project delivery arrangements in place to ensure delivery of the regeneration projects on time and on budget; and

(c)  The partnership arrangements in place to ensure delivery of the regeneration projects on time and on budget, in particular with Buckinghamshire County Council and the Bucks (Thames Valley) Local Enterprise Partnership.

Divided into the three themes of Transportation, Economics and Community the recommendations of the Group along with the reasons for the recommendations were outlined as follows:

Transportation Theme

That Cabinet be recommended:

a)     To further engage with Buckinghamshire County Council (as the Highway Authority) and the Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership in respect of the problems of getting commuters / deliveries / visitors on and off of the Cressex Industrial Estate.

Reason for this Recommendation

This was a major barrier to commerce and the attraction of further quality ‘blue chip’ companies. The need of Wycombe District Council to meaningfully engage with BCC (as the Highway authority) on this issue and effect improvements was noted.  A report to be brought back to the Improvement & Review Commission within 6 months on progress.

Within any implementation of these works, the Task and Finish Group encouraged Highways Officers and Planners here at WDC (Wycombe District Council) to investigate a much needed specified HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) parking site at or around the Cressex area. This could be included in any major re-modelling of roads, to relieve the considerable current parking of HGV’s in residential areas and possibly provide a sizeable income stream.

b)   To similarly engage with Buckinghamshire County Council in respect of work to solve Globe Park / Westhorpe Junction (Marlow) entrance / exit problems.

Reason for this Recommendation

As with Cressex Business Park, easing congestion on these important business sites in the Wycombe District was seen as key to the vibrancy of these commercial hubs.

Economic Theme

c)   For new businesses for Estates to be able to help with a specified time to offer either a rent free period and or be able to offer rate relief of anything between 25% and 80% rate relief for a specific period of time.  

Reason for this Recommendation

This would provide a valuable offer to small new businesses to ensure  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.

The Commission then considered the report of the Budget Task and Finish  Group in respect of its first phase of work that of formulating recommendations for inclusion in the 2017-18 Budget. The Report featuring some 8 recommendations, for consideration for onward referral to Cabinet.

Chairman of the Budget Task and Finish Group: Councillor Alex Collingwood guided members through the Report.

The annual Budget Task and Finish Group had been set up by the Improvement & Review Commission on 13 June 2016 to be carried out in two stages as per the previous year, with reports to Cabinet In November for the input of recommendations for consideration for inclusion in the evolving 2017-18 budget (this Report), then again in February with recommendations as a result of the scrutiny of the proposed budget.

The recommendations of this Frist Phase along with the ‘Reasons for the Recommendations’ featured in the Report were outlined:

1.    In respect of Business Rates; Members supported the suggestion submitted by officers via the consultations; that Central Government retain a top slice of the overall national funding to cover all appeal losses. Cabinet to re-iterate this submission.

Reason for Recommendation.

To minimise each local authority’s risk.

2.    The Group encouraged the Cabinet member to pursue Central Government to make the final decision in respect of all outstanding aspects of funding as soon as possible, so that the financial landscape could be established and the 2017-18 Budget worked on and finalised.

Reason for Recommendation.

For prompt resolution of the 2017-18 Budget.

3.    To lobby Central Government in respect of the storing up of planning permissions by developers, which further increased the value of their landholdings with attached permission, waiting to develop at the highest house prices.

Reason for Recommendation.

All these counted against the actual delivery of housing units and the collection of attached CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) and Section 106 monies.

4.    To use contingency funds to cover shortfall in Planning Service income.

Reason for Recommendation.

The Group had concerns regarding the shortfall in Planning Service income in respect of Service Delivery and in particular delivery of the Local Plan.

5.    To transfer costs from the general council tax payer to the user in respect of green waste and car parking. These to be explored in the Second Phase of the Budget Task & Finish Group’s work.

Reason for Recommendation.

The Green Waste & Car Parking services were seen as overdue for a review of charges.

Further income being possible in respect of Car Park users from outside the District with care having to be exercised that this was not at further expense to the residents.

The imposition of green waste charges as imposed by many other authorities was seen as a ‘quick win’ in respect of increased income.

6.    (in reference to 5 above) The dynamics of on street / off street parking to perhaps be looked at in a future Commission / Task and Finish Group work or as part of the Second Phase of the Budget Task  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.

The status of the current task and finish groups was considered and discussed.

The need for the Local Plan Task and Finish Group to re-convene ahead of the referral of the final Local Plan to Cabinet (which would probably occur in March 2017) was noted, probably meeting on two occasions: for consideration of the Consultation and of the Actual Plan.

The Chairman of the Rural Issues Task and Finish Group; Councillor C Etholen confirmed that the Group had held its final meeting just prior to the Commission meeting that very evening. Final recommendations had been agreed and the full report of the Group would feature on the agenda for the Commission’s 11 January 2017 meeting as planned.

The continuing work of the Budget Task and Finish Group in respect of its Phase 2 work ‘scrutiny of emerging budget’ had been outlined in the earlier Budget Task and Finish Group item.

Members were encouraged to complete the Work Programme Suggestion Form appended to the agenda (Appendix C) in respect of items they wished to suggest for consideration by the Commission or a Task and Finish Group.

No topics were identified on the attached Cabinet Forward Plan for review by the Commission at future meetings.

RESOLVED: That the update on the Work Programme and current task and finish groups be noted.

There were ‘Councillor Calls for Action’ for consideration.