Agenda item

Schedule attached as Report No. COU/SE/15/001

 

(A)	Referrals from Cabinet: 10 February 2015
	1.	Annual Treasury Management and Investment Strategy 2015/2016, Treasury Management Code of Practice, and April – December 2014 Performance Report
		Cabinet Member: Cllr David Ray
	2.	Budget and Council Tax Setting: 2015/2016 and Medium Term Financial Strategy See Agenda Item 8.
		Cabinet Member: Cllr David Ray
	3.	West Suffolk Homelessness Strategy
		Cabinet Member: Cllr Anne Gower
	4.	Pension Discretions Policy
		Cabinet Member: Cllr David Ray
	5.	West Suffolk Shop Front and Advertisement Design Guide
		Cabinet Member: Cllr Terry Clements

 

(B)	Referrals from Cabinet: 24 February 2015 (Special Meeting)
	1.	Suffolk Business Park Land Assembly
		Cabinet Member: Cllr John Griffiths
	2.	Eastern Relief Road (ERR), Bury St Edmunds
		Cabinet Member: Cllr John Griffiths

 

(C)	Referrals from Joint Development Management Policies Committee: 11 February 2015
	1.	Joint Development Management Policies Document: Planning Inspector’s Report and Adoption
		Cabinet Member: Cllr Terry Clements

 

The Council considered the Schedule of Referrals contained within Report No. COU/SE/15/001 (previously circulated).

 

(A)    Referrals from Cabinet: 10 February 2015

 

1.       Annual Treasury Management and Investment Strategy 2015/2016, Treasury management Code of Practice, and April-December 2014 Performance Report

 

Councillor Ray, Portfolio Holder for Resources and Performance informed Members that there had been no significant changes made to the Strategy since the previous year, and that the Council must formally approve such a Strategy prior to the start of the financial year. The second recommendation allowed amendments to be made to the Strategy due to the removal of sovereign support for banks.

 

On the motion of Councillor Ray, seconded by Councillor Spicer and duly carried, it was

 

RESOLVED: That

 

(1)        the Annual Treasury Management and Investment Strategy Statements 2015/2016, as contained in Appendix 1 to Report TMS/SE/15/002, be adopted; and

 

(2)        the Head of Resources and Performance, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Resources and Performance and the Chairman of Treasury Management Sub-Committee, be given delegated authority to make amendments to the Treasury Management Investment Strategy, taking into account advice of the Council’s Treasury Management Advisors in response to changes to credit ratings resulting from the implied removal of sovereign support in the Bank of England’s ‘bail-in’ regulations. 

 

2.       Budget and Council tax Setting: 2015/2016 and Medium Term Financial Strategy

 

The Mayor informed members that this item would be considered at agenda item 8.

 

3.       West Suffolk Homelessness Strategy

 

Councillor Gower, Portfolio Holder for Housing introduced this report which set out the strategy for preventing homelessness over the next three years. 

 

In response to a question, Councillor Gower said she would provide figures to the Member detailing whether there had been an upturn in homelessness in response to the ‘bedroom tax’.

 

On the motion of Councillor Gower, seconded by Councillor Brown and duly carried, it was

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the West Suffolk Homelessness Strategy 2015-2018, as contained in Appendix A to Report No: CAB/SE/15/008, be adopted.

 

4.       Pension Discretions Policy

 

The new pension regulations gave employers a number of discretionary options and the decisions had to be published in a Statement of Policy.

 

On the motion of Councillor Ray, seconded by Councillor Patsy Warby, and duly carried, it was

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the Pensions Discretion Policy, as contained in Appendix A to Report No: CAB/SE/15/010, be approved.

 

5.       West Suffolk Shop Front and Advertisement Design Guide

 

Councillor Clements, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Regulation, introduced this report which sought approval of an extensive design guide for shop fronts throughout West Suffolk.

 

On the motion of Councillor Clements, seconded by Councillor Stevens, and duly carried, it was

 

RESOLVED: That

 

(1)     the West Suffolk Shop Front and Advertisement Design Guide with suggested amendments, as contained in Appendix A to Report SDW/SE/15/003 be adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document subject to it being noted in the Glossary on page 28 in respect of the second item ‘Building of Local Interest’, reference to ‘Birmingham’ be deleted and ‘the areas’ inserted therefor; and

 

(2)     the Head of Planning and Growth be given delegated authority to edit/insert appropriate images as part of the final document publishing process.

 

(B)    Referrals from Cabinet: 24 February 2015 (Special Meeting)

 

1.       Suffolk Business Park Land Assembly

 

Recommendations emanating from this report would be considered at a special meeting of Council on 25 March 2015.

 

2.       Eastern Relief Road, Bury St Edmunds: Update

 

Councillor Griffiths, Leader of the Council, provided an update on the Eastern Relief Road and emphasised the council’s determination to continue to facilitate and accelerate this scheme.

 

He acknowledged that there were calculated risks but that the end result would be a sound investment. He also confirmed that there was a recognised demand for business units within West Suffolk; a number of enquiries had already been received from local businesses wanting to expand, businesses from further afield and international businesses. The Compulsory Purchase Order would be presented to Council on 25 March 2015.

 

On the motion of Councillor Griffiths, seconded by Councillor Farthing, and duly carried, it was

 

RESOLVED: That

 

(1)     subject to the approval of full Council and the satisfaction of the Section 151 and Monitoring Officers, a commitment be made to the full £4,528,871 million programme of works for the provision of electricity to serve Suffolk Business Park, including an immediate financial allocation of £356,186 currently due on 27 February 2015, as detailed in Section 3 of Report No: CAB/SE/15/017;

 

(2)     subject to the approval of full Council and the satisfaction of the Section 151 and Monitoring Officers, delegated authority be given to the Head of Planning and Growth in consultation with the Leader of the Council to enter into an agreement or agreements to be entered into by St Edmundsbury Borough Council (SEBC) and the developer/landowner to enable the development of Suffolk Business Park and Eastern Relief Road to enable SEBC to realise a return on its investment in line with the principles approved in the Medium Term Financial Strategy; and

 

(3)     Council be asked to approve the financial allocation of £150,000 towards the costs of specialist advice for this project from reserves.

 

(C)    Referrals from Joint Development Management Policies Committee: 11 February 2015 (Special Meeting)

 

1.       Joint Development Management Policies Document: Planning Inspector’s Report and Adoption

 

On the motion of Councillor Clements, seconded by Councillor Stevens, and duly carried, it was

 

RESOLVED: That

 

(a) the following documents attached to Report No: JDM/JT/15/001, be adopted:

 

(1)        The Joint Development Management Policies Document (Appendix B);

 

(2)        Habitats Regulations Screening Assessments for Joint Development Management Policies Document, (Appendix C);

 

(3)        Sustainability Appraisal for Joint Development Management Policies Document, (Appendix D); and

 

(4)        St Edmundsbury Borough Policies Map and Inset Maps 1-4 (Appendix E)

 

(b) the following appendices attached to the Sustainability Appraisal for the Joint Development Management Policies Document (Appendix D to Report No: JDM/JT/15/001) be approved:

 

(1)  Appendix G – Summary of Assessment of alternatives  to the Joint Development Management Document Policies; and

 

(2) Appendix H – Assessment of reasonable alternatives to the policies set out in the Joint Development Management Policies Document.