Agenda item

Report No: COU/FH/17/003

 

Referrals from Cabinet: 14 February 2017

 

1.   Review of Performance of Leisure Trust 2012-2016

Cabinet Member: Councillor Andy Drummond

 

2.   Treasury Management Report 2016/2017 – Investment Activity (April to December 2016)

          Cabinet Member: Councillor Stephen Edwards

 

3.   Annual Treasury Management and Investment Strategy Statements 2017/2018 and Treasury Management Code of Practice

Cabinet Member: Councillor Stephen Edwards

 

4.   Delivering a Sustainable Medium Term Financial Strategy 2017/2020

Cabinet Member: Councillor Stephen Edwards

 

5.   Budget and Council Tax Setting 2017/2018 and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2017/2021

Cabinet Member: Councillor Stephen Edwards

 

          (Note: Items 3, 4 and 5 above will be considered separately under     Agenda Item 9 Report No COU/FH/17/005.)

 

6.   Joint West Suffolk Sex Establishment Licensing Policy

Cabinet Member: Councillor Lance Stanbury

 

7.   Mildenhall Hub – Funding

Cabinet Member: Councillor James Waters

 

(Note: For ease of reference, Cabinet Report No: CAB/FH/17/011 and associated appendices are attached as Appendix 1 to Report No COU/FH/17/003.)

 

8.   Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE)

Cabinet Member: Councillor David Bowman

 

(Note: For ease of reference, Exempt Appendix A of Cabinet Report No: CAB/FH/17/014 is attached to this agenda at Agenda Item 14 as Exempt Appendix 2 to Report No COU/FH/17/003..)

The Council considered the referrals report of recommendations from Cabinet as set out in Report No: COU/FH/17/003:

 

1.   Review of Performance of Leisure Trust 2012-2016

(Cabinet: 14 February 2017)

 

In response to a question on this item from Councillor Bill Sadler, both the Leader and the Director reminded the Council of the scope of the partnership agreement in place with Abbeycroft Leisure.

 

Councillor Simon Cole also spoke in his capacity as Chairman of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee and advised Members on the role of scrutiny in connection with the leisure trust.

 

On the motion of Councillor Andy Drummond, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture, seconded by Councillor Simon Cole, and with the vote being unanimous, it was

 

RESOLVED:

 

That note was taken of the findings of the scrutiny in developing a new partnership agreement with Abbeycroft moving forward, in particular:

1.   The need for full transparency in “disclosure of all” costs to the Council of providing leisure services;

2.   The need for the agreement to focus on the outcomes for the health and wellbeing of communities; and

3.   The approach to developing a Partnership agreement with Abbeycroft for at least 10 years and alignment of leases will deliver a value for money service for the Council.

 

          (Councillor Colin Noble joined the meeting at 6.09pm during the        preliminary discussion of the above item.)

 

2.   Treasury Management Report 2016-2017 – Investment Activity (April to December 2016)

(Cabinet: 14 February 2017)

 

Councillor Stephen Edwards, Cabinet Member for Resources and Performance, drew attention to the amended recommendations in respect of this item which had been circulated as a supplementary paper to the agenda.

 

On the motion of the Cabinet Member, seconded by Councillor Louis Busuttil, and with the vote being unanimous, it was

 

RESOLVED:

 

That:-

 

1.   The Treasury Management Report 2016-2017, attached at Appendix 1 to Report No: PAS/FH/17/006, be approved; and

 

2.   In relation to the long term loan of £4m, Officers to strongly pursue further negotiations with the Lender to achieve a more reasonable settlement figure.  If this could not be achieved, Officers to seek further independent advice on the matter.

 

3.   Annual Treasury Management and Investment Strategy Statements 2017/2018 and Treasury Management Code of Practice

          (Cabinet: 14 February 2017)

 

On the motion of Councillor Stephen Edwards, Cabinet Member for Resources and Performance, seconded by Councillor David Bowman, and with the vote being unanimous, it was

 

RESOLVED:

 

          That:-

 

1.   The Annual Treasury Management and Investment Strategy Statements 2017/2018, as contained in Appendix 1 to Report No: PAS/FH/17/007, be adopted; and

 

2.   The Treasury Management Code of Practice 2017/2018, as contained in Appendix 3 to Report No: PAS/FH/17/007, be approved.

 

4.   Delivering a Sustainable Medium Term Financial Strategy 2017/2020

          (Cabinet: 14 February 2017)

          and

5.   Budget and Council Tax Setting: 2017/2018 and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2017-2021

(Cabinet: 14 February 2017)

 

Councillor Stephen Edwards, Cabinet Member for Resources and Performance, drew attention to the amended recommendations in respect of item 5. which had been circulated as a supplementary paper to the agenda.

 

The Cabinet Member asked Members to note the Cabinet recommendations in respect of these two items as they were both to be considered separately by Council under Item 9 of the agenda (Report No: COU/FH/17/005).

 

6.   Joint West Suffolk Sex Establishment Licensing Policy

          (Cabinet: 14 February 2017)

 

In the absence of the Cabinet Member for this item, on the motion of the Leader, seconded by Councillor Michael Anderson, and with the vote being unanimous, it was

 

          RESOLVED:

 

That the proposed Joint West Suffolk Sex Establishment Licensing Policy, as set out in Appendix 1 of Report No: LIC/FH/17/002, be adopted.

 

7.   Mildenhall Hub – Funding

          (Cabinet: 14 February 2017)

 

The Leader spoke on the recent widespread consultation that had been undertaken in respect of the Mildenhall Hub and the Director also spoke on the report and answered questions posed by Members.

 

On the motion of the Leader, seconded by Councillor Nigel Roman, and with the vote being unanimous, it was

 

          RESOLVED:

 

          That:-

 

1.   The funding model, with estimated project budget and cash flow, as set out in Report No: CAB/FH/17/011 and its Appendix, be agreed and the Mildenhall Hub Project be approved to proceed to its planning and delivery stages;

 

2.   A funding/partnership agreement with the project partners be prepared and signed by the Director, in consultation with the Leader and Portfolio Holder for Resources and Performance, on the basis set out in Section 6 of Appendix A to Report No: CAB/FH/17/011;

 

3.   Cabinet be authorised to approve a separate business case for an investment of up to £4m in renewable energy provision in the Hub, provided that this business case is in line with the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy; and

 

4.   The Council’s Section 151 Officer make the necessary changes to the Council’s prudential indicators as a result of Recommendation 1. above.

 

8.   Civil Parking Enforcement

          (Cabinet: 14 February 2017)

 

Councillor David Bowman, Cabinet Member for Operations, spoke on this item and drew attention to the initial deficit from the scheme.  The Assistant Director (Operations) also spoke and answered questions posed by Members.

 

It was moved by the Cabinet Member and seconded by Councillor Andy Drummond, that the recommendations for this item, as set out in Report No: COU/FH/17/003, be approved.

 

Councillor Andrew Appleby raised concern in respect of Recommendations 6. and 7. and stressed that further consultation needed to be undertaken with Newmarket Town Council and Newmarket Vision prior to agreeing these elements. 

 

He proposed an amendment that the Recommendations be approved minus numbers 6. and 7., this was duly seconded by Councillor Ruth Allen.

 

The Section 151 Officer highlighted to Members that removal of recommendations 6. and 7. would change the financial implications of the paper and, as such, would pose an approximately £100k pa financial impact to the Council’s budget and further savings/income would need to be identified to mitigate this.

 

Upon the Chairman putting the amendment to the vote and with 2 voting for and with 22 against, the Chairman declared the amendment lost.

 

The original motion from the Cabinet Member was then put to the vote and with 22 voting for, 1 against and with 1 abstention, it was

 

RESOLVED:

 

That:-

 

1.   The contents of Report No: CAB/FH/17/014 and the estimated financial impact of introducing Civil Parking Enforcement shown at Exempt Appendix A to the report be noted;

 

2.   Suffolk County Council be supported in seeking the transfer of Civil Parking Enforcement powers to Forest Heath District Council;

 

3.   An Agency Agreement be entered into with Suffolk County Council for the period 2019-2029 to undertake delegated Civil Parking Enforcement Powers across the District;

 

4.   £10,000 be contributed towards the countywide set up costs for Civil Parking Enforcement;

 

5.   It be agreed that Forest Heath District Council will meet the cost of operating Civil Parking Enforcement delivered by a shared West Suffolk service, subject to:

(i)                  The retention of all on-street parking income;

(ii)                 A Service Level Agreement with Suffolk County Council on the processing of new requests for restrictions and maintenance of lines and signs; and

(iii)                Delegated responsibility be assumed to this Authority for on-street pay and display tariff setting, and provision of on-street parking bays (subject to a Highway Authority pre-defined assessment).

 

6.   The planned introduction of on-street charging in Newmarket High Street be noted (as previously agreed by Cabinet on 22 December 2015 at Report No: CAB/FH/15/063) and Suffolk County Council be requested to prioritise the development of the scheme at the earliest opportunity;

 

7.   Subject to resident consultation, the introduction of an on-street resident permit scheme in Newmarket be approved;

 

8.   A review of off-street parking tariffs and the identification of further opportunities for on-street charging be approved for by the end of 2017;

 

9.   The use of reserves in the short-term, be approved, to offset the deficit in order to provide time to review full financial implications post implementation; and

 

10.        Delegated Authority be given to the Assistant Director (Operations), in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Operations, to sign-off the final agreements relating to the introduction of Civil Parking Enforcement.