Agenda item

Report No: COU/SE/17/002

 

(A)    Referral from Cabinet: 7 February 2017
1.	Review of Abbeycroft Leisure Ltd Performance 2005-2016
	Portfolio Holder: Cllr Joanna Rayner
2.	Treasury Management Report 2016/2017 – Investment Activity  (1 April to 31 December 2016)
	Portfolio Holder: Cllr Ian Houlder
3.	Annual Treasury Management and Investment Strategy Statements 2017/2018 and Code of Practice
	Portfolio Holder: Cllr Ian Houlder
4.	Delivering a Sustainable Medium Term Financial Strategy 2017-2020
	Portfolio Holder: Cllr Ian Houlder   This item will be considered separately as part of Agenda Item 9 below.
5.	Budget and Council Tax Setting 2017/2018 and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2017-2021
	Portfolio Holder: Cllr Ian Houlder   This item will be considered separately under Agenda Item 9 below.
6.	Joint West Suffolk Sex Establishment Licensing Policy
	Portfolio Holder: Cllr Alaric Pugh
7.	Civil Parking Enforcement
	Portfolio Holder: Cllr Peter Stevens   (Note: For ease of reference, Exempt Appendix A to Cabinet Report No: CAB/SE/17/016, ‘Civil Parking Enforcement’, is attached to this agenda at Agenda Item 15. )

 

 

Council considered the Referrals report of Recommendations from Cabinet contained within Report No: COU/SE/17/002.

 

(A)    Referrals from Cabinet: 7 February 2017

 

1.       Review of Abbeycroft Leisure Ltd Performance 2005-2016

 

Approval was sought for Council to formally note the recommendations of Cabinet, which related to the findings of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee following its review of Abbeycroft’s past performance since the operation of the Council’s leisure services had been transferred in 2005.

 

Councillor Joanna Rayner, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture, drew relevant issues to the attention of Council, including thanking the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for its work.  The findings would provide a significant contribution to informing the development of a new Partnership Agreement with Abbeycroft, which would be presented to Cabinet and Council in spring 2017.

 

Councillor Terry Clements commended the work of Abbeycroft Leisure and the recently opened facility at Skyliner Way, Bury St Edmunds.

 

On the motion of Councillor Rayner, seconded by Councillor Clive Springett, and duly carried, it was

 

RESOLVED:

 

That note be taken of the findings of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in developing a new Partnership Agreement with Abbeycroft moving forward, in particular:

 

(1)     the need for full transparency in 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 value for money service for the Council.

 

2.       Treasury Management Report 2016/2017 – Investment Activity

(1 April to 31 December 2016)

 

Approval was sought for the Treasury Management Report, which had been updated to include investment activity for the third quarter of 2016/2017.

 

Councillor Ian Houlder, Portfolio Holder for Resources and Performance, drew relevant issues to the attention of Council.

 

On the motion of Councillor Houlder, seconded by Councillor Sarah Broughton, and duly carried, it was

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the Treasury Management Report 2016-2017, attached at Appendix 1 to Report No: TMS/SE/17/001, be approved.

 

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

 

Approval was sought for the Annual Treasury Management and Investment Strategy Statements for 2017/2018 and the Treasury Management Code of Practice.

 

Councillor Ian Houlder, Portfolio Holder for Resources and Performance, drew relevant issues to the attention of Council.

 

On the motion of Councillor Houlder, seconded by Councillor John Burns, and duly carried, it was

 

RESOLVED:

 

That:

 

(1)     the Annual Treasury Management and Investment Strategy Statements 2017/2018, as contained in Appendix 1 to Report No: TMS/SE/17/002, be approved; and

 

(2)     the Treasury Management Code of Practice 2017/2018, as contained in Appendix 2 to Report No: TMS/SE/17/002, be approved.

 

4.       Delivering a Sustainable Medium Term Financial Strategy

2017-2020

 

The recommendations emanating from Cabinet’s consideration of this report was contained within Report No: COU/SE/17/004, ‘Budget and Council Tax Setting: 2017/2018 and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2017-2021’ (minute 227 below refers).

 

 

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

 

The recommendations emanating from Cabinet’s consideration of this report was contained within Report No: COU/SE/17/004, ‘Budget and Council Tax Setting: 2017/2018 and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2017-2021’ (minute 227 below refers).

 

6.       Joint West Suffolk Sex Establishment Licensing Policy

 

Approval was sought for a Joint West Suffolk Sex Establishment Policy, which aligned the operation of Forest Heath District Council and St Edmundsbury Borough Council, thus increasing efficiency.  The draft policy, as contained as Appendix 1 to Report No: LIC/SE/17/003,

had been subject to public consultation.

 

Councillor Alaric Pugh, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Growth, drew relevant issues to the attention of Council.

 

On the motion of Councillor Pugh, seconded by Councillor Clive Springett, and duly carried, it was

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the proposed Joint West Suffolk Sex Establishment Licensing Policy, as set out in Appendix 1 of Report No: LIC/SE/17/003, be adopted.

 

7.       Civil Parking Enforcement

 

(Councillors Trevor Beckwith, Tony Brown, John Burns, Terry Clements, Beccy Hopfensperger, David Nettleton and Sarah Stamp all declared local non-pecuniary interests as Members of Suffolk County Council and remained in the meeting for the consideration of this item.)

 

Approval was sought for the transfer of Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) to the Borough Council under the operation of a West Suffolk service, and the financial implications associated with that.

 

Councillor Peter Stevens, Portfolio Holder for Operations, drew relevant issues to the attention of Council, including that the proposed introduction of CPE had the benefit of a common enforcement service for both on and off-street parking for the convenience and ease of understanding for the motorist as well as providing greater control and a more efficient operation to that currently delivered by the Police.

 

A detailed discussion was held and some Members provided examples of incidents where illegal parking was causing problems within their own individual wards, therefore these Members in particular, were extremely pleased to see the CPE proposals coming forward.  Emphasis was however, placed on providing a  balance whereby the new enforcement measures did not create a situation that resulted in some motorists parking in side streets to the detriment of local residents. 

 

It was recognised that the new CPE was unlikely to reach a cost neutral position based on the projected costs and estimated income from the issue of parking fines, therefore it was expected that on-street parking income would be the preferred mechanism to off-set the deficit and ensure the viability of the service.  Currently, on street pay and display and neighbourhood/resident parking in Bury St Edmunds was managed and enforced on a cost neutral basis by St Edmundsbury Borough Council (SEBC) and all surplus income was returned to the Suffolk County Council (SCC) On-Street Parking Account.  Recognising the level of deficit in St Edmundsbury, and subject to final agreement, SCC would potentially allow all income generated on street, including Angel Hill, to be retained by SEBC. This was subject to other provisions and criteria, as detailed in paragraph 2.7 of Report No: CAB/SE/17/016; however, the principle was supported by Members.

 

Other issues highlighted in the debate included:

 

(a)     the need to create parking solutions, particularly within the towns, to discourage illegal parking;

 

(b)     that it was part of the agreement for the County Council to fund and review the provision of road lines, signs and accompanying Traffic Regulation Orders to enable appropriate enforcement, and these needed to be in place by the expected start date of CPE in April 2019;

 

(c)     gaining public support for the changes to ensure expectations regarding the anticipated significant increased level of enforcement were adequately managed; and

 

(d)     taking opportunities to effectively discourage illegal parking in the first place.

 

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

 

RESOLVED:

 

That:

 

(1)     the contents of Report No: CAB/SE/17/016 and the estimated financial impact of introducing Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) shown at Exempt Appendix A, be noted;

 

(2)     Suffolk County Council be supported in seeking the transfer of Civil Parking Enforcement to St Edmundsbury Borough 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 Borough;

 

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

 

(5)     it be agreed that St Edmundsbury Borough Council will meet the cost of operating Civil Parking Enforcement delivered by a West Suffolk service, subject to (i) the retention of all on-street parking and neighbourhood parking receipts; (ii) a Service Level Agreement with Suffolk County Council on the processing of new requests for Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) restrictions and the maintenance of lines and signs; and (iii) assume delegated responsibility for on street pay and display tariff setting and the provision of on-street parking bays (subject to a Highway Authority pre-defined assessment);

 

(6)     CPE enforcement be provided in parts of Babergh and Mid Suffolk and a separate agreement with the individual District Councils to enforce their off street car parks, on a full cost recovery basis; and

 

(7)     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.