Agenda and minutes

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 28 April 2015.

The minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 28 April 2015 were agreed as a correct record.

To receive any disclosures of interest from councillors in accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct for members.

There were none.

Councillor Leighton

Cabinet received the minutes and recommendations of the meeting held on 1 June 2015.

RESOLVED that Cabinet:

(a). agrees the Duty to Cooperate Framework, subject to the changes proposed.

(b). recommends to Council that the Statement of Community Involvement be adopted, subject to the changes proposed.

(c). agrees the Town Centres Study, subject to the changes proposed.

(d). agrees the draft Strategic Housing Market Assessment for public involvement.

Councillor Evans

Cabinet considered a report on the Treasury Management for 2014-15.

RESOLVED that Cabinet notes the report.

Reason for the decision:

Cabinet noted that the Council’s ability to generate maximum, net investment returns with minimal risk provides significant resources for the General Fund revenue budget and the subsequent financing of the Council’s services to local residents.

Councillor Evans

Cabinet considered a report on the provisional capital outturn spend for 2014-15.

RESOLVED that Cabinet notes the contents of the report.

Councillor Evans

Cabinet considered a report on the provisional revenue outturn for 2014-15.

RESOLVED that Cabinet notes the contents of the report.

Councillor Sexton

Cabinet received a report on the outcomes of a residents’ survey undertaken by MEL Research Development Consultancy.

RESOLVED that Cabinet notes the contents of the report and agrees to the survey being undertaken on a two-yearly basis.

Reason for the decision:

Cabinet wanted to stress the need for, and importance of, obtaining the views of the Borough’s residents in order to ensure that the Council always has the best interests of its residents at heart.

Councillor Watts

Cabinet considered a report on the proposed appointments of representatives to Outside Bodies, Surrey County Council Spelthorne Local Committee and Working Groups 2015-16.

RESOLVED that Cabinet appoints representatives to Outside Bodies, Surrey County Council Spelthorne Local Committee and Working Groups 2015-16 as shown in Appendix A of the report.

To receive any announcements from the Leader.

The following are the latest service updates from various Council departments.

Spelthorne celebrated the 800^th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta with the Barons’ Gathering and River Flotilla events on Saturday 13 June.  Over 4,000 people came out to enjoy the festivities which highlighted the fact that many of the Magna Carta Barons met in Staines-upon-Thames before making their way to confront King John at Runnymede.

Travellers who were staying at Dumsey Meadow in Shepperton were moved on by the Council following a week-long stay. The site has been cleared and the access points secured.

Spelthorne Council has successfully prosecuted the owners of three boats which were illegally moored in Shepperton and Sunbury-on-Thames. Hearings held at Redhill Magistrates Court on 16 June resulted in £1400 in fines and £1050 in costs paid to the Council. The Council had received complaints that some boats were persistently mooring in excess of the 24 hours permitted within in a 48 period. On hearing the evidence, Magistrates were satisfied that the defendants had moored in contravention of Spelthorne's Byelaws.

The Council is in the process of reviewing its Local Plan which sets out how much development should be allowed in Spelthorne. Forming part of the information needed for the review, the Council has drafted a Housing Market Assessment which Cabinet will consider on 24 June. If agreed, the Council will be asking residents for the views on the draft document which will be published on the website.

A number of food businesses identified as needing improvement following their hygiene inspections have received additional training, funded by the Food Standards Agency. Of the 15 food businesses which received the additional help, 9 have gone on to improve their food hygiene ratings and 4 of these managed to increase their score to either a “4” (good) or “5” (very good).

The Council Tax collection rates (cumulative) up to end May were:-

·         Council Tax: 26.3% (26.4% sply)

·         Business Rates: 21.28% (24.29 sply)

·         Council Tax Support: 20.1% (17.5% sply)

The Supporting Families Partnership between Spelthorne, Elmbridge, Epsom & Ewell and Surrey County Councils continues to provide intensive support for families with complex needs. The team has received Quality Assurance feedback which confirms that their frontline practice is of a high standard, with extremely positive feedback from the families supported. Along with the other Surrey councils, the team are now looking to expand their service by supporting a larger number of families with a wider range of needs.

Spelthorne has received a Gold award for the 4th consecutive year for the quality of its address data at the 2015 Geoplace Exemplar Awards. The Local Land and Property Gazetteer (LLPG), managed by ICT, is the corporate address database for Spelthorne and underpins many of the Council’s address based services.

The Council has partnered with the online business support service, My Incubator Ventures (MIV), to offer local residents free access to online business advice. Using the online chat facility, residents can speak to a professional business  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2187/15

Councillors are requested to identify any issues to be considered at future meetings.

There were none.

To consider any items which the Chairman considers as urgent.

There were none.

To move the exclusion of the Press/Public for the following item, in view of the likely disclosure of exempt information within the meaning of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 and by the Local Government (Access to information) (Variation) Order 2006.

RESOLVED to move the exclusion of the Press and Public for the following item in view of the likely disclosure of exempt information within the meaning of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 and by the Local Government (Access to information) (Variation) Order 2006.

Councillor Watts

(Paragraph 3 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person, including the authority holding the information).

Cabinet considered a report on the future of Bridge Street car park.

RESOLVED that Cabinet agrees to:

·         Proceed to go out to tender via a fast track process to the two top bidders (paragraph 2.1).

·         To enter into a Conditional Sale and Development Agreement for the site with the preferred bidder.

·         To give delegated authority to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader to deal with all aspects of the revised fast track tender process.

·         To dispose of the land on the best terms possible and provided that a certificate for best value has been received from the Council’s professional advisors.

·         To work with the preferred bidder after the conditional sale and development agreement has been exchanged, to ensure a considered and well-designedscheme is brought forward, which meets the 6 development objectives in the Marketing Brief, and for the Council to use external expert design and urban design advice to ensure these objectives are achieved.

NOTES:-

(1)       Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee are reminded that under Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule, the “call-in” procedure shall not apply to recommendations the Cabinet makes to the Council.  The matters on which recommendations have been made to the Council, if any, are identified with an asterisk [*] in the above Minutes.

(2)       Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee are entitled to call in decisions taken by the Cabinet for scrutiny before they are implemented, other than any recommendations covered under (1) above.

(3)       Within three working days of the date on which a decision of the Cabinet or a Cabinet Member is published, not less than three members [one of whom must be the Chairman] of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee are able to "call in" a decision;

(4)       To avoid delay in considering an item "called in”, an extraordinary meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee will be convened within seven days of a "call in" being received if an ordinary meeting is not scheduled in that period;

(5)       When calling in a Cabinet decision for review the members doing so should in their notice of "call in":

Outline their reasons for requiring a review.

•           Indicate any further information they consider the Overview and Scrutiny Committee needs to have before it in order to conduct a review in addition to the written report made by officers to the Cabinet;

•           Indicate whether, where the decision was taken collectively by the Cabinet, they wish the Leader or his nominee (who should normally be the Cabinet Member) or where the decision was taken by a Cabinet Member, the member of the Cabinet making the decision, to attend the committee meeting; and

•           Indicate whether the officer making the report to the Cabinet or the Cabinet Member taking the decision or his/her representative should attend the meeting.

The deadline of three working days for "call in" by  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2191/15