To receive any announcements from the Leader.
Minutes:
The Leader congratulated the Mayor on his appointment and, on behalf of the Council and residents, thanked the retiring Mayor, Cllr Mary Madams for her fantastic Mayoral year, which she achieved in spite of the difficulties caused by the COVID19 lockdown which had resulted in her Mayoral year being very much curtailed.
The Leader made the following announcements:
He sent his deepest condolences to all those who had lost a friend or loved one to coronavirus. He commented on how the difficult situation had brought out the best in people with thousands of volunteers in Spelthorne stepping forward to give their time to support others offering to deliver food, collect prescriptions, check on vulnerable neighbours and provide other vital support. It had been truly heart-warming to see such kindness.
He paid tribute to Spelthorne Council’s own staff for their dedication and professionalism in working tirelessly to support residents, safeguard the most vulnerable people in the Borough and maintain public services during the three months since the pandemic began.
He reminded members of the Council’s financial situation in 2014-15 when it faced the possibility of having to sell its own Town Hall for building and move to an industrial estate. Cllr Watts, the then Leader, initiated the “Towards a Sustainable Future” scheme to save £140,000 with more significant proposed cuts to Government funding on the horizon.
The Council seized the opportunity when contacted by BP about its sale and leaseback plan to raise capital for further exploration, to make prudent investments. These and the loans which supported them enjoyed cross party support and unanimous Cabinet approval.
The Leader set out the benefits of the Council’s investment strategy which had enabled it to increase its service provision to residents whilst other Boroughs and Surrey County Council faced deep cuts. The Council Tax increase this year was the lowest in Surrey, without the need for sales of assets or drawing on reserves. The Council had embarked on an ambitious, and ground breaking, scheme to build homes for those who need our help, providing: emergency family accommodation, a single homeless hostel, affordable homes and a whole development dedicated to Key Workers. Our net investment income, having paid all costs including interest, sinking fund contributions and capital repayments equated to over 50% of the income towards the Council’s Revenue account, to pay for services to residents.
These financial resources enabled the Council to move very quickly when COVID19 struck, without relying on Government handouts. Staff morale was very high and we received many plaudits for our efforts, including from the Local Government Association and thanks from grateful residents.
The Leader confirmed that our property investments were continuing to support the services the Council provides to residents. He said that total collections from the March Quarter were in excess of 90% with another 8% on agreed staged payments. This was well above the industry average of about 74% and was backed by a £20 million plus sinking fund to buffer any delayed receipts. This meant the Council was not going to have to cut services, residents were not going to see their Council Tax go up, and contrary to a recent comment from a councillor, the Council was not going to go bankrupt!
The Leader was pleased to announce that following a competitive tender process and unanimous agreement of the Council’s Cabinet, the Arora Group had been awarded the contract to develop Bridge Street Car Park and Hanover House in Staines-upon-Thames for a hotel-led mixed use development. This landmark development was set to greatly enhance the river frontage at one of the main gateways into Staines-upon-Thames, providing an upscale (4 star) hotel with over 300 guest rooms, substantial conferencing/banqueting facilities, spa, restaurants, bars, leisure and retail facilities together with serviced apartments and residential units. The development would provide a massive economic boost for Spelthorne’s main town and gave a strong signal that even in these challenging times, businesses like the Arora Group can see the untapped potential of the town and were keen to invest in Spelthorne. It was anticipated that over 350 new jobs would be created, providing new career opportunities for Spelthorne’s residents.
The Leader referred to his recent announcement that the Council would be setting aside a special defence fund of £900,000 to enable it to challenge applications from developers wanting to build in the Green Belt. The Council had always been fiercely protective of the Borough’s Green Belt and was known for taking a stance against aggressive developers looking to build on green spaces. As the planning process currently stands, whilst Spelthorne makes decisions on Planning applications and can refuse those which affect the Green Belt, developers can appeal to the Planning Inspector. Fighting these appeals was not only lengthy, they could also be very expensive. Thanks to the success of the Council’s investment strategy over the last four years, Spelthorne Borough Council was now in a stronger financial position and had generated a significant budget surplus which had enabled this defence fund to be established.
Production of a Masterplan for Staines-upon-Thames was underway which would provide a framework to shape and transform the town. Consultants, David Lock Associates, were leading on this work and a new Working Group had been set up to help steer the project. Membership of the Working Group included cross party membership focusing on Staines, as follows:
Leader of the Council, Councillor Ian Harvey
Councillor Helen Harvey, Portfolio Holder for Investment Portfolio Management and Regeneration
Councillor Ian Beardsmore, Portfolio Holder for Planning
Councillor Olivia Rybinski, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Economic Development, Customer Service, Estates & Transport
Councillor Chris Bateson, Staines South ward
Councillor Veena Siva, Staines ward
Councillor Tom Lagden, Staines ward
The Leader concluded by noting there would be a Council meeting to determine the Leader of the Council going forwards on 25 June. He thanked everyone who had worked with him to make Spelthorne a great place to live, work and play. He said it had been a genuine privilege to have served all to date.