Agenda and decisions

Members are requested to declare the existence and nature of any disclosable pecuniary interest and/or other interest, not already on their register of interests, in any item on the agenda and withdraw from the meeting at the appropriate time.

To approve as a correct record and the Leader to sign the attached Minutes of the meeting of Cabinet held on 18 July 2024.

Report of Councillor J Barry, Portfolio Holder for Growth and Assets

RESOLVED – That Cabinet noted the content of the report.

REASONS FOR DECISION – To ensure that the Council maximises efficiencies and outcomes through commissioning voluntary sector organisations to help achieve the Council’s Priorities.

OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND REJECTED – No alternative options are considered appropriate as the aim of the review was to increase transparency and accountability of commissioned services.

Please note that this was not a Key Decision and so can be implemented with immediate effect by officers.

Report of Councillor N Barker, Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Strategic Leadership and Finance

RESOLVED – That progress against the Council Plan 2023-2027 objectives was noted.

REASONS FOR DECISION – This is an information report to keep Cabinet informed of progress against the council plan objectives.

OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND REJECTED – Not applicable to this report as providing an overview of progress against the council plan objectives.

Please note that this was not a Key Decision and so can be implemented with immediate effect by officers.

Report of Councillor P Kerry, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Strategic Leadership and Finance

RESOLVED – That Cabinet noted the report concerning the Council’s Treasury Management report for Quarter 1.

REASONS FOR DECISION – The report ensures that the Cabinet is kept informed of the latest position concerning treasury management.

OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND REJECTED – This report is concerned with monitoring the position against the Council’s previously approved treasury management strategy. Accordingly, the report does not set out any options where a decision is required by Members.

Please note that this was not a Key Decision and so can be implemented with immediate effect by officers.

Report of Councillor P Kerry, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Strategic Leadership and Finance

RESOLVED – That Cabinet noted the content of the report.

REASONS FOR DECISION – The report summarises the financial position of the Council following the first quarter’s budget monitoring exercise for the General Fund, the Housing Revenue Account and Capital Programme.

OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND REJECTED – This report is concerned with monitoring the position against the Council’s previously approved budget. Accordingly, the report does not set out anyoptions where a decision is required by Members.

Please note that this was not a Key Decision and so can be implemented with immediate effect by officers.

Report of Councillor S Pickering, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Place

RESOLVED ­– That Cabinet noted the contents of the Annual Monitoring Reports (AMR) for the period of 1st April 2023 – 31st March 2024 and approved their publication on the Council’s website. Once published on the Council’s website this will fulfil the Council’s statutory duty to prepare and publish an AMR.

REASONS FOR DECISION – This report sets out the key findings of the 2024 Authority Monitoring Report, Brownfield Land Register Update and Infrastructure Funding Statement. This enables the Council to understand the effectiveness of its policies and trends over time. Publication of these documents on the Council’s website will fulfil the Council’s statutory duties to prepare and publish the required annual monitoring datasets.

OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND REJECTED – The Council has a statutory duty to prepare these documents and there is no reasonable alternative.

Please note that this was not a Key Decision and so can be implemented with immediate effect by officers.

Report of Councillor S Pickering, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Place

RESOLVED –

(1)      That Cabinet noted the content of the report and approved the detailed responses outlined at Appendix 1 as forming the Council’s formal response to the consultation, subject to stronger reference to the risks of speculative development in answer to question 7.

(2)      That Cabinet authorised the Assistant Director of Planning in consultation with the Leader and Portfolio Holder to exercise delegated authority to make further detailed amendments to the responses.

(3)      That Cabinet agreed proposals to consider in more detail a timetable for a review of the Local Plan (in discussion with the Local Plan Working Group) in light of the implications of the proposals for housing numbers and plan making and that this be brought back to a subsequent Cabinet meeting.

REASONS FOR DECISION – It is considered important that the Council makes informed comments and raises concerns and comments whether further work is required on emerging national planning policy and this will have a direct impact on how we determine applications for development in the shorter term and how we develop a Plan that meets the needs of the district in the longer term.

OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND REJECTED – The alternative is to not comment on the consultation material. This was rejected on the basis that it is important that the Council is aware of the implications of the Governments proposed changes to national planning guidance and that we take the opportunity to inform the Government of the likely impacts of their proposals on the district and seek to influence policy development at a national level.

In terms of a review of the Council’s Local Plan, one alternative is to do nothing and await the implementation of new planning guidance. This was rejected on the basis that significant changes are imminent and to do nothing would put the Council at greater risk of speculative development for an additional extended period of time.

Please note that this was not a Key Decision and so can be implemented with immediate effect by officers.

To consider any other matter which the Leader is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency, in accordance with the provisions of Statutory Instrument 2012 No 2089, Regulation 11.