Agenda, decisions and minutes

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Contact: Sarah Selway, Democratic Services Manager (Committees)  Telephone 01392 265275 or email  sarah.selway@exeter.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

84.

Declarations of Interest

Councillors are reminded of the need to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests that relate to business on the agenda and which have not already been included in the register of interests, before any discussion takes place on the item. Unless the interest is sensitive, you must also disclose the nature of the interest. In accordance with the Council's Code of Conduct, you must then leave the room and must not participate in any further discussion of the item.  Councillors requiring clarification should seek the advice of the Monitoring Officer prior to the day of the meeting.

 

 

Minutes:

No declarations of disclosable pecuniary interest were made.

 

85.

Community Infrastructure Levy Funding for Marsh Barton Railway Station pdf icon PDF 154 KB

To consider the report of Assistant City Development.

 

Scrutiny Committee – Resources considered the report at its meeting on 29 July 2015 and its comments will be reported.

 

Decision:

Agreed

 

 

That it is recommended that Council approve £1.3m Community Infrastructure Levy be available for investment in the new railway station at Marsh Barton on the following basis:-

 

(1)        that no funds to be made available until adequate Community Infrastructure Levy had been collected and funding for city centre major infrastructure investments has been secured in line with the resolution of Executive on 10 February 2015;

 

 (2)       of the £1.3 million funding:

that £660,000 to be committed specifically for Marsh   Barton Station; and

the other £640,000 to be available for Devon County Council to deliver infrastructure needed to serve development at South West Exeter, which could include Marsh Barton Station; 

 

(3)        City Council CIL funding for the railway station to be conditional on ‘claw-back’ provisions whereby the Council would be an equal-proportion recipient of any project cost savings, and

 

(4)        the Assistant Director City Development be given delegated authority to finalise an agreement with Devon County Council that accords with these recommendations. 

 

 

Reason for Decision:

 

As set out in the report.

 

Minutes:

The report of the Assistant Director was submitted which responded to a Devon County Council request for £1.3m Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) match funding towards the delivery of a new railway station at Marsh Barton.  The new railway station would form an important part of the transport infrastructure package needed to accommodate development growth in and around Exeter.

 

The Assistant Director City Development clarified that in February 2015 the Council had set out a framework for the prioritisation of CIL and that the funding would only become available once the £8 million of CIL had been collected to contribute towards the city centre investment. It was estimated that sufficient money would have been collected by 2020 and there would be a ‘claw-back’ provision whereby the Council would be an equal-proportion recipient of any savings on the cost of the project.

 

Members discussed the prioritisation of CIL funding and the need for the City and County Councils to work together to take opportunities to secure public sector funding for transport projects across the city.

 

RECOMMENDED that Council approve £1.3m Community Infrastructure Levy be available for investment in the new railway station at Marsh Barton on the following basis:-

 

(1)        that no funds to be made available until adequate Community Infrastructure Levy had been collected and funding for city centre major infrastructure investments has been secured in line with the resolution of Executive on 10 February 2015;

 

 (2)       of the £1.3 million funding:

that £660,000 to be committed specifically for Marsh Barton Station; and

the other £640,000 to be available for Devon County Council to deliver infrastructure needed to serve development at South West Exeter, which could include Marsh Barton Station; 

 

(3)        City Council CIL funding for the railway station to be conditional on ‘claw-back’ provisions whereby the Council would be an equal-proportion recipient of any project cost savings, and

 

(4)        the Assistant Director City Development be given delegated authority to finalise an agreement with Devon County Council that accords with these recommendations. 

 

86.

Leisure Complex Programme Board Minutes - 9 July 2015 pdf icon PDF 228 KB

To receive the minutes of the Leisure Complex Programme Board Minutes of 9 July 2015.

 

Decision:

Agreed

 

 

That the minutes of the Leisure Complex Programme Board Minutes held on 9 July 2015 be received and, where appropriate, adopted..

           

 

Reason for Decision:

 

As set out in the minutes.

 

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting of the Leisure Complex Programme Board Minutes held on 9 July 2015 were submitted.

 

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Leisure Complex Programme Board Minutes held on 9 July 2015 be received and, where appropriate, adopted.

 

87.

Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 - Exclusion of Press and Public

RESOLVED that, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of items 6 and 7 on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 2 and 3 of Part I, Schedule 12A of the Act. 

Decision:

Agreed

 

 

that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1, Schedule 12A of the Act.

 

Minutes:

RESOLVED that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 and 3 of Part 1, Schedule 12A of the Act. 

 

88.

Waste Operations: Market Supplement to Drivers' Salaries

To consider the report of the Assistant Director Environment.

 

Decision:

Agreed

 

 

That it is recommended that Council:-

 

(1)                  approves that a mechanism to introduce a market supplement at short notice if required to retain existing refuse collection vehicle (RCV) drivers and/or successfully recruit to RCV driver vacancies, in order to prevent service disruption to refuse collections;

 

(2)                  approves that this market supplement maybe up to £1,500 and paid pro rata on a monthly basis to Waste Operations drivers whose job description requires them to operate a large goods vehicle (LGV), and whose job role it is to operate a refuse collection vehicle in excess of 7.5 tonnes;

 

(3)                  this mechanism to be invoked by the Assistant Director Environment in consultation with the Assistant Director Finance, and agreement of Portfolio Holder for Health and Place if required due to the likelihood of service disruption;

 

(4)                  approves a supplementary budget provision of £16,500 to be ear-marked from the General Fund working balance for the part-year of 2015/16 (sufficient to pay the maximum market supplement from 1 September if necessary); and

 

(5)                  approves a provision of £32,895 to be earmarked from the General Fund for the full year of 2016-17 (sufficient to continue the market supplement at the maximum level, if necessary).

 

 

 

Reason for Decision:

 

As set out in the report.

 

Minutes:

The report of the Assistant Director Environment was submitted to advise Members of the current difficulty in recruiting suitably qualified and skilled drivers to operate refuse collection vehicles, and the risk of losing existing drivers to neighbouring authorities and the private sector due to a national driver shortage.

 

The Job Evaluation Process (JE) was currently being carried out which would take into account the requirements for Waste Operations drivers to hold a Certificate of Professional Competence and the additional duties now associated with the in-cab technology.

 

Members discussed the JE process with regards to these positions and requested that the matter should be taken to the Joint Consultative Negotiation Committee (JCNC).

 

RECOMMENDED that Council:-

 

(1)                  approves that a mechanism to introduce a market supplement at short notice if required to retain existing refuse collection vehicle (RCV) drivers and/or successfully recruit to RCV driver vacancies, in order to prevent service disruption to refuse collections;

 

(2)                  approves that this market supplement maybe up to £1,500 per annum and paid pro rata on a monthly basis to Waste Operations drivers whose job description requires them to operate a large goods vehicle (LGV), and whose job role it is to operate a refuse collection vehicle in excess of 7.5 tonnes;

 

(3)                  this mechanism to be invoked by the Assistant Director Environment in consultation with the Assistant Director Finance, and agreement of Portfolio Holder for Health and Place if required due to the likelihood of service disruption;

 

(4)                  approves a supplementary budget provision of £16,500 to be ear-marked from the General Fund working balance for the part-year of 2015/16 (sufficient to pay the maximum market supplement from 1 September if necessary); and

 

(5)                  approves a provision of £32,895 to be earmarked from the General Fund for the full year of 2016-17 (sufficient to continue the market supplement at the maximum level, if necessary).

 

 

89.

Proposal for Additional Enhancement of the Leisure Complex and Swimming Pool

To consider the report of the Deputy Chief Executive.

 

Scrutiny Committee – Resources considered the report at its meeting on 29 July 2015 and its comments will be reported.

 

Decision:

Agreed

 

 

That it is recommended to Council to acknowledge and approve:-

 

(1)                    that there was a compelling business case to invest an additional £6m to provide an enhanced leisure complex and swimming pool; and also 

 

(2)                    following the statement from the Leader of the Council, it was further recommended that the funding for the £26m should not result in an increase in the Council’s underlying debt, noting that £8m has already been set aside from New Homes Bonus and that a further £10m will be set aside from New Homes Bonus over the next five years, The additional £8m coming from Community Infrastructure Levy and capital receipts.  

 

Reason for Decision:

 

As set out in the report.

 

Minutes:

The report of the Deputy Chief Executive was submitted to consider the Business Case for enhancing facilities for the development of the new leisure complex and swimming pool. Members were also circulated the comments of Scrutiny Committee – Resources.

 

The Deputy Chief Executive advised Members of the revised figures for the additional offering.

 

At the invitation of the Leader, Councillor Bull, Chair of Scrutiny Committee – Resources addressed Executive to advise of the discussion that had taken place at its meeting on 29 July 2015. He thanked the Leader for attending and explaining how the leisure complex and swimming pool would be funded. A robust debate had taken place and Members had focused on the business case. The majority of Members supported the recommendation for the compelling business case to invest the additional £6m to provide an enhanced leisure complex and swimming pool; one Member had abstained from voting.

 

Members discussed the proposals whilst the majority of Members supported the compelling business case for the enhanced leisure complex and swimming pool, one Member raised concerns regarding the proposals.

 

The Leader commented that a new leisure complex with enhanced facilities would be seen as a great achievement for the city and at no extra cost to council tax payers.

 

RECOMMENDED to Council to acknowledge and approve:-

 

(1)                    that there was a compelling business case to invest an additional £6m to provide an enhanced leisure complex and swimming pool; and also 

 

(2)                    following the statement from the Leader of the Council, it was further recommended that the funding for the £26m should not result in an increase in the Council’s underlying debt, noting that £8m has already been set aside from New Homes Bonus and that a further £10m will be set aside from New Homes Bonus over the next five years, The additional £8m coming from Community Infrastructure Levy and capital receipts.  

 

(In accordance with Standing Order no.43, Councillor Leadbetter requested that his voting against this recommendation be recorded)