Agenda, decisions and minutes

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 11 September 2018.

The minutes of the meeting held on 11 September 2018 were taken as read, approved and signed by the Chair as correct.

No declarations of disclosable pecuniary interest were made.

To consider the report of the Chief Executive & Growth Director.

The Chief Executive & Growth Director presented the Council’s draft 2018-21 Corporate Plan and stated that this set out a clear statement for the future of the City, and had been drawn up following discussions with many stakeholders and parties.

During discussion, the following points were raised:-

·         That the document would develop the City’s innovative, analytical and entrepreneurial aspirations;

·         The document drew together many strategies including not only those of the City Council, but also of partner organisations in the City;

·         That once approved, the key messages contained within the Corporate Plan be publicised as widely as possible.

RECOMMENDED that Council;

(1)                  approves the Council's 2018-21 draft Corporate Plan; and

(2)                  the Chief Executive & Growth Director, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, be authorised to make any necessary drafting amendments before publication.

To consider the report of the City Surveyor.

Place Scrutiny Committee considered the report at its meeting on 13 September 2018 and its comments will be reported.

The City Surveyor presented the report following the resolution of Executive in October 2017 that an Urban Design Consultancy be appointed to give the context for current and future development opportunities in South Street and consider the Street’s role in the link between the City and the Quay. Lacey Hickie Caley, Exeter based Consultants had been appointed following a procurement exercise. They had prepared a set of Urban Design Proposals for the South Street area which were attached to the report and presented to the meeting.

During discussion, the following points were raised:-

·         That the Proposals offered an incremental delivery of intervention proposals which would improve the area and links between it and the Quay;

·         That the report brought forward a number of proposals which could now be more formally explored;

·         That no budgetary provision was being requested at this stage.

Place Scrutiny Committee considered the report at its meeting on 13 September 2018 and its comments were reported.

RESOLVED that:-

(1)        the Urban Design Proposals be noted and implementation on an incremental basis subject to appropriate consultation and budget availability be supported;

(2)        the proposals be incorporated into the developing City Centre Strategy; and

(3)          Officers, with the help of Devon County Council and others, explore the implementation of the Early Interventions set out on Page 50 of the Urban Design Proposals report.

To consider the report of the Councillor Matthew Vizard and Councillor Laura Wright.

Place Scrutiny Committee considered the report at its meeting on 13 September 2018 and its comments will be reported.

Councillor Laura Wright presented the report which provided an update following implementation of the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in June 2017.

Members welcomed the decrease in the number of anti-social behaviour incidents by some 16% since the introduction of the PSPO.

Place Scrutiny Committee considered the report at its meeting on 13 September 2018 and its comments were reported.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

To consider the report of the Environmental Health and Licensing Manager.

Licensing Committee considered this report on 18 September 2018 and its comments will be reported

The Director (JY) presented the report detailing the responses to the consultation undertaken into the proposed updated Gambling Act 2005 Statement of Licensing Policy. A full 12 week consultation period had been undertaken during which the policy had been welcomed within the industry.

Licensing Committee had considered the Policy at its meeting on 18 September 2018 and supported its adoption.

RECOMMENDED that Council approves and adopts the updated Gambling Act 2005 Statement of Licensing Policy.

To consider the report of the Environmental Health and Licensing Manager

The Director (JY) presented the report on Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Prescribed Description) (England) Order 2018 extending mandatory licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) to cover all properties with five or more occupiers living in two or more households and sharing amenities, regardless of the number of storeys. The revised regulations came into effect from 1 October 2018. This change in legislation will bring smaller, privately rented properties into the HMO licensing regime e.g. two storey shared terraced housing, as well as some purpose built flats. It is estimated that this will increase the number of properties requiring a HMO licence from the current figure of 900 to approximately 1,600. Additional resources are required to administer the scheme and it was noted that the required additional staffing would be funded on a cost recovery basis through the HMO licence fee.

Councillor Mitchell, having given notice under Standing Order No.44, spoke on this item. He raised the following points:-

·         He welcomed the extension of HMO licensing to smaller properties, but requested the Executive to further extend the regime to cover all HMO’s irrespective of size. This, he suggested, had been successfully introduced into other cities.

During discussion, which welcomed the introduction of the increased licensing regime, Members supported early investigations into further extending the scheme as described by Councillor Mitchell.

RECOMMENDED that Council;

(1)          note the proposals for the implementation of the extension to mandatory HMO licensing, effective from 1 October 2018;

(2)          approves pump-priming funding of £77,879 per annum for the recruitment of one permanent Environmental Health Officer and one temporary Environmental Health Technician;

(3)          the cost of this proposal would be funded from the licence fees levied; and

(4)        that early investigations be undertaken regarding the possible further expansion of the licensing scheme to include all HMO’s regardless of their size.

To consider the report of the Chief Finance Officer.

Corporate Services Scrutiny Committee considered the report at its meeting on 27 September 2018 and its comments will be reported.

The Chief Finance Officer presented the report advising Members of the overall projected financial position of the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and General Fund Revenue Budgets for the 2018/19 financial year after three months and to seek approval for a number of supplementary budgets.

The Chief Finance Officer made particular reference to the level of the Council’s reserves and the work that the Strategic Management Board was undertaking to address the situation.

Corporate Services Scrutiny Committee considered the report at its meeting on 27 September 2018 and its comments were reported.

RECOMMENDED that Council notes and approves the:- 

(1)        General Fund forecast financial position for the 2018/19 financial year and the action proposed by the Strategic Management Board as set out in section 4.3 of the circulated report;

(2)        HRA forecast financial position for 2017/18 financial year;

(3)        additional supplementary budgets listed in Appendix C;

(4)        outstanding Sundry Debt position as at August 2017; and

(5)        creditors’ payments performance.

To consider the report of the Chief Finance Officer.

Corporate Services Scrutiny Committee considered the report at its meeting on 27 September 2018 and its comments will be reported.

The Chief Finance Officer presented the report on the current position in respect of the Council’s revised annual capital programme and advised Members of the anticipated level of deferred expenditure into future years. The report also sought Member approval to amend the Annual Capital Programme in order to reflect the reported variations.

RECOMMENDED Council approves the revision of the annual capital programme to reflect the reported variations detailed in 8.4 and 8.5 of the circulated report.

To consider the report of the Corporate Manager Democratic & Civic Support.

Corporate Services Scrutiny Committee considered the report at its meeting on 27 September 2018 and its comments will be reported.

The Corporate Manager Democratic & Civic Support presented the report seeking approval to replace all or some of the Audio Visual equipment at both the Civic Centre and the Guildhall so as to improve the meeting experience for those attending the meeting and also for those watching meeting broadcasts via social media. The report gave various options as to how this can be achieved.

The Corporate Services Scrutiny Committee had considered the options and recommended option 3 which not only replaced the Audio and Visual equipment, but improved other aspects including the webcasting of meetings.

The Portfolio Holder for Support Services supported the replacement of the audio and visual equipment but felt that, as technology and equipment for webcasting was a fast moving industry, he could not support the scheme to include this. He did however suggest that to ensure the maximum benefit of improving the audio equipment at the Guildhall was achieved, investigations should be undertaken to improve the sound amplification system with an additional budget of up to £10,000 being made available to do so.

The Chief Finance Officer reported that sufficient funding could be made available to achieve this.

Corporate Services Scrutiny Committee considered the report at its meeting on 27 September 2018 and its comments were reported.

RECOMMENDED to Council that;

(1)        a budget of up to £55,000 be made available to replace the audio and visual equipment in the Civic Centre and Guildhall; and

(2)        an additional budget of up to £10,000 be made available to improve the sound amplification system at the Guildhall.

To consider the report of the Programme Manager  - Communities.

The Director (JY) updated Members on the community and arts grants review which was currently taking place, this review also included the Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding. The recommendations from the review would be considered by Members through the committee process in January 2019. In the meantime, the Council continued to respond to requests from community and arts groups for grants within existing arrangements. This report recommended awards to be made to two community organisations in this fifth round of the Neighbourhood Community Infra-Structure Levy (CIL)/Grass Roots Grants funding.

Members welcomed the proposals presented to the meeting, particularly as they were community based initiatives ran by volunteers.

RECOMMENDED that Council approves the recommendation made by the Grass Roots Grants Panel which met on the 4 September 2018, to support the following grant applications:-

(1)          The Club, Pow’s Place Locarno Road St Thomas. Mental health support project – funding towards new heating system and ramps to ensure the building is accessible - £10,000; and

(2)        Friends of Merrivale Park - St Thomas Community Association - Improving the park with new play equipment, goal posts and picnic bench - £10,000.

To consider the report of the Chief Executive & Growth Director.

The Chief Executive & Growth Director presented the report seeking authority to allocate £10,000 from the existing council events budget to TEDx Exeter and the volunteer organisation that makes the hosting of this event possible. 

In welcoming the proposal, Members noted that TEDx Exeter was one of the most successful in the world.

RESOLVED that £10,000 from existing sponsorship budget be used to support TEDxExeter be noted.

To note the report of the Chief Executive & Growth Director.

The Chief Executive & Growth Director presented the report informing Members on the progress with the development of an Industrial Strategy for the Greater Exeter area based on the transformational opportunity around environmental science and big data. The Strategy was the culmination of work that has been started under the initiative led by Sir Steve Smith and supported by the City Council entitled Innovation Exeter.

RESOLVED that the decision of the Greater Exeter Growth Board to endorse the Greater Exeter Industrial Strategy document and to promote the strategy to the Heart of the South West LEP Board on the basis of this being incorporated within the Local Industrial Strategy for the Heart of the South West area, be welcomed and supported.

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 16 and 17 on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 4 of Part I, Schedule 12A of the Act. 

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 they involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1,2, 3 and 4 of Part 1, Schedule 12A of the Act. 

To consider the report of the Director (DB).

The Director (DB) presented the report proposing the changes within the Growth & Enterprise team, as a result of savings needing to be made to meet the demands of the Medium Term Financial Plan. 

RESOLVED that:-

(1)        the consultation on changes to the Growth & Enterprise team to meet the financial challenges facing the City Council be approved; and 

(2)        the Director (DB) be authorised to proceed to the first consultation stage in accordance with the Exeter City Council’s Management of Organisational Change Policy.

To consider the report of the Chief Finance Officer.

The Chief Finance Officer presented the report setting out the final proposal for the restructure of the Finance team.

RESOLVED that:-

(1)          the business case for the restructure as set out in the circulated report be agreed;

(2)          the Chief Finance Officer be authorised to proceed in accordance with Exeter City Council Organisational Change Policy;

(3)          this report which is the outcome of the consultation with staff, Human Resources and Unions in terms of job descriptions, line management and reporting structure be noted; and

(4)          the key changes between the initial report through Executive and the details  set out in section 8 of the circulated report, be noted.