Agenda and decisions

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 7 November 2023.

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.

To receive questions relating to items on the Agenda from members of the public and responses thereto.

Details of questions should be notified to the Democratic Services Manager by 10.00am at least three working days prior to the meeting. Further information about speaking at a committee can be found here: Speaking at a Committee

To consider the report of the Director Finance.

Agreed:

RECOMMENDED that Council approve:-

(1) the disposal of land at Mary Arches Street Car Park as shown on the site boundary plans in Appendix 1, the multi-storey car park site for co-living use, and the surface carpark for residential use.

(2) the disposal of land at Clifton Hill as shown on the site boundary plans in Appendix 2, for use as residential homes on the existing site (shaded blue), retaining the green shaded area for existing use as an open space, and retaining the yellow and purple shaded areas for existing uses.

(3) the granting of delegated authority to the City Surveyor, in consultation with the Leader and the Director Finance (S.151 Officer) to approve the final terms of the disposals, in accordance with the Local Government Act 1972, Section 122, to appropriate the sites which belong to the Council (shown on the plans at Appendices 1 and 2), for planning purposes to facilitate the carrying out of development, re-development or improvement on or in relation to that land; and

(4) a budget of £800,000, funded by a mix of the earmarked reserve set aside for this purpose and the surplus income from the Guildhall Shopping Centre, to cover the costs of preparing the sites for disposal and the facilitation of best consideration for the Council’s assets.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report and amended at the meeting.

To consider the report of the Chief Executive.

Agreed:

RECOMMENDED that Council approve the service of a notice of withdrawal on the constituent authorities and the Heart of the South West Joint Committee effective from 31 December 2023.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

To consider the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel.

Agreed:

RECOMMENDED to Council that:-

(1)  the basic structure and principles of the current Members’ Allowances scheme be retained for 2024/25;

(2)  the principle that any Member qualifying for more than one Special Responsibility Allowance is paid the higher allowance only, be retained;

(3)  the Councillors’ Basic and Special Responsibility Allowances including the Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor’s Expenses Allowances, should continue to be linked and updated in line with the national pay awards for the previous year, (a lump sum payment of £1,925 was agreed for the period 2022/23 effective from April 2022). The Panel considered it appropriate to use the median percentage pay increase of 4.04% as a benchmark for the Basic Councillor Allowance;

(4)  a new Special Responsibility Allowance be offered to the Chair of the Scrutiny Programme Board in recognition of their coordination of the support role offered by the Board to the scrutiny function;

(5)  the principle that Special Responsibility Allowances be paid to no more than 50% of the overall number of Councillors to continue to be kept under review and adhered to where possible;

(6)  the current Dependants’ Carers’ Allowance scheme be maintained, with the continuation of the level of allowance matching the hourly Living Wage as applicable from April of each year (together with the retention of the uplift of the standard rate of income tax). In the case of Members who need specialist care for a child or adult dependant, a higher rate, of up to £25 per hour or part thereof, (together with the retention of the uplift of the standard rate of income tax) can be agreed by negotiation in advance with the Democratic Services Manager;

(7)  the sum of £50 be paid to the Independent Persons affiliated to the Audit and Governance Committee for up to four hours work, and £100 for four hours and over, payable to each of the two Independent Persons (up to a maximum of £500 per person in any one year) be retained; and

(8)  the Travel and Subsistence allowances available for staff continue to apply to Exeter City Councillors, where appropriate.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

To consider the report of the Director Finance.

Agreed:

RECOMMENDED that Council notes and approves (where applicable):-

(1)  the General Fund forecast financial position for the 2023 financial year;

(2)  the supplementary budgets and budget transfers as detailed in paragraph 8.11 and Appendix 3;

(3)  the outstanding Sundry Debt position as at September 2023;

(4)  the creditors payments performance; and

(5)  the One Exeter programme update.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

To consider the report of the Director Finance.

Agreed:

RECOMMENDED that Council approves:-

(1) the overall financial position for the 2023/24 Annual Capital Programme; and

(2) the amendments and further funding requests to the Council’s Annual Capital Programme for 2023/24.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

To consider the report of the Director Finance.

Agreed:

RECOMMENDED that Council notes and approves (where applicable):-

(1) the HRA forecast financial position for 2023/24 financial year; and

(2) the revision of the HRA Capital Programme to reflect the reported variations detailed in Appendix 4 of the report.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

To consider the report of the Director Finance.

Agreed:

RECOMMENDED that Council note the Treasury Management report in respect of the first six months of the 2023/24 financial year.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

To consider the report of the Director Finance

Agreed:

RESOLVED that a report on the Corporate Risk Register be received once a quarter to propose any necessary actions to help mitigate the risks for which it is responsible.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

To consider the report of the Director City Development.

Agreed:

RECOMMENDED that Council approves:-

(1) the making of the Article 4 Direction (including the Article 4 area plan) attached at Appendix A of the report with non-immediate effect; and

(2) the adoption of the Houses in Multiple Occupation Supplementary Planning Document attached at Appendix B of the report.

RESOLVED that delegated authority be granted to the Director of City Development, in consultation with the Council Leader and Portfolio Holder for City Development, to agree a change to the date of the confirmation of the Article 4 Direction attached at Appendix A of the report, if required.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

To consider the report of the Director of City Development.

Agreed:

RECOMMENDED that Council:-

(1) note the conclusions of the Independent Examiner of the CIL Charging Schedule, as included in the Examiner’s Report attached at Appendix A of the report, notably that the CIL Charging Schedule provides an appropriate basis for the collection of the levy in Exeter; and

(2) approves the CIL Charging Schedule attached at Appendix B of the report to take effect on 1 January 2024.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

To consider the report of the Director of City Development.

Agreed:

RESOLVED that:-

(1) the Liveable Exeter Placemaking Charter, including the draft pre-application charges, be approved as the basis for public consultation commencing on 04 December 2023;

(2) delegated authority be granted to the Director of City Development, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for City Development, to agree minor changes to the Liveable Exeter Placemaking Charter and draft pre-application charges before publication for consultation;

(3) delegated authority be granted to the Director of City Development, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for City Development, to agree a change to the consultation start date if required;

(4) delegated authority be granted to the Director of City Development in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for City Development to make any necessary minor modifications to the Liveable Exeter Placemaking Charter and draft pre-application charges following public consultation; and

(5) the outcome of the public consultation for the Liveable Exeter Placemaking Charter and the draft pre-application charges be reported back to the Executive for Council approval and that both documents be published on the City Council`s website.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

To consider the report of the Director City Development.

Agreed:

RESOLVED that the Joint Strategy (Appendix 1 of the report) be approved, subject to agreement by the other partner authorities, with delegated authority granted to the Director of City Development in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Portfolio Holder for City Development, to make any amendments arising from the resolution of the other authorities provided that they do not materially alter the content of the document.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

To consider the report of the Director City Development.

Agreed:

RESOLVED that:-

(1) the content of the Annual Infrastructure Statement for 2022 – 2023 be agreed; and

(2) the Annual Infrastructure Funding Statement be published.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

To consider the report of the Director of Culture, Leisure and Tourism.

Agreed:

RECOMMENDED that Council approve:-

(1) the adoption of an ‘Open Access Strategy’ in relation to digital copies of public domain works and other materials which are out-of-copyright (see Appendix 1);

(2) authority being delegated to the Museums Manager (or subsequent equivalent post) and the Portfolio Holder for Culture and City Centre Strategy (or subsequent equivalent post) to determine the digitised public domain works and other out-of copyright materials to be published online in accordance with the Open Access Strategy;

(3) the Museums Manager (or subsequent equivalent post) reporting on the progress of the Open Access Strategy on a quarterly basis to the Director for Culture, Leisure, Tourism and Communications (or subsequent equivalent post) and Portfolio Holder for Culture and City Centre Strategy (or subsequent equivalent post);

(4) allowing the free reuse of digitised public domain collections up to 300 dpi when printed at A5 (‘medium resolution’), as detailed in the fees and charges schedule and retaining the high resolution versions for commercialisation and restricting reuse through contracts; and

(5) the adoption of the fees and charges schedule attached to the report to be reviewed on an annual basis.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

RECOMMENDED that, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of Item 19a - Appendices 5 - 8 and Item 20, on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 3 and 4 of Part I, Schedule 12A of the Act.. 

Agreed:

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 paragraph’s 3 and 4 of Part 1, Schedule 12A of the Act. 

Reason for Decision: As set out on the Agenda.

Agreed:

The recommendations were agreed as part of Minute No.110.

Reason for Decision: As set out in Minute No. 110.

To consider the report of the Director Net Zero Exeter & City Management.

Agreed:

RECOMMENDED that Council:-

(1) subject to the identification of sufficient capital receipts to finance the whole project, approve the addition of up to £3.8 million to the Council’s Capital Programme for the purposes of delivering the MRF, which includes the amount previously agreed that would take the project to an agreed budget of £8 million; and

(2) grant delegated authority on the final decision to the Director Finance, in consultation with the Leader, relevant Portfolio Holder and Director of Net Zero and City Management.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.