Agenda and minutes

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Items
No. Item

441.

Apologies and substitutions

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillors Bray and Williams, with the substitution of Councillor Roberts for Councillor Williams authorised in accordance with council procedure rule 4.

442.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 47 KB

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 8 February 2017.

Minutes:

It was noted that Councillor Wallace was not marked as being in attendance in the minutes of the previous meeting yet was present. It was

 

RESOLVED – the minutes of the meeting be confirmed subject to the above correction and signed by the chairman.

443.

Declarations of interest

To receive verbally from members any disclosures which they are required to make in accordance with the Council's code of conduct or in pursuance of Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.  This is in addition to the need for such disclosure to be also given when the relevant matter is reached on the agenda.

Minutes:

Councillors Lay, Lynch, Roberts and Wallace declared personal interests in the Parish & Community Initiative Fund item as parish councillors.

444.

Parish & Community Initiative Fund pdf icon PDF 171 KB

Report seeking recommendations in relation to the allocation of the Parish & Community Initiative Fund 2017/18.

Minutes:

The Scrutiny Commission received a report which proposed allocation of the Parish & Community Initiative Fund for 2017/18. It was noted that an unprecedented number of applications had been received, resulting in the fund being oversubscribed. Members were informed of the detailed criteria for projects. Members welcomed the report and emphasised the importance of the fund and the community benefit delivered by it.

 

RESOLVED

 

(i)            The allocation of £125,000 for 28 schemes be endorsed;

 

(ii)           The Strategic Leadership Team be recommended to write to the unsuccessful applicants detailed in section 3.4 of the report to inform them that they would be considered for funding in 2018/19;

 

(iii)          The carry forward request of £1,743 be endorsed to allow a scheme from the previous year to be completed.

445.

Update of neighbourhood development plan preparation progress pdf icon PDF 112 KB

To inform members of the current status of plans being prepared by parish councils and neighbourhood forums.

Minutes:

Members received an update on the current status of neighbourhood plans and heard that the Rural Community Council (RCC) was providing some support under a service level agreement. Concern was expressed that some parish councils considered a neighbourhood plan to be a way to stop housing development. In response officers confirmed that whilst a neighbourhood plan was given weight in the planning process, it should not be seen as a way to stop housing and this was at the forefront of any advice given.

 

A member questioned how the process would work in West Clarendon, Hinckley as this was not a parished area. In response, it was stated that the process would be the same as with a parished area and would be lead by the neighbourhood forum.

 

RESOLVED – the report be welcomed and progress be noted.

446.

Affordable housing completions - shared ownership and housing association responsibility pdf icon PDF 104 KB

To provide information requested by the Scrutiny Commission in December 2016 in relation to affordable housing in the borough retained as such.

Minutes:

In response to a request at a previous meeting, members received information on numbers of new build affordable housing retained as such. It was confirmed that numbers of properties no longer available as affordable housing were very low and none of the responding housing associations had lost properties via right to buy.

 

Concern was expressed regarding the general standard of rented housing in the borough and information was requested on this either directly to members or via a report to a future meeting.

 

RESOLVED – the report be noted and welcomed and the information requested in relation to private rental properties be provided to members.

447.

S106 contributions update pdf icon PDF 109 KB

To update members on S106 contributions currently held.

Minutes:

The Scrutiny Commission received an update on S106 contributions currently held and was informed of large amounts of work undertaken to improve management of S106 contributions. Members were grateful that the CCG had met with a group of them to discuss contributions to health, but felt that more of these meetings were needed as some questions remained unanswered and there were still concerns regarding allocation of monies. Members emphasised the need for similar understanding of allocations by the police.

 

Officers stated they were happy to provide more detailed information to members in relation to any contributions on request.

 

RESOLVED – the report be noted.

448.

Scrutiny Commission Work Programme 2016-18 pdf icon PDF 122 KB

Work programme attached.

Minutes:

Members received the work programme. A member expressed concern about the authority not having a policy to manage buskers in public areas and officers agreed to look into this.

449.

Minutes of Finance & Performance Scrutiny pdf icon PDF 45 KB

Minutes of the previous two Finance & Performance Scrutiny meetings attached for information.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The minutes were noted.