Agenda and decisions

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Sarah Mead.

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 13 October 2020.

It was RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 13 October 2020 be approved as a correct record for signature by the Chair.

To consider the following Part I Decisions of the Executive taken on 18 November 2020.

Executive                                                                                        Page No.

Agenda Item

2        Minutes of the Executive – 6 October 2020                                      5

3        Minutes of Overview & Scrutiny Committee and Select Committees 13        

4        Covid-19 Update (verbal item)                                                        N/A

5        Biodiversity Supplementary Planning Document (SPD): Public        29

          Consultation

6        Developer Contributions Supplementary Planning Document           91

(SPD): Public Consultation

7        Hertfordshire Growth Board – Proposed Future Governance          133

          Arrangements

8        Mid Year Review of 2020/21 Treasury Management Strategy        171

9        Housing Revenue Account Medium Term Financial Strategy          197

          Update (2020/21 – 2024/25)

10       Second Quarter Revenue Monitoring Report 2020/21 – General    235

          Fund

11       Second Quarter General Fund Capital Monitoring Report 2020/21 245

Notice of Decisions to follow

PLEASE BRING YOUR AGENDA AND REPORTS FOR THE EXECUTIVE

MEETING HELD ON 18 NOVEMBER 2020

The Committee considered the decisions on the following matters arising from the Executive meeting held on 18 November 2020.

Minutes of the Executive – 6 October 2020

Noted.

Minutes of Overview & Scrutiny Committee and Select Committees

Noted.

Covid-19 – Update

The Strategic Director (RP), assisted by the Strategic Director (CF), responded to a number of questions raised by Members as follows:

·        Mass vaccination centres – it was confirmed that, should there by icy weather conditions over the winter months, it would be the responsibility of HCC to grit/salt highways in the vicinity of mass vaccination centres, but that SBC would be responsible for the gritting/salting of non-highway areas surrounding Neighbourhood/Community Centres should any of these be required for use as vaccination centres;

·        Covid Tier System – the Government was due to announce the new Tier system on 26 November 2020, and it was expected that Hertfordshire would be in Tier 2.  The tiers were based on a number of factors (including numbers testing positive, current and projected hospital admissions, etc.), and the Government had indicated that the allocation of areas into tiers would be a central decision, with it being unlikely that individual areas would be permitted to contest this decision;

·        Covid Suppression Plan for Stevenage – in terms of the county-wide Tactical Co-ordinating Group, Stevenage was a Priority 2 area, and the Group’s focus was currently directed towards Priority 1 areas, such as Broxbourne and Three Rivers.  Analysis showed that a significant proportion of Stevenage Covid cases was due to general community transmission; and

·        Discretionary financial support for mobile businesses – the Additional Restrictions Grant Scheme would be intended to assist those businesses adversely affected by the pandemic in terms of them having received little or no support funding.  Once the Scheme was signed off, this would give SBC the ability to provide support to such businesses, although it was stressed that SBC’s total grant funding for this purpose was £1.75Million (up to 31 March 2021).  Information on how to apply for support funding would be available on the Council’s website, and applicants would also be able to contact the Shared Revenues & Benefits Service.

Biodiversity Supplementary Planning Document (SPD): Public Consultation

In response to Members’ questions, the Principal Planning Officer replied as follows:

·        The formula/metric for 10% net biodiversity gain would be used following an audit of each application site; the biodiversity of each site would be graded according to numerous criteria, including quality and distinctiveness; the assistance of the Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust would be sought on large applications;

·        The Principal Planning Officer undertook to include more information about the DEFRA metric and how it was used to grade the biodiversity of a site in the SPD prior to its adoption.  This suggestion would be recorded as a formal response to the consultation; and

·        The definition of minor amendments to the SPD prior to publication for consultation relating to textual, grammatical or formatting errors;  it was anticipated that any major changes required to the document would be picked  ...  view the full decision text for item 3.

To consider any urgent Part I Decisions authorised by the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

None.

To consider any Part I business accepted by the Chair as urgent.

None.

To consider the following motions:

1.       That under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in paragraphs 1 – 7 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act as amended by Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006.

2.       That Members consider the reasons for the following reports being in Part II and determine whether or not maintaining the exemption from disclosure of the information contained therein outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

It was RESOLVED:

1.       That, under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in paragraphs 1 to 7 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended by SI 2006 No. 88.

2.       That having considered the reasons for the following item being in Part II, it be determined that maintaining the exemption from disclosure of the information contained therein outweighed the public interest in disclosure.

To consider the following Part II Decisions of the Executive taken on 18 November 2020.

Executive                                                                                        Page No.

Agenda Item

14.      New Station North Multi-Storey Car Park                                       261

Notice of Decisions to follow

PLEASE BRING YOUR AGENDA AND REPORTS FOR THE EXECUTIVE

MEETING HELD 18 NOVEMBER 2020.

The Committee considered the Part II decisions on the following matters arising from the Executive meeting held on 18 November 2020.

New Station North Multi-Storey Car Park

Noted.

To consider any urgent Part II Decisions authorised by the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

None.

To consider any Part II business accepted by the Chair as urgent.

None.