Decisions

It was RESOLVED that Planning Permission be GRANTED subject to conditions as per the recommendations in the report.

It was RESOLVED that Planning Permission be GRANTED subject to conditions as per the recommendations in the report.

It was RESOLVED that planning permission be REFUSED for the following reason:

 

The proposed development could result in the creation of a bedroom in the loft space which would require additional parking provision which cannot be adequately provided on-site in accordance with the Council’s adopted standards.  The proposal would, therefore, be likely to result in an increase in on-street parking that would be prejudicial to highway safety and the free flow of traffic and is contrary to Policy IT5 of the Stevenage Borough Local Plan 2011 – 2031 (adopted 2019), the Council’s Car Parking Standards SPD (2012), the National Planning Policy Framework (2019) and the Planning Practice Guidance (2014).

It was RESOLVED that Planning Permission be GRANTED subject to conditions as per the recommendations in the report.

It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillors Sarah-Jane McDonough, Maureen Mckay and Graham Snell.

 

Councillor Sandra Barr declared a personal interest in Agenda Item 5 as the Chair of Trustees at Larwood School.

It was RESOLVED that the report be noted.

Not required.

None.

It was RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Planning and Development Committee held on 8 October 2019 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

The Committee received an urgent update on the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).

 

At this juncture, The Committee commended the temporary public address system in the Council Chamber.

It was RESOLVED:

 

1.          That the variation to clauses 3.1.7.1 to 3.1.7.7 of the S106 agreement dated 13 August 2013 to add the word “receiver or administrative receiver” and at clause 3.1.7.3 to substitute the word “endeavour” with the words “reasonable endeavours” be approved

 

2.          That authority be delegated to the Assistant Director of Planning and Regulation in conjunction with an appointed Solicitor on behalf of the Council to amend the wording of the variation to the S106 agreement

It was RESOLVED that Planning Permission be GRANTED subject to conditions as per the recommendations in the report.

None.

None.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered and noted the Part II Minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 20 November 2019.

It was RESOLVED:

 

1.      That, under Section 100(A) 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 – 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.

None.

It was RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meetings of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee held on 11 November 2019 and 25 November 2019 be approved as correct records for signature by the Chair.

 

In relation to Minute 2 of the meeting of the Committee held on 25 November 2019, it was confirmed that the Assistant Director (Planning and Regulatory) had circulated a briefing note to Members on the status of cycleways in Stevenage.

None.

The Committee considered the decisions of the following matters arising from the Executive meeting held on 16 December 2019:

 

Minutes of the Executive – 20 November 2019

 

Noted.

 

Minutes of the Overview & Scrutiny and Select Committees

 

Noted.

 

Co-operative Neighbourhoods

 

In reply to a series of Members’ questions, officers commented:

 

·      The pre-2017 County Division boundaries were chosen as the 6 neighbourhood areas as they were more synchronised with the existing SBC ward boundaries;

·      The St. Nicholas / Martins Wood prototype neighbourhood area was selected as some initial community engagement work and neighbourhood investment had already taken place or was being planned in the area as a consequence of the results of the most recent Residents’ Survey;

·      The bringing together of teams across the organisation would enable issues to be tackled in a more streamlined and co-ordinated manner, with clear accountability within services for each area and engagement with local residents to build community capacity;

·      Community Wealth Building (CWB) aimed to focus on social value, in endeavouring to “lock in” investment for local communities within those communities.   CWB would be the subject of the Main Debate item at the 29 January 2020 Council meeting;

·      CWB would increase the amount of money re-circulated within the local economy; and

 

The Committee felt that the roles of Members within the Co-operative Neighbourhood Management programme could perhaps form the topic for a future All-Member Seminar.

 

Community Centres Review

 

In response to Members’ questions, the Assistant Director (Communities and Neighbourhoods) advised:

 

·      There would be potential additional capital costs for any additional community centre floorspace, but these would be unknown until any required works were scoped.  However, there was provision in the Council’s Capital Strategy for a new Community Centre associated with the Kenilworth redevelopment;

·      There was no list of which community centres would be hubs and which would be spokes.  The principle of the hub and spoke model had been approved by the Executive, and further detailed work would be carried out in the 2020/21 Financial Year;

·      The emphasis would be on providing a sustainable future model of community centre provision, both for existing and any proposed new centres.  Community centres would not be considered in isolation, but rather as part of the Asset Management Strategy;

·      Consideration would be given to the location of the hub community centres, in terms of accessibility from all parts of each hub and spoke area;

·      In order to provide a level of sustainability, a balance would need to be struck between commercial and community based activities offered by each community centre;

·      There was no expectation that Community Associations would be asked to divert from their defined geographical focus, although the hub and spoke model could provide an opportunity for them to operate as touchdown points for SBC staff and partner organisations in providing an outreach service to residents; and

·      It was clarified that the additional Executive recommendation regarding the political neutrality of groups using the centres would not affect their use by local Members in conducting their regular Ward surgeries.

 

In respect of Community Centre leases, a Member raised a particular issue regarding the ongoing determination of a lease for the Old Stevenage Community Association.  The Assistant Director (Finance and Estates) undertook to investigate the matter and advise the Member of the latest position.

 

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)

 

The Conservative Group Members on the Committee stated that they could not support the reduced CIL rate of £40 per square metre for Market housing in Zone 1 (Stevenage Central, West and North Stevenage developments), as they felt that insufficient CIL funding would be generated for associated infrastructure improvements.  Furthermore, they considered that a lower level of CIL levy adversely affected the value of development land.

 

In respect of questions raised by Members, officers stated:

 

·      There would be some instances where developments would attract both CIL and Section 106 payments, the latter typically when infrastructure improvements were required directly as a result of that development (eg. new schools);

·      Local Authorities in the south-west of the county had adopted higher CIL rates than those proposed for SBC, but land values were higher as these Authorities were located closer to the Greater London area.  The Independent Examiner for the SBC CIL had used the same viability methodology for calculation of the recommended rates as that used by the other Local Authorities;

·      The allocation of the CIL funding to specific projects would be determined by officers, in consultation with appropriate Members.  The Council’s Infrastructure Delivery Plan would be updated to identify and prioritise areas that needed funding;

·      Officers agreed to provide a Member with contact details of a County Council officer who could assist in explaining the methodology on how HCC prioritises spend on Section 106/CIL monies;

·      80% of CIL monies were required to be ring-fenced for larger infrastructure projects; 15% could be spent on community-based schemes, and officers would be looking at options for local Members and communities to be involved in putting forward such schemes; and

·      It was confirmed that the CIL rates would become effective from 1 April 2020.  As such, any planning applications that were determined before that date would not attract a CIL levy, but would still be subject to the Section 106 regime.  However, a significant advantage of the CIL system would be that, unlike Section 106, the first payment would be within 60 days of the commencement of the development, thereby allowing pooled CIL funds to be devoted to infrastructure improvements at an earlier stage.

 

Hertfordshire Growth Board Memorandum of Understanding

 

The Committee acknowledged the importance of the Hertfordshire Local Authorities working together to secure the necessary funding for progressing place-based improvements across the county.

 

In response to Members’ questions, the Chief Executive stated:

 

·      It was anticipated that the Herts Growth Board would approach the Government for funding in Quarter one of the next financial year, but this would be subject to a number of factors which could speed up or delay the bid preparation process;

·      There were a number of overarching strands in the Growth Board programme, with a lead Leader and lead Chief Executive being allocated to each of them.  The Chief Executive confirmed that he was the lead CE for the Climate Change strand (with the East Herts DC Leader), and would be seeking to co-ordinate the work of the Growth Board in this regard across the county.  This would include the development of a Hertfordshire Climate Change / Sustainability Policy Statement that would inform all strands of the Growth Board’s programme.  It was also noted that Councillor Sharon Taylor was a member of the negotiating team that was meeting with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government;

·      The Growth Board would be pulling together a countywide schedule of current and emerging projects.  It was not believed that there was any inter-dependency between Growth Board funding and projects identified through the Town Fund Deal; and

·      The Growth Board did not wish to miss any opportunities by failing to consider cross-boundary issues.

 

Developing a Town Fund Deal

 

A Member raised the issue of the Town Fund Deal being administered by an unelected Board, rather than solely by the Council, bearing in mind it that Borough/District Local Authorities were expected to take the lead on the Deal.

 

The Chief Executive replied that the Council was working with key partners locally, other agencies and the Government to seek to ensure that future Board arrangements best enabled the ongoing development of the regeneration programme.  The Town Fund Deal prospectus had no restrictions on where in the Borough the £25M could be spent.  He confirmed that there were a number of broad project options and that these would have to be worked up for consideration by the Board in due course.

 

Corporate Performance Quarter Two

 

In response to a Member’s question, the Strategic Director (RP) advised that the “balanced scorecard” for performance information had been discontinued a number of years ago, as it was felt important that such information focussed on updates on the Council’s key ambitions as well as specific Business Unit Performance Indicators.

 

In relation to a query regarding the reason why there was no available performance information relating to Asset 5b: Percentage of assets known to be health and safety compliant, the Committee was informed that the Council was 100% compliant with statutory health and safety matters, but that discussions were ongoing with the relevant contractor to ensure that adequate systems were in place to record performance in respect non-statutory health and safety matters (planned preventative maintenance, such as gutter clearance).

 

Council Tax Base 2020/21

 

Noted.

 

Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Medium Term Financial Strategy (2019/20 – 2023/24) and HRA Business Plan

 

The Assistant Director (Finance and Estates) confirmed that the projections for new homes in the first few years of the HRA Business Plan were based on site specific data supplied by the Housing Development Team. 

 

Draft Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and Rent Setting 2020/21

 

The Assistant Director (Finance and Estates) clarified that future HRA new build schemes would include a 50/50 split between social and affordable units.  At present the HRA stock comprised 6,825 social homes and 35 affordable homes.

 

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Sarah-Jane McDonough and Sarah Mead.

 

There were no declarations of interest.

None.

It was RESOLVED:

 

1.         That, under Section 100(A) 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 to 7 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended by SI 2006 No. 88.

 

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

None.

It was RESOLVED:

 

1.         That, for modelling purposes, fees and charges increases are in line with inflation.

 

2.         That, for modelling purposes, the updated inflation assumptions used in the Medium Term Financial Strategy (Paragraph 4.5.1 refers) be approved.

 

3.         That the Capital Programme assumptions contained within the report be approved for the existing programme and new build properties and incorporated into the 2020/21 budget.

 

4.         That officers review responsive repairs spend, taking into account the anticipated impact of the planned maintenance programme and the delivery of the 2% repairs efficiency target (Paragraphs 4.3.5 and 4.4.7 of the report refer).

 

5.         That borrowing to fund capital projects in 2020/21 of £23.8Million be approved and that future years are considered annually in line with anticipated expenditure.

 

6.         That the minimum level of balances for the HRA Business Plan, set as a minimum £3Million plus inflation (Paragraph 4.4.7 of the report refers), be noted.

 

7.         That the creation of a reserve of £5Million, to mitigate against future interest rate volatility and a reserve to accommodate future debt repayment, be noted.

 

8.         That if material changes to forecasts are required following further Government announcements, the Assistant Director (Finance and Estates) be requested to revise the Medium Term Financial Strategy and re-present it to the Executive for approval.

 

9.         That the revised HRA MTFS principles be approved.

 

10.      That the Trade Unions and staff be consulted on the key messages contained within the Medium Term Financial Strategies and more specifically when drawing up any proposals where there is a risk of redundancy.

 

Reason for Decision:  As contained in report.

Other Options considered:  As contained in report.

It was RESOLVED:

 

1.         That in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation ofTax Base) Regulations 2012,the amountcalculated byStevenage BoroughCouncil for theyear 2020/21shall be 28,275.6 equivalent “Band D” properties reduced to 27780.7  equivalent “Band D” properties after making allowances for a 98.25% collection rate.

 

2.         That the 2020/21 Council Tax Base be approved, subject to any changes made to the Council Tax Support Scheme (CTS) for 2020/21.  The Executive approved the CTS scheme at its meeting on 20 November 2019 for recommendation to Council.

 

Reason for Decision:  As contained in report.

Other Options considered:  As contained in report.

In respect of the Sickness Absence Performance Indicator, the Executive noted that the percentage figure was skewed due to instances of long-term sickness.  The Senior Human Resources Manager undertook to provide Members with statistics relating to short-term sickness absence only.

 

It was RESOLVED:

 

1.         That the delivery of priorities which form the Future Town, Future Council Programme and performance of the Council across the key themes for quarter Two 2019/20, together with the latest achievements, be noted.

 

2.         That actions to ensure the improvement in the non-statutory compliance of non-domestic/non-commercial Council buildings in accordance with the compliance contract be noted and endorsed (Paragraphs 3.64 to 3.67 of the report).

 

3.         That the improved performance in the Customer Service Centre be noted and continuing plans to sustain and improve performance be endorsed (Paragraphs 3.84 to 3.90 of the report).

 

4.         That the impact of the rise in long term sickness in relation to the overall

average sickness absence levels be noted and that ongoing implementation of improved practices to support sickness absence management be endorsed (Paragraphs 3.99 to 3.104 of the report).

 

5.         That the review of the performance measure relating to number of households in temporary/emergency accommodation be noted and monitored (Paragraphs 3.68 to 3.70 of the report).

 

Reason for Decision:  As contained in report.

Other Options considered:  As contained in report.

The Strategic Director (TP) advised that the Chair of the Town Deal Board would not be entitled to any remuneration, other than expenses.

 

In order to reinforce the Council’s decision for culture to be at the heart of the Town Centre Regeneration development, Members supported an additional recommendation that the Executive noted the importance of culture within the Town Deal Fund and the work to develop a Cultural Strategy for Stevenage, and requested officers to consider bringing forward culture-led projects within the emerging Town Deal Investment Plan to enable Stevenage to develop its cultural offer.

 

It was RESOLVED:

 

1.         That the release of the Towns Fund prospectus and the steps that would be needed to put in place a Town Deal Board by end of January 2020 and Town Investment Plan by mid-2020 be noted.

 

2.         That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director (TP), having consulted with the Leader and Portfolio Holder for Environment and Regeneration, to complete a readiness assessment for submission to government by 19 December 2019.

 

3.         That the draft Terms of Reference for a new Town Deal Board, set out at Appendix B to the report, delegating finalisation of the draft Terms of Reference to the Strategic Director (TP), having consulted with the Leader and Portfolio Holder for Environment and Regeneration, be approved.

 

4.         That the commencement of an open advertising, recruitment and selection process for an Independent Chair of the Town Deal Board, having consulted other key local stakeholders be approved, finalisation of the recruitment and selection process to be delegated to the Strategic Director (TP), having consulted with the Leader and Portfolio Holder for Environment and Regeneration.

 

5.         That the importance of local consultation to inform the development of the vision for the Town Deal be noted, and Officers be requested to develop a comprehensive consultation and engagement plan, using existing consultation data and using a co-operative approach to engage with residents, partners, businesses and other stakeholders to help inform the options to be considered through a Town Investment Prospectus.

 

6.         That the importance of culture within the Town Deal Fund and the work to develop a Cultural Strategy for Stevenage be noted, and that officers be requested to consider bringing forward culture-led projects within the emerging Town Deal Investment Plan to enable Stevenage to develop its cultural offer.

 

Reason for Decision:  As contained in report; and 6. To ensure that cultural projects are included in the emerging Town Deal Investment Plan.

Other Options considered:  As contained in report.

In response to a Member’s question, the Borough Solicitor advised that should conflicts arise between various partners/signatories to the Memorandum of Understanding, there was a clause allowing for 30 days’ notice to be given for withdrawal from the partnership, although any obligations given towards specific projects may need to continue until those projects were completed.

 

It was RESOLVED:

1.         That the progress and work of the Hertfordshire Growth Board be noted.

2.         That it be agreed that Stevenage Borough Council enter into the Hertfordshire Growth Board Memorandum of Understanding, attached as Appendix 1 to the report.

 

Reason for Decision:  As contained in report.

Other Options considered:  As contained in report.

The Executive supported an additional recommendation requesting officers to commence the review of the level of fees contained in the CIL Charging Schedule after the first year of its operation.

 

It was RESOLVED:

 

1.         That the outcomes of the independent examination be noted.

 

2.         That the content of the Examiner’s Report be noted (attached as Appendix A to the report).

 

3.         That Executive recommends to Council that:

 

(i)    it accepts the Examiner’s modifications and recommendation to approve the Charging Schedule, and supporting Instalments Policy and Payments in Kind Policy, attached at Appendices B-D to the report;

(ii)   it approves the Charging Schedule, and supporting Instalments Policy and Payments in Kind Policy, to be brought into effect on 01/04/20;

(iii)  it approves the setup of an allocated financial reserve to draw down on for the CIL Officer post with an annual review.

 

4.         That, subject to Council approving the Charging Schedule and supporting documents, delegated authority be given to:

 

(i)     the Assistant Director, Planning and Regulation, having consulted the Portfolio Holder for Environment & Regeneration, to authorise the expenditure of CIL funds under £75,000;

 

(ii)  Planning and Development Committee to authorise the expenditure of CIL funds of £75,000 or more.

 

5.         That officers be requested to commence the review of the level of fees contained in the CIL Charging Schedule after the first year of its operation.

 

Reason for Decision:  As contained in report; and 5. To ensure robust monitoring of the CIL Charging Schedule.

Other Options considered:  As contained in report.

Members’ views on the report included:

 

·      Support for the hub and spoke model of community centre delivery; the proposals for the social clubs/bars; and the proposals for standardised (but with flexibility for some bespoke items) community centre leases, which would assist community associations in bids for funding;

·      It was hoped to replace or supplement community centre buildings, including the addition of one of significant size in the south of the town;

·      Further work should be undertaken on the percentage of population that used community centres in each area, in order to inform initiatives to encourage the introduction of a wider breadth of activities aimed at developing an enhanced use of the facilities.

 

The Executive supported an additional recommendation (that could form the basis of one of the standardised clauses in the leases) that organisations using SBC buildings, community assets or managing facilities or delivering services to the people of Stevenage should reflect the Council’s values and policies of inclusion and be politically neutral.

 

It was RESOLVED:

 

1.         That the findings of the stage two review of community centres, specifically the highlighted development themes and their individual targets, be noted.

 

2.         That the adoption of a Hub & Spoke Model in relation to both current and the development of future community centres, ensuring there are Community Hubs in the North, Central and South of Stevenage, be approved.

 

3.         That it be agreed that the findings of the Community Centre Review should inform future consideration on the provision of Community Facilities throughout Stevenage as part of redevelopment opportunities.

 

4.         That delegated authority be given to Strategic Director (TP), having consulted the Portfolio Holders for Communities, Community Safety & Equalities and Neighbourhoods & Co-operative Working, to negotiate new Leases and related contractual agreements with Community Associations.

 

5.         That the Co-operative Compact Partnership continues as a mechanism through which the model and social value framework can be further developed, building upon the collaborative working relationship between the Council and community associations.

 

6.         That organisations using SBC buildings, community assets or managing facilities or delivering services to the people of Stevenage should reflect the Council’s values and policies of inclusion and be politically neutral.

 

Reason for Decision:  As contained in report; and 6. To ensure use of the buildings reflects SBC values and policies of inclusion.

Other Options considered:  As contained in report.

In respect of the Minutes of the meeting of the Community Select Committee held on 4 November 2019, the Portfolio Holder for Children, Young People & Leisure confirmed that the Youth Council was forging links with schools to allow young and emerging bands to perform and, through the auspices of the Council’s Cultural Strategy, it was planned to showcase some of these bands at Stevenage Day in 2020.

 

In relation to the Minutes of the meeting of the Environment & Economy Select Committee held on 20 November 2019, Members agreed that any new Post Office in the Old Town should be in a building spacious enough to allow for privacy of transactions.

 

It was RESOLVED that the Minutes of the following meetings of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee and Select Committees be noted:

 

Community Select Committee – 4 November 2019

Overview & Scrutiny Committee – 11 November 2019

Environment & Economy Select Committee – 20 November 2019

Overview & Scrutiny Committee – 25 November 2019

It was RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 20 November 2019 be approved as a correct record for signature by the Chair.

It was RESOLVED:

 

1.         That HRA dwellings be increased, week commencing 1 April 2020, by 2.7%, an average increase of £2.56 for social rents £4.17 for affordable rents and £3.16 for Low Start Shared Ownership (LSSO) homes per week. This has been calculated using the rent formula, CPI +1% in line with the Government’s rent policy, as set out in Paragraph 4.1.1. of the report.

 

2.         That the rent policy be updated to reflect the rent increase guidance of CPI+1%, (revised from a minus 1% rent reduction excluding LSSO properties).

 

3.         That the draft 2020/21 HRA budget be approved, as set out in Appendix A to the report.  This may be subject to change as a result of consultation and the finalisation of recharges from the General Fund.

 

4.         That the final HRA rent setting budget for 2020/21 be presented to the Executive on the 22 January 2020 and then Council on 29 January 2020.

 

5.         That key partners and other stakeholders be consulted and views fed back into the 2020/21 budget setting process.

 

Reason for Decision:  As contained in report.

Other Options considered:  As contained in report.

Members commented as follows:

 

·      The boundaries between the 6 proposed neighbourhood areas should provide for sufficient flexibility to acknowledge how local residents identified their community;

·      If possible, the full roll-out of the of the scheme to the other neighbourhood areas following the pilot area should take place in advance of the August 2020 proposed deadline; and

·      Residents should be provided with one initial point of contact, who would be responsible for forwarding on requests to the relevant officer(s).

 

In relation to the pilot neighbourhood of St. Nicholas and Martins Wood, the Executive agreed that this should encompass the streets to the north that bordered St. Nicholas Park which were currently in Woodfield Ward.

 

It was RESOLVED:

 

1.         That the establishment of 6 Cooperative Neighbourhood areas, based on the pre-2017 Hertfordshire County Council divisions (see Appendix A for map) be approved.  The 6 teams will form the basis of the Council’s strategic approach to: delivering localised, responsive, coordinated and collaborative services; working with partners; and engaging with the different communities of Stevenage.

 

2.         That the direction of travel set out in the report be approved, and that the development of Co-operative Neighbourhoods serves to reassert and strengthen Stevenage’s commitment to Co-operative Council Principles; with staff, Members, residents and partners working together to help people help themselves and to plan for the future of neighbourhoods.

 

3.         That the phased implementation be approved, including the selection of St Nicholas and Martins Wood as the prototype neighbourhood (but also encompassing encompass the streets to the north that bordered St. Nicholas Park which are currently in Woodfield Ward), with basic team and collaboration arrangements put in place in the remaining 5 neighbourhoods.

 

Reason for Decision:  As contained in report.

Other Options considered:  As contained in report.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Sharon Taylor OBE, CC (Chair) and Lloyd Briscoe.

 

Councillor Jeannette declared an interest in Item 5 – Community Centres Review, as she was Chair of the Oval Community Association and Douglas Drive Senior Citizens Association.