Agenda item

(i)        To consider the report of the Director of Resources (copy enclosed).

Please note: Where appropriate this report contains links to the relevant Committee agenda, reports and Minutes.

(ii)       Minutes of meetings of Committees

To note that since the last meeting of the Council, up until Wednesday 7 December 2016 (Council agenda dispatch) the following Committees have met, and to receive any questions in accordance with Council and Committee Procedure Rule 6 (2).

Minutes reported to the last meeting and now published:

Minutes published:

Minutes NOT finalised for publication:

* Please note that the these Minutes contain recommendations previously dealt with by the Council at its last meeting.

** Please see item (i) above as these Minutes contain recommendations to the Council.

The Chairman agreed to consider item (b) Minutes of Meetings of the Committees first.

(b)       Minutes of meetings of Committees

The Council noted the list of Committees that had met before and since the last meeting of the Council, up until Wednesday 7 December 2016.

It was noted that Minutes of the Central Area Planning Committee on 19 October 2016 would be presented to the January meeting of this Committee for approval.

Planning and Licensing Committee – 17 November 2016 (Minute 705 – 2017 / 18 Revenue Budget and Fees and Charges)

A question was raised regarding the proposed removal of £5,000 relating to Historic Building Grants from the budget and whether the Finance and Corporate Services Committee had considered obtaining sponsorship to replace it as this had been raised during discussions at the recent Planning and Licensing Committee meeting.  In response, the Chief Executive advised that the Finance and Corporate Services Committee (F&CS) had agreed to remove the £5,000 from the 2017 / 18 budget.  The revised budget was due to be considered by the F&CS in January (and then the Council) and currently excluded the £5,000.  If Members were mindful to overturn the decision to remove the grant the matter of sponsorship could be discussed at this point.  Councillor I E Dobson, Vice-Chairman of the Finance and Corporate Services Committee advised that he was not aware of any discussion around sponsorship when this matter came before the F&CS but would check the Minutes and respond to the relevant Member direct.

Community Services Committee – 11 October 2016 (Minute 631 – Leisure Contract Refurbishment Final Account)

In response to a question regarding concerns raised regarding the Leisure Contract and the actions considered by the Community Services Committee to ensure that such matters did not reoccur, Councillor R Pratt, Chairman of the Community Services Committee advised that he would ask for this to be added to the agenda for a future meeting.

(a)         Report of the Director of Resources

The Council considered the report of the Chief Executive presenting recommendations of Committees to the Council which were agreed. 

Planning and Licensing Committee (17 November 2016):

Minute 706 – Neighbourhood Plan Updates for Great Totham, Wickham Bishops and Burnham-on-Crouch and Proposed Updates to the Council’s Scheme of Delegation for Designating Neighbourhood Areas

RESOLVED

(i)                 that the Planning and Licensing Committee Terms of Reference, Section (c) Scheme of Delegation – To the Director of Planning and Regulatory Services, paragraph 28 be updated as set out below, taking into account the change in legislation:

28        To determine neighbourhood area applications where no representations objecting to the proposal have been received to a public consultation, or where public consultation is not required by regulation, and where the area to be designated is coterminous with or wholly within the area of a civil parish.  Any such decisions made are to be reported to the Members of the Planning and Licensing Committee.

Finance and Corporate Services Committee (29 November 2016):

Minute 758 – Human Resources Policies and Procedures

RESOLVED

(ii)               that That the new Stress Management Policy (attached as Appendix 1 to the report) be approved.

Minute 760 – Local Council Tax Support Scheme 2017 / 18

(iii)             that a cost of living increase in line with the Department for Work and Pensions schemes be included in the Local Council Tax Support Scheme for 2016 / 17 for Pensioners only;

(iv)             that legislative changes being introduced to the Housing Benefit Scheme for 2017 / 18 are mirrored in the Council’s Local Council Tax Support Scheme to ensure consistency;

(v)               that in all other respects the Local Council Tax Support Scheme and Hardship Scheme remain unchanged and that this decision has been made following Members’ careful reading of, and regard to, the Equality Impact Assessment (attached as Appendix 2 to the report).

Minute 767 – Capital Project Bids 2017 / 18

(vi)             that the capital projects as set out below and detailed in Appendix 3 to the report, be identified for inclusion for consideration in the 2017 / 18 capital programme:

Essential:

·                    Park Road Repairs

·                    New Car Parking Signage in Town Centre and Promenade Park

Service Failure / Service Improvement:

·                    PC and Printer replacement Programme

·                    IT Project Officer

·                    Email replacement – upgrade of Exchange and Enterprise Vault

·                    Parks Vehicle – Rolling Replacement Programme

·                    Amphitheatre Fencing

·                    All Weather Car Parking Improvements

·                    New Accessible Play site

·                    Improved screen of existing depot space within Riverside Park

·                    New roof for Heybridge Cemetery Chapel

·                    Mobile welfare facility for Volunteer and Community Payback schemes

·                    Replacement vehicle for Maintenance Officer(s)

Minute 769 – Council Tax Base 2017 / 18

(vii)           that in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Tax Base) Regulations 2012 the amount calculated by the Maldon District Council as its Council Tax Base for the year 2017 / 18 shall be set at 23,868.7.