Agenda item

Link to the Committee report pack

 

Fees and Charges Additional Information: Car Park Charges – Burnham-on-Crouch

 

RECOMMENDED

 

(i)             That the Car Park charges proposed for all Burnham-on-Crouch car parks not be agreed, and the Council continues to offer free car parking at all Burnham-on-Crouch car parks.

 

Council Tax Support Scheme 2025 / 26

 

RECOMMENDED

 

(i)         That the following changes to the existing schemes are approved:

 

a.      a cost of living increase in line with the Department for Work and Pensions schemes be included in the Local Council Tax Support Scheme (LCTS) for 2025 / 26 for Pensioners only;

 

b.      that any legislative changes being introduced to the Housing Benefit Scheme, for 2025 / 26 are mirrored in the Council’s LCTS to ensure consistency;

 

c.      minor technical amendments to ensure that the Council is able to administer the Scheme reflecting current local and national guidance and that the Council may disregard anything determined to be a local welfare payment from its calculation;

 

(ii)            that these decisions have been made following Members careful reading of and regard to the Equality Impact Assessment at APPENDIX 1;

 

(iii)           that Members note the unchanged framework for the Hardship Provision at APPENDIX 2;

 

(iv)           that the Policy document at APPENDIX 3 be approved;

 

(v)            that the final Policy document relating to the Council Tax Support Scheme at APPENDIX 4 be approved.

 

Business Rate and Council Tax Discretionary Polices 2025 / 26

 

RECOMMENDED

 

(i)             That the proposed Discretionary Non-Domestic Rate Relief Scheme at APPENDIX 5 be approved;

 

(ii)            That the proposed Empty Homes and Second Homes Premium Policy at APPENDIX 6 be approved.

 

Hythe Quay Dredging Project

 

RECOMMENDED

 

(i)             That a budget provision of up to £135,000 is created for desilting the Hythe Quay and Visitors Pontoon.

 

UK Shared Prosperity Fund 2025 / 26 Allocation

 

RECOMMENDED

 

(i)             that Members consider the opportunity to 100% match fund the Council’s allocation to maximise delivery opportunities for the benefit of communities and the District.

 

Revised Health and Safety Policy and Statement of Intent

 

The Strategy and Resources Committee (S&R) at its meeting on 23 January 2025 discussed the report related to this item of business and Members made a number of recommendations to the Council.

 

Following feedback from the S&R, the Council is asked to defer consideration of these recommendations to allow Officers to review the tone of the Council’s Corporate Health and Safety (H&S) Policy before it is brought forward to the Council for approval. In response to recommendation (i) Officers propose that the Council has a separate H&S policy for Members that better reflects their activities, linking to other relevant policies as required. As Council Members are generally not classed as ‘paid employees’ and so in some respects, fall outside of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, senior officers feel this would be a better approach. Members will have the ability to inform this Policy through a focused Task and Finish Working Group, with the Corporate Health and Safety Manager there to provide support and guidance.

 

The Council is therefore asked to consider amending the recommendations of the Strategy and Resources Committee as follows:

 

RECOMMENDED

 

(i)             That the a separate Health and Safety Policy be further revised to include Members, linking to other relevant policies where appropriate;

 

(ii)            That subject to (i) above, the revised Health and Safety Policy (Appendix 1 to the report) and Statement of Intent for Officers be adopted;

 

(iii)           That the roles and responsibilities of Committee Members and key staff in each policy be noted;

 

(iv)           That the annual review period in each policy be noted;

 

(v)            That two Members of the Council be appointed to the a Officer Working Group to produce a Member Health and Safety Policy.

 

Please note that the following recommendations coming forward from the Strategy and Resources Committee are not for consideration at this point as they form part of other agenda items (see below) due to be considered at this meeting:

 

Agenda Item 10

 

·                Income and Savings Proposals 2025 / 26 to 2028 / 29

 

Agenda Item 12 – 2025 / 26 Budget and Medium-Term Financial Strategy

 

·                Capital and Investment Strategy for 2025 / 26, Minimum Revenue Provision Statement 2025 / 26 and Treasury Management Strategy 2025 / 26;

 

·                2024 / 25 Revised and 2025 / 26 Original Budget Estimates;

 

·                Medium-Term Financial Strategy 2025 / 26 – 2027 / 28.

The Council considered the following recommendations coming forward from the Strategy and Resources Committee for consideration. These recommendations were presented to the Council by Councillor J Driver, Vice-Chairperson of the Strategy and Resources Committee.

 

Fees and Charges Additional Information: Car Park Charges – Burnham-on-Crouch

 

In response to a query by Councillor A S Fluker regarding consultation with the Doctors surgery, and why Members of the Car Parking Task & Finish and Finance Working Groups had not supported the proposal at the last meeting of the Strategy and Resources Committee, Councillor Driver advised that he would provide a written response.

 

Councillor Driver then moved the recommendation and upon a vote being taken this was duly agreed. Councillors Driver and M F L Durham asked that their abstention from the vote be recorded.

 

RESOLVED that the Car Park charges proposed for all Burnham-on-Crouch car parks not be agreed, and the Council continues to offer free car parking at all Burnham-on-Crouch car parks.

 

Council Tax Support Scheme 2024 / 25

 

RESOLVED

 

(i)         That the following changes to the existing schemes are approved:

 

a.         a cost of living increase in line with the Department for Work and Pensions schemes be included in the Local Council Tax Support (LCTS) Scheme for 2025 / 26 for Pensioners only;

 

b.         that any legislative changes being introduced to the Housing Benefit Scheme, for 2025 / 26 are mirrored in the Council’s LCTS Scheme to ensure consistency;

 

c.         minor technical amendments to ensure that the Council is able to administer the Scheme reflecting current local and national guidance and that the Council may disregard anything determined to be a local welfare payment from our calculation;

 

(ii)        that these decisions have been made following Members careful reading of and regard to the Equality Impact Assessment at Appendix 1 to the report considered by the Strategy and Resources Committee;

 

(iii)       that Members note the unchanged framework for the Hardship Provision at Appendix 2 to the report considered by the Strategy and Resources Committee;

 

(iv)       that the Policy document at Appendix 3 to the report considered by the Strategy and Resources Committee be approved;

 

(v)        that the Policy document at Appendix 4 to the report considered by the Strategy and Resources Committee be approved.

 

Business Rate and Council Tax Discretionary Policies

 

RESOLVED

 

(i)         That the proposed Discretionary Non-Domestic Rate Relief Scheme at Appendix 1 to the report considered by the Strategy and Resources Committee be approved.

 

(ii)        That the proposed Empty Homes and Second Homes Premium Policy at Appendix 2 to the report considered by the Strategy and Resources Committee be approved.

 

Hythe Quay Dredging Project

 

RESOLVED that a budget provision of up to £135,000 is created for desilting the Hythe Quay and Visitors Pontoon.

 

UK Shared Prosperity Fund 2025 / 26 Allocation

 

RESOLVED that Members consider the opportunity to 100% match fund the Council’s allocation to maximise delivery opportunities for the benefit of communities and the District.

 

Revised Health and Safety Policy and Statement of Intent

 

Councillor Driver advised that following feedback from the Strategy and Resources Committee, the Council was asked to defer consideration of these recommendations to allow Officers to review the tone of the Council’s Corporate Health and Safety (H&S) Policy before it was brought forward to the Council for approval. In response to recommendation (i) Officers propose that the Council has a separate H&S policy for Members that better reflects their activities, linking to other relevant policies as required. As Council Members are generally not classed as ‘paid employees’ and so in some respects, fall outside of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, senior officers feel this would be a better approach. Members would have the ability to inform this Policy through a focused Task and Finish Working Group, with the Corporate Health and Safety Manager in attendance to provide support and guidance. Councillor Driver advised that in light of this the Council is therefore asked to consider amending the recommendations of the Strategy and Resources Committee as follows:

 

(i)             That the a separate Health and Safety Policy be further revised to include Members, linking to other relevant policies where appropriate;

 

(ii)            That subject to (i) above, the revised Health and Safety Policy (Appendix 1 to the report) and Statement of Intent for Officers be adopted;

 

(iii)           That the roles and responsibilities of Committee Members and key staff in each policy be noted;

 

(iv)           That the annual review period in each policy be noted;

 

(v)            That two Members of the Council be appointed to the Officer a Working Group to produce a Member Health and Safety Policy.

 

The proposed changes were duly seconded.

 

The Leader of the Council advised that he wished to nominate Councillor K M H Lagan and J C Stilts be appointed to the Working Group. This was duly seconded.

 

The Chairperson put the amended recommendation and nominated Working Group members to the Council and this was duly agreed.

 

RESOLVED

 

(i)             That a separate Health and Safety Policy be further revised to include Members, linking to other relevant policies where appropriate;

 

(ii)            That subject to (i) above, the revised Health and Safety Policy (Appendix 1 to the report) and Statement of Intent for Officers be adopted;

 

(iii)           That the roles and responsibilities of Committee Members and key staff in each policy be noted;

 

(iv)           That the annual review period in each policy be noted;

 

(v)            That Councillors K M H Lagan and J C Stilts be appointed to a Working Group to produce a Member Health and Safety Policy.

 

Members were reminded that the following recommendations coming forward from this Committee were not for consideration at this point as they formed part of the following Agenda Items:

 

Agenda Item 10

·              Income and Savings Proposals 2025 / 26 to 2028 / 29

 

Agenda Item 12 – 2025 / 26 Budget and Medium-Term Financial Strategy

·              Capital and Investment Strategy for 2025 / 26, Minimum Revenue Provision Statement 2025 / 26 and Treasury Management Strategy 2025 / 26;

·              2024 / 25 Revised and 2025 / 26 Original Budget Estimates;

·              Medium-Term Financial Strategy 2025 / 26 – 2027 / 28.