Agenda item

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

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Resources, the purpose of which was to consider the revenue growth and fees and charges policy proposals that have been put forward by Officers, prior to the approval of the 2018/19 budget and updated Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) in January 2018. 

The Chief Executive presented the report and drew Members’ attention to the section of the report regarding Planning Services.  The Chief Executive highlighted that it had been necessary to pay market supplements to attract staff, resulting in increased salary costs.  The Chief Executive advised Members that the post of Enforcement Assistant was adding value. 

The Planning Policy Manager advised that the Planning Policy Report contained an item regarding Recreational Avoidance and Mitigation Sites (RAMS).  This was a strategic issue raised by Natural England and Maldon had some of the major European protected sites within its District.  It was proposed that the Council work with other Essex Districts to put together a strategy.  Working as part of a group would be beneficial to residents and would incur a cost of £11,000 which could be taken from the Local Development Plan (LDP) reserve.  This report was discussed in further detail later in the meeting.

The Group Manager – Planning Services highlighted the section on Building Control which was part of a review being undertaken as requested by Members.  It was intended that the viability of this service would be increased through promoting the service and increasing the Council’s market share.  The Group Manager – Planning Services advised that a paper would be coming forward to the Planning and Licensing Committee on this.  There were a number of options to be considered.

In response to a question, the Chief Executive advised that there had been difficulties in recruiting planners and that market supplements had been used.  There were difficulties across the region in recruiting planning staff.  The Chief Executive confirmed that the policy would go back to the Finance and Corporate Services Committee in January 2018.  There was a need to include a clause that in the event that a member of staff who had received a market supplement left the Council within two years, then they would have to repay that market supplement.

In response to a question regarding the uplift contained in the Housing White Paper, the Group Manager – Planning Services advised that the legislation would automatically come in to force in due course.

The Chief Executive updated Members on various other parts of the report:

·         Homelessness Reduction Act – this was a new statutory requirement;

·         Building Control – a greater level of service resilience would be provided by the proposed changes;

·         Enforcement – the Enforcement Officer was adding value and extending the contract would continue to assist with improvements in this area;

·         Major Applications – that the proposed growth would be removed as a Major Applications growth item.

The Chairman requested that the Minutes of this meeting be circulated to Members of the Finance and Corporate Services Committee to aid the debate of this item at that Committee.

RESOLVED

(i)                 that the contents of the report be noted;

RECOMMENDED

(ii)               that the Finance and Corporate Services Committee be recommended:

·                     to Consider the proposals set out in APPENDIX A to the report for growth items;

·                     that the updated fees and charges policy areas within the purview of this Committee outlined in APPENDIX B to the report for 2018/18 be adopted.