Agenda and minutes

Councillors Boyes and Harvey

Apologies were received from Councillor McCloskey, Boyes, Barnes, Coleman, McKinlay, Barrell, Harvey and Holliday.

Councillor Babbage declared an interest in agenda item 13 as an employee of an energy company.

Minutes of the Extraordinary meeting held on 21 January 2019.

The minutes of the last meeting held on 21^st January 2019 were approved and signed as a correct record.

The Mayor explained that he had made a visit to the new crematorium which was fantastic and a credit to Cheltenham.

The Leader informed Members that Councillor Rowena Hay would be replacing Councillor Wendy Flynn on Planning Committee. Councillor Flynn would now act as substitute.

There were none.

These must be received no later than 12 noon on Tuesday 12 February 2019.

These must be received no later than 12 noon on Tuesday 12 February 2019.

Report of the Cabinet Member Development and Safety

The Leader, introduced the report, he advised that the authority were required to produce the policy statement every 3 years and that the responses to the recent consultations had been taken into consideration. He confirmed that the policy statement had already been agreed by Cabinet.

He reported that a section on ‘Local Area Profiles’ had been added and they were committed  to engaging with the County Council’s Public Health Team to develop local area profiles for Cheltenham. He further explained that ‘Local Risk Assessments’ had been added, he confirmed that this set a requirement for all gambling operators to undertake local risk assessments for their licensed premises.  He further advised that the section on exchange of information had been updated to reflect the recent changes to data protection and privacy laws. He acknowledged the recent changes in national legislation with regards to fixed odds betting terminals and confirmed that during routine inspections they would ensure this was being adhered to.

Members wished to thank officers for their hard work in producing the policy statement. They agreed that whilst gambling was important to Cheltenham’s economy it was essential that it was regulated and the necessary support networks put in place. It was noted that the Local Government Association had recently published a paper titled ‘tackling gambling related harm’ and agreed CBC should follow best practice guidance.

Members welcomed engagement with the County Council’s Public Health Team and the government’s decision to reduce the maximum limit on fixed odds betting terminals given the seriousness of gambling addiction. 

RESOLVED (with one abstention) THAT

1.    The proposed changes to the Statement of Principles and associated consultation responses be noted; and

2.    The Gambling Act Policy Statement be approved.

Report of the Cabinet Member Finance

The Cabinet Member Finance introduced the report. She advised that there had been significant changes in the Government Housing Policy during the year, most notably the abolition of the HRA debt cap. She explained that this coupled with the certainty on rent policy until 2025, would have a positive impact on HRA resources, enabling the Council to increase investment in new build and stock improvements. The Cabinet Member finance also made the following comments:

·           Rents would again be reduced by 1% and the Government had confirmed that rent policy would then revert back to the previous guidelines of allowing annual increases of up to CPI + 1% per annum for the following 5 years before a further review.

·           The 30 year HRA Business Plan has been updated to reflect:

o  The anticipated revenue outturn for 2018/19;

o  The current development programme for the period from April 2019 to March 2022;

o  Contingency budgets for market acquisitions and the purchase of new affordable units on sites where Section 106 planning agreements are in place; and

o  A refreshed assessment of the 30 year “need to spend” on existing stock for both capital and revenue expenditure.

·           CBH had taken a balanced approached in order to maintain existing service levels, retain the decent homes standard, continue delivery of the major windows and doors replacement, complete the new build programme, and deliver the new showers programme.

·           With regards to UC, she advised that CBH were conducting a proactive campaign to provide support and information to all tenants affected by these changes.

·           Significant variations within the 2018/19 revised forecast greater than £30,000 have been identified in budget monitoring reports and were summarised at 5.1 of the report.

·           She explained that a new agreement for the HRA grounds maintenance work undertaken by Ubico would commence in April 2019 and that those facing an increase in charges would be protected by transitional arrangements with increases being phased in over three years.

·           She reported that garage rents would be increased by 3% from April 2019 in line with the Retail Price Index.

·           Significant changes to the HRA greater than £30,000 in 2019/20 as compared to the revised forecast for 2018/19 were itemised in the table at 6.5.

·           Revenue contributions totalling £8,436,600 would be required to fund capital expenditure in the year, reducing revenue reserves to £1,568,100 at 31st March 2020.    

·           CBH had made substantial progress to modernise and transform the housing management and maintenance services delivered to tenants.

·           The capital programme would require CBH to carry out procurement on behalf of the council.

·           The proposed funding of the capital programme, together with a statement of balances on the major repairs reserve, was shown at Appendix 3. She advised that the main sources of funding remained the major repairs reserve and contributions from the revenue account. The Government’s policy to stimulate Right to Buy had also increased the availability of capital receipts and that a proportion of those receipts were only retained by the Council if they were used  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

Report of the Cabinet Member Finance

The Cabinet Member Finance introduced the report which summarized the revised budget for 2018/19 and the Cabinet’s final budget proposals and pay policy statement for 2019/20. Her budget statement is attached in full to these minutes.

The budget was seconded by Councillor Jordan.

The following questions were then raised by Members and responses given:

·         Cheltenham Community Lottery-the Cabinet Member Healthy Lifestyles explained that the council had been receiving advice on this from Aylesbury council and there were now 60 councils nationwide operating a lottery. A technical report on this would be submitted to Cabinet on 5 March setting out how this would operate. The estimate was that it could raise between £90- £100k a year and this would be used for strictly local charitable purposes. The proposal for next year would be for any money raised to be allocated to No Child Left Behind.

·         Budget support reserve-confirmation was received from the Cabinet Member Finance that the total use of this reserve in the proposed budget amounted to £256k. In terms of plans to build the reserve back up again she confirmed that the strategy was to put all windfall into this reserve and this practice would continue until the government had announced its decision on business rates retention.

·         Planned maintenance budget –the Cabinet Member confirmed that this was a rolling programme with works allocated in terms of priority.

Group Leaders were invited to address Council.

Councillor Harman, Conservative group leader thanked the Cabinet Member Finance and all officers for their significant contributions in preparing the budget proposals. He also thanked Paul Jones in his role as S151 Officer for his assistance in working through the conservative group amendments.

He wished to table the following two amendments as laid out below.

Amendment  1

CAPITAL & ONE-OFF

• Reallocate Boots Corner reserve.  Save £1.8m.  
• Invest in repaving the High St.  Cost £1.5m contribution.
• Invest in anti-Loan Sharking campaign with Gloucestershire Credit Union.  Cost £10k.
• Balance to capital reserve

REVENUE

• Move to 4-yearly elections.  Save £35k pa.
• Reduce number of Cllrs to 30.  Save £55k pa.
• Additional recycle bring site collections at peak times of year.  Cost £10k pa.
• Balance and any temporary timing differences to budget reserve shortfall, with intention of using contribution toward part funding future weekly recycling service.  £80k pa.

Amendment 2

• Town Centre Bus/Coach Station
• Cycling hub
• Additional blue badge disabled parking
• Fully pedestrianise High St.  
• Initial project investigation & planning work.  Funded by £250k from Boots Corner reserve.

Speaking to amendment one Cllr Harman highlighted the plight of those vulnerable to loan sharks and believed the £10k one-off funding proposed would, together with the monies allocated by the County Council, assist the Credit Union in providing financial advice to those in difficulties. He then referred to the council’s bring sites being overwhelmed particularly over holiday periods which could be addressed via additional collections at a proposed £10k. He felt that by reducing the cost of democracy i.e reducing the number of Councillors and having four yearly elections would drive efficiencies and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

Report of the Cabinet Member Finance

The Cabinet Member Finance introduced the report and explained that the Council was required to formally approve the total Council Tax for residents of Cheltenham, including the Council Tax requirements of the precepting organisations Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) and Gloucestershire Police.

RESOLVED (unanimously) THAT

the formal Council Tax resolution at Appendix 2 be approved and the commentary in respect of the increase in Council Tax at Paragraph 6 of Appendix 2 be noted.

For (28) Councillors Atherstone, Babbage, Baker, Britter, Brownsteen, Clucas, Cooke, Dobie, Fisher, Flynn, Harman, Hay, Hegenbarth, Jeffries, Jordan, Mason, Oliver, Parsons, Payne, Seacome, Stafford, Stennett, Sudbury, Wheeler, Whyborn, Wilkinson, Williams, Willingham

Proposed by Councillor Wilkinson

Seconded by Councillor Atherstone

Motion to declare a Climate Emergency 

Humans have already caused irreversible climate change, the impacts of which are being felt around the world. Global temperatures have already increased by 1 degree Celsius from pre-industrial levels. Atmospheric CO2 levels are above 400 parts per million (ppm). This far exceeds the 350 ppm deemed to be a safe level for humanity;

In order to reduce the chance of runaway Global Warming and limit the effects of Climate Breakdown, it is imperative that we as a species reduce our CO2eq (carbon equivalent) emissions from their current 6.5 tonnes per person per year to less than 2 tonnes as soon as possible;

Individuals cannot be expected to make this reduction on their own. Society needs to change its laws, taxation, infrastructure, etc., to make low carbon living easier and the new norm;

Carbon emissions result from both production and consumption;

Cheltenham Borough Council has already shown foresight and leadership when it comes to addressing the issue of Climate Breakdown, having led on recycling issues, delivered a local plan with strong environmental policies and through promoting sustainable transport options.

Unfortunately, while current plans and actions locally are making a difference, they are not enough. The world is on track to overshoot the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C limit before 2050;

The IPCC’s Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C, published last month, describes the enormous harm that a 2°C rise is likely to cause compared to a 1.5°C rise, and told us that limiting Global Warming to 1.5°C may still be possible with ambitious action from national and sub-national authorities, civil society, the private sector, indigenous peoples and local communities;

Councils around the world are responding by declaring a ‘Climate Emergency’ and committing resources to address this emergency.

Full Council believes that:

All governments (national, regional and local) have a duty to limit the negative impacts of Climate Breakdown, and local governments that recognise this should not wait for their national governments to change their policies. It is important for the residents of Cheltenham and the UK that all settlements commit to carbon neutrality as quickly as possible;

Urban areas like Cheltenham are uniquely placed to lead in reducing carbon emissions, as they are in many ways easier to decarbonise than rural areas – for example because of their capacity for heat networks and mass transit;

The consequences of global temperature rising above 1.5°C are so severe that preventing this from happening must be humanity’s number one priority; and,

Bold climate action can deliver economic benefits in terms of new jobs, economic savings and market opportunities (as well as improved well-being for people worldwide).

Full Council calls on the Cabinet to:

Declare a ‘Climate Emergency’;

Pledge to make Cheltenham carbon neutral by 2030, taking into account both production and consumption emissions;

Call on Westminster to provide the powers and resources to make the 2030 target possible;

Work with other governments (both within the UK and internationally) to determine and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

None.

The committee is recommended to approve the following resolution:-

“That in accordance with Section 100A(4) Local Government Act 1972 the public be excluded from the meeting for the remaining agenda items as it is likely that, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, if members of the public are present there will be disclosed to them exempt information as defined in paragraph 3, Part (1) Schedule (12A) Local Government Act 1972, namely:

Paragraph 3; Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular

person (including the authority holding that information)

RESOLVED THAT

“That in accordance with Section 100A(4) Local Government Act 1972 the public be excluded from the meeting for the remaining agenda items as it is likely that, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, if members of the public are present there will be disclosed to them exempt information as defined in paragraph 3, Part (1) Schedule (12A) Local Government Act 1972, namely:

Paragraph 3; Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular

person (including the authority holding that information)

Report of the Cabinet Member Development and Safety

The Leader introduced the report on the property matter in the absence of the Cabinet Member Development and Safety.

Members asked questions which were answered by the Leader and the Managing Director Place and Growth and then debated the report in full.

RESOLVED (unanimously)

To adopt the recommendations.

RESOLVED (unanimously)

1. That a budget allocation of £44,000,000 be approved to be funded via prudential borrowing, for the purchase of land that forms part of the allocated land as set out in the JCS located at Fiddlers Green. This will include provisions for :

i)             £40,000,000 for the purchase of the land, including fees/charges etc

ii)            £1,000,000 to fund project management procurement of professional services including legal, planning and real estate and the procurement of a master developer as well as other related activities to support the delivery and development of the project

iii)           £3,000,000 for potential enabling works or infrastructure costs if required.

2. That it be noted that under the authority granted by Council on 23 July 2018 for the Appropriate Officer to spend against the programme budget, the Managing Director Place and Growth, will undertake the necessary due diligence and financial assessment and modelling and prepare a report for Cabinet setting out the case for purchase prior to the exchange of contracts, or at a relevant point as appropriate.

On behalf of the Cabinet Member Development and Safety the Leader

introduced the report. He made reference to the pre-Council briefing Members

had received and the decision made by Council on 23 July 2018 to approve the

allocation of £250k towards the creation of a multi-disciplinary team to consider

how to maximise the economic and social benefit for Cheltenham and the wider

region by realising the growth potential of the cyber industry as a commercial

anchor for the West Cheltenham urban extension.

The Leader explained that the council had some concerns regarding the speed

of progress and vision of the existing promoter of the site. West Cheltenham

was key for the town and a vital site for the future. However, he stressed that

the process of acquiring a strategically important site was not risk free. This

represented a massive opportunity for the benefit of the town as a whole.

Council approval was now being sought to authorise a budget for the purchase

of land at West Cheltenham and the progression of the programme to bring

forward a comprehensive development of the wider strategic allocation

including these land interests. The actual purchase would be progressed only

following Cabinet approval of a report informed by detailed due diligence,

financial modelling and risk analysis.

Approval by Council was therefore being sought on the following:

i) Purchase price of £40 million for the purchase of the land including fees

and charges etc.

ii) £1 million to fund project management procurement of professional

services including legal, planning and real estate and the

- 2 -

Draft minutes to be approved at the next meeting on Monday, 25 March 2019.

procurement of a master developer as well  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.