Agenda, decisions and minutes

Cabinet Member Housing, Councillor Peter Jeffries

Apologies were received from Councillors Jeffries and McKinlay.

There were none.

Minutes of the meeting held on 10 July 2018

The minutes of the last meeting were approved and signed as a correct record.

There were none.

Report of the Cabinet Member Finance

The Cabinet Member Finance introduced the report and explained that the Local Revaluation Support Scheme for 2017/18 was approved by Cabinet on the12th September 2017 and amended in February this year.

She reported that the funding available for 2017/18 was £271,000. The relief level was set at 50% of the increase in rates payable. As only £140,000 has been spent it was increased from 50% to 85% of the increase. She informed Members that relief amounting to £236,000 had been awarded to over 300 businesses, leaving a small balance of  £35, 000.

The Cabinet Member Finance stated that when the funds were allocated councils were advised that any unspent balances should be returned to the ministry for housing communities and local government for 2017/18. Since then however a number of press enquiries were made to Government and this council, and MHCLG have subsequently confirmed that this authority has until the 30^th September this year to utilize the 17/18 fund and make final awards. Therefore to enable as much as possible of the remaining £35k to be awarded, she sought Cabinet support to authorise the Executive Director Finance and Assets, in consultation with herself to determine a revised percentage relief for the local revaluation support for 2017/18 as set out in section 2.4 of this report.

Finally she said she would like to ensure that as local businesses are supported as far as possible.

The Leader paid tribute to the hard work of officers to date and welcomed the support for the local economy.

RESOLVED THAT

The Executive Director Finance and Assets, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance, be authorised to determine a revised percentage relief level for the Local Revaluation Support in 2017/18 as detailed in section 2.4 of this report.  

Report of the Cabinet Member Housing

In the absence of the Cabinet Member Housing the Leader introduced the report. He reported that there had been a considerable amount of work between CBH and CBC resuming building of council houses, whilst the sites and numbers have been modest both parties were keen to scale this up. The next stage was to source loan finance of up to £100million to be used for onward lending to CBH to finance the capital cost of delivering over 500 homes across the full range of tenures.  He explained that there were two elements to the plan, firstly for Council to approve a grant of £300k to CBH to enable it to fund the costs set out in section 3.2 of the report to support the development of the initiative and secondly for Council to source loan finance of up to £100m to finance the capital costs of delivery. Council would be considering the report at its October meeting.

Members supported the proposal, acknowledging the desperate need for housing in the borough and recognising that house building would create jobs and skills in the county.

Finally, the Leader thanked all officers from CBH and CBC in bringing this proposal forward.

RESOLVED THAT

1 ) Council be recommended to:

a)  approve a grant of £300,000 to Cheltenham Borough Homes Limited (‘CBH’) to enable it to fund the costs set out in section 3.2 of the report to support the development of this initiative.

b) subject to tax and treasury management advice being provided to the satisfaction of the Executive Director Finance and Assets (Section 151 officer), to approve the council entering into an appropriate credit / loan agreement with CBH for up to £100 million to finance the capital costs of delivery of the new housing by CBH.

c) delegate authority to the Executive Director Finance and Assets to, in consultation with the Borough Solicitor and Cabinet Member Housing, agree the use of commuted sums paid to the council in lieu of affordable housing to enable the provision of ‘additionality’ as detailed in section 2.5 of the report.

d) approve the council sourcing loan finance of up to £100 million to be used for onward lending to CBH to finance the capital costs of it delivering the housing as set out in this report.

2 ) Authority be delegated to the Executive Director Finance and Assets to, in consultation with the Managing Director Place and Growth and Cabinet Member Housing and Cabinet Member Finance, sign off viability assessments received from CBH

3) Authority be delegated to the Executive Director Finance and Assets to, in consultation with the Cabinet Member Housing and Cabinet Member Finance, approve the drawdown of funds by CBH

4) Authority be delegated to the Executive Director Finance and Assets to, in consultation with the Managing Director Place and Growth and Cabinet Member Housing and the Borough Solicitor, prepare and conclude the required agreements between the council and CBH.

Report of the Cabinet Member Finance

(the meeting will need to go into exempt session if Members wish to discuss the exempt appendices)

The Cabinet Member Finance introduced the report and explained that the Mary Godwin playgroup was located in part of the pavilion at Wymans Lane and catered for around 15 preschool age children. The purposes of the proposal was to formalise the current arrangement by the granting of a formal lease of 10 years which would provide certainty for both parties. As set out in the recommendations an annual rent of £2,150 was proposed, excluding business rates, service charge and insurance. She reported that the proposed disposal had been advertised for two consecutive weeks and no public objections had been received.

Members supported the proposal.

RESOLVED THAT

1.    the disposal of part of the pavilion shown edged red on the attached plan (currently in occupation by the prospective tenant) be approved by way of a new lease for a term of 10 years (contracted out of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954), subject to any objections received.

2.    a rent of £2,150 per annum be charged exclusive of business rates, service charge, utilities and insurance and upon such other terms as the Head of Property and Asset Management may direct.

The Cabinet Member Healthy Lifestyles reported that Cheltenham Borough Council and Cheltenham Borough Homes had agreed to commission some specific youth work with a working budget of £10,000 each for Hesters Way/Springbank and Oakley. She also informed Members that the Council had been asked to make a financial contribution to the Cheltenham Paint Festival taking place on the weekend of 8^th and 9^th of September 2018.

The Leader informed Members of the HRA debt cap bid to a Government fund of £1billion to address housing affordability issues. He reported that Cllr Mason, as Chair of Overview and Scrutiny, had waived the right to call-in of the Leader decision but the Government had now extended the deadline to 30 September.

The Cabinet 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 paragraphs 3 and 5, 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)

Paragraph 5; Information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings”

RESOLVED 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 paragraphs 3 and 5, 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)

Paragraph 5: information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings

Exempt minutes of the meeting held on 10 July 2018

The exempt minutes of the meeting held on 10 July were approved and signed as a correct record.