Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

Apologies were received from Councillors Dobie and Horwood.

There were none.

The minutes of the meeting held on 17 December 2024 were approved as a true record and signed accordingly.

Questions must be received no later than 12 noon on the seventh working day before the date of the meeting

There were no petitions.

Six public questions had been received.  The questions and written responses were taken as read.

1.  Question from Mr David Redgewell to Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets, Councillor Alisha Lewis

With Cheltenham being the gateway to South West England and the Cotswolds for the public transport network, and Royal Well bus and coach station important to the local economy for residents and tourists, what budget is in place for 2025-26 to repair and maintain the shelters and waiting facilities, and is this shared with Gloucestershire County Council Integrated Transport Department as part of the bus services improvement plan?

Cabinet Member Response

I thank Mr Redgewell for his question.  As many in the town are aware, the ownership of the furniture, shelters and infrastructure around the Royal Well Bus Node has been quite piecemeal since the County Council took on responsibility for transport provision in our town. Our Council own the two shelters by the old taxi rank and the County Council own those along the Royal Well. There are funds available if responsive repairs are required to these shelters and we will continue to work closely with the County Council to ensure any work done is coordinated with the Integrated Transport Plan.

Supplementary Question

The answer seems quite complicated, with half the bus station owned by the borough and half owned by the county.  This may well resolve itself in the future with the unitary authority, but in the meantime, if the borough wants to invest in Royal Well as a transport hub, in line with the county’s priority, is there an investment stream in the budget being set tonight?

Cabinet Member response

The unusual situation in Royal Well will be best addressed by the unitary authority in the future, when interests will be more consolidated and streamlined conversations can be had as to how to resolve the issues in line with a new transport plan.  

2.  Question from Mr David Redgewell to Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities, Councillor Victoria Atherstone

From 12 December 2024, National Express Coaches has relocated many of its services (to Birmingham, Bristol, Weston-Super-Mare, Taunton, Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance) to the Arle Court Transport Hub, leaving just the services to London, Bournemouth and Southampton, Ross-on-Wye and Hereford operating out of Royal Well.  Local bus services to and from Arle Court are limited, not operating on Sundays or after 8pm, while National Express services operate 24/7 from the transport hub. Is Cheltenham Borough Council, as the licensing authority for taxis, planning to install a taxi rank at Arle Court?  This would seem an urgent safety provision for passengers, particularly women and girls, arriving at the transport hub at night. 

Cabinet Member response

I thank Mr Redgewell for his question.  I fully understand the well-made and valid points and concerns raised by him in his question.

Whilst it is true that Cheltenham Borough Council is the local licensing authority for taxis, this council is not the highways authority.  As such, Cheltenham Borough  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Report of Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities 

The Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities began by giving special thanks to all No Child Left Behind partners, the St Giles Trust, schools in Cheltenham, and young people, for their dedication and hard work to date in supporting the NCLB Year of Youth Action.  She also thanked officers for their report which sets out clear recommendations based on the common themes identified by the 578 responses to the youth survey, in addition to the areas where we and our partners are already focussing, including engagement and inclusion, safety in the communities,  recreation and opportunities,  mental health and wellbeing, and digital safety and literacy.

She said the report confirmed that parents and extended family members are the most trusted sources of support for young people, but while every child deserves to feel safe and heard, it was sad to note that only 18% feel they are listened to, with many concerns around safety, both on line, in their communities, and in the town centre. 

As part of the Year of Youth Action, the views of young people will help us understand what needs to be done to support the lives and outcomes of next generation. A lot of youth-led initiatives are already being worked on by the council and its partners, including  support for a youth-led change maker initiative; police drops-ins aimed at supporting young people; together with NCLB partners and GCC, raising awareness of online safety for parents via local schools; safe haven pilots in race weeks; making sure young voices are heard to inform the narrative of future iterations of the council’s culture and sports strategy; working with partners and businesses to develop a Cheltenham Youth Pass; establishing an NCLB Youth Voice sub-group to explore funding initiatives to help young people improve safety and recreation in their local parks; and working together to better understand children’s mental health challenges.

The report is insightful, detailing all work carried out to date over past few years.  A final report will be brought back to Cabinet in December, and in the meantime, Members’ views were welcome.

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Customer Services said young people have a right to feel safe in the town and know that help is available if they need it; it is the sadness of the report that so many do not feel that this is the case, yet a great thing that this has been recognised and that as a local authority, we are listening, looking, learning and taking action.  She said officers have done an excellent job, working with partners across the town – including schools, the police, the Chamber of Commerce, BID and other local organisations.  In March, she will present this work at the Congress of Europe, which is made up of amazing organisations encompassing the whole of Europe, and she is confident that the work being done at CBC will be a pilot study for all those organisations. 

She thanked the Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities, Tracey Birkinshaw, Kelly  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Report of Cabinet Member for Planning and Building Control

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Building Control explained that the council has a statutory requirement to have a Local Validation Checklist, which is reviewed on a regular basis to ensure it is up to date and compliant with our own local planning policy.  The contents of our list are prescribed by national legislation, to which our own local requirements can be added.  This is a detailed document, containing a huge amount of information, and has gone to consultation not only with all our local partners but also with a number of CBC officers. 

He said that if Members approve the draft document, he and the Head of Planning will approve the final document, including any minor amendments to formatting.

The Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities thanked him for the very thorough document, which she said would be a great tool for developers, and streamline efficiency by enabling everyone to find the information they require more quickly.

RESOLVED THAT:

-       the draft Local Validation List is approved (with its final published form/format/ appearance delegated to Head of Planning, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Building Control).

Report of Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Culture and Wellbeing

In the absence of the Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Culture and Wellbeing, the Leader presented his report.  She said it is self-explanatory, and shows that a great deal of work goes on with landlords and vacant units, although it is clear that matters are not always within our control.  That said, the council has had some successes, even if that is just making vacant units look more presentable.

The Cabinet Member for Major Development and Housing Delivery thanked the former cabinet member and now MP Max Wilkinson who started this work.  He said it is frustrating when people make negative comments about the town going to rack and ruin when it is clear from the figures that it is doing relatively well, with a vacant unit rate at half the national average.  He thanked officers for a great piece of work. 

RESOLVED THAT: 

-       the report updating on progress against delivery of the vacant units action plan to date is noted.   

Report of Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities

The Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities was pleased to introduce another good and positive policy to support the work of the kind volunteers who give their time so freely across the town.  She said there are over 260 registered individuals and over 30 groups, the majority of whom support the work of the greenspace team, but also help with events and other projects in the borough, with new opportunities arising since housing services were brought back in house, and with the activities of No Child Left Behind, including the Party in the Park on 06 August this year.

She said an up-to-date and robust policy is essential to support those volunteers, and the revised policy includes the adoption of a new partnership agreement for constituted groups operating on council land under their own insurance, setting out responsibilities and commitments on both sides.  The updated volunteer handbook is a very useful tool for new and existing volunteers, and the council is also being asked to adopt the Gloucestershire Volunteering Collaborative definition of volunteering as set out in the report. 

She thanked all of Cheltenham’s volunteers for their outstanding commitment, and CBC officers who support them in their roles, adding that anyone interested in learning a new skill, sharing an existing one, or meeting new friends can find more information on how to do this by searching ‘volunteering’ on the CBC website.

The Cabinet Member for Waste, Recycling and Public Realm welcomed the report, saying anything that makes volunteering easier and safer for volunteers and officers is a good thing.  He thanked the many volunteers who support the town’s parks and greenspaces are have helped the brilliant greenspace team in achieving seven green flags and a 97% public satisfaction rate.

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Building Control thanked the Cabinet Member for Communities and Safety, saying that in his ward, a brilliant group of volunteers look after Benhall open space.  They work with the rangers, some weekly and some occasionally, and have formed a real community in the area.  He said the residents of Benhall are very pleased and grateful for all they do.

The Leader said that one of the strengths of the administration and the council’s philosophy is that it cannot do it all alone, and has consequently built up a strong volunteering ethos and great partnership relationships with volunteers across the town.  Like many other councillors, she volunteers in her own ward, and knows through first-hand experience the vital role that volunteers play in our communities. 

RESOLVED THAT:

1.    the following policies and processes are adopted:

-        The Gloucestershire Volunteering Collaborative definition of volunteering (see Section 3.1)

-        Cheltenham Borough Council’s updated Volunteer Policy (Appendix 3)

-        Template partnership agreement with constituted groups (Appendix 4)

-        Cheltenham Borough Council’s updated Volunteer Handbook (Appendix 5).

2.    authority is delegated to the Participation and Engagement Team Leader in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities and the Council’s Leadership team to keep the policy and supporting documentation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Report of Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets reported that, as part of the Cheltenham to Bishops Cleeve cycleway, the county council wants to use a narrow strip of land on the edge of Pittville Park, along Evesham Road.  The council is happy to support this initiative that encourages people to ride bikes, and two consultation exercises have resulted in no representations from the public.  The council will still own the land, but the county will have permission to use it for the cycle path and also pay for its maintenance.

There was no debate on this item.

RESOLVED THAT:

-       the council should enter into the Deed of Dedication which contributes to the fundamental priorities of the Corporate Plan and Net Zero ambitions.        

Report of the Leader

The Leader introduced the report, saying how important it is to keep the risk register up to date, to recognise and address any potential pitfalls, and to calculate the outcomes if these are not acknowledged.  She said effective management of risk is part of the council’s culture and has always been a critical part of achieving our priorities and objectives. Following a review of the council’s risk management policy last October, the register is looked at by the leadership team every month.

She said the report is self-explanatory, with eight new risks added since last time, four of which are highlighted in the report, and a full list included at Appendix 1.  She added that it would be remiss not to note that if the risks associated with local government reorganisation are not managed effectively, it could cause potential disruption to certain services, and said the council must be mindful of this as it moves forward.

RESOLVED THAT:

-       the Corporate Risk Register is noted.

Report of Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets introduced her report, saying that retail, hospitality and leisure are very important to the Cheltenham economy, adding vibrancy and providing jobs, and the council must do all it can to support those industries across the town, including through discretionary business rates relief.  She said there are no significant updates to the scheme this year; a few categories are being merged, and although this means sacrificing £50k of income, this is felt to be a worthwhile sacrifice.

The Leader said these are challenging times for business, and it is good to offer support which could mean the difference between some businesses existing or not.  It is another example of the council doing things it is not required to do to support its residents and ensure a diverse range of businesses across the borough.

RESOLVED THAT:

1.    Discretionary Rate Relief Policy set out in Appendix 3 is approved;

2.    the Head of Revenues and Benefits is authorised, in consultation with the Cabinet Member Finance and Assets, to implement any changes to the temporary relief schemes detailed in Appendix 3, as required by Government, or to ensure the successful operation of the schemes;

3.    decisions relating to the award of Discretionary Rate Relief in section 2, Hardship Relief in section 3 and Partly Occupied Relief in Section 4 of the policy in Appendix 3 are delegated as follows:

·         Awards of up to £20,000 to be determined by the Head of Revenues and Benefits with reconsiderations being determined by the Deputy Chief Executive

·         Awards between £20,000 and £100,000 to be determined by the Deputy Chief Executive with reconsiderations being determined by the Cabinet Member Finance and Assets

4.    due to the volume of cases, decisions in respect the award of temporary reliefs detailed in Appendix 3 are delegated to the Head of Revenues and Benefits and officers in the Business Rates team. In the case of a dispute, reconsideration will be made by the Deputy Chief Executive and Section 151 Officer;

5.    the Monitoring Officer is authorised to make the necessary changes to the Council’s Constitution.

Report of Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets

To follow as a supplement

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets gave a brief introduction to her report, which she said would be discussed in more detail at the meeting of Full Council on Friday.  She said this is an exciting report – the first HRA budget since housing services were brought back in house – and it is good to be working with the former ALMO on ways to invest in Cheltenham’s future and save costs.  She asked Members to note the significant investment in homes, in particular the securing of additional council homes which are desperately needed throughout the country.  The budget also includes investment in fire safety measures and decarbonisation to ensure warmer, cheaper homes, and is part of an ambitious strategy to come.   

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Customer Services thanked the Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets for an excellent report, commenting on how good it is to have housing services back in CBC.  She welcomed the plans to build more homes, providing more Cheltenham residents with decent, warm and comfortable places to live, and was especially pleased that many of the new homes will be built in her ward of Swindon Village.  Looking at the homelessness figures, she noted that Cheltenham figures are lower than elsewhere in the county, and was grateful for the excellent work the council does to provide a safe space and a home for people to look forward to.

The Cabinet Member for Major Development and Housing Delivery agreed, saying that he is always amazed at the mind-boggling amount of money and what the council does with it.  He was pleased that the council is still investing and doing everything it can for residents during the housing crisis, but saddened by the homelessness figures, commenting that during Covid, accommodation was found for homeless people but they are now back on the streets.

RESOLVED THAT:  Cabinet recommends that Council:

1.            Approves the final HRA budget proposals for 2025/26 shown at Appendix 2;

2.            Approves a rent increase of 2.7% for social rent homes, affordable homes and shared ownership homes and changes to other rents and charges as detailed within this report;

3.            Approves the HRA capital programme as shown at Appendix 3 and the detailed capital programme in Appendix 4;

4.            Notes the revised HRA forecast for 2024/25 and impact on the HRA balance.

Report of Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets

To follow as a supplement

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets said there would be further discussion of the budget proposals at Council on Friday, but the main issue to note today is that the news from central government about local government reorganisation was received before Christmas, when officers were half-way through setting a long-term budget – so there are some significant changes to the budget which was out for consultation over the festive period, to ensure the council still has money in reserve and that essential services have the support they need for several years to come.  

She said it is a budget for a time of uncertainty but not paralysed by that – it would not feel right, as Cabinet Member with responsibility to safeguard council tax payers’ money, to sit on her hands and just hope the right decisions for the people of Cheltenham will be made in the future.  When Cheltenham is part of a far larger geographical area, it will be harder to understand the street level detail of what the town needs, so it is important in the very narrow window between now and the abolition of Cheltenham Borough Council to make the right decisions and set the cards right for whatever comes next.   This budget does so.

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Customer Services thanked the Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets for the budget and for raising these concerns, saying the last thing anyone wants is for Cheltenham people to find they don’t have a voice.    CBC has always managed its finances well, from building and refurbishing of homes to well-run and maintained parks.  She looked forward to further discussion at Full Council.

The Cabinet Member for Waste, Recycling and Public Realm noted that one welcome change to the draft budget is the additional £90k allocated towards streets and ground work, allowing more staff for cleaning streets -  it is good to show that we are listening to residents’ concerns and doing something about them. 

The Cabinet Member for Major Development and Housing Delivery thanked the Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets.  He said that balancing the books has always been tricky and even though we are facing an abyss in future years, we still have to provide services and look after our residents.  This budget does that, supporting people and investing in our beautiful town through sound financial management and without cutting services.  This is to be celebrated.

The Leader said we are continuing to deliver in line with our corporate plan, and have done everything possible to ensure that residents realise we will continue to deliver services and that they will still have a voice in the future.  To do this, we need to set realistic budgets, including putting some money in reserve to ensure that we leave the council’s finances in the best possible state.  She said an immense amount of work goes into the report and final budget, and thanked the Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets and the officers who  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

Report of Cabinet Member for Planning and Building Control

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Building Control said this document outlines the timetable for preparing the statutory development plan, which needs to be updated following the change in government and its recent announcements under Planned for Change, including updates to the National Planning Policy Framework and others, all referenced in the report.  By law, the council needs to have an LDS as part of its Local Plan, in addition to a strategic local plan with its partners.  As set out on Page 226 of the report, the LDS complies with the council’s five corporate priorities.

The Leader commented that this is an important document which can easily be overlooked, and its links with our corporate priorities are reflected in the paper.

RESOLVED THAT:

1.            the updated Local Development Scheme for Cheltenham Borough,attached tothe report at Appendix3, is adopted with immediate effect; 

2.            authority is delegated to the Director of Community and Economic Development, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Building Control, to prepare the Local Development Scheme for publication, correcting any minor errors of spelling, grammar, and typographical and formatting changes that do not affect the substantive content of the Local Development Scheme.

The Leader invited Members to update colleagues on work and news in their portfolios over the last month.

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Customer Services said she was looking to make every CBH tenant aware of how they can be involved in the council’s decision-making process, with a readable and accessible leaflet being delivered to every household. 

The Cabinet Member for Waste, Recycling and Public Realm had four items to share:

-       he had undertaken to be open and transparent with the public about the situation with the Household Recycling Centre, and confirmed that the county council has declined CBC’s request to take on the Swindon Road facility.  He is working on a survey with Cheltenham’s MP, and hopes the county will change its mind, though welcomed its opening Wingmoor Farm for an extra day – this is a well-run and efficient site, which takes a much wider range of items that Swindon Road, and CBC will work with the county going forward to see how this arrangement is working.  He added that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee will consider the matter next week, including the impact of the HRC closure on fly-tipping and bring banks, and he thanked residents for their continued commitment to recycling;

-       CBC has recently launched the Litter Lotto app to incentivise people to engage with keeping the town clean with litter-picking and prizes, and assist at home, with information about recycling and bin day reminders.  He added that he hoped to launch tetra pack and soft plastics recycling later in the year;

-       he recently visited Leckhampton Hill for an informative look at the work being done there, including a project with the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust (GWT) and Friends of Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common (FOLK) to create an area for adder preservation. Work is only undertaken for a sound cause – such as nature recovery or protection –but he understood that residents were not necessarily aware of this and said wider engagement would be undertaken in future to explain what, why and how changes to the green space were being made. He said that work  cannot focus solely on keeping an area exactly the same for ever but aims at regeneration, restoration and recovery, preserving wildlife and ensuring safe enjoyment of this much-loved greenspace for everyone.  He said the FOLK volunteers do brilliant work, and he looked forward to finding ways to improve collaboration and engagement going forward with them and the wider publi;

-       he welcomed the biodiversity and nature conservation work being done by volunteers and the greenspace team, such as the herd of cows which grazes on the hill, kept to certain areas with digital fencing, and the preservation of a wide range of flora and fauna.  He was pleased with the important outreach work with Leckhampton High School, encouraging young people to engage with nature and the various projects and work underway.

The Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities said it had been a very busy six  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

Members reported on decisions they had taken since the last meeting of Cabinet:

1.  17 December 2024:  Cabinet Memberfor Finance and Assets, Councillor Alisha Lewis

To approve exceptions to the council tax premiums on empty homes and second homes from April 2025

The Cabinet Member said minor alterations, in line with central government and backed at a national level, would help raise money to deliver front-line services, from long-term empty and second homes.

 2.  20 December 2024:  Cabinet Member for Major Developments and Housing Delivery, Councillor Peter Jeffries

To enter into a contract with Plexal for project delivery

The Cabinet Member confirmed that Plexal are specialists in the area of community engagement, and will also use their expertise on a three-stage approach to enhance skills in Gloucestershire. 

3.  20 December 2024:  Cabinet Member for Waste, Recycling and Public Realm, Councillor Izaac Tailford

Environmental Services – Litter/Recycling Bins

The Cabinet Member welcomed this decision to install new bins and replace others for safety reasons, all in the best locations, to encourage recycling and

considerate waste disposal.

4.  03 January 2025:  Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities, Councillor Victoria Atherstone

To approve the proposed taxi fare increases

5.  28 January 2025:  Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities, Councillor Victoria Atherstone

To award the contract to BT Surveillance for works to upgrade the public realm CCTV network

6.  06 February 2025:  Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities, Councillor Victoria Atherstone

To approve the revised Sexual Entertainment Licensing Policy and Equality Impact Assessment for public consultation

7.  11 February 2025:  Leader, Councillor Rowena Hay

To enter into two contracts to continue delivery of Growth Hub business support

The Leader said this decision continued the long-supported decision to offer support and knowledge on how to build business.