Venue: Council Chamber, Town Hall, Royal Tunbridge Wells, TN1 1RS. View directions
Contact: Caroline Britt Democratic Services Officer
Note: The public proceedings of the meeting will be recorded and made available for playback on the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council website
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To receive any apologies for absence. Minutes: Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Scott and Stanyer. Also Paul Taylor (Director of Change and Communities) and Stephen McGinnes (Mid Kent Services Director). |
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Declarations of Interest PDF 5 KB To receive any declarations of interest by Members in items on the agenda. For any advice on declarations of interest; please contact the Monitoring Officer before the meeting. Minutes: With reference to Agenda Item 14 (Paddock Wood Community Centre and TWBC Implications) it was noted that Councillor Mackonochie was a member of the Paddock Wood Community Centre Board. |
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Notification of Visiting Members wishing to speak PDF 6 KB To note any members of the Council wishing to speak, of which due notice has been given in accordance with Cabinet Procedure Rule 28.4, and which item(s) they wish to speak on. Minutes: Councillors Mrs Thomas, Atkins and Hamilton had registered as wishing to speak on Agenda Item 14. In addition, 7 members of the public had registered to speak on various items. |
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Minutes of the meeting dated 6 February 2020 PDF 218 KB To approve the minutes of a previous meeting as a correct record. The only issue relating to the minutes that can be discussed is their accuracy. Minutes: Members reviewed the minutes. No amendments were proposed.
RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting dated 6 February 2020 be approved as a correct record. |
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Questions from Members of the Council PDF 5 KB To receive any questions from members of the Council, of which due notice has been given in accordance with Cabinet Procedure Rule 28.3, to be submitted and answered. Minutes: There were no questions from members of the Council. |
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Questions from Members of the Public PDF 5 KB To receive any questions from members of the public, of which due notice has been given in accordance with Cabinet Procedure Rule 28.5, to be submitted and answered. Minutes: There were no questions from members of the public. |
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Consideration of the Forward Plan as at 4 March 2020 PDF 244 KB To note forthcoming items as set out on the Forward Plan. Minutes: Members considered the plan. No amendments were proposed.
RESOLVED – That the Forward Plan as at 4 March 2020 be noted. |
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Capital Management Report: Quarter 3 PDF 197 KB To consider and decide on the recommendations as set out in the attached report. Additional documents:
Decision: RESOLVED – 1. That the actual gross and net expenditure for the year and the sources of finance, as shown in appendices B to D be noted; 2. That the proposed variations to the 2019/20 Capital Programme, set out in paragraphs 4.3 to 4.8 be approved; 3. That the inclusion of new schemes into the Capital Programme as set out in notes 4.9 to 4.15 be noted; and 4. That the proposed movement between years set out in paragraph 4.16 to 4.23 be approved.
REASON FOR DECISION: Managing and forecasting capital expenditure effectively was vital in order to support all of the services provided by the Council.
Minutes: Jane Fineman, Head of Finance, Procurement and Parking introduced the report that summarised the actual and forecast outturn expenditure on capital schemes as at 31 December 2019.
Discussion and responses to Members questions included the following matters:
- Cabinet originally approved capital expenditure of £22.681m for 2019/20. - Since then £1.2m of projects had been rescheduled from 2018/19 into 2019/20. £4.8m had been rescheduled from 2019/20 into 2020/21 and approval and deletions of £1.7m had been made in Quarters 1 and 2. - This Report now requested a further £6.8m reduction in spend and a further rescheduling of £6.6m into future years. This would reduce the forecast outturn to £7.4m. - £4.1m of this was forecast to be needed to be financed from earmarked reserves, the useable capital receipts reserve and the sale of fixed assets. - A decrease of £80m, the total sum of the Calverley Square scheme of which £7.026m was scheduled to be spent in 2019/20. - The main projects rescheduled from 2019/20 into 2020/21 included £5.15m for the Amelia Scott, £769,000 for the Council’s contribution towards the RVP refurbishment and £304,000 of additional Disabled Facilities Grants. - A new approval of £400,000 was requested as a contribution towards the Cranbrook Community Hub. - £1.187m of new budgets for 2020-2022 had already been approved by Cabinet but was now seeking approval into the Capital Programme. £825,000 of this would be needed for remedial structural work to be undertaken in the RVP carpark. - During the reporting period, 2 pieces of land, Red Oak near Hawkhurst and 27 Monson Road were sold for a total of £1.17m. The money had been transferred to the capital receipts reserve to help finance the Capital Programme. - It was likely that the current disabled changing facilities located at the Gateway would remain open until the building closed. The timing for the new facilities at the Camden Centre was still unknown but the work and expenditure was planned for next year. - RVP Shopping Centre had the biggest footfall draw within the borough and was pivotal its economic benefit. The Council’s contribution as part of the refurbishment was a welcomed expenditure. Once the work had been completed a further update would be provided to Cabinet. - Payment of the S106 money allocated to Woodham Hall, Hawkhurst that would allow Town and Country Housing to change 4 units from affordable housing to social housing was still scheduled to take place at the end of March 2020.
RESOLVED – 1. That the actual gross and net expenditure for the year and the sources of finance, as shown in appendices B to D be noted; 2. That the proposed variations to the 2019/20 Capital Programme, set out in paragraphs 4.3 to 4.8 be approved; 3. That the inclusion of new schemes into the Capital Programme as set out in notes 4.9 to 4.15 be noted; and 4. That the proposed movement between years set out in paragraph 4.16 to 4.23 be approved.
REASON FOR DECISION: ... view the full minutes text for item CAB140/19 |
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Revenue Management Report: Quarter 3 PDF 214 KB To consider and decide on the recommendations as set out in the attached report. Additional documents:
Decision: RESOLVED – 1. That at Quarter 3 the net expenditure on services year to date was £9,294,000, £77,000 less than forecast, be noted. 2. That by year end the Council’s anticipated net expenditure of £18,919,000 on services, which is £25,000 over budget, an improvement of £73,000 since Quarter 2, be noted. 3. That the updated charge for Offence Penalties as set out in the report be approved. 4. That the Write Offs set out in Paragraph 2.37 as detailed at Appendix J be approved.
REASON FOR DECISION: To show the actual expenditure on services compared to the revised budget for the period ended 31 December 2019, and the forecast outturn position, highlighting significant variances from the revised annual budget. Minutes: Jane Fineman, Head of Finance, Procurement and Parking introduced the report that showed actual expenditure on services compared to the revised budget for the period ending 31 December 2019.
Discussion and responses to Members questions included the following matters:
- Actual expenditure to 31 December 2019 was £9.3m which was £77,000 less than forecast. However, the forecast outturn for the year was currently £25,000 over budget. - The main movements were a forecast reduction in staff costs of £343,000 due to a number of posts remaining vacant. In addition, a net reduction in the Assembly Hall income of £150,000 and a further reduction in car parking income from the RVP, Meadow Road and Crescent Road of £200,000 due to the continued reduction in footfall in the town centre. Staff cost savings of £80,000, £80,000 of compensation from the Union House car park and £70,000 increase in penalty charge notices offset some of these costs. - It was expected that by year end £25,000 of savings would be found to bring it back to budget. - The other major change to the accounts this quarter was the unwinding of the effects of the Calverley Square project. - The purchase of the lodge at the entrance of the Calverley Grounds had been retained as capital expenditure and had now been added to the Council’s asset portfolio. - The Council’s total reserves were £17.2m. This compared with the £19.7m held in Quarter 2. - The report requested approval to issue fines for a breach in householder duty. This was to ensure that household waste was disposed of appropriately. The proposed charge for this offence was £400, the maximum allowed under current legislation. This was a fixed penalty notice that could be issued by Environmental Health Officers and would have normally been included as part of the Fees and Charges Report. - Approval of Write-Offs in preparation for year end accounts was also requested. - The income reduction experienced at the RVP car park was due to lower footfall rather than because areas had been cordoned off for repair. That said, the coach park behind Sainsbury’s and Torrington car park was doing very well.
RESOLVED – 1. That at Quarter 3 the net expenditure on services year to date was £9,294,000, £77,000 less than forecast, be noted. 2. That by year end the Council’s anticipated net expenditure of £18,919,000 on services, which is £25,000 over budget, an improvement of £73,000 since Quarter 2, be noted. 3. That the updated charge for Offence Penalties as set out in the report be approved. 4. That the Write Offs set out in Paragraph 2.37 as detailed at Appendix J be approved.
REASON FOR DECISION: To show the actual expenditure on services compared to the revised budget for the period ended 31 December 2019, and the forecast outturn position, highlighting significant variances from the revised annual budget. |
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Treasury and Prudential Indicator Management Report: Quarter 3 PDF 194 KB To consider and decide on the recommendations as set out in the attached report. Additional documents:
Decision: RESOLVED – 1. That the 2019/2020 Treasury Management and Prudential Indicator position be noted; and 2. That the increase in the forecast for investment and bank interest of £42,000, which increases the forecast budget from £687,000 to £729,000 be noted.
REASON FOR DECISION: Ensuring effective cash flow management was vital in order to support all the services provided by the Council. The interest received from investments was an important source of income in helping to set a balanced budget. Minutes: Jane Fineman, Head of Finance, Procurement and Parking introduced the report that updated Members on investments held by the Council and the interest received from those investments as required by the Treasury Management Policy and Strategy for the period 1 April to 31 December 2019.
Discussion and responses to Members questions included the following matters:
- The projected interest from investments and bank interest for 2019/20 was now £729,000 which was an improvement to the budget of £42,000. This was due in part to more funds being available for investment resulting from the rescheduling of the Capital Programme. In addition, the interest from the Property Fund was higher than budgeted. - The initial £9m invested in the Property Fund was now worth £10.720m, a slight fall in value of about £156,000 since March 2019. It had however continued to do well in dividends, giving a net interest rate of 5.13%, which was slightly better than last year. - As at the end of December 2019, £2m of the outstanding loan from the Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) remained. A further £1m was repaid at the end of January 2020.
RESOLVED – 1. That the 2019/2020 Treasury Management and Prudential Indicator position be noted; and 2. That the increase in the forecast for investment and bank interest of £42,000, which increases the forecast budget from £687,000 to £729,000 be noted.
REASON FOR DECISION: Ensuring effective cash flow management was vital in order to support all the services provided by the Council. The interest received from investments was an important source of income in helping to set a balanced budget. |
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Performance Summary Quarter 3 PDF 417 KB To consider and decide on the recommendations as set out in the attached report. Additional documents:
Decision: RESOLVED – 1. That the summary of priority projects performance over quarter 3 at Appendix A be noted. 2. That the summary of service performance over quarter 3, at Appendix B be noted. 3. That the performance indicator Recovery Plans for quarter 3 at Appendix C-F be noted.
REASON FOR DECISION: To monitor the effectiveness of the Council’s actions and plans to meet all the objectives within the Five Year Plan, highlight underperforming areas, and propose actions to remedy any underperformance to ensure the key objectives are met. Minutes: Jane Clarke, Head of Policy and Governance introduced the report that summarised the performance of the Council’s priority projects and service delivery for the period 1 October to 31 December 2019.
Discussion and responses to Members questions included the following matters:
- There was no statutory duty to report on Council performance but it was good practice to do so. It was a useful tool that ensured the Council met its strategic targets and to secure continuous improvement. - For the 10 priority projects, 6 were green status, 3 were amber with the remaining project on hold. - For the 25 service performance indicators currently being collected, 14 were performing as expected, 6 were under-performing, with data unavailable for the remaining 5. - A verbal update was given for 2 of the 5 that were missing – Tourist Information Centre (TIC) enquiries were 4,436 which was on target for quarter 3. 1,313 were advised remotely and were therefore under-performing. - Of the 6 that were under-performing, recovery plans had been produced. No recovery plans had been produced for the Homelessness or Planning Appeals Indicator. This was because, following the Homelessness Reduction Act, the current indicator was out of date and in need of review. With regards to the Planning Appeals, as there were only 2 during the quarter, a recovery plan was not necessary. - The Universal Credit Indicator was also in need of updating. - Processing planning applications had under-performed every quarter this year which was representative of the continued lack of resources to undertake this work. - Information related to Waste and Street scene continued to be an issue. TWBC continued to request this data from Kent County Council.
RESOLVED – 1. That the summary of priority projects performance over quarter 3 at Appendix A be noted. 2. That the summary of service performance over quarter 3, at Appendix B be noted. 3. That the performance indicator Recovery Plans for quarter 3 at Appendix C-F be noted.
REASON FOR DECISION: To monitor the effectiveness of the Council’s actions and plans to meet all the objectives within the Five Year Plan, highlight underperforming areas, and propose actions to remedy any underperformance to ensure the key objectives are met.
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Procurement Strategy 2020-2023 PDF 118 KB To consider and decide on the recommendations as set out in the attached report. Additional documents:
Decision: RESOLVED – That publication and implementation of the Procurement Strategy 2020-2023 be approved.
REASON FOR DECISION: To update the Council’s approach and vision for procurement. Minutes: Jane Fineman, Head of Finance, Procurement and Parking introduced the report that outlined the Council’s approach and vision to procurement and to seek approval for the publication and implementation of the new Procurement Strategy for the period 2020-2023.
Discussion and responses to Members questions included the following matters:
- The current strategy was published in 2014 and now needed to be updated. - The new draft strategy had been available for some time, but many of the procurement regulations were driven by EU Regulations and had therefore been on hold subject to the impact of Brexit. This had taken much longer than anticipated. - It had now been established that any short to medium term changes were likely to be minimal and as such the Council was now in a position to move forward. - The key areas of focus were, compliance and process, stakeholder engagement, skills development and training and incorporating the Social Value Act. - It would ensure that the process was efficient and automated where possible. Supplier engagement would seek to ensure quality bids from suppliers and collaboration with other authorities to share the procurement burden. In addition to look at revenue creation by offering expertise to other organisations. - The strategy would be set for 3 years, after which the Council would carry out a review. If there was a significant development in the interim, a review to include any new information would be carried out. - Publication was proposed for March 2020. - The inclusion of Climate Emergency into the Strategy was welcomed.
RESOLVED – That publication and implementation of the Procurement Strategy 2020-2023 be approved.
REASON FOR DECISION: To update the Council’s approach and vision for procurement. |
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Social Value Policy PDF 117 KB To consider and decide on the recommendations as set out in the attached report. Additional documents: Decision: RESOLVED – That publication and implementation of the Social Value Policy be approved.
REASON FOR DECISION: In compliance with the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 and to better consider at the pre-procurement stage, how procurement could improve the social, economic and environmental well-being of the borough.
Minutes: Jane Fineman, Head of Finance, Procurement and Parking introduced the report that sought approval to publish and implement the Social Value Policy.
Discussion and responses to Members questions included the following matters:
- The Social Value Policy was an integral part of the Procurement Strategy and would ensure compliance with the Public Services Social Value Act 2012. - The policy stated that the Council should have a regard to Economic, Social and Environmental wellbeing and how any improvement might be secured. - The policy should be considered for all cases but recognised that it would not always be appropriate, e.g. if the contract was small, the additional cost might negate any potential benefit.
RESOLVED – That publication and implementation of the Social Value Policy be approved.
REASON FOR DECISION: In compliance with the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 and to better consider at the pre-procurement stage, how procurement could improve the social, economic and environmental well-being of the borough.
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Paddock Wood Community Centre and TWBC Implications PDF 513 KB To consider and decide on the recommendations as set out in the attached report. Additional documents: Decision: RESOLVED – 1. That the provision of £400,000 by TWBC be granted to Paddock Wood Town Council to enable the delivery of the new Community Centre and delegate the terms of releasing the funds to the S151 Officer and Monitoring Officer in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Communities be approved. 2. The delegation to the S151 Officer and Monitoring Officer in consultation with the Leader of the Council to determine all necessary financial and legal matters to protect TWBC’s interests be approved.
REASON FOR DECISION: To comply with the commitment given by TWBC in the Five Year Plan 2017-22 to support the development of the Community Centre in the borough thereby increasing the availability of local services in the heart of the community and enhance the quality of life for residents.
Minutes: There were a number of speakers registered for this Agenda Item as follows:
Mr Raymond Moon, resident of Paddock Wood (and to note he was a Town Councillor) made the following comments:
- TWBC had consistently supported the project to build a new Community Centre in Paddock Wood. - The sudden introduction of pre-conditions for financial support came as a complete surprise to the Town Council. - Paddock Wood Town Council (PWTC) had budgeted for the project which included a TWBC contribution with no strings attached. - The lease of the day centre was a separate issue. To impose the pre-condition was considered unjustified and possibly putting the project in jeopardy. It also introduced an element of mistrust. - PWTC meetings were currently held in the day centre. The grant would enable the new Community Centre to be built opening up the possibility of a move to the new site in the future. Only then should a discussion be held regarding the change of lease at the day centre. - Option 1 assumed that without any pre-conditions regarding the day centre, PWTC would not be willing to renegotiate the conditions of the lease. This was not the case. PWTC would always be willing to discuss and negotiate anything that concerned the borough, PWTC and its residents. - Option 2 went against everything that had previously been discussed. - Option 3 imposed pre-conditions on giving the grant which was unreasonable and unfair and would seriously impact on the delivery of the project. - In conclusion, Cabinet were asked to recommend Option 1.
Ms Carol Williams, Chair of the Community Centre Working Party (but to note was also a Town Councillor for Paddock Wood) made the following comments:
- The Working Party had 16 Members made up from various organisations. The Paddock Wood Youth Council had recently been asked to join the Working Party, thereby giving representation across all age groups. - It was currently revising its Communication Strategy, developing an updated leaflet that would be delivered to all houses and contributing to the policy of the Governance Framework which was last reviewed in December 2018. - The Town Council had published a consultation timeline going back to 2008 when Paddock Wood Community Partnership identified a Community Centre as the main priority for residents. - Between 2013 and the present, consultation with residents had been increasing. Since this time there had been displays at meetings and carnivals, articles in the Town Crier and other local publications. In addition there had been flyers through doors and consultation events as part of the neighbourhood plan. - In 2017 a questionnaire went out to every house in the town. Despite only 182 returns, 180 of them gave good quality information. It concluded that whilst a few residents raised concerns, most suggested the Memorial Field was a good fit for the Community Centre. In November 2017, a further consultation event was held in the town centre. - The Working Party subsequently planned a programme of consultation ... view the full minutes text for item CAB146/19 |
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Cranbrook Hub and TWBC Implications PDF 645 KB To consider and decide on the recommendations as set out in the attached report. Additional documents: Decision: RESOLVED – 1. That the provision of £420,000 by TWBC be granted to Cranbrook and Sissinghurst Parish Council to enable the delivery of the new Community Centre and delegate the terms of releasing the funds to the S151 Officer and Monitoring Officer in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Communities be approved. 2. The delegation to the S151 Officer and Monitoring Officer in consultation with the Leader of the Council to determine all necessary financial and legal matters to protect TWBC’s interests be approved.
REASON FOR DECISION: To comply with the commitment given by TWBC in the Five-Year Plan 2017-22 to support the development of the Community Centre in the borough thereby increasing the availability of local services in the heart of the community and enhance the quality of life for residents.
Minutes: Mr Carl Meewezen, Head of Programme Management and Finance for the Cranbrook Community Hub had registered to speak and made the following comments:
- There had been a considerable amount of work done over the last 20 years to develop the scheme. - RIBA stage 0 was expected to run until about June 2020. Between June and November there would be a process of detailed technical definition. - The aim was to start construction in November 2022, with completion expected in November 2023. - The timelines were being driven by an associated medical centre. - Because all the GPs were about to retire, the NHS were funding a medical centre in Cranbrook. - The Centre would then accommodate both needs – a medical centre and a community hub. - For the current phase (RIBA stage 0), the Treasury Green Book was being used i.e. options were being considered against financial, strategic, economic, management and commercial case. - The work was being undertaken in two tranches, the first looking at local engagement and refreshing the work that had been undertaken over the last 20 years including establishing local requirements such as adult social care and adult education needs. The second was around building the business case itself with a draft expected in April. - The business case was at the long list phase, which also included consideration of the funding mechanisms required, particularly in relation to the medical centre.
Mr Kim Fletcher had register to speak and made the following comments:
- It had taken Cranbrook and Sissinghurst Parish Council 20 years to assemble the required land, including getting the access rites from the Co-Op for which TWBC was thanked for their help. - The only piece of land that was not in public ownership was the Tanyard Dental Surgery which was located between the Tanyard car park and the Regal (Co-Op) car park. There was no public right of way across this piece of land and as such it was important that it be incorporated into the site. - A special edition of the Parish Cake would be delivered to every house in the Parish. Residents would be able to register their views and any concerns they might have.
Denise Haylett, Head of Facilities and Community Hubs introduced the report to award a grant of £420,000 to Cranbrook and Sissinghurst Parish Council (CSPC) to enable the delivery of the new Community Centre.
Discussion and responses to Members questions included the following matters:
- The delivery of the Cranbrook Community Centre had been a long-term aspiration going back over 20 years and had strong community support. - In September 2016 a planning application was finally granted that showed an indicative scheme but the land ownership remained an issue. - The legal framework to enable the development to progress proved to be complicated. However in January 2020 and working with several partners, the final legal documents were confirmed and the land transfer took place. - Governance for the project had now been ... view the full minutes text for item CAB147/19 |
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Environmental Health Enforcement Policy 2020 PDF 112 KB To consider and decide on the recommendations as set out in the attached report. Additional documents: Decision: RESOLVED – That the draft Environmental Health Enforcement Policy be approved.
REASON FOR DECISION: To take account of revised legislation that would provide a framework for enforcement decisions to be consistent, transparent and proportionate. The adoption of the 2020 Enforcement Policy would ensure that best practice was incorporated into the revised policy.
Minutes: Tracey Beattie, Mid Kent Environmental Health Manager introduced the report to approve the draft Environmental Health Enforcement Policy 2020.
Discussions and questions from Member included the following matters:
- The document updated the existing policy and took into account new legislation that had been introduced nationally. - The new legislation reflected the primary authority status of some businesses and the arrangements with specific local authorities. - The policy also re-enforced measures that would allow procedures to be ramped up where there was a need to protect people e.g. the closure of a facility. - The policy would provide a clear framework for officers that would provide consistency across the board for businesses.
RESOLVED – That the draft Environmental Health Enforcement Policy be approved.
REASON FOR DECISION: To take account of revised legislation that would provide a framework for enforcement decisions to be consistent, transparent and proportionate. The adoption of the 2020 Enforcement Policy would ensure that best practice was incorporated into the revised policy.
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Charging for Discretionary Environmental Health Services PDF 155 KB To consider and decide on the recommendations as set out in the attached report. Decision: RESOLVED – 1. That the adoption of discretionary charges for pre-application planning advice on acoustic, air quality and contaminated land assessments be approved. 2. That the adoption of discretionary charges for Enhanced Contaminated Land reports be approved. 3. That the adoption of discretionary charges for advice to businesses for food hygiene be approved.
REASON FOR DECISION: To better support the delivery of these services to businesses and residents across a wide range of areas and the allowance for the recovery of some of the costs provided by this specialist resource.
Minutes: Tracey Beattie, Mid Kent Environmental Health Manager introduced the report that set out a proposal for three new discretionary charges for Environmental Health services.
Discussion and questions from Members included the following matters:
- There were a number of services that were currently being offered free of charge. In line with a number of commercial companies, the report requested approval to start charging for these services. - The introduction of these charges was in line with other Kent Authorities. - The charges were not about income generation, only cost recovery. - The new charges would apply to the pre application stage for services including acoustics, contaminated land and air quality.
RESOLVED – 1. That the adoption of discretionary charges for pre-application planning advice on acoustic, air quality and contaminated land assessments be approved. 2. That the adoption of discretionary charges for Enhanced Contaminated Land reports be approved. 3. That the adoption of discretionary charges for advice to businesses for food hygiene be approved.
REASON FOR DECISION: To better support the delivery of these services to businesses and residents across a wide range of areas and the allowance for the recovery of some of the costs provided by this specialist resource.
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Climate Emergency Advisory Panel - Terms of Reference PDF 166 KB To consider and decide on the recommendations as set out in the attached report. Additional documents: Decision: RESOLVED – That the Climate Advisory Panel Terms of Reference be approved.
REASON FOR DECISION: The terms of reference capture the contents of the Full Council motion and provide a framework in relation to the development, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and review of the Council’s response to the climate emergency. Minutes: Gary Stevenson, Head of Housing, Health and Environment introduced the report to approve the Climate Advisory Panel Terms of Reference.
Discussion and questions from Members included the following matters:
- The Terms of Reference sought to capture the motion as defined at the Full Council Meeting held on 17 July 2019. - A key part of the Advisory Panel’s remit was to start work on a report to identify the measures and actions that the Council and the wider community could take to reduce carbon emissions with the aim of being carbon free by 2030. - A key part of that work would be to look at the Council’s own operations. - Work had already started with consultants appointed to look across all TWBC services. A report would then be submitted that would bring forward a stock take of all the emissions and recommendations for actions that could be taken to reduce emissions over the coming years. - The report was expected in September 2020 with a view to the recommendations being included as part of the budget making process.
RESOLVED – That the Climate Advisory Panel Terms of Reference be approved.
REASON FOR DECISION: The terms of reference capture the contents of the Full Council motion and provide a framework in relation to the development, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and review of the Council’s response to the climate emergency. |
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To consider any other items which the Chairman decides are urgent, for the reasons to be stated, in accordance with Section 100B(4) of the Local Government Act 1972. Minutes: There was no urgent business. |
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To note that the date of the next scheduled meeting is Thursday 16 April 2020 at 10.30am. Minutes: The next meeting would be held on Thursday 16 April 2020 commencing at 10:30am in the Council Chamber at the Town Hall, Tunbridge Wells. |