Decisions Register

RESOLVED –

1. That the Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy 2020-2025, as set out at Appendix A to the report be adopted; and
2. That following the annual review authority be delegated to the Head of Housing, Health and Environment to amend the policy to incorporate any changes in legislation or government guidance.

REASON FOR DECISION: To adopt the updated Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy.

RESOLVED – That the Draft Budget 2021/22 be agreed for public consultation.

REASON FOR DECISION:. To commence a public consultation on the Council’s proposed budget for 2021/22.

To approve the renovation of three empty properties owned by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council in Crescent Road in order to provide six self contained flats for people recovering from rough sleeping.

Notice is hereby given that the Cabinet of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council intends to make a Key Decision in respect of the following matter with less than the 28 days’ notice required by Regulation 9 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 as compliance is impractical for the reasons as set in the attached document. Furthermore, notice is hereby given that prior notice of the same has been given to the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED –

1. That the renovation of three empty properties owned by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council to provide six self contained flats for people recovering from rough sleeping be approved.
2. That a Capital Budget of £515k funded through Homes England Grant funding of £205k and £310k of s106 commuted sums be approved.
3. That the release £310k of s106 commuted sums that were received by the Council from the Homeopathic Hospital Site be approved.
4. That the Head of Housing, Health and Environment and the Head of Economic Development and Property in consultation with the Director of Change and Communities,  the Portfolio Holder for Communities and Wellbeing and the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Governance be authorised to submit a full planning application and any other associated planning/ building applications required, invite competitive tenders for the refurbishment works, accept a tender and oversee the works to completion and to enter into such deeds and agreements arising from or ancillary to the legal formalities referred to in this recommendation be approved.
5. That the surrender of the lease from Tunbridge Wells Property Holdings Limited to the Council for 32 Crescent Road be approved.  That the Head of Economic Development and Property  in consultation with the s151 officer , the Monitoring Officer and the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Governance be delegated to carry out all the necessary negotiations, legal processes and legal documentation to complete these refurbishment works and subsequent leasing of the refurbished units..
6. That the Head of Mid Kent Legal Services be authorised to negotiate and complete all necessary deeds and agreements arising from or ancillary to the funding agreement with Homes England, application for planning permission, tenders, refurbishment and other legal formalities referred to in these recommendations and the occupation of the six units on terms agreed by the Head of Housing, Health and Environment and the Head of Economic Development and Property.

REASON FOR DECISION: To provide six long term homes that can be used for former rough sleepers which would help TWBC meet its commitment to end rough sleeping in the Borough.

CALL-IN AND URGENCY

In accordance with the provisions Of Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 14 in Part 4 of the Constitution, the Chairman of Overview and Scrutiny gave prior agreement that this decision was urgent and would not be subject to call-in as delay would seriously prejudice the Council’s or the public’s interest.

To provide Cabinet with an update to the Five Year Plan, taking into account the impact of the ongoing pandemic and the uncertainties that have been created in relation to future budget and project planning.

RESOLVED –

1.     That, given the current exceptional social and economic context, a focus on the delivery of an updated set of priority projects and action plans in response to impact assessments associated with Covid-19 be approved;

2.     That the long-term priorities set out in the report be agreed and that further work be undertaken to develop and deepen these themes over the course of 2020 and 2021 as the financial context in which we will be operating becomes clearer and as the environment for external consultation improves; and

3.     That further consultation proposal be prepared to come back to Cabinet on 11 March 2021.

REASON FOR DECISION:  This approach would allow the Council to focus it resources on dealing with the immediate and pressing issues of recovery whilst waiting for funding certainty to become clearer.  It would also allow for further proposals and more consultation to take place during 2021.

To consider proposals for setting the Council Tax and Business Rates Tax Base for 2021/22. 

RESOLVED – That the Tunbridge Wells Tax Base, as set out at in Appendix B to the report be approved.

REASON FOR DECISION:  To comply with the provisions of Statutory Instruments 2012 No 2914 – The Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (England) Regulations. 

To receive the financial position as at the end of September 2020.

RESOLVED –

1. That the Treasury Management and Prudential Indicator position as at 30 September 2020 be noted; and
2. That the forecast for investment and bank interest is £466k, a decrease of £187k from the approved budget of £633k (the same as for Quarter 1) 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.

To receive the financial position as at the end of September 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 to the report, be noted;

2.     That the proposed variations to the Capital programme, set out in paragraph 4.3 to 4.7 of the report be approved; and

3.     That the proposed movement between years set out in paragraph  4.8 of the report 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

To receive the financial position as at the end of September 2020.

RESOLVED –

1.     That at Quarter 2 net expenditure on services year to date was £11,685,000, £2,608,000 more than budget be noted;

2.     That by year end the Council anticipated net expenditure of £18,760,000 on services, £6,343,000 over budget and a further £537,000 since Quarter 1, be noted;

3.     That by year end the Council anticipated receiving an increase in funding of £4,127,000, a further £177,000 since Quarter 1 reducing the deficit to £2,216,000 over budget, be noted; and

4.     That write offs as set out in Paragraph 2.27 of the report and detailed in Appendix J to the report be approved.

REASON FOR DECISION: To show the actual expenditure on services compared to the revised budget for the period ending 30 September 2020, and the forecast outturn position, highlighting significant variances from the revised annual budget. 

For the Cabinet to set its recommendations for the Asset Management Plan and to consult on proposed changes.

RESOLVED – That the Draft Asset Management Plan 2021/22 be agreed for public consultation

REASON FOR DECISION: To commence a public consultation on how the Council manages its assets.

A review of the complaints received under the Council’s complaints procedure between 1 April 2020 and September 2020.

RESOLVED – That the Council’s position on complaints performance at the end of Period 1 be noted.

REASON FOR DECISION: To enable Cabinet to understand the Council’s current performance in relation to complaints handling.

To consider an outline of the Council’s performance against key strategic indicators.  Measures prescribed by Central Government through the Single Data List (SDL) and the progress against each of the strategic projects as at the end of September 2020.

RESOLVED –

1. That the summary of project performance over quarter two 2020/21 as at Appendix A be noted;
2. That the summary of service performance over quarter two 2020/21  as at Appendix B be noted; and
3. That the Recovery Plans for quarter two  as at Appendix C-F be noted.

REASON FOR DECISION: To monitor the effectiveness of the council’s actions and plans to meet all of the objectives within the Five Year Plan, highlight underperforming areas, and propose actions to remedy any underperformance to ensure the key objectives are met.

Outcome of public consultation for Council Tax Reduction Scheme 2021-22.

RESOLVED – That Full Council be recommended:

1. That the results of the public consultation as set out in Appendix A to the report be noted:
2. That Model 1 of the of the 2021/22 Council Tax Reduction Scheme as set out in Appendix B to the report be approved; and
3. That the impacts highlighted in the Policy in Practice analysis and EqIA be noted  and authority be delegated to the Head of Revenues and Benefits in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Governance to consider mitigations to those impacts and make any changes deemed necessary within the Exceptional Hardship Policy. 

REASON FOR DECISION: To allow the final scheme to be implemented to take effect from April 2021.