Agenda, decisions and minutes

The Chair will make any specific announcements for this meeting and advise of any late items which due to special circumstances will be given urgent consideration under Late Items.

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Briscoe.

Cllr Lintill made the following announcement:

It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of John Connor and John Ridd. John Connor was a member from 2007-2019. He sat on Cabinet, Licensing Committees, Parking Forum, the then Environment Panel and Overview and Scrutiny Committee. John Ridd was a member from 1999-2019. He was also Chairman of the Council from 2005 until 2011. I will ask you all to hold a two minutes silence in memory of John Connor and John Ridd. Please will everyone who is able now stand.

A two minute silence was held.

The Cabinet is requested to approve as a correct record the minutes of its meeting on 4 October 2022.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 4 October 2022 be approved and signed as a correct record.

Members are requested to make any declarations of disclosable pecuniary, personal and/or prejudicial interests they might have in respect of matters on the agenda for this meeting.

There were no declarations of interest.

In accordance with Chichester District Council’s scheme for public question time the Cabinet will receive any questions which have been submitted by members of the public in writing by noon two working days before the meeting. Each questioner will be given up to three minutes to ask their question. The total time allocated for public question time is 15 minutes subject to the Chair’s discretion to extend that period.

The following public question and answer were read out:

Question from Andy Sargent:

After reading the Local Plan Review Newsletter - Issue 11, I looked at the Timeline on the CDC website and saw that there is no date for Stage 11 - Publishing the Plan.

Please can you state the date the Local Plan will be Published?

Please can this be an actual date in DayMonthYear format, and not write that it will depend on roads, wastewater, and water neutrality issues.

It would be great to conclude the roads, wastewater and water neutrality issues and move forward with the Local Plan.

Answer from Cllr Taylor:

Thank you for your question. I am pleased to be able to advise that our intention is to report the draft Regulation 19 Local Plan to a Special meeting of the Council’s Cabinet on 23 January and to a Special meeting of Full Council on 24 January 2023.

This timescale is subject to the satisfactory completion of various elements of ongoing technical work required to support the emerging plan strategy in relation to matters including transport, the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) and Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA). In the event that this essential evidence work cannot be concluded in the time available, we will need to consider the implications and provide a further update.

We will update the planning policy section of the Council’s website and arrange further communications updates to ensure that these key dates are well publicised.

The Cabinet is requested to consider the report and make the following resolutions:

That Cabinet:

a.     Resolves that the Council enters into a Planning Performance Agreement (PPA) with Linden/Downland Graylingwell LLP in respect of development at Graylingwell Park; and

b.     Delegates authority to the Director of Planning and Environment in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning Services to:

                                                      i.      Enter into future proposed PPA’s across the Chichester Local Plan area with a value of no more than £100,000 and to extend or vary the terms of existing PPA’s with a value of no more than £100,000.

                                                    ii.      And to expend the sums received under PPAs in accordance with the PPAs’ terms.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet:

a)    Resolves that the Council enters into a Planning Performance Agreement (PPA) with Linden/Downland Graylingwell LLP in respect of development at Graylingwell Park; and

b)    Delegates authority to the Director of Planning and Environment in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning Services to:

                        i.         Enter into future proposed PPA’s across the Chichester Local Plan area with a value of no more than £100,000 and to extend or vary the terms of existing PPA’s with a value of no more than £100,000.

                      ii.         And to expend the sums received under PPAs in accordance with the PPAs’ terms.

Cllr Taylor introduced the item.

In a vote the following resolutions were agreed:

RESOLVED

That Cabinet:

a)    Resolves that the Council enters into a Planning Performance Agreement (PPA) with Linden/Downland Graylingwell LLP in respect of development at Graylingwell Park; and

b)   Delegates authority to the Director of Planning and Environment in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning Services to:

                     i.        Enter into future proposed PPA’s across the Chichester Local Plan area with a value of no more than £100,000 and to extend or vary the terms of existing PPA’s with a value of no more than £100,000.

                    ii.        And to expend the sums received under PPAs in accordance with the PPAs’ terms.

The Cabinet is requested to consider the report and its appendix and make the following resolution:

That Cabinet approves the release of £20,000 from reserves to appoint a design team to proceed to planning and to tender for the construction of a car park at the western end of Terminus Road. A further report will be presented to Cabinet on the outcome of the tender process.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet approves the release of £20,000 from reserves to appoint a design team to proceed to planning and to tender for the construction of a car park at the western end of Terminus Road. A further report will be presented to Cabinet on the outcome of the tender process.

Cllr Dignum introduced the item.

Cllr Sharp had requested to speak on the item and was invited to do so by Cllr Lintill. Cllr Sharp asked why a car park was being built in relation to the 10% carbon reduction aim detailed in the Corporate Plan. Cllr Dignum explained the intention for the car park is to provide a place for existing car drivers who work in Terminus Road and park in the surrounding streets, which should reduce the number of car movement and pollution.  He added that the feasibility study would highlight any concerns.

Cllr Wilding requested clarification of how those parking would pay. Mr Gillett explained that if it was agreed to allocate the parking to a specific site such as the Enterprise Centre then parking would be by agreement and invoiced quarterly in a similar way to the council’s rental agreements.

In a vote the following resolutions were agreed:

RESOLVED

That Cabinet approves the release of £20,000 from reserves to appoint a design team to proceed to planning and to tender for the construction of a car park at the western end of Terminus Road. A further report will be presented to Cabinet on the outcome of the tender process.

The Cabinet is requested to consider the report and its appendices (including exempt Appendix 2) and make the following recommendations to Full Council:

That the Cabinet considers and recommends to Council:

a)     The key financial principles and actions set out in appendix 1 of the 5 year Financial Strategy report are approved.

b)    That the Minimum Level of Reserves level is set, following the recommendation of the Corporate Governance and Audit Committee.

c)     That the current 5 year Financial Model detailed in appendix 2 (Part 2) and the Resources Statement in appendix 3 to the Financial Strategy report be noted.

d)    That £1.457m is transferred from the General Fund Reserve to the Investment Risk reserve to increase the mitigation held for fair value adjustments for the Council’s long-term investments.

*RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL:

a)    The key financial principles and actions set out in appendix 1 of the 5 year Financial Strategy report are approved.

b)    That the Minimum Level of Reserves level is set at £4 million, following the recommendation of the Corporate Governance and Audit Committee.

c)    That the current 5 year Financial Model detailed in appendix 2 (Part 2) and the Resources Statement in appendix 3 to the Financial Strategy report be noted.

d)    That £1.457m is transferred from the General Fund Reserve to the Investment Risk reserve to increase the mitigation held for fair value adjustments for the Council’s long-term investments.

Cllr Lintill explained the intention to hear the debate in public session and then discuss Appendix 2 in Part II before returning to public session for the vote on the resolutions.

Cllr Wilding introduced the item.

Members wished to thank officers for their work on a comprehensive report.

Cllr Lintill requested further information relating to the £1.457 million transfer from the General Fund. Mrs Belenger explained that the council’s long-term investments are currently subject to statutory override however this is due to end in March 2024. Once the statutory override comes to an end the council will have to account for the fair value where there has been variation on the overall value of investments. £1.429 million has already been set aside from useable reserves with an additional £1.457 million to be set aside in a fair value risk reserve. Mrs Belenger further clarified that the fair value risk reserve could be returned to general reserves should the override be maintained post March 2024.

Prior to discussing Appendix 2 Cllr Lintill proposed the Cabinet move into Part II which was seconded by Cllr Taylor.

In a vote the following resolution was agreed:

That in respect of Appendix 2 for Agenda Item 7 that the public including the press should be excluded from the meeting on the grounds of exemption in Schedule 12A to the 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)) and because in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption of that information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Following the Part II discussion Cllr Lintill proposed a return to public session to take the vote on the resolutions. This was seconded by Cllr Taylor.

In a vote the Cabinet resolved to return to public session.

Mr Ward drew attention to recommendation b outlining the recommendation from the Corporate Governance and Audit Committee to set a minimum level reserves value of £4 million. It was agreed to amend the recommendation. In a vote on the substantive recommendations as amended the following recommendations to Full Council were agreed:

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL

a)    The key financial principles and actions set out in appendix 1 of the 5 year Financial Strategy report are approved.

b)    That the Minimum Level of Reserves level is set as £4 million, following the recommendation of the Corporate Governance and Audit Committee.

c)    That the current 5 year Financial Model detailed in appendix 2 (Part 2) and the Resources Statement in appendix 3 to the Financial Strategy report be noted.

d)    That £1.457m is transferred from the General Fund Reserve to the Investment Risk reserve to increase the mitigation held for fair value adjustments for the Council’s long-term investments.

a)    Items added to the agenda papers and made available for public inspection

b)    Items which the Chair has agreed should be taken as matters of urgency by reason of special circumstances to be reported at the meeting

There were no late items.

The Cabinet is asked to consider in respect of Appendix 2 to agenda item 7 and agenda item 10 whether the public including the press should be excluded from the meeting on the following ground of exemption in Schedule 12A to the 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)) and because, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption of that information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

[Note The report and its appendices within this part of the agenda are attached for members of the Council and relevant only (printed on salmon paper)]

Cllr Lintill proposed the Part II resolution I relation to agenda item 10. This was seconded by Cllr Taylor.

In a vote the following resolution was agreed:

That in respect of Agenda Item 10 that the public including the press should be excluded from the meeting on the grounds of exemption in Schedule 12A to the 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)) and because in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption of that information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

The Cabinet is requested to consider the report and make the recommendations to Full Council as set out in sections 2.1 and 2.2 of the report.

*RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL

To agree the recommendation detailed in section 2.1 of the report.

RESOLVED

To agree the recommendation detailed in section 2.2 of the report.

In Cllr Briscoe’s absence Cllr Sutton introduced the item.

In a vote the following recommendation to Council and resolution were agreed:

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL

To agree the recommendation detailed in section 2.1 of the report.

RESOLVED

To agree the recommendation detailed in section 2.2 of the report.