Agenda and minutes

Venue: Conference Room, Argyle Road, Sevenoaks

Contact: Democratic Services 01732 227247  Email: democratic.services@sevenoaks.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

13.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 35 KB

To agree the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 7 June 2016, as a correct record

 

Minutes:

Resolved: That the Minutes of the meeting held on 7 June 2016, be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

 

14.

Declarations of Interest

Any interests not already registered

Minutes:

It was noted that any Councillor who was also a member of the Development Control Committee, was entitled to consider the merits of applying for additional parking at the Buckhurst 2 Car Park without prejudice to any future consideration of the matter at the Development Control Committee.

 

The recommendation within the report was only that an application be submitted and Members of the Development Control Committee would have separate considerations when determining whether planning permission should be granted. 

 

Members were entitled to look at the application afresh so long as they were still open-minded.

 

There were no additional declarations of interest.

 

 

 

15.

Actions from previous meeting

Minutes:

There were none.

16.

Update from Portfolio Holder

Minutes:

The Portfolio Holder, and Chairman, advised Members that ground had been broken at Bradbourne Vale Park Road and piling had started and was progressing well.  The temporary car park at Morewood Close was open and being used by some permit holders. 

 

The consultation for the Swanley Vision Masterplan had commenced and ended on 2 November 2016.  A mail out had taken place to Swanley town and village and Hextable. 

 

Two non executive directors had now been appointed to Quercus7.

17.

Referrals from Cabinet or the Audit Committee

Minutes:

There were none.

18.

Budget 2017/18: Service Dashboards and Service Change Impact Assessments (SCIAS) pdf icon PDF 48 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chief Finance Officer presented the report which set out updates to the 2017/18 budget within the existing framework of the 10-year budget and savings plan.  The report also presented proposals that had been identified which needed to be considered, together with further suggestions made by the Advisory Committees, before finalising the budget for 2017/18.

 

The major message of the report was that the Council was able to remain financially self-sufficient.

 

The budget agreed by Council in February included £100,000 of new savings or additional income per annum and the Advisory Committees were being asked to make suggestions to Cabinet that would achieve the £100,000 required for next year. Two Member Budget Training sessions had recently taken place with the intention of increasing, or refreshing, Members knowledge of the budget process and to enhance the discussions that would take place at this round of Advisory Committees.

 

The Chief Finance Officer reminded Members that over £6m had already been agreed to be saved between 2011/12 and 2017/18 made up of over 130 items and over £10m had been saved since 2005/06.

 

Members reviewed and discussed Appendix D which contained the growth and savings proposals put forward by the Portfolio Holder and Chief Officers, and the Service Change Impact Assessments (SCIAs) in Appendix E. 

 

Members also considered and gave their individual ideas for growth and savings items.  The Chief Finance Officer summarised the suggestions put forward and Members considered whether there was anything they wanted taken forward as potential growth or savings suggestions.   A number of growth and savings items were suggested and discussed:

 

Growth

·                     Broadband improvements.

·                     Reinstatement of the Big Community Fund or something similar.

·                     Investment in skills training (Economic & Community Development Advisory Committee remit).

·                     Improved start up business accessibility, e.g. seed funding (Economic & Community Development Advisory Committee remit).

·                     Improved district event and activity promotion.

Savings

·                     Additional property acquisitions/developments.

·                     Investigate further shared services opportunities within this portfolio’s terms of reference.

·                     External communications (social and online).

·                     Look at ways to reduce corporate management further.

·                     Set up a bank (mobile/local).

·                     Become a social landlord for young workers (Housing & Health Advisory Committee’s remit).

 

Public Sector Equality Duty

 

Members noted that consideration had been given to impacts under the Public Sector Equality Duty and that individual equality impact assessments had been completed for all Service Change Impact Assessments (SCIAs) to ensure the decision making process was fair and transparent.

 

Resolved:  That it be recommended to Cabinet that

 

a)     the growth proposals identified in Appendix D applicable to the Advisory Committee (SCIAs 08, 09, and 10 ) be agreed;

b)     the savings proposals identified in Appendix D applicable to the Advisory Committee (SCIAs 11, 12, 13 & 14) be agreed;

c)     the following suggestions be discussed further

Growth

·       Broadband improvements.

·       Reinstatement of the Big Community Fund or something similar.

·       Investment in skills training (Economic & Community Development Advisory Committee remit).

·       Improved start up business accessibility, e.g. seed funding (Economic & Community Development Advisory Committee remit).

·       Improved district event and activity  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.

19.

Development of Buckhurst 2 Car Park pdf icon PDF 60 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members considered the report which sought approval to develop the existing Buckhurst 2 car park to provide additional town centre parking capacity and residential accommodation.  Members considered and discussed the three funding scenarios.

 

Public Sector Equality Duty

 

Members noted that consideration had been given to impacts under the Public Sector Equality Duty.

 

Resolved:  That it be recommended to Cabinet that

 

a)     a planning application be submitted to provide additional long stay parking at the Buckhurst 2 Car Park, Sevenoaks;

b)     the planning application includes provision for residential accommodation to partly offset the cost of the proposed car park; and

c)     the preferred funding method be scenario C, as detailed within the report.

 

(Cllr. Miss. Stack chose to leave the meeting during consideration of this item.)

20.

Work Plan pdf icon PDF 16 KB

Minutes:

The work plan was noted.

 

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