Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from the Mayor, Councillor Bains, and Councillors Greenow and Sheldon.

The Leader reported that Councillor Sheldon had recently suffered a minor stroke but was recovering and he would be going to visit Councillor Sheldon soon in hospital.  The Deputy Mayor asked that the Leader convey the Council’s good wishes to Councillor Sheldon for his continuing recovery.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 12 December 2017.

The minutes of the meeting held on 12 December 2017 were confirmed and authorised to be signed by the Deputy Mayor.

Members to declare any interest as appropriate in respect of items to be considered at this meeting.

Councillors Orson, Pearson, Posnett and Rhodes each declared a personal interest in any matters relating to the Leicestershire County Council due to their roles as County Councillors.

Councillor Holmes declared a pecuniary interest in any matter that may be discussed pertaining to development on the north side of the town.

In the absence of the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor reported she had attended a number of engagements on behalf of the Mayor and would also be attending the Mayor of Oadby & Wigston’s Civic Dinner this coming Saturday evening.

The Deputy Mayor then advised the Council of the following key civic events:

·         the Civic Service on Sunday 4 March at 3pm in St Mary’s Parish Church;

·         Fly the Flag for Commonwealth Day to be held on Monday 12 March at 10am outside Parkside.

Members were encouraged to support these events hosted by the Mayor.

The Leader submitted his report to the Council in which he

(a)       began by congratulating Councillor Glancy on her appointment as the Council’s ‘Pet Champion’.  This was a new venture for the authority and followed the Council recently receiving the most ‘Pet Friendly Town’ award;

(b)        reported that following an informal discussion with the Deputy Leader, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities, and Local Government, Sajid Javid MP had invited a team of officers and Members to visit him in London to discuss housing in rural areas;

(c)        referred to the Local Plan Examination which had started the previous week: it had been a very long and detailed process and whilst, at this stage, the outcome was unknown, the Council could be proud of the way in which its officers had conducted themselves, demonstrating a high degree of competence and professionalism.  The Council now awaited the Inspector’s findings and would respond appropriately to any suggested modifications;

(d)       provided an update on the issue of rail connectivity with Nottingham which the Council was continuing to explore.  Initial discussions had taken place with the County Council about the possibility of engaging a rail specialist to explore this further.  There were some technical challenges which needed to be better understood and a funding bid was being developed to the LLEP for assistance with meeting the costs of this process;

(e)       advised that the draft report from the recent Peer Challenge had been received in response to which the Council had made some initial comments.  The final version of the report was awaited from the Peer Team and this would be circulated as soon as it was received; it was anticipated this would be ready for the Council’s next meeting on 22 February;

(f)        reported that the County Council’s Cabinet had recently approved the start of a consultation into proposed changes to the Early Help and Children’s Centre services across Leicestershire.  This had the potential to impact on local service provision; officers were working with County colleagues to explore how any risks could be mitigated and to ensure that his Council continued to maintain a joined up approach to service delivery in Melton.  Following these discussions the Council would be developing a formal response to the consultation and there would be opportunities for Members to feed into this process;

(g)       stated he was very pleased to formally announce that on 7 March, HRH The Princess Royal would be visiting the town to officially open the new livestock building at the Cattle Market.  Members were reminded that the Council had invested £2M into the scheme, alongside £3.5M from the LLEP.  This official opening marked the conclusion of phase 1 of the project and a feasibility study would shortly be undertaken into the 2^nd phase.  Alongside groups of other stakeholders, Members of the Working Group would be invited to briefly meet with HRH Princess Anne and all Members would be invited to observe and share in the celebrations;

(h)       referred to the imminent departure  ...  view the full minutes text for item CO85

The Leader and Chairs of Policy Committees to answer any questions from the public of which notice has been given in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 9 of the Constitution.

No questions were received by the deadline.

There were no questions to be put.

In accordance with Procedure Rule 24.1, the Chief Executive shall report the receipt of a petition to the next meeting of the Council where there shall be no debate or comment thereon. 

No petitions were received. 

There are no petitions to report.

RECOMMENDED: To approve a rent decrease of 1% for all Council dwellings for 2018-19 with effect from 2 April 2018 and that when a property is re-let the rent continues to be brought into line with the Governments formula rent.

The Council was asked to approve the recommendation from the Community & Social Affairs Committee with regard to the rents for Council dwellings.  The motion as set out in the Order Paper circulated at the meeting was proposed by Councillor Pearson and seconded by Councillor de Burle.  Following a vote, it was

RESOLVED:  To approve a rent decrease of 1% for all Council dwellings for 2018-19 with effect from 2 April 2018 and that when a property is re-let the rent continues to be brought into line with the Governments formula rent.

In accordance with Procedure Rules 10.3 and 10.5, a Member may ask the Mayor, Leader or the Chairman of any committee or sub-committee, a question on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties or which affects the Melton Borough.

No questions were received by the deadline.

(b)       In accordance with Procedure Rules 10.3 and 10.5, a Member may ask the Mayor, Leader or the Chairman of any committee or sub-committee, a question on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties or which affects the Melton Borough of which due notice has been given.

(c)        The following question was received on 31 January 2018 from Councillor Blase:

What effect will Carrillion going bust have on Melton’s distributor Road?

The Leader responded: ‘Carillion, as part of a joint venture with Tarmac, were involved in the early stages of the Melton Mowbray Distributor Road scheme through the early contractor involvement process. This included advising on the initial design work and project risks. However, there was not a commitment in place for the firm to carry out the works.

If we are successful in securing Government funding for the project we will go through a procurement process to secure a contractor to deliver the scheme. There is therefore no impact on the distributor road.’

There were no Motions  received in accordance with

Procedure Rule 11.1

There were no Motions on Notice received in accordance with Procedure Rule 11.1

The Director for Corporate Services to submit a report to approve the Council’s Capital Programme for 2018/2019 for all funds and the sources from which that funding will be taken as proposed by the Strategic Planning Away Day held on 10 January 2018 and the Policy, Finance & Administration Committee.

Members had before them a report prepared by the Director for Corporate Services which sought approval for the Council’s Capital Programme for 2018/19 for all funds and the sources from which that funding would be taken as proposed by the Strategic Planning Away Day held on 10 January 2018 and the Policy, Finance & Administration Committee.  The projects recommended for funding in addition to those which had already had funding approved were set out in Appendix A to the report, whilst the Housing Revenue Account as updated in line with the refreshed Housing Asset Management Plan, was detailed in Appendix B.  Appendices C to F contained the detail of the full Capital Programme list for 2017/18 and later years by committee.

The Leader presented the report to the Council commenting briefly on the reduced nature of the Capital Programme in light of decreased central government funding.  He moved the recommendations as set out in the Order Paper and these were seconded by Councillor Higgins.  Following a vote, the motion was carried.

RESOLVED: that

(1)       funding for capital schemes in respect of General Expenses for 2018/19 and the sources that funding will be taken from, be as set out in Appendix A, and;

(2)       funding for capital schemes in respect of the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and the sources that funding will be taken from be as approved by the Community and Social Affairs committee and set out in Appendix B;

(3)       delegated authority be given to the Director of Corporate Services to amend the amount in the capital programme for DFG’s once funding confirmation has been received.

The Director for Corporate Services to submit a report which

(a)  provides information on the budget issues facing the Council in 2018/19 and beyond, and seeks a decision on the level of the budget including growth and savings and agree the level of Council Tax for Borough Council purposes; and

(b)  asks the Council  to ‘make’ a Member Allowances Scheme for each year that the scheme relates and review its scheme for the forthcoming Civic Year 2018/19.

Previously circulated with the agenda was a report prepared by the Director for Corporate Services which provided information on the budget issues facing the Council in 2018/19 and beyond, sought a decision on the level of the budget including growth and savings, and asked the Council to agree the level of Council Tax for the Borough Council purposes.  The report also included the proposed Member Allowances Scheme for the forthcoming Civic Year 2018/19.

A replacement Appendix A which set out the proposals for General Expenses and Special Expenses Melton Mowbray was circulated at the meeting.

The Leader presented the report and moved the recommendations as contained in the Order Paper.  In so doing, he made the following points:

(a)       the Council had suffered significant cuts in central government funding and awaited the outcome of the fair funding review as to whether this would direct resources to sparse rural areas such as Melton Borough that continued to be underfunded compared to rural areas;

(b)       despite the cuts in funding, the Council had managed its finances well and for this the officers were to be congratulated.  However, for 2018/19 there was a need to draw on the spending pressure and corporate priorities reserve after allowing for the proposed savings and growth.  The Council had developed a budget management strategy which saw the Council move to a balanced budget over the life of the MTFS even with the modest assumptions built into this;

(c)        the waste contract was yet to be awarded but this was likely to provide further significant savings from the full year impact;

(d)       the Member Allowance Scheme was part of the report and drew Members’ attention to the requirement that all Members were required to be registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office under the Data Protection Act which incurred a fee;

(e)       there were a number of risks:  the funding of the Distributor Road was not built into the MTFS, the withdrawal of funds for Wheels to Work scheme, and the present uncertainty over the funding for the Children’s Centres.  Taking this into account, the proposed rise in Council Tax was for  2.99% representing an increase of 1p per day on a Band D property.  Savings of £165K were identified in 2018/19 with a further £15K from charging parish councils for elections in 2019/20, a net growth of £83,860 and the balance of £173K from reserves;

(f)        the risks to the budget had been highlighted by the Peer Challenge group who had recommended that the Council puts in place a ‘Plan B’ should such savings not arise or there were any further reductions in funding. Members were informed that such a Plan B was now being considered with some urgency.

After a Member had sought and received clarification on the proposed percentage increase in Council Tax for Melton Borough, the Deputy Leader seconded the motion welcoming the news regarding the rural services delivery grant of £36K which had followed pressure from SPARSE.

The Deputy Mayor invited debate from the  ...  view the full minutes text for item CO92

The Director for Corporate Services to submit a report which outlines the Council’s prudential indicators for 2018/19 – 2020/21 and sets out the expected treasury operations for this period. 

Councillor de Burle presented the report of the Director for Corporate Services which outlined the Council’s prudential indicators for 2018/19 – 2020/21 and set out the expected treasury operations for this period.  This met with the key legislative requirements and provided an approved framework within which officers undertook the day to day capital and treasury activities.  Cllr de Burle moved the recommendations contained in the Order Paper circulated at the meeting.

In seconding the motion, Councillor Rhodes stated that this was indicative of Members’ satisfaction with the way in which the Council was managed and maintained the position as a debt free authority.  The Leader added his thanks to the members of the budget working group and officers for their advice.  Accordingly, upon being put to the vote the motion was carried unanimously.

RESOLVED: that

(1)       to approve and adopt the prudential indicators and limits be adopted and approved;

(2)       the Treasury Management Strategy and treasury management prudential indicators be adopted and approved;

(3)       the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) Statement which sets out the Council’s policy on MRP be approved, and

(4)       the development of a new Capital Strategy to meet the updated prudential code requirements which will be presented to Members during 2018-19 be noted.

The Chief Executive to submit a report the purpose of which is to update Members on the initiation of the recruitment process for the 2 director roles and to advise on the next steps. The report seeks approval to establish a recruitment committee to oversee the appointment process. 

Members had before them a report prepared by the Chief Executive which updated them on the initiation of the recruitment process for the two Director roles and advised on the next steps.  The report also sought approval for the establishment of a Recruitment Committee to oversee the appointment process.

The Leader presented the report to the Council, reminding Members of the rationale behind creating the new structure.  He commented that the authority was now facing an exciting time as new faces would bring fresh ideas. The Leader drew Members’ attention to an addition to the first recommendation in the report which would require an update to the Constitution as a result of the new Recruitment Committee.  The Leader then moved the recommendations as contained in the Order Paper and this was seconded by Councillor Higgins.  Upon being put to the vote, the motion was carried.

RESOLVED: that

(1)       a politically-balanced 7 member Recruitment Committee be established to oversee the recruitment process for the two Director roles, in line with the attached terms of reference (Appendix A) and as set out in the exempt Appendix B. The Recruitment Committee to be authorised to make an employment offer as appropriate.  The Constitution be updated accordingly;

(2)       the following Members and substitutes for the Recruitment Committee be appointed:

Committee Member                       Substitutes

P Cumbers                                     M Graham

M Glancy                                       J Wyatt

L Higgins (Vice Chair)

J Illingworth

J Orson (Chair)

A Pearson

E Holmes

(3)       delegated authority be granted to the Chief Executive to make amendments to the appointments in accordance with the wishes of Group Leaders;

(4)       in line with other Chief Officer roles it be confirmed that the Director roles will have a 6 point incremental salary scale.

RESOLVED that the Public be excluded during the consideration of the following item of business in accordance with Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (Access to Information: Exempt Information) under Paragraph 3.

To receive a report from the Head of Communities & Neighbourhood the purpose of which is to update members of the Council on the Procurement of a Management Contractor for Melton Sports Village, coordinated by the Melton Sports, Leisure & Culture Woking Group.

Members had previously been circulated with a report prepared by the Head of Communities & Neighbourhoods which concerned the procurement of a Management Contractor for the Melton Sports Village which had been co-ordinated by the Melton Sports, Leisure & Cultural Working Group.

As Chair of the Working Group, Councillor Higgins moved the recommendations contained within the Order Paper subject to the following addition: (5) Members thank the Head of Communities & Neighbourhoods, Mr Harry Rai, for his support to the Sports, Leisure & Cultural Working Group and his work with regard to the Melton Sports Village.  In moving the recommendations, Councillor Higgins referred to the condition of the site when the Borough Council took it over and the vision for the asset which would provide opportunities for the Borough and see a return to the Council.  The proposals before Members concerned the award of a 4 year contract to manage the site ahead of the development of the larger project in order to complete the vision.  The motion was seconded by Councillor Beaken.

The Head of Communities & Neighbourhood summarised the report and responded to Members questions. A discussion ensued around the current operation of the facilities and the business case for the larger project and the potential  future usage of the site.  Councillor Higgins summed up remarking on what the Council had achieved to date.  A vote was then taken following which the motion was carried unanimously.

RESOLVED:

(1)       the Melton Sports, Leisure & Culture Working Group be thanked on their work and progress of the procurement of a management contractor for Melton Sports Village;

(2)       to note the progress made by the Working Group during the procurement process as detailed in in the relevant appendices to the report;

(3)       to award the Management Contract for Melton Sports Village to SLM (Everyone Active) for a period of 4 years to expire 31st March 2022;

(4)       that delegated authority be granted  to the Deputy Chief Executive, in consultation with the Director for Corporate Resources and Solicitor to the Council, to complete the final agreement with SLM;

(5)       Members thank the Head of Communities & Neighbourhoods, Mr Harry Rai, for his support to the Sports, Leisure & Cultural Working Group and his work with regard to the Melton Sports Village.