Agenda and draft minutes

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Craig, Crews, Trina Davis, Stephen Davies, Gray, Job, Patrick, Pearcy, Hurst, Kay, Mossman and Prenter.

To receive declarations of interest.

There were none.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 20 July 2023.

RESOLVED   That the Minutes of the meeting held on 20 July 2023 were approved as a correct record.

To receive announcements from the Chair of Council, Leader of Council or Chief Executive.

The Chair paid tribute to Jim White, Chair of the Cotswold Canals Trust, who had sadly passed away. Councillors Pearson, Green, Braun and Layfield were invited to say a few words in remembrance of Jim White and offered their heartfelt condolences to his family.

The Chair invited Councillors to join her in a brief moment of reflection for those who had tragically lost their lives and lost loved ones due to the recent events in Israel and Palestine.

The Leader provided a brief update on the Local Plan and advised that they had received a further letter from the planning inspectors which did not answer their initial request for a pause to allow further work but did ask for the Council to answer further questions and undertake work on a joint action plan with National Highways, Gloucestershire County Council and South Gloucestershire Council. She confirmed that they had further meetings arranged with Gloucestershire County Council tomorrow and South Gloucestershire Council on Monday and with officers at National Highways and neighbouring councils to work together on finding solutions.

The Chair of the relevant Committee will answer questions from members of the public submitted in accordance with the Council’s procedures laid out in Section 3, Paragraph 8, of the Constitution.

Public questions were submitted. They were answered by the Chair of Environment Committee, Councillor Chloe Turner. Supplementary questions were also answered. (Refer to the recording of the meeting and Agenda Item 5).

See Agenda Item 5 deadlines for submissions.

Member questions were submitted, they were asked by Councillors Evans, Patrick and Green. (Refer to the recording of the meeting and Agenda Item 6).

Council resolves:

·         To require all new building to have swift bricks

·         To require any renovation works to include swift bricks

·         To implement swift bricks into our own Local Plan

Councillor Green introduced the Motion and advised that the numbers of Common Swifts were in decline in the UK with the numbers falling by 57% as recorded by the British Trust of Ornithology. She confirmed that Swift Bricks were hollow rectangular boxes made of breathable material, they would not compromise insulation, would be inexpensive and needed minimal maintenance. She stated that this would be a natural next step due to the Councils commitment following an agreed Motion to increase biodiversity and champion nature. Councillor Green confirmed that she wished to make an amendment to the Motion as laid out in red below:

Council resolves:

•          To require species specific enhancements such asall new building to have swiftboxes/bricks as a condition on all suitable properties

•          To require any renovation works to incorporate species specific enhancements such asinclude swift boxes/bricks as a condition on all suitable properties

•          To actively promote species specific habitat guidance (to include swifts) with developers and to display it prominently on an appropriate area of our website.

•          That this Council should investigate the possibility of subsidising such fitting where required, for example through an appropriate reduction in Community Infrastructure Levy charge.

•          To implement swift bricks into our own Noting that our draftLocal Plan is at examination and therefore not currently open for amendment, to add explicit reference to our requirements for species specific enhancements such as swift boxes/bricks into our own Local Plan at an appropriate moment in the Local Plan process.

The seconder agreed to the amendment.

In response to a question from Councillor James about the meaning of ‘opt out’ in this context, Councillor Green advised that she would like swift bricks to be considered on all applications and that clear evidence would need to be provided to confirm that a swift brick was not needed before the application could proceed without one.

Councillor Baxendale proposed an amendment to Councillor Green’s amended Motion as laid out in blue below:

·          To continue to require species specific enhancements such as swift boxes/bricks as a condition on all suitable properties. 

·          To require renovation works to incorporate species specific enhancements such as swift houses/bricks as a condition on all suitable propertiescomplete the species specific habitat guidance (to include swifts) that is being drafted, actively promote the guidance with developers and to display it prominently on an appropriate area of our website, and 

·          Noting that with our draft Local Plan is currently underExamination and therefore not currently open for amendment,it is not currently possible to amend the Plan, to add explicit reference to our currentrequirements for species specific enhancements such as swift boxes/bricks into our own Local Plan at an appropriate moment in the Local Plan process. 

•         Council also invites Members to engage with Stroud Swift Group and other swift groups across the district, and to promote their excellent work in the raising of awareness and protection of this increasingly threatened bird in their  ...  view the full minutes text for item CL.034

Council resolves that:

·         All Party leaders or their nominees should be included in the decision making process to resolve this issue.

·         Any modifications to the plan should be subject to full public consultation, the results published, described and reflected where appropriate in the plan.

·         A change of fundamental strategy to address identified challenges, including site selection, should be explored with key stakeholders.

·         Resolution to areas of highlighted concern raised by inspectors should be subject to proper independent analysis discrete from site promoter evidence. 

·         The 5 year land supply should be updated and made public on a 6 monthly basis in line with current practice.

·         Every effort should be made to work with all partners involved including National Highways and the County Council.

Councillor Haydn Jones presented the Motion and advised that he had submitted the Motion due to the recent correspondence with the planning inspectors. He stated that Council had not debated the topic for over 2 and a half years and that many current Councillors would not have been elected at that point in time. Councillor Haydn Jones confirmed that he wanted Council to take the inspector's advice and withdraw the plan at this stage so that they could have a look again and address any issues. Councillor Haydn Jones highlighted a small amendment that he wished to make to the Motion as outlined in red below:

Council resolves that:

•        All Party leaders or their nominees should be included and advised concurrently in the decision-making process to resolve this issue future direction of the Local Plan.

•        Any modifications to the plan should be subject to full public consultation, the results published, described and reflected where appropriate in the plan.

•        A change of fundamental strategy to address identified challenges, including site selection, should be explored with key stakeholders.

•        Resolution to areas of highlighted concern raised by inspectors should be subject to proper independent analysis discrete from site promoter evidence.

•        The 5 year land supply should be updated and made public on a 6 monthly basis in line with current practice.

•        Every effort should be made to work with all partners involved including National Highways and the County Council.

The seconder agreed to the amendment.

Councillor Jones highlighted examples of further issues with the process undertaken for the Local Plan, the testing of independent information and the process required to address the major infrastructure issues.

Councillor Studdert-Kennedy asked for confirmation whether Leaders were advised concurrently. The Chief Executive confirmed that it was unfortunate that the letter was received on the 4 August 2023 when most Councillors are away and the usual meetings do not take place. There was 1 day between the administration of the Council being notified and all councillors receiving the information. She confirmed that she does always try to ensure that Group Leaders are notified of things at similar times.

Councillor Ryder asked what options Councillor Haydn Jones thinks the Council has if the plan were to be withdrawn. Councillor Haydn Jones advised that he believed that there were lots of opportunities to do things differently. He advised that there was support for more widespread dispersal which would help local and regional developers rather than national developers. He expressed a wish to reconsider other sites that hadn’t been included in the plan and to identify where there was capacity and infrastructure for development.

Councillor Watson asked if she supported the Motion would she be supporting the withdrawal of the plan. Councillor Haydn Jones confirmed that it was not the case but instead that he wanted to get everybody together to think about options.

Councillor Turner proposed an amendment as laid out in red below:

Council resolves that:

•       All Party leaders or their  ...  view the full minutes text for item CL.035

The Annual Report of the Chair of the Audit and Standards Committee (the Committee) summarises the Committee’s activities during 2022-23 and sets out its plans for the next twelve months. This report provides independent assurance that the Council has in place:

I. Adequate and effective governance, risk management

and internal control frameworks;

II. Internal and External Audit services; and

III. Financial reporting arrangements that can be relied upon and which contribute to the high corporate governance standards that this Council expects and maintains.

The Chair of Audit and Standards Committee, Councillor Studdert-Kennedy, introduced the report and drew Members attention to page 34 and the following key points:

·   Oversight of the Council’s governance, risk management and internal control framework throughout 2022-23 had continued.

·   The work programme had been continually reviewed.

·   The Committee would continue to support the work of the internal and external audit, monitor actions arising from the Annual Governance Statement and monitor actions arising from Risk Management.

Proposed by Councillor Studdert-Kennedy and seconded by Councillor Pearson.

Councillor Braun thanked the Chair of Audit and Standards Committee and the Committee Members for their work over the past year.

Councillor Jockel echoed Councillor Brauns comments and as a new member of the Committee was impressed with the competence and the informed nature of debate, he commended the work of the committee which had been outlined in the report.

Councillor Pearson thanked Councillor Studdert-Kennedy for his excellent chairing of the committee.

On being put to the vote, the Motion was carried unanimously.

To seek approval for the associated capital funding required.

The Chair of Environment Committee, Councillor Turner, offered thanks to the Officers who had been involved in the project and gave a brief timeline of events. She confirmed that in March 2023 a strategy for the rollout of Electric Vehicle charging points had been agreed by Environment Committee and that the report being considered by Full Council had been recommended by both Environment Committee and Strategy and Resources Committee. She noted that it had taken time to reach this point in the project due to the aspiration to use the same provider as Gloucestershire County Council so that residents would benefit from using the same technology across the County. The Chair of Environment Committee highlighted the planned provision in table 1 at section 4.6 which included information about the 8 sites identified for charging points.

In response to questions from Councillor Green, Councillor Turner confirmed that expansion would still be considered at sites where passive supply had not been included in this rollout. She further confirmed that she would provide further detail outside of the meeting regarding the timelines for additional funding referred to in section 5.2.

Councillor Miles asked whether Cainscross carpark was considered as a location. Councillor Turner advised that there was a comprehensive consultation with Parishes regarding the need for charging point and that a business case that met the criteria set may not have been put forward by Cainscross. Councillor Turner also confirmed that an app needed to be used for payment of the 7kw chargers and understood that this could be a frustration for many. She advised that because the scheme would be used throughout Gloucestershire there would be reassurance for residents that they would be able to use the same app across the County. It was hoped that the 22kw chargers would be able to be used on a tap and go basis.

Councillor Robinson asked whether the inclusion of passive supply would allow further introduction of rapid charging. Councillor Turner advised that she believed this would be done on a case by case basis and was largely down to grid availability however she would confirm outside of the meeting if faster chargers could be installed using the passive supply.

In response to a question from Councillor Schoemaker, Councillor Turner confirmed that this rollout was considered to be phase 1 and that they would be looking for more opportunities in the future to rollout further electric vehicle charging points.

Councillor Turner confirmed to Councillor Studdert Kennedy that she would request a briefing note for Members to provide further information about the charging points and the charging speeds.

Councillor Luff asked how they planned to ensure that rollout of charging points was sped up to meet demand. Councillor Turner confirmed that one of the reasons they agreed to go ahead with Connected Curve and partnered with the County Council was so that they could make use of economies of scale and increase the provision as quickly as possible. She advised that they were doing everything  ...  view the full minutes text for item CL.037

To present the progress made against the Council Plan 2021-2026 to date, and to approve the refreshed Council Plan.

The Chair of Strategy and Resources Committee, Councillor Braun, introduced the report and confirmed that the Council Plan, which had been approved in October 2021, set the overall strategic objectives, priorities and key actions of the Council. The refreshed Council Plan had been recommended to Council by all the service Committees with no amendments proposed. Councillor Braun highlighted section 2.2 of the report which contained detail about the actions that had already been taken to achieve the objectives outlined in the Council Plan. There were no changes to the priorities or the 16 objectives that underpinned them, the majority of adjustments had been made to the actions, milestones and performance indicators which had been highlighted in Appendix A.

Councillor Green asked whether where end dates had been changed whether it would be reported as overdue and expressed concern that if they allowed further changes to sub actions and milestones as suggested in section 3.8 they could be at risk of watering down the outcomes. Councillor Braun advised that they hoped there would be flexibility when opportunities arose which would lead to an adjustment of any sub actions and that they would rely on performance monitors and committee members to review and suggest further changes. Councillor Braun confirmed that the original end dates would continue to be recorded in the Performance Management System Ideagen, however they would track future progress against the adjusted end date.

Proposed by Councillor Braun and seconded by Councillor Bennett.

Councillor Tucker advised that since the previous Community Services and Licensing Committee and Strategy and Resources Committee Meetings, he had attended meetings with officers to discuss concerns raised and was now happy to support the recommendations.

Councillor Robinson confirmed that the Labour Group would be supporting the refreshed Council Plan as the original plan had been shaped by the Labour Group and they were happy to see it progressing.

Councillor Aldam thanked the Corporate Policy and Governance Manager for working tirelessly on the refresh of the Council Plan which had also been shared with the Youth Council and advised that she was pleased to see that the Cost of Living Crisis was now reflected within the Council Plan.

Councillor Bennett was pleased to see the progress made over the last 2 years and hoped that Councillors would be able to support the refreshed plan.

On being put to the vote, the Motion was carried unanimously.

Following the Housing Committee decision on 31^st January 2023 approving the submission of a capital bid to DLUHC for the purchase of accommodation to be held in the HRA for people fleeing conflict, a further short notice bid opportunity arose in June 2023, with a bid deadline of July 2023.   This report is to request approval to the additional capital budget required.

The Chair of Housing Committee, Councillor Ross, introduced the report which was a good news story for the Council and had received unanimous support at Housing and Strategy and Resources Committee. She confirmed that the Council had been proactive in bidding for the Local Authority Housing Fund for the purchase of accommodation for people fleeing conflict and had been successful in both rounds. Houses purchased would eventually become part of the Councils housing stock. She congratulated the Officers involved for their work in finding and acquiring suitable houses with such speed.

In response to Councillor Baker, Councillor Ross advised that she would come back to her with further information about whether the properties purchased had to be used for people fleeing conflict or whether alternative properties from the Councils housing stock could be used.

In response to an earlier question from Councillor Green, the Strategic Director of Resources advised that the purchase of a further property had been completed that week.

Proposed by Councillor Ross and seconded by Councillor Schoemaker.

On being put to the vote, the Motion was carried unanimously.

The Chair asked members if they wished to continue the meeting given that the time was approaching 10pm and in accordance with the Councils’ Constitution section 3 paragraph 6, members would need to vote in order to continue the meeting.

After being put to a vote, the Motion was carried.

RESOLVED To continue the meeting beyond 10pm.

To set out an updated Medium Term Financial Plan and the Strategy that will be used in setting the budget for the 2024/25 year.

The Chair of Strategy and Resources Committee, Councillor Braun, introduced the Budget Strategy which set out the approach that would be used to set the budget for 2024/25 and the four-year Medium-Term Financial plan. She confirmed that the Strategy represented a strong financial position for the Council with a balanced budget and no reductions in services anticipated over each of the next two financial years however, the position for 2026 onwards was more uncertain due to the lack of information about the future local government funding position.

Councillor Braun highlighted the following key points:

·         The strategy assumed a Council Tax rise of 2.99% for a Band D property from next April.

·         No changes would be proposed as part of the local Council Tax support scheme.

• The change in local government funding, expected to result in large reductions in District Councils, is now anticipated in 2026/27.
• Inflation for September had been confirmed at 6.7% therefore, in line with the current Budget Strategy of rent rises, a rise of 7.7% would be considered as part of the budget setting process at Housing Committee.
• There was great uncertainty about the level of local government pay as the pay award for the current year had not yet been agreed. An increase of 5.6 % has been assumed in the Strategy which was in line with estimated increases in this current year.
• The level of CPI inflation remained high at 6.7%.
• The final list of fees and charges would be brought forward to Council in February however it was expected that car parking charges would increase by an average of 5% (lower than inflation).
• The Budget Strategy set out that the District Council could set a balanced budget without drawing on General Balances for the next two financial years.

Councillor Robinson asked for further information regarding Kingshill House, Councillor Braun confirmed that a report was expected at Strategy and Resources Committee in November to consider a long term lease for the property.

Proposed by Councillor Braun and seconded by Councillor Bennett.

Councillor Studdert-Kennedy advised that the Council still carried £97m worth of debt and although he agreed that the Council was in a strong position compared to others they needed to think sooner about future impacts.

Councillor Ross advised that they were in a good position and still able to provide support to residents in need however there would be some difficult decisions that they would need to reach regarding the Housing Revenue Account.

Councillor Braun thanked Councillors for the comments and expressed concerns regarding the uncertainties of local government finance.

After being put to a vote, the Motion was carried.

To update the allocation of seats in accordance with the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and appoint changes to membership of committees and appointments with effect from 26 October 2023.

The Chair, Councillor Cornell, advised that the political balance had been recalculated following the change of Group Membership for Councillor Hoskin. Appendix A had been published online and included the changes highlighted in red however there was one error for Audit and Standards Committee where Councillor Ashley Smith should not be listed as a member.

Proposed by Councillor Braun and seconded by Councillor Ross.

On being put to the vote, the Motion was carried unanimously.

Councillor Braun provided an update on Councillor Kay’s recovery in hospital following heart surgery. She confirmed that he was doing really well and wished him a very speedy recovery.