Up to 15 minutes are allowed for public participation.  Participants are restricted to 3 minutes each.

There was no public participation.

Minutes from the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee held on 12 April 2018, and the minutes from the Concurrent Meeting of Prosperous Communities and Corporate Policy and Resources Committees held on 25 April 2018.

The minutes from the previous meeting of the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee held on 12 April 2018 were agreed as a true record.

The minutes from the Concurrent Meeting of the Prosperous Communities and Corporate Policy and Resources Committees held on 25 April 2018 were also agreed as a true record.

Members may make declarations of Interest at this point or may make them at any point in the meeting.

There were no declarations at this point of the meeting.

Setting out current position of previously agreed actions as at 1 May 2018.

RESOLVED that progress on the Matters Arising Schedule, as set out in the report be received and noted.

Members considered a report on the policy review of Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP).  The West Lindsey DHP policy had been updated to take account of Full Service Universal Credit.

The Benefits Manager introduced the report to Members, and outlined that the funding received over the last seven years was growing, although in the last year this funding had remained relatively static.

Following a question from a Member, the Benefits Manager provided the Committee with the following information:

·         There was no actual right of appeal or the right for a claimant to take an appeal to tribunal; however, there was a reconsideration process which would be dealt with by another senior member of the benefits team;

·         Individuals that were refused DHP during a reconsideration usually have their own means of paying the shortfall between rent and housing benefit;

·         West Lindsey District Council (WLDC) recover overpayments and it goes back into the overall pot.  It can be spent out on a different claimant;

·         There were not many overpayments on DHP; it only occurs when there was a delay in stopping housing benefit.

RESOLVED to adopt the new Discretionary Housing Payment Policy, listed as option 2 in the report.

Note: Councillor Stuart Kinch arrived during the discussion on this item.

Members considered a report on an updated Housing Assistance Policy that had already been to Prosperous Communities Committee on 1 May for prior approval.  At Prosperous Communities, there had been one slight amendment to the policy - all references to the First Time Buyer initiative were amended to read ‘Empty Property Buyer initiative’.

The Housing and Enforcement Manager gave an introduction to Members, and highlighted the following points:

·         The available budget in terms of reserves was £825,000.  Additional money on top of this would be made up of receipts from the £825,000, and would fund later years of the programme;

·         The scheme would not include anyone buying a second home, and was aimed at someone gaining a primary dwelling;

·         The disabled facilities grant would apply throughout West Lindsey, but the private sector renewal grant would only apply in Gainsborough.

RESOLVEDto approve that the earmarked reserve allocated for private sector renewal is released to fund the housing assistance policy, as recommended and amended by Prosperous Communities Committee on the 1^st of May 2018.

Members considered a report on the viability and implications of a West Lindsey Commercial Loan Policy and framework that would allow the Council to lend money to third party organisations.

The framework proposed that companies would be directed to other funders in the first instance, such as the Midlands Engine Fund.  The policy would not be actively promoted, but it was something the growth team can work with the entice people to the West Lindsey area.

All loans would require approval from the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee, and would need to comply with state aid rules.

RESOLVED to approve the Commercial Loan Policy for West Lindsey that would allow the Council to award discretionary commercial loans to third party organisations in support of local growth and economic development.

Members considered a budget consultation proposal for the 2019/20 budget.  The Executive Director for Resources introduced the item, and highlighted the following points for Members:

·         2017 was the first year that the dedicated budget consultation software had been used.  The same software was due to be used in 2018, but with more detail included;

·         It would be of particular interest to see which areas citizens would look to reduce the budget spend;

·         The Citizens’ Panel had doubled in size since it last provided an opinion on this software;

·         The Budget Consultation would be promoted through a number of mediums, including in paper form;

·         Response rates to the budget in 2017 were down on previous years.

RESOLVED to agree the proposal for consulting on the 2019/20 budget.

Members considered a report on the Budget and Treasury Management Monitoring for Period 4 2017/18.

The Finance and Business Support Manager introduced the report, highlighting the following points:

·         The revenue outturn position at 31 March 2018 was £150,000 return to the general fund balance.  Since that date, the accounts were closed and the actual return was £431,000; the difference of £281,000 was notified at the beginning of April as the Government had miscalculated the business rate relief grant. 

·         The capital outturn had resulted in £6.534 million being spent; there had been a request to carry forward £5.977 million, mainly for commercial investment;

·         In terms of treasury management, an average interest rate of 1.25% had been achieved, that generated £263,000 of revenue income.  There had been no external borrowing;

·         It had previously been reported that there had been a breach of the counterparty limit.  There followed a thorough investigation; the procedures were found to be robust;

·         £384,000 of commercial income had been generated.

Following questions from Members, further information was provided;

·         The function of Corporate Fraud now comes under the Finance directorate, and the fraud reports will come through the Governance and Audit Committee;

·         There had been some health and safety issues with the Market Rasen depot.  A portakabin forms the office and work area for staff; it was dangerous to have people and vehicles in the same space.  There were only two years left on the lease; alongside the current depot, other facilities were being considered;

·         The additional £500,000 being invested had no detriment on interest rates;

·         The commercial income that the Council had generated was equivalent to a 9.9% Council Tax precept;

·         Paragraph 1.2.2 on the former Lidl building was out of date and should not have been included in the report;

·         West Lindsey District Council was able to lend to other councils in the form of short-term funding.  They were AA rated investments;

·         £3 million had been invested in a property bond with Churches, Communities and Local Authorities Investment Management (CCLA), which generated around 4.6%;

·         The Debt Recovery Team had a process of chasing debts.  Most of the debt related to housing benefit overpayments; the debt was not reducing swiftly, but it was being recovered.  Services that had outstanding debts were proactively chasing them.

RESOLVED to:

(1)  Accept the draft out-turn position of a £150k net contribution to reserves as at 31 March 2018;

(2)  Note the Revenue budget carry forwards of £806k approved in year;

(3)  Agree that any further surplus variances be transferred to the Business Rates Volatility Reserve or General Fund Balance;

(4)  Approve the 2017/18 use of Earmarked Reserves of £118,900;

(5)  Note the 2017/18 use of Earmarked Reserves during the quarter approved by the Executive Director of Resources using delegated powers;

(6)  Note the 2018/19 use of Earmarked Reserves approved by the Executive Director of Resources using delegated powers;

(7)  Approve the Capital budget carry forwards of £6.010 million and accept the Capital out-turn position of £6.534 million;

(8)  Accept the Commercial Income  ...  view the full minutes text for item 127.

Note: Councillor Stuart Kinch left the chamber at the start of this item.

Members considered a report on the Business Rate Growth Policy, which had the idea of attracting new and expanding businesses to locate in West Lindsey and specifically, to locate on the Strategic Employment Sites and the Central Lincolnshire Food Enterprise Zone and Somerby Park.

Note: Councillor Tom Regis declared a non-pecuniary interest on the basis that he owned a commercial property in Hemswell.  He did not take part in, or vote on the item.

                                    RESOLVED to:

(1)  Approve the Business Rate Growth Policy for West Lindsey’s Strategic Employment Areas as detailed in the report;

(2)  Approve that the scheme enables a maximum of £300,000 in reliefs to be awarded with a maximum award of 100% over a 3 year period.

Members considered a report on Progress and Delivery for Quarter 4 of 2017/2018.

The following points were highlighted:

·         Licensing continued to give customer satisfaction;

·         The Customer Experience Officer was having a positive effect on the complaints coming into the Council;

·         Enforcement had seen increased demand; the new resource in that area had been made permanent;

·         Street cleansing had not generated the expected income; officers are working to see how this service can be promoted;

·         Markets were still underperforming;

·         There was ongoing concern in the home choices section about nights spent in bed and breakfast accommodation;

·         A new system for the allocation of homes had been implemented to support a reduction in homelessness.

RESOLVED to note the report.

The Executive Director for Resource reminded Members that the April 2019 meeting could be in a period of purdah.

Following this, the committee workplan was noted.

To resolve that under Section 100 (A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

RESOLVED that under Section 100 (A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

Members considered a report on the purchase of a site for leisure in Market Rasen.

Note: Councillor John McNeill declared an interest as he had friends in a property adjacent to the site in question.  This did not preclude him from taking part, or voting on this item.

                        RESOLVED to approve the recommendations as written in the report.

Members considered a progress report on the investment property portfolio.

Note: Councillor Stuart Kinch re-joined the meeting midway through this item at 1954.

RESOLVED to approve the recommendations as set out in the report.

Members received a copy of the minutes from the Concurrent Meeting of the Prosperous Communities and Corporate Policy and Resources Committees which contained the recommendations in full.

                        RESOLVED to note the exempt record.