Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber - The Guildhall. View directions

Contact: James Welbourn  Democratic and Civic Officer

Note: Subject to Call-in. Call-in will expire at 5pm on Wednesday 4 July 2018 

Media

Items
No. Item

4.

Public Participation Period

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

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There was no public participation.

5.

Minutes of Previous Meeting/s pdf icon PDF 52 KB

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the previous meetings.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The minutes of the meetings held on 10 May 2018 and 14 May 2018 were approved as a correct record.

6.

Declarations of Interest

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

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interests at this point of the meeting.

7.

Matters Arising Schedule

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no matters arising from previous meetings.

8.

Non-Domestic Rate (NNDR) – Government New Discretionary Rate Relief Scheme pdf icon PDF 158 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members considered a report on West Lindsey District Council’s (WLDC) position with regard to the new Government Discretionary Business Rate Relief Scheme for the financial year 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019.

 

This was a four year scheme to help those businesses that had suffered a rateable value increase following the business rate evaluation of 2017.

 

For this year the fund is £76,000; any surplus cannot be carried forward into the following year. 

 

In 2017/18 relief was awarded to 197 businesses; it was proposed to grant them automatic relief for 2018/19.

 

                        RESOLVED to:

 

(1)  agree Option 1 as the preference for the new Discretionary Rate Relief Scheme for West Lindsey District Council for 2018/19;

 

(2)  agree that in the event of any surplus during the year 2018/19, decisions to award any additional relief be delegated to the Executive Director of Resources;

 

(3)  agree that as the funding available for a Discretionary Rate Relief Scheme will continue to reduce that the agreed Option for 2018/19 be applied to future years using the methodology outlined in this report, but with a reduction in the percentage of relief granted, in line with Government allocation.  The decision for the award of 2019/20 and 2020/21 to be delegated to the Executive Director of Resources in his capacity as Section 151 Officer.

9.

ICT and Digital Strategy pdf icon PDF 140 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members considered a report seeking approval of the Council’s ICT strategy for the future.

 

The following information was highlighted:

 

·         The strategy was designed to support customer centric and commercial aspirations.  It proposed to concentrate on 6 behaviours:

o   Application improvements;

o   Agile working;

o   Omni-channel Service Delivery;

o   Excellent Customer Services;

o   ICT Governance;

o   Technology Changes;

 

·         Work had begun on soft market testing;

 

·         Currently, there was a ‘one size fits all’ approach to new computing equipment.  In the past few years some teams had gone for equipment that specifically suited them.  It was proposed that the new approach would be ‘mix and match’, with different options for new equipment available to staff, based on the different working arrangements and setups that staff have;

 

·         Soft phones were being looked at to reduce the number of handsets needed in the office;

 

·         As systems are integrated, choice is restricted.  When looking to replace systems, new technologies will need to work with what WLDC already have;

 

One Member requested that the vision statement within the Strategy be reworked.

 

RESOLVED to approve the adoption and rollout of the ICT and Digital Strategy.

10.

Annual Report on the Treasury Management Service and Actual Prudential and Treasury Indicators 2017/18 pdf icon PDF 530 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members considered the annual treasury report, which covered the treasury activity during 2017/18 along with the actual prudential indicators for 2017/18.

 

                        RESOLVED to:

 

(1)  accept the Annual Treasury Management Report for 2017/18 along with the actual Prudential and Treasury Indicators;

 

(2)  recommend the above to Council for approval.

11.

Committee Work Plan pdf icon PDF 66 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The workplan was noted by Members.

12.

Exclusion of Public and Press

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 item 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.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

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.

13.

Surestaff Business Plan 2018/19 – 2021/2022

Minutes:

Members considered a report on the Surestaff Business Plan for the period 2018/19 – 2021/22.

 

The following points were highlighted during discussion of the item:

 

·         Because of the contribution made to intra-company charging, and contract management benefit, WLDC overall made a positive return;

 

·         Surestaff employed a Manager and Assistant, who try to attract new business as well as looking after existing contracts;

 

·         Surestaff predominantly dealt with seasonal green waste staff, but also supplied staff to cover sickness leave within WLDC;

 

RESOLVED to agree the Business Plans as the single shareholder.

14.

Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) – Successful Funding Award

Minutes:

Members considered a report on a successful funding bid to the Housing Infrastructure Fund to support the infrastructure costs, and to enable the delivery of the first phase of the Southern Urban Extension in Gainsborough.

 

The following points were highlighted:

 

·         Officers had been successful in attracting a large amount of money to commence the southern neighbourhood; the grant will deliver phase 1 of the development.  WLDC will become the accountable authority for the grant money;

 

·         The developer for the scheme would still be contributing to education, health, and the community infrastructure levy in the area;

 

Note:         Councillor Matt Boles declared an interest as this development was in his County Council division.

 

·      There are two roundabouts as part of this development; the first was at the junction between Foxby Hill and Lea Road (near to Aldi), with the second being further down at the junction of Middlefield Lane and Foxby Lane;

 

·           Houses were due to start on site in 2020, with completion by 2021;

 

·           There would be the opportunity for some retail units;

 

·           Homes England believe that WLDC have a very solid strategy.

 

RESOLVED to approve the recommendations as written in the report.

15.

Disposal of leases for 3 and 5 North Street

Minutes:

Members considered a report on the disposal of the leases for 3 and 5 North Street.

 

The following information was provided:

 

·         The sale had previously been agreed; however, the previous buyer (The Joint Venture Company) had to pull out as all of the refurbishment works couldn’t be supported financially;

 

·         ACIS were the freeholders of the whole building.  2 of the flats were in private ownership, and two were retained by ACIS;

 

Note: Councillor Mick Devine declared that one of the parties involved in these discussions was a neighbour of his.

 

RESOLVED to approve the sale of the Council’s long leasehold interest in numbers 3 & 5 North Street to North Street (Gainsborough) Ltd as a special purchaser.